Defensive tackle Curley Culp and linebacker Dave Robinson were named last week by the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Senior Committee as finalists for election into the Hall of Fame with the Class of 2013. They will join the 15 yet to be named modern-era candidates on the list of finalists from which the Class of 2013 will be selected.
First of all, I have some difficulties with football players from my lifetime being considered senior or pre-modern-era players. It just isn't right. More importantly, the selection committee continues to fail at getting the process right. I have no problem with the Hall of Fame qualifications of Culp and Robinson. They were exceptional football players. I especially applaud the selection of Culp. Not to take anything away from Robinson, I always figured that if another player from Lombardi's Packers made it this far that player would be Jerry Kramer. For years the reason for Kramer's exclusion has always been that there's enough of those Packers in Canton. This is a stupid reason for all sorts of reasons. Still, it kept being tossed out there. Now they bring in a Packer from that era that is not Kramer. I'd find room for both. Both players were that great and so was that team. My main issue with the senior portion of the selection committee is that as long as deserving players from the very early days of the NFL are out there they should concentrate on those players. Lavvie Dilweg, Al Wistert and Mac Speedie have been ignored too long. There are others. There was professional football long before the Super Bowl. Those times seem to be forgotten.
Despite all that, congratulations to Curley Culp and Dave Robinson on fantastic football careers and their selection by the senior committee. And good luck.
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