The reason reporters shouldn’t vote for halls of fame, a slim and trim Matvei Michkov, and other thoughts
The major problem with having writers as Hall of Fame voters is that they end up having to cover a story that they themselves have created.
First and final thoughts …
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday that it had revamped its selection process, cutting the number of voters to 28 from 50. The decision inspired some disappointment among those selectors who were told their services were no longer required and among those football followers who pay close attention to such things. Mostly, though, it should have reaffirmed that, when it comes to picking who gets to be immortal and who doesn’t, those of us who cover major sports for a living should do our best to stay out of the way.
Every columnist has at least one hobbyhorse, a burr that’s always under their saddle, a thorn that’s always stuck in their side. I have three: the overuse of cliches, irony, and Hall of Fame selection processes. The Hockey Hall of Fame has an 18-member committee that, at the moment, includes a couple of longtime writers. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame keeps its process and the identities of its selectors a secret, which presents its own set of questions and issues.
But the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame rely primarily on writers and reporters, many if not most of whom are still actively covering those sports day to day, to select inductees, with football’s hall taking the additional step of having those media members actually lobby on behalf of particular candidates.
Like I said, I’ve touched on this topic often enough over the years that I’m not going to repeat each of my arguments and objections here. It’s enough to say that, as my colleague David Murphy has also noted, the major problem with having writers as Hall of Fame voters is that they end up having to cover a story that they themselves have created.
They were part of the cause, for instance, for the outrage that ensued last year when Bill Belichick wasn’t inducted in his first year on the ballot, and they are the reason for the annual debates about which alleged PED users should or should not be feted and celebrated at Cooperstown in late July. Those media members who don’t vote are still free to weigh in on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the choices, but they can do it knowing — and allowing readers and news consumers to know — that they’re not stacking the deck in favor of their preferred candidate or outcome.
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I have, of course, plenty of friends and colleagues who do and did take part in these traditions, among them former Daily News and Inquirer writer Paul Domowitch, who was a conscientious Canton voter for 24 years, and Ray Didinger, whom I consider a mentor and who wrote a famous play based around his (eventually successful) attempts to have Tommy McDonald inducted.
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I don’t begrudge them or anyone else. I just disagree. The line between covering and/or commenting on the process and involving oneself in it is one I don’t feel comfortable crossing. The standard argument from the voters, generally speaking, is, It’s an honor, and if we don’t do it, who will? To which the correct response is, I don’t care. I just know it’s not my job.
Quick hitters
Aaron Nola’s last 10 starts might just constitute the greatest and most surprising career comeback since Brendan Fraser won an Academy Award for The Whale. …
Only someone as aggressively insincere as James Franklin could take the simple act of saying hello and turn it into another example of his own obnoxious self-importance. …
Matvei Michkov said that he is 29 pounds lighter than he was at the start of last year’s training camp. Good on him for getting in better shape and losing a Denver Barkey’s worth of weight. …
A couple of literary recommendations: You should read Pat Croce’s new book, Enjoy Your Self Now!, if you want to find a deeper sense of personal peace and satisfaction. You should read The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL, by Wall Street Journal editors Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, if you want a better understanding of how and why certain teams and executives within the league — the Eagles and Howie Roseman, in particular — are thriving. …
» READ MORE: Eagles-Titans predictions
Telltale game for the Eagles on Sunday. If they can’t beat the Titans — a franchise whose high-water mark was getting name-dropped by Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt in Cast Away a quarter-century ago — it’s definitely time to worry.
Landon Dickerson has made a career of fighting through injuries and pain, last season being the latest instance. But after the left guard looked like a shell of himself Week 1 vs. Washington, the Eagles decided to shut him down — at least for now. With Dickerson landing on injured reserve, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane explains why, this time around, he and the Eagles are taking the cautious route. Jeff also shares what he's heard about how the Eagles might fill Dickerson's void on the offensive line, and takes listener questions in this week's mailbag segment. Listen here.
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