Pro Football Hall of Fame Snubs

The Athletic recently tackled the popular topic of Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs. The NFL writers at the site compiled and voted on a list of players and coaches they feel should have their bust in Canton. They voted on three categories: modern-era players, senior candidates, and coaches. Here are the results of The Athletic's look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs.

The Modern-era players who received more than 30% of The Athletic NFL staff vote to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

John Lynch
Alan Faneca
Tony Boselli
Zach Thomas
Torry Holt
Reggie Wayne

The numbers from the vote weren't revealed. I'm assuming that the order of the players is from most votes to least. It certainly isn't alphabetical. I disagree with the order but strongly agree that all six should eventually make it to Canton. Whether they are truly being snubbed is another issue. My order would look like this.

Tony Boselli
Alan Faneca
Reggie Wayne
Torry Holt
John Lynch
Zach Thomas

Other than last year's mystifying treatment of Patrick Willis, the voter's handling of Tony Boselli is the most ridiculous since the five-year snub of Cris Carter. Simply put, Boselli should already be in Canton. His career might've been a bit shorter than preferred. He's definitely a quality over quantity player. For several years he was the best offensive tackle in the league during an era with a few Hall of Fame offensive tackles. It's long past time that he joins his peers.

Speaking of Patrick Willis. He should have a place among the above six "snubs." He's only been eligible for a year but he already feels snubbed. Willis not being among last year's 15 finalists is a snub. 

Alan Faneca should make it soon. Personally, I felt that Steve Hutchinson was slightly more deserving. Now that Hutchinson's in the Hall, it's Faneca's turn. I hate position quotas but sometimes that's just how it works.

Speaking of position quotas, unless a player like Jerry Rice or Randy Moss enters the Hall voting game there will always be a wait for receivers. Over the past decade, the voters did whittle away at some of the receiver logjam. Unless all 32 teams suddenly install the veer there will always be an excess of receivers worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. The current passing game can turn just about any receiver into a Hall of Famer. If he can stay on the field long enough to pile up the stats. Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt will soon be joined by Calvin Johnson, Steve Smith, Anquan Boldin, and Andre Johnson. The receiver logjam is building again.

Safety is another position that's having Hall of Fame issues. The position was comically overlooked for decades by the voters. It was as if the voters simply pushed the safeties into a room with the special teamers. That's changed since the likes of Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu stormed the scene. Safeties are finally getting the Hall of Fame attention that all positions deserve. More deserving safeties have made John Lynch have to wait. He isn't being snubbed. He's waiting in a line that the voters created. Among eligible safeties, I'd put Darren Woodson in before Lynch. Perhaps LeRoy Butler as well. Charles Woodson is up next year. He was a corner for most of his career but I'd take his handful of safety years over Lynch's career at the position. Anyway, Lynch's wait is sure to come to an end soon. Probably sooner than I have it ending.

Maybe it's just me but it seems that Zach Thomas is getting more Hall attention now than he did when he first became eligible about five years ago. Should Sam Mills, another undersized linebacker, make it before him? Thomas had the more decorated career. Thomas achieved his honors while competing against Ray Lewis for most of them. Thomas was overlooked his entire career. He's being overlooked after it. I fear that Thomas finally makes it to Canton as a Senior candidate 20 years from now. He shouldn't wait that long.

The senior players who received more than 30% of The Athletic NFL staff vote to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Cliff Branch
Drew Pearson
Roger Craig
Ken Anderson
Joe Jacoby

Yes. I always thought that the NFL started in the 1970s. The Centennial Class finally got Duke Slater to Canton. People bitch about one of their favorites waiting a few years. Slater finally gained induction about 90 years after his final season. It can be argued that he should've made it before the Hall itself was a decade old. The senior snubs always start with players that played in the 1970s. I don't get it. It should start with the players that have been waiting the longest. The fact that they didn't live to see their day shouldn't be a reason for making them wait even longer. LaVern Dilweg has waited far too long. Al Wistert has waited far too long. The fact that neither were part of the Centennial Class is absurd.

Others receiving votes (less than 30%):
Roger Brown
Joey Browner
LaVern Dilweg
Joe Fortunato
Rnady Gradishar
L.C. Greenwood
Chuck Howley
Mike Kenn
Jim Marshall
Tommy Nobis
Jay Hilgenberg
Ken Riley
Andy Russell
Del Shofner
Jack Tatum
Everson Walls

How is Al Wistert not even listed among "others receiving votes"? Does The Athletic NFL staff believe that he's already inducted. That can easily happen seeing as Al Wistert should already be inducted.

The coaches who received more than 30% of The Athletic NFL staff vote to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Don Coryell
Tom Flores
Mike Holmgren
Dick Vermeil

I can see each making it but I'm not so sure that any are being snubbed. Each has Hall of Fame credentials on their side but none are Hall of Fame locks for a variety of reasons. My order would  look like this:

Mike Holmgren
Dick Vermeil
Tom Flores
Don Coryell

I have Mike Holmgren at the top simply because he had the most sustained success. He took both teams that he coached to the Super Bowl, winning one. Perhaps he should've won more. It's really difficult to win more than winning a lot and Holmgren won a lot.

Dick Vermeil also took two teams to the Super Bowl, winning one. Taking his Eagles team to a Super Bowl might've been more impressive than winning a Super Bowl with the Rams.

Tom Flores would already be in the Hall of Fame if his coaching career was only his nine years with the Raiders. Unfortunately, he ended his coaching career with 2-14, 6-10, and 6-10 seasons with the Seahawks. Those that don't question his induction point to two Super Bowl titles. Those that question his induction say that he inherited those teams and ended his coaching days with a lot of losing. There's probably no other Hall of Fame candidate among The Athletic's snubs that causes me to flip-flop more. Flores is a puzzle for me. A lot of Hall of Fame coaches have ended their careers poorly. A lot of Hall of Fame coaches have fewer than two titles. Some have none. Flores broke barriers. He also won titles as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. Very few in league history have done that.

I've long thought that Don Coryell should already be in the Hall of Fame. That's more for his offensive innovations than his coaching success. He did more to change the game than any coach on this list of snubs. There's definitely a place in Canton for a coach like Coryell. Recently, I've softened a bit on my "Coryell should be in the Hall" thoughts. Coryell couldn't coach one of the most explosive and talented offenses ever into a Super Bowl.

The 48 Pro Football Hall of Fame's 48-person Selection Committee have a tough job. It's also a thankless job. They have a job that gets tougher every year. Here are some of the players that will be added to the pool in the coming years.

Upcoming first-year eligibles:
2021
Peyton Manning
Charles Woodson
Calvin Johnson
Jared Allen

2022
Steve Smith
DeMarcus Ware
Anquan Boldin
Robert Mathis
Andre Johnson

2023
Joe Thomas
Darrelle Revis
Devin Hester
Dwight Freeney
James Harrison

2024
Antonio Gates
Julius Peppers

2025
Luke Kuechly
Eli Manning

One thing that I'd like to see the voters do is stop voting in so many of the first-year eligibles. Making it in the first year needs to be reserved for the players that were truly, truly, truly special. They should be the very best of the very best. They should be the players that the other great players look at with wonder. Making it to the Hall in the first year should mean something more than it currently does.