Pro Football Hall of Fame 2012: So-so Class Is Worst in NFL History

If you didn't watch the Hall of Fame selection show, consider yourself fortunate. You not only missed a boring show, but also missed out on seeing the most flat Hall of Fame class that you will ever see. 

The list of Hall of Famers includes Jack Butler (senior), Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Curtis Martin and William Roaf. 

While I don't envy the job of those who do these votes, this was a colossal blunder on the part of the voters.  

The first blunder was reported by initial finalist Tim Brown via Twitter. 

With Brown, Chris Carter and Andre Reed all being finalists, three deserving Hall of Fame receivers are going to have to wait another year. 

Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin aren't the only deserving Hall of Fame receivers from that era. Before suggesting that the voters may have a preference for those who won rings, look at another flaw. 

Chris Doleman and Cortez Kennedy made the Hall of Fame while Charles Haley did not. Haley has more Super Bowl championships than any player in the history of the NFL. He was an integral part of the 1988 and 1989 49ers, and the 1992, 1993 and 1995 Cowboys. 

Any player who was a dominant part of two of the NFL's greatest dynasties deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. 

While we're on the subject of people who were a big part of dynasties, Eddie DeBartolo is an epic snub. He was the owner for all five of the 49ers' Super Bowl wins from 1981-1994. No team won as many Super Bowls in such a short period of time and no one owner has as many Super Bowls in any time frame. 

The 49ers won 10 or more games every year between 1983 and 1998. A very real case could be made that San Francisco's dominance is what triggered rules like the salary cap, which have led to the league being more parity driven than ever. 

Lastly, there's Bill Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, appeared in another with an under-talented Patriots team and got the Jets to an AFC Championship Game. 

If that's not enough, look at his influence. Look at the Super Bowl XLVI coaches, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin. They are not only coaching against each other, but already have four rings between the two of them. Both men came from the Parcells coaching tree. 

The Hall of Fame voters had an opportunity to make this a good class. They need to start honoring great receivers from the era that brought the pass to the forefront of the NFL. They also need to honor pillars of some of the game's best teams.

They failed to do that and as a result, delivered a flat class of Hall of Famers that doesn't feature one Super Bowl winner. Between Parcells, DeBartolo and Haley alone, they left 12 on the table.  

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