We articulated on Sunday 10 ways that the Hall of Fame can to improve the selection process.
Here’s an eleventh.
An industry source made a solid recommendation today regarding the omission from the 44-member media-only selection committee of the folks who broadcast games for television.
Men like Pat Summerall, John Madden, Dick Enberg, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Ron Jaworski, Troy Aikman, and Phil Simms (to name a few) have access to coaching film, they meet with coaches and opponents, and they have spent plenty of time at practices.
As the source explained, any evaluation of a player that doesn’t include film study is woefully incomplete.
“No matter the size differences or rules differences,” the source said, “greatness and domination always stand out on film no matter what generation we are talking about.”
The bad news? Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that Hall of Fame executive vice president of communications and exhibitions Joe Horrigan said the coming year will feature “no more discussion than normal” about improving the process.
It’s not a surprise. We get the feeling that the Hall of Fame resists change. Thus, the powers-that-be will be inclined to hunker down when faced with an external push to make the selection process better.
Still, even if the Hall of Fame insists on continuing with 44 media members, some of the unemployed, underemployed, inexperienced, self-employed, and/or semi-retired writers who make up the panel should be replaced with some of the folks who witness the sport from the inside out.