Lively Debate Helped Form Class Of 2009

The third time around was no charm for former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who once again was stiff-armed away from the steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After nearly six hours of discussion, a panel of 44 selectors agreed on a six-man group for the Class of 2009 - and it's a powerhouse lineup heading to Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8.

Defensive end Bruce Smith and defensive back Rod Woodson made it in their first year of eligibility and the panel also selected Bills owner Ralph Wilson, 12-time Pro Bowl guard Randall McDaniel, linebacker Derrick Thomas and Senior nominee Bob Hayes, the Cowboys receiver whose world-class speed changed the game in the 1960s.

The debate on Tagliabue's merits raged on for 45 minutes.

For the third consecutive year, I marked Tagliabue's name on my ballot as voters whittled down the list of modern-day candidates from an initial group of 15 to 10.

But Tagliabue didn't gather enough support in the room to survive the preliminary cut and he was eliminated, along with Bills wide receiver Andre Reed, Steelers center Dermontti Dawson, Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg, who after 20 years of eligibility can now enter the Hall only as a Senior Committee nominee.

The NFL grew into a $7 billion industry during Tagliabue's tenure, which was marked by 17 years of uninterrupted labor peace and a flurry of new stadiums and revenue streams.

But Tagliabue also failed to secure a franchise for the Los Angeles market and the 2006 collective bargaining agreement he vigorously supported already has been overturned by owners, potentially leading to a lockout in 2011.

My list of 10 included Tagliabue, Smith, Woodson, Wilson, Thomas, McDaniel and fellow guard Russ Grimm, wide receiver Cris Carter, defensive tackle John Randle and record-setting tight end Shannon Sharpe.

This was an unusually powerful class, especially considering Smith, Woodson, Sharpe and Randle each were eligible for the first time.

When we reduced the list to five, Smith, Thomas, Wilson and Woodson were survivors from my final ballot, which also had included Carter. But McDaniel, who played his final two seasons with the Bucs, got more overall support and made the cut.

Carter put up huge numbers in a glittering 16-year career, but he played in a pass-happy era and never made it to the Super Bowl stage.

Still, his 130 receiving touchdowns rank second only to Jerry Rice and Carter already was established as a terrific player well before Randy Moss joined him in Minnesota in 1998.

I've already voted twice for Carter, who likely will be back next year in consideration for the Class of 2010, topped by Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith.

Hayes, who won two Olympic gold medals, made a big impact from the start, topping the league with 12 touchdown catches as a Dallas rookie in 1965.

The second Senior nominee, defensive end Claude Humphrey, was not elected to the Class of 2009.