Hall of Fame Inductions

Wow. The 2011 Hall of Fame Inductions were the most emotional that I have ever seen. With two serious talkers in Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe, it was easy to see it coming. I knew that the comfort level for Sharpe, Sanders and Marshall Faulk would be higher than most. Not every player handles the public speaking well. Even less so when many have been out of the public eye for at least five years. Former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle was an excellent example of this last year. He was a talker that clearly wasn't comfortable talking at a podium in front of a crowd. Sharpe, Sanders and Faulk all talk on TV now. They've all had a chance to become comfortable with a microphone.  Sanders always was.

I love everything about football. Except the business of it. I've always been interested in the stories. From the #1 player on the roster to the last player on the practice squad. They've all made it to the league, and they all have a story. Often the only stories that you hear are the ones of the greatest. Often they wear a gold jacket. I loved hearing Marshall Faulk saying that we all have the skills. The blessing is in how we use those skills. From Jerry Rice saying that fear drove him to excel to Shannon Sharpe playing for his grandmother, all players have something that pushes them to break beyond the ordinary. I absolutely love hearing the players tell of how they made it. The ones that truly grasp the "why" appreciate the path the most.

Deion Sanders may have been the only player that I ever heard thank every equipment manager that he ever had. That number climbs when you play for five teams. These people are vital and so often overlooked, even ignored. For a player like Sanders that was very particular about his equipment, the managers were critical. It was cool of him to show it. If Ed Sabol, Chris Hanburger and the tribute to Les Richter had taken as long as the other four, the Inductions would have never come to an end. That brought one of the more humorous moments when former Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger spoke of the lucrative possibilities of selling his minutes to the others. There were many wonderful moments. My favorite was Sharpe saying that he was the only Hall of Famer that could say that he is the second best player in his own family. Despite playing for the Packers, Sterling Sharpe was one of the greatest receivers in my lifetime. If his career hadn't been cut short by injury, he would have preceded his brother in Canton. Their moments together may have been the most beautiful this weekend. Or any Hall of Fame weekend.