The Hall of Fame announced their 15 modern-era finalists on Friday.
Let’s start with the bad news and go over the ten men that didn’t survive the cut from 25 to 15.
These ten are out: Cliff Branch, Terrell Davis, Chris Doleman, Paul Tagliabue, Art Modell, Ray Guy, Aeneas Williams, Steve Tasker, Lester Hayes, and Kevin Greene.
Tagliabue’s move represents a step back. He is a three-time finalist; his candidacy could be pending the current labor negotiations.
Guy and Tasker show how difficult it is for a special teams player to get close. Guy was a seven-time finalist, but missed for a second straight year.
Terrell Davis has not been a finalist and fell behind Roger Craig, who is a finalist.
The committee rarely recognizes defensive backs. The elimination of Hayes and Williams guarantees that no one from the secondary will get in this year. Hayes is a four-time finalist.
We’ll post the 15 finalists shortly. In the meantime, Raider Nation has our sympathy because three of their players didn’t make it further.