Anger is not becoming this morning. After all, the New York Giants are playing in the 2012 Super Bowl later today, facing the New England Patriots. Yet, how can you not be angry that Bill Parcells was somehow not deemed worthy on Saturday of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
No offense to Curtis Martin, Jack Butler, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf, Chris Doleman and Dermontti Dawson, who were voted in, but not one of that gang of six deserved to go into the Hall of Fame before Parcells.
I thought it was a no-brainer that Parcells would be elected. I was stunned Saturday night when the legendary Giants coach was left off the list of finalists.
None of the six players elected holds the status in the game that Parcells does. None has accomplished more, or affected the entire NFL in such a positive way. Two titles with the Giants, a Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots, playoff appearances with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. A coaching tree that includes the guys facing off today -- Tom Coughlin of the Giants and Bill Belichick of the Patriots.
Jim Trotter of SI.com, one of the 44 Hall of Fame voters, tried to explain how Parcells didn't make it. Among his comments:
- "There are more deserving candidates than there are available spots."
- "... some voters believe a coach or contributor should never take a spot from a player. That meant the odds were against Parcells and DeBartolo before the discussions even began."
I'm not really buying any of it. I am not buying Trotter's talk of "housecleaning," where voters felt certain positions had to be addressed because of logjams on future ballots or any of that malarkey.
The Hall of Fame should be about greatness -- not housecleaning, or balance, or whether you are a player, owner or coach. There was no one -- not one single person -- on the list of 2012 finalists who had a greater career or more long-lasting, positive impact on the NFL than Parcells.
Whatever the reason he did not make it this was a mistake. Period.