Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe Snubbed for Hall

The story on Saturday was less about who was named to the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, and more about who wasn't.

Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe, and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue were the biggest names who didn't make the class of six to be enshrined in Canton on August 8th.

Those who were - Vikings offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr., and Steelers/Ravens defensive back Rod Woodson and senior committee inductee and Cowboys wide receiver "Bullet" Bob Hayes - are difficult to argue with in terms of their candidacy.

But the fact that Sharpe, who was eliminated from contention when the field was reduced from 10 to 5, was perhaps the most head-scratching omission of the bunch. Sharpe, who retired with 815 receptions, 10,060 yards, and 62 touchdowns - all-time bests for a tight end at the time of his retirement - won three Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and Ravens, and arguably changed the position to the high-profile part of the offense that it is today. If Sharpe isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then no tight end ever should be.

Then there's Carter, who was passed over for the second straight year, and, like Sharpe, eliminated when the field was reduced from 10 to 5. Carter retired with 1,101 catches, 13,899 yards, and 130 touchdowns in a 16-year career spent with the Eagles (1987-89), Vikings (1990-2001), and Dolphins (2002), and was named to eight straight Pro Bowls from 1993 through 2000. He continues to rank third on the league's all-time receptions list, fourth in touchdown catches, and seventh in receiving yards.

In addition to Sharpe, Carter, and Tagliabue, the following candidates were not named to the class: Steelers center Dermontti Dawson, Bears defensive end Richard Dent, Redskins o-lineman Russ Grimm, Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey, Seahawks defensive end Cortez Kennedy, Dolphins tackle Bob Kuechenberg, Vikings tackle John Randle, and Bills receiver Andre Reed. Of that group, Dent, Grimm, and Randle made the cut from 15 to 10 but not 10 to 5.

On a happier note, the great Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, who died as the result of a car accident in 2000, was finally named to the Hall of Fame in his fourth attempt. Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, posted 126.5 sacks, 41 forced fumbles, and 19 fumble recoveries in just 11 seasons as a pro.

Perhaps the most-debated inductee will be Woodson, who played 17 seasons with the Steelers (1987-96), 49ers (1997), Ravens (1998-2001), and Raiders (2002-03), winning a Super Bowl with Baltimore and playing in two more with Pittsburgh and Oakland. Woodson finished third all-time with 71 interceptions, but was repeatedly dismissed by wide receiver Michael Irvin as "soft" in a radio interview with ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh earlier in the week.

Should be interesting when Woodson and Irvin share the Hall of Fame stage on August 8th in Canton.