The NFL Hall of Fame has decided to subvert... the NFL Hall of Fame

[Deus Irae]

Faced with the prospect that the Hall of Fame selection committee will revolt against an all-or-nothing vote on a 15-person centennial mega-class of enshrinees for 2020, the Hall of Fame has solved the problem.

The Hall of Fame selection committee will not vote on the 15-person centennial mega-class...

... In a memo dated November 1, a copy of which PFT has obtained, the Hall of Fame selection committee is informed that they won’t be voting on the 15-person centennial mega-class.

Instead, a so-called “blue-ribbon panel” will choose 10 senior candidates, three contributor candidates, and two coaching candidates — and the choices of the blue-ribbon panel will be final, with no vote at all by the selection committee...

Hall of Fame makes dramatic change to the rules for the 15-person centennial mega-class

 

[oldrover]

Whew... made it in before the thread closed.

 

[Ring 6]

Hall of Fame makes dramatic change to the rules for the 15-person centennial mega-class

I’m thinking I know who one member of the blue ribbon panel will be.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Great, this will be the “participation class”

 

[ralmat55]

I’m really surprised Belichick will give some of his in-season time to be on the panel. It must be important to him. Hope he helps keep Art Modell out of the HOF.

 

[maust]

I’m really surprised Belichick will give some of his in-season time to be on the panel. It must be important to him. Hope he helps keep Art Modell out of the HOF.

BB looking at the 1st clown to speak in Modell's favor...

 

[seven]

I am confused
Why?
What was the problem?

Expect a loud PR hit from big egos suddenly
found to be not Blue Ribbon worthy
Mostly writers?

Peter King already came out against
I note he is not on the "Blue Ribbon Panel"
Never thought of Peter King as leading any sort of revolt
but this could do it.

From the earlier piece linked below:
"The Hall of Fame erred in its decision to treat 15 candidates as one"
Who is the Hall of Fame?
Who's idea was this?

Hall of Fame’s decision to treat 15 candidates as 1 may kill the expanded class

 

[QuantumMechanic]

The committee members:

“The blue-ribbon panel consists of Ernie Accorsi, Bill Belichick, Jarrett Bell, Joel Bussert, John Clayton, Frank Cooney, John Czarnecki, Rick Gosselin, Elliott Harrison (an employee of the league, which usually is forbidden for Hall of Fame selection purposes), Joe Horrigan, Ira Kaufman, **** LeBeau, Jeff Legwold, John Madden, John McClain, Gary Myers, Ozzie Newsome, Sal Paolantonio, Carl Peterson, Bill Polian, Dan Pompei, Charean Williams, Chris Willis, Barry Wilner, and Ron Wolf.”

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I’m disappointed that BB is willing to be part of this, given his respect for football history. (And pragmatically it’ll probably hurt him, since the spurned members of the selection committee will take it out on him down the road.)

 

[seven]

I’m disappointed that BB is willing to be part of this

Agree
But being inside, he may be able to influence it.
Or quit, walk out, say a few syllables
*
NFL/HoF just shot both feet
By doing this, they suggest something was wrong with the old setup
Their bright new idea is going to be killed by the press, everywhere
So do they then admit the new and improved, isn't?
Then go back to the old idea they thought was flawed?

Cornered themselves
Self-inflicted wound.

Why? is the good question

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Welcome to the Hall of Fame, every Giants, Packers, and Steelers player that was on a championship roster and somehow weren’t already elected from the already nauseating bias.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Peter King already came out against
I note he is not on the "Blue Ribbon Panel"

wasn’t he one of the ones complaining about the need to get a bunch of people through? Or was that only ok when he got to help choose them?

 

[TomPatriot]

So let me take a wild guess and speculate that the reason Florio is bent out of shape over this one time change is that the media is being replaced by NFL notables, including ex-coaches, players, GMs, etc. Cry me a river.

 

[seven]

wasn’t he one of the ones complaining about the need to get a bunch of people through? Or was that only ok when he got to help choose them?

Not sure
But the latter is why I expect he and others won't be quiet about it.

 

[Deus Irae]

wasn’t he one of the ones complaining about the need to get a bunch of people through? Or was that only ok when he got to help choose them?

The voters aren't getting to vote. Not only that, the slate is an all-or-nothing slate. The entire election process is being subverted, in order to make sure that these specific nominees get into the Hall.

 

[patchick]

So let me take a wild guess and speculate that the reason Florio is bent out of shape over this one time change is that the media is being replaced by NFL notables, including ex-coaches, players, GMs, etc. Cry me a river.

It seems to me that there's plenty of reason to get bent out of shape about this. The PR department randomly chooses a high number, says that many people MUST be inducted regardless of the number who are actually worthy, and eliminates voting to shove it through? What kind of Hall of Fame is that?

They shouldn't call it the "centennial mega-class," they should call it the "Asterisk Class" of inductees who couldn't make it in any other way. (And if a critical mass of media folks start using that term, making it a dishonor instead of an honor to be named, this stupid idea might just get shelved.)

 

[Ring 6]

Great, this will be the “participation class”

I think it’s a really good idea to go back to previous eras and find guys who may have been left out and as times have changed really belong based upon today’s standards.
An example might be that players with shorter but stellar careers where looked upon less favorably back then but today players get in with shorter careers.
A good analogy might be the Cy Young. Until not that long ago wins and complete games were at or among the top criteria for Cy Youngs. Now it’s about ERA and Ks.

 

[seven]

patchick's asterix has a nice ring to it.

 

[patchick]

I think it’s a really good idea to go back to previous eras and find guys who may have been left out and as times have changed really belong based upon today’s standards.

Agreed, but that was already part of the process. Each year they review "Modern-Era nominees" and "Senior nominees."

 

[Ring 6]

Agreed, but that was already part of the process. Each year they review "Modern-Era nominees" and "Senior nominees."

True. Good point.