Hall Of Fame

The new inductees into the NFL hall of fame were announced today. John Madden finally made it in. I felt he deserved it. I was thrilled for Troy Aikman...he got in, as did another Cowboy...Rayfield Wright. Very good day for those guys. I was bummed to hear that Michael Irvin was once again rejected. I know it had a lot to do with his tumultuous history. It's tough, because he deserves to be there if we were going strictly off football talent, skill, and contributions. I mean, c'mon! They let L.T. (Lawerence Taylor for non-football fans) in, and his out of work indiscretions were so much worse!

The kicker of all this is that although I knew it was coming, Reggie White made it in, too. I heard this and rolled my eyes. Hey, if it was strictly for contributions to football...He definitely deserves to be recognized... But he wasn't exactly perfect, either. I've always abhorred the fact that he preached racism when he had a perfect opportunity both as a reverend and a rolemodel to preach acceptance and tolerance.

I've seen his speeches given in Tennessee. I've read the content. I had friends living in the area at the time who expressed their shock and dismay. But hey, he's got two things going for him...one, he's passed on. And two...apparently, it's only considered racism if you preach hate and you're white. At least that's the message I got. Harsh, I know...But I expect more of someone who has reverend attached to their name...and who claims to live their life by the Bible.

And as a sidebar...YES, I do know what it's like to have your race held against you. The first time I experienced it I was 7 years old... Regardless, people have a choice. I just don't see hate as a viable option. And Yes, I lose respect for people who choose to live their life by encouraging it.