Pro Football Hall of Fame*

Another Pro Football Hall of Fame class was selected Saturday, and like every other year there were players who should have been inducted but weren’t. Each and every year there is controversy over who gets left out of the Hall of Fame class, but there is always one issue that remains constant: Should off-the-field issues be taken into account when casting a Hall of Fame ballot?

This year’s man in the spotlight was Michael Jerome Irvin, star receiver of the Dallas Cowboys from 1988 to 1999. During Irvin’s illustrious 11-year career, he set 14 franchise records for the Cowboys, including an NFL record: 11 straight games with more than 100 yards receiving in 1995. He remains third all time behind Jerry Rice (65) and Don Maynard (50) for most 100-yard receiving games in a career. Irvin also went to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1992 to 1996. Add to that 11,904 career receiving yards, 65 career touchdowns and three Super Bowl titles, and I would say that you have a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. But alas – that was not the case. It took three years for Irvin to finally get accepted into Canton. It was not because he wasn’t a great player; rather, it was his off-the-field conduct that caused this delay.

The trouble started in 1996 when Irvin was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine at his 30th birthday party. Irvin pleaded no contest and was sentenced to community service and four years probation. Irvin also was known to be a regular visitor of the “White House,” a place close to the team’s training facilities known for sex and drug use. The final blow to Irvin’s reputation came when a woman accused him of rape, but she later recanted. The damage already had been done by a media-fed society that presumes people as guilty until proven innocent.

Now look at this media-produced predicament. We have an on-the-field player who is clearly first-ballot Hall of Fame material, but we also have a man who has led the life of a drug-using sex addict who would be considered a low-life if not for his football playing abilities. The question remains: Should off-the-field issues, whether true or false, be taken into account when casting a Hall of Fame ballot? I believe the answer is no.

According to section 3C of the Hall of Fame bylaws: “The only criteria for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are a nominee’s achievements and contributions as a player, coach, or contributor.”

The subjectivity of a player’s personal life should not be taken into account when voting on whether to induct that person. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is meant to honor the best football players of all time, not the best people of all time. Unfortunately for players like Michael Irvin, this voting is not done by a computer. It is done by impressionable, holier-than-thou humans who have the ability to take into account acts outside of football.

Regrettably, this problem will never be fixed unless voters start focusing on the stats and on-the-field achievements of the players up for election. How about a BCS system that can calculate algorithms for statistics for any given candidate and compare it to those players already in the hall? Yes, a BCS for the Hall of Fame. Any takers?