An anti-Cowboys Hall of Fame bias?

[N.Y. Johnny]

Calling all conspiracy theorists

Peter King, SI.com






Sometimes a story gets legs and takes off. People accept it as fact and when someone disputes the premise, people look at the disputer like: "Are you nuts?''

Today's tale: There is an anti-Cowboys bias among Hall of Fame voters.

I aim to dispute it, but let's hear from our first e-mailer to kick off the festivities.

ARE THE COWBOYS GETTING JOBBED? From Bruce E. Sellers of Mapleton, Minn.: "I would assume it is only a matter of time before you address the latest hubbub surrounding Drew Pearson's comments about a bias in the media being the reason he and a number of other Cowboys from those '70s teams have been snubbed by the Hall of Fame (i.e., Pearson, Rayfield Wright, Cliff Harris). This conspiracy theory has been floating around for quite a few years now, and I never bought into it until recently. My change of heart really started when Michael Irvin didn't get in last year. I thought he was a sure first-ballot HOFer. I don't want to hear about his off-the-field exploits, because there are a lot of characters in the Hall with not-so-glowing resumes. Paul Zimmerman even wrote that Irvin didn't get in because some of the writers didn't like the way he appeared on ESPN in his role with Countdown. If this is true, then that is ridiculous because the voting should be about what happened on the field.''




This story gained some steam on Monday, when Dan Patrick devoted much of his afternoon radio show to the topic, and Pearson called in to rip the process that has excluded some Dallas stars from the Hall. It's the same thing I've been hearing for years as one of the 39 Hall voters: For some reason, we don't like the Cowboys, and so we're not electing a representative number of them to the Hall. Let me make three points:

1. I can't vouch for the other 38 voters. I can only tell you what I think, and I know I have no bias against any player or any team when it comes to Hall voting. "Bias'' is an interesting word. Just because I vote against Art Monk does not mean in any way that I'm biased against him. I just feel he belongs in the Hall of Very Good, not in Canton. Paul Zimmerman may have heard in the room that some voters are biased against Irvin for his off-the-field problems or for his bombastic role on ESPN, but that is something I didn't catch. We are told that only on-field exploits are open for judgment, not what happens to a guy at midnight during the week. Might some voters hold his wild off-field life against Irvin? Could be, but I never heard one of the 39 voters say his vote was going to be affected by it.

2. I don't believe the Cowboys, more than any other team, are under-represented in the Hall. I voted for Wright all the way last year, the same way I voted for Irvin all the way this year. But I've also voted for other guys who don't get in (Russ Grimm and Harry Carson being the most notable ones these days). The Cowboys made it to five Super Bowls in a nine-year period, and 10 people from those teams are in the Hall. Let's exclude the short-timers, like Herb Adderley, and say that seven bedrock Cowboys from those teams have made the Hall. Compare that to the team from the next generation that was as good, and maybe better historically, than Dallas. San Francisco, over a 14-year period, made it to five Super Bowls and has four people from that era in the Hall. So why don't I hear the same rabble-rousing from the Charles Haley, Randy Cross and Roger Craig advocates that I hear constantly from Dallas?

3. The only logical argument for more Cowboys is the epidemic of Steelers in the Hall. I can't defend some of the Pittsburgh choices, because quite frankly, I wasn't in favor of some of their players, like Lynn Swann. Just a personal feeling. But the Hall historically has favored players from Super Bowl winners. Pittsburgh was 4-0 in a six-season span. Dallas was 2-3 in a nine-year run. San Francisco was 5-0 in their 14-year spell, which makes the lack of Niners ever more noticeable. And look at Washington, 3-1 in Super Bowls in a 10-year run and just two Hall members -- John Riggins and Joe Gibbs. I'd buy the argument that Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Matt Millen and Darrell Green all deserve their day before our committee.

So, the fact that "only'' seven Cowboys are in the Hall from that era doesn't get much violin music from me.


I don't agree with Peter King as much as he tries to say there isn't a bias, i think its bull and I 'm not a Dallas Cowboys fan, I'm a Jet fan, but I do believe there are some worthy Cowboys from the 70's teams and some others have been excluded from this voting, or just get shafted.. I think Michael Irvin got shafted on this last years ballot and that there is another story for debate on his off the field , but Irvin deserved to be in there and he will make it in there eventually. There were alot of worthy player (still are worthy) from the Dallas Cowboys that deserve to be in there....I know Eagle Fans or any othe NFC East Rival fans will say no there is no bias or some of these guys sucked
but thats just nature, seriously, as Football fans think some of these guys belong in there and are just getting the shaft because they played for The Dallas Cowboys.

[TheAdmiral#50]

IMO,these guys should be in the HOF.....

1. WR Bob Hayes
2. OT Rayfield Wright
3. FS Cliff Harris
4. DE Harvey Martin
5. LB Chuck Howley
6. DE Ed Jones
7. WR Drew Pearson
8. WR Michael Irvin
9. OG Nate Newton
10. TE Jay Novacek
11. OT Erik Williams
12. SS Darren Woodson
13. OG Larry Allen
14. C Mark Stepnoski
15. FB Daryl Johnston
16. DE Charles Haley(if you count him as a Cowboy)
17. CB Deion Sanders(if you count him as a Cowboy)
18. RB Emmitt Smith

Borderline honorable mention:

1. LB Lee Roy Jordan
2. DE George Andrie
3. SS Charlie Waters
4. DB Cornell Green
5. LB Eugene Lockhart
6. CB Everson Walls
7. LB Ken Norton jr.
8. RB Don Perkins
9. TE Billy Joe Dupree
10. RB Calvin Hill
11. SS Bill Bates(special teams?)

[pooh]

I think that there should be more Cowboys in there (in reference to the teams of the '70's) Some say it's because of their poor Super Bowl record in the '70's that did it. If they had one just one of those meetings against the Steelers, then there would be a chance some of them would already be in the hall of fame.

I can't understand why players such as Ed Jones and Cliff Harris have been excluded in the hall of fame.

I really don't think Lynn Swann should be in there and the ONLY reason why he's in there because of his catches in the Super Bowl against Dallas...PERIOD. Otherwise, he was just another Kelvin Martin, etc.

[Taco]

IMO,these guys should be in the HOF.....

1. WR Bob Hayes

3. FS Cliff Harris
4. DE Harvey Martin
5. LB Chuck Howley
6. DE Ed Jones
7. WR Drew Pearson
8. WR Michael Irvin

10. TE Jay Novacek

12. SS Darren Woodson

14. C Mark Stepnoski

18. RB Emmitt Smith

Borderline honorable mention:

1. LB Lee Roy Jordan

3. SS Charlie Waters
4. DB Cornell Green



8. RB Don Perkins
9. TE Billy Joe Dupree

11. SS Bill Bates(special teams?)

From you list, My choices

[Horry For 3!]

Ken Norton Jr. haha I remember that guy he was pretty good. He played on both rival teams. Cowboys then the 49ers.

Same with Charles Haley but he was a 49ers first then traded to the Cowboys.

[pooh]

To me, Haley was more of a Niner than he was as a Cowboy. With Norton Jr., it's the opposite. Eventually some of those old Cowboys will make it into the Hall.

[Pee_Eye_Emm_Pee]

N.Y. Johnny !!!

wusup bro ?!?!?

didn't expect to see you here... whatever happ to spursreport???

i hope you remem me...