Hall of Fame

I tend to think that the Hall of Fame has been devalued of late.  I really only pay attention to pro football, but it seems whenever a player is very good, but not special, folks start hyping for "HOF" worthy.  In my opinion, it should be a rare event that all 5 slots are filled each year.

I am now of the age where I have some perspective of the players being elected.  ESPN basically lobbied for Michael Irvin, and it was sickening.  Brett Favre, please.  Favre was NEVER considered even one of the top two QBs playing during any year of his career!  He lost as many games with his gunslinger approach as he won.  I'll give you that he was really fun to watch, but he was never exceptional in the way that Manning, Brady, and even Rogers is now.

So what are appropriate criteria?  I would say there are two areas, excellence and impact.  To be considered for excellence, you would need to be the top player (or second) by consensus at your position for the majority of your career.  For any position - Punter to OLine  (I'm still unsure of long snapper!).

Litmus test:   Brady and Manning - no questions there.  Elway, Marino - obvious.  Emmitt, Barry Sanders, LT,  Prime Time and Charles Woodson,  Ray Lewis and LT , Reed and Palomalu.  No questions.  But McNabb?  Really?

I suggest the candidates be evaluated by position instead of by publicity.  The selectors should be forced to evaluate O-line and D-Line and Linebackers and wideouts for WHO WAS BEST, not just best known.

And Yes, Ray Guy should be in.

The other category is really "fame", or infamy.  Joe Namath was an above average QB, no more.  But the Hall would not be complete without him. Perhaps this is where Favre belongs, in this category.  But Pat Tillman does belong here.  And Lynn Swann.  Not the best, but the story needs to be told.

Just my two cents.

Ron

Trayon and Zimmerman

Trayon and Zimmerman

It is unlikely that “we” the public will ever know exactly what happened in Sanford Florida.  However, there are several facts that are known, most importantly are that a young man died and another man’s life was ruined.  This essay is meant to examine the situation and the emotions generated, hopefully from a dispassionate perspective.

Trayon Martin is typically portrayed as a fully innocent, never in trouble, kid who had never done anything wrong.  This is the impression that most still hold, and it is incorrect.  Though far from a delinquent or habitual offender, it appears that he was perhaps a shade on the wrong side of a “normal” teenage boy.  Excerpts from his record and social media history show a bit of a rough edge, and talk of being “gangsta”.  This could all be bravado, but given his age and the environment he grew up in, it is not inconceivable that he carried a bit of attitude.

George Zimmerman is typically portrayed as a “vigilante” who went to far, a “volunteer” who wished to hold police powers.  This may be backed up by the fact that he did not back off when the 911 operator asked him to.  However, his neighbors gave a different perspective.  I also find it interesting that though Mr. Zimmerman is at least half Hispanic, and visually favors that description, yet is still mostly described a “white”.  I can’t help but think that there may be an element of anti-Semitism due to his name.

I do not know if Sanford, FL has had recurring problems with vandalism or theft.  The fact that this incident occurred in a gated community and that there is an active neighborhood watch with patrols would tend to lead me to that conclusion.

The fact that “leaders” such as the Rev’s. Jackson, Sharpton, and Farrakhan have weighed in have not helped the issue and have only created more tension in an already sad situation.  I suspect they have done this for their own benefit and fame, rather than altruistic motives.  However, the volatile rhetoric they have espoused may have succeeded in getting the arrest warrant for Mr. Zimmerman and perhaps a trial, which could be good for all sides.

A criminal trial, at it’s theoretical heart, is a search for truth and answers.  The trial should bring out all the nuances of both actors in this drama.  Mr. Martin will not look so pure, and Mr. Zimmerman will not look so evil.  I suspect the end view will be closer to reality than the current caricatures.

So here is what I believe happened, from my distant perch and limited information…

Trayon was on an innocent errand and ran across Zimmerman, who mistook Trayon for an interloper in the neighborhood.   Wearing a “hoodie”, and perhaps sporting a rebellious nature, Trayon probably did not react in a respectful and courteous tone that the neighborhood watch “officer” deemed was required, and fit the profile of someone out for trouble.  If Zimmerman tried to stop Trayon from continuing on, or if Trayon got up in Zimmermans face, we may never know.  But somehow a scuffle ensued, and when Trayon got the better of it, Zimmerman felt endangered, scared, panicked, and fired the weapon.  It was unfortunately accurate.

I don’t know if Zimmerman is or is not guilty of any crime.  But I do know that a fair trial could go a long way to understanding the situation.  If Zimmerman is found “not guilty” in a trial (either fair or unfair), I fear for the resulting civil unrest.  That is why I also fear that he will be unable to get a fair trial as authorities fear the potential result.