The ultimate trip should get a better send-off

Sporting News, The, Jan 29, 1996 by Bob Glauber

It is the achievement of a lifetime for any NFL player, coach or team executive, more important perhaps than winning a Super Bowl ring. TO attain gridiron immortality by being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is, quite simply, the ultimate.

So why is it that the announcement of such a glorious honor is tantamount to a footnote at the conclusion of Super Bowl hype week?

The annual Hall of Fame voting is conducted on the Saturday morning before the game by a panel of 36 voters. Re results are announced that day - a day when most fans are more concerned about who's buying the chips and salsa for the Super Bowl party than who's going to Canton.

Considering the magnitude of this honor, you'd think there would be a better time to make the announcement and give the winners a more fitting tribute. After all, their on-field feats took years to achieve, so why not set aside a day in the offseason when their accomplishments can be better appreciated?

As much as anything, logistics create the biggest problem in terms of the announcement's timing. Rather than distributing ballots to be mailed back, the panel meets as a group to whittle down the list of Hall of Fame finalists from 15 to a maximum of six. Though this is a commendable way of doing business, considering the subjective nature of the selection process, the timing isn't. Why not arrange the gathering to coincide with the March owners meetings, a far less hectic time that not only would give the inductees a more fitting send-off, but also might allow the voters to think more clearly in a relaxed setting instead of at the end of the busiest week of the season?

Yes, it may require some extra time and expense, but considering the importance of the honor, it's worth the cost. So why not follow the lead of major league baseball and do the voting in the offseason, when the announcement become, an event. not an after-thought"

In the meantime, here are six candidates from this year's list who deserve to get into the Hall:

Joe Gibbs, coach, Redskins, 1981-92. I call him the greatest living coach. Why? Because he won three Super Bowls without a Hall of Fame quarterback, that's why.

Lynn Swann, wide receiver, Steelers, 1974-82. This one's long overdue. Swann made some of the most spectacular catches you'll ever see, and he did it with regularity. The criticism that he didn't play long enough is nonsense. You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not, and Swann is.

John Stallworth, wide receiver, Steelers, 1974-87. He was often overlooked on a star-studded offense, but he was highly productive and highly durable. Though Swann is remembered for sensational Super Bowl catches, it was Stallworth's high production in big games that helped solidify the dynasty.

Mike Haynes, cornerback, Patriots, Raiders, 1976-89. One of the greatest cover corner-backs the game has ever known. He was the perfect cornerback for Al Davis' bump-and-run system because he was physical and a one-on-one terror. Haynes was instrumental in shutting down the Redskins' receivers in the Raiders' 38-9 victory in the 1984 Super Bowl. Mike Webster, center, Steelers, Chiefs, 1974-90. Perhaps the best center in football history and was the anchor of the Steelers' underrated lines. He was undersized but peerless in smarts and savvy.

Dan Dierdorf, tackle, Cardinals, 1971-83. You may not like him as a broadcaster, but you can't help but admire what he did on the field. Just ask former Cowboys end Too Tall Jones, who barely caught a whiff of Cardinals quarterbacks.

Are there other worthy men on the list? Absolutely. But because a maximum of six modern-era players and/or coaches can be elected in any single year, the aforementioned group is tops. Among the other finalists who deserve induction are Jack Youngblood, defensive end, Rams, 1971-84; Dwight Stephenson, center, Dolphins, 1980-87; and Mel Renfro, cornerback, Cowboys, 1964-77.

Reggie's fight

When the Packers pulled off the free-agent coup of 1993 by signing Reggie White to a four-year, $17-million contract, they did so with the expectation that he would be a cornerstone for an eventual championship run.

But even after three consecutive playoff losses to the Cowboys, White remains convinced he will one day win a Super Bowl with Green Bay. "We will be back, and we will win a championship before I retire," White says.

White, 34, will enter the final year of his contract in 1996 but has been telling friends he would like to continue playing beyond then. "As long as I'm having fun," he says, "I'll keep playing."

Enough already

Before anyone else's career might be damaged, the rules makers would be well-advised to address the chop-block issue that became a major story after the Packers-Cowboys game.

By hurling himself at Packers nose tackle John Jurkovic during a second-quarter play, Cowboys tackle Erik Williams was entirely within the rules. What he did is commonly referred to as a "cut block" or "chop block," a tactic that is permissible between the tackles within five yards of the line of scrimmage, as long as the player being blocked is not engaged with another offensive players.