The Pro Football Hall of Fame…made a choice.
Months ago, the Canton-based institution announced sweeping changes that cut the voting pool from 50 to 25, largely in response to Bill Belichick’s snub last year. Jim Porter, the Chairman and CEO, was openly upset and promised changes to ensure that “the voters are selecting the absolute best candidates who are on the ballot.”
Translation: the voters did not pick who they should have.
The first move was gutting the committee, and by October, we were waiting for the preliminary lists, which usually dropped in September. After Halloween and the start of November, it was widely assumed the prelims likely wouldn't be released, and today that was confirmed when the Pro Football Hall announced five Contributors who advanced from a group of 42. On Nov 17, the sub-committee will put forth their Contributor Finalist, who will be one of 15 in the final round.
For reference, the sub-committee members are Howard Balzer (CardsWire, SiriusXM NFL Radio), David Birkett (Detroit Free Press), Mike Chappell (CBS4/FOX59TV), Jeff Duncan (Times-Picayune), Vahe Gregorian (Kansas City Star), Lindsay Jones (The Ringer), Ross Ketover (NFL Films), Jeff Legwold (ESPN), Gary Myers (New York Author), Dan Pomei (The Athletic), Will Shields (NFL Hall of Famer), Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News), Eric Williams (FOX Sports).
Who were the other 37 candidates who did not make it?
Don’t know!
But we do know the five who did advance, and if these are “the absolute best candidates who are on the ballot,” then perhaps they misunderstood Porter.
Nevertheless, here are the five.
Ralph Hay. Hay’s stay in professional football was brief, but incredibly impactful. He owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922, and he orchestrated the 1920 meeting of team owners at his car dealership that created what would become the National Football League. He has been a finalist twice.
Robert Kraft. Kraft has also been a finalist, and without him, the New England Patriots would not have become a dynasty and arguably would not even exist in New England. Seriously, that was on the table. Kraft has since become one of the most influential owners in sports, and under his ownership, the team has won six Super Bowls.
Virginia McCaskey. George Halas's daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took ownership of the Chicago Bears after “Papa Bear’s” death in 1983 and owned the team until her death last year. The Bears won their only Super Bowl (1986) under her, but she was a hands-off owner who is best known for firing her own son, Michael McCaskey, as team President in 1999 and eliminating the cheerleading squad. We will be blunt: that is not a Hall of Fame career.
Doug Williams. This is where it gets interesting. Part of Porter’s mandate is for the Hall to look at a candidate's complete career, and with Williams, you have that. Best known for becoming the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, when he led the Washington Redskins to victory, Williams has been a key executive for Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and now Washington. His shattering of the expected norm for Black athletes in football makes him worthy of that as a “contributor.”
John Wooten. Like Williams, Wooten's complete career is incredible. An offensive lineman for ten seasons, Wooten later had roles in player personnel with the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Baltimore Ravens.
We can’t wait to see who the Pro Football Hall of Fame will put forth!
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