Steelers former HC Bill Cowher shuts down Deion Sanders' HOF idea
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champion HC Bill Cowher and current Colorado Buffaloes HC Deion Sanders have more in common than you think. Both are excellent football minds, Super Bowl Winners and Pro Football Hall of Famers. Well, the two seem to disagree on the latter: 'That Would Be A Disservice To The Honor.' "I didn’t […]
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champion HC Bill Cowher and current Colorado Buffaloes HC Deion Sanders have more in common than you think.
Both are excellent football minds, Super Bowl Winners and Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Well, the two seem to disagree on the latter:
'That Would Be A Disservice To The Honor.'
"I didn’t go in as a first ballot," Coach Cowher told The Dan Patrick Show. "Maybe there’s circumstances that don’t put you in there for first ballot. I know there’s a lot of media involved with it, and I wasn’t one of the most cordial guys at press conferences at times. At the same time, I feel very proud of the record that I had, and I will match it with a lot of the people that are in there…
"…We all recognize Deion Sanders. First ballot. I think we all know the first ballot, and we all know the players that are in there. I think once we get in there and to say there’s a first-class and a second class, I think that would be a disservice to the honor.”
For reference, Coach Cowher was asked about Deion Sanders' idea of having an 'upper room' in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coach Prime pitched the idea in light of some recent enshrinements that he felt "weren't up to snuff:"
"What do you call a Hall of Famer? A guy who changed the game," Sanders told NFL ON NBC's Peter King at last year's Super Bowl. You shouldn’t have to meet a quota every year to send guys in. If they ain’t that, they ain’t that. That’s not right.”
Personally, I definitely see Coach Prime's point here. Sanders is arguably the greatest cornerback ever and is probably on the Mt. Rushmore of Athletes in America. The odds we ever see another two-sport professional athlete like Sanders are unquestionably low.
But Coach Cowher already named the divider in the Hall: "First Ballot."
Only the best players to ever play are first ballot. Of the 371 Pro Football Hall of Famers, less than a quarter of them (91) were inducted on a first ballot.
So is the Hall become saturated? Probably. But the longer the NFL is around, the more names will enter. As long as we have a first ballot determinant, things will be just fine.
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