ROAD TO CANTON: Ty Law and the Patriots don't get Hall justice; Bobby Beathard gets a laugh; Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher join select company
JUSTICE FOR LAW?
Did the snubbing of cornerback Ty Law prolong an injustice?
New England's first great Super Bowl run (three wins in the four-year period of 2001-04) still is not acknowledged in Canton in the wake of Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame election.
Law was trying to become the first man who was on all three of those teams to reach the Hall. He was a ringleader of a great defense on the first Super Bowl win, when Tom Brady was an effective second-year pro but not yet a great quarterback.
URLACHER AND WARFIELD
Voters entered the day doubting Brian Urlacher would make it because he played the same position (middle linebacker) as the flashier Ray Lewis. But he made it.
The last time two modern-era, first-year finalists playing the same position (other than quarterback) were elected to the same Hall of Fame class was 1983. The twosome then: Receivers Paul Warfield and Bobby Mitchell. Both were Cleveland Browns draft picks.
Mitchell was mostly a halfback with the Browns before getting traded to Washington and spending the bulk of his career as a receiver.
TWEET OF INTEGRITY
John McClain, one of the senior-most voters, stuck up for his peers in the middle of Saturday's meeting with this Tweet:
"We are more than three hours into our meeting. We’ve discussed 8 candidates and have 10 more. Lots of enthusiastic, insightful presentations and lots of healthy debate. So many worthy candidates. I respect the process so much!"
BROWNS DRAFT FLASHBACK
Owning the No. 1 overall pick doesn't assure anyone of landing a draft's best player.
That was never more obvious than in the 2000 draft, when the Browns spent the No. 1 overall pick on defensive end Courtney Brown.
The next seven picks were a mixed bag: LaVar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Peter Warrick, Jamal Lewis, Corey Simon, Thomas Jones and Plaxico Burress.
The Chicago Bears struck gold at No. 9, plucking New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher. Urlacher was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and Saturday was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
EXTRA POINTS
- Bobby Beathard's voice was pumped into a room where six fellow members of the Class of 2018 were hanging out. Hall of Fame president David Baker said over the phone who the six were. Beathard got some laughs when he said, "Never heard of any of them."
- Hall of Fame voters don't paint an optimistic picture for an old Browns favorite, linebacker Clay Matthews, reaching the Hall of Fame. Matthews fans take not of his incredible longevity (278 games). Class of 2018 honoree Brian Urlacher played 182 games. One made a lot of Pro Bowls. One didn't.