NFL Hall Of Fame: Hard To Make The Final Cut

Here's the NFL's official preliminary list.  Quick cut it 15. Add the two senior nominees, WR Bob Hayes and DE Claude Humphrey, then slash it again to 10.

Then pick the final five to seven.

Got that? Then go...

PRELIMINARY LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE CLASS OF 2009
First-Year Eligible Nominees

RUNNING BACKS—Larry Centers, Brian Mitchell (also KR/PR)
TIGHT ENDS—Shannon Sharpe, Frank Wycheck
OFFENSIVE TACKLE—Lincoln Kennedy
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN—John Randle (DE/DT), Bruce Smith (DE), Dana Stubblefield (DT)
LINEBACKER—Jessie Armstead
DEFENSIVE BACKS—Darren Woodson (S), Rod Woodson (CB/S)

Additional Nominees

QUARTERBACKS—Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, Jim Plunkett, Phil Simms, Ken Stabler, Joe Theismann, Doug Williams
RUNNING BACKS—Ottis Anderson, Roger Craig, Terrell Davis, Greg Pruitt (also KR/PR), Herschel Walker, Ricky Watters
WIDE RECEIVERS—Cliff Branch, Harold Carmichael, *Cris Carter, Wes Chandler, Gary Clark, Isaac Curtis, Henry Ellard, Irving Fryar, Roy Green, Harold Jackson, Herman Moore, Stanley Morgan, *Andre Reed, Sterling Sharpe
TIGHT ENDS—Mark Bavaro, Todd Christensen, Ben Coates, Russ Francis, Brent Jones, Steve Jordan
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN—Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Jim Covert (T), Randy Cross (G/C), Dave Dalby (C), Dermontti Dawson (C), Ray Donaldson (C), *Russ Grimm (G), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Kent Hill (G/T), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), *Bob Kuechenberg (G), Jim Lachey (T), Henry Lawrence (G/T), Mark May (G/T/C), *Randall McDaniel (G), Max Montoya (G), Marvin Powell (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN—Ray Childress (DT/DE), *Richard Dent (DE), Chris Doleman (DE/LB), Carl “Big Daddy” Hairston (DE/DT), Charles Haley (DE/LB), Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DE), Cortez Kennedy (DT), Joe Klecko (DE/DT/NT), Steve McMichael (DT/NT), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Fred Smerlas (NT), Art Still (DE)
LINEBACKERS—Cornelius Bennett, Robert Brazile, Kevin Greene (LB/DE), Ken Harvey, Rickey Jackson, Tom Jackson, Clay Matthews, Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Hardy Nickerson, Chris Spielman, Pat Swilling, Darryl Talley, *Derrick Thomas
DEFENSIVE BACKS—Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Deron Cherry (S), Raymond Clayborn (CB), Kenny Easley (S), Lester Hayes (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), Ken Riley (CB), Eugene Robinson (S), Donnie Shell (S), Louis Wright (CB)
PUNTERS/KICKERS—Rich Camarillo (P), *Ray Guy (P), Nick Lowery (K), Reggie Roby (P)
SPECIAL TEAMS/WIDE RECEIVER – Steve Tasker
COACHES—Don Coryell, Tom Flores, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Clark Shaughnessy
CONTRIBUTORS—Bud Adams, Gil Brandt, C.O. Brocato, Leo Carlin, Ed DeBartolo, Jr., Ben Dreith, Bob Harlan, Jerry Jones, Art Modell, Art Rooney, Jr., Ed Sabol, Steve Sabol, *Paul Tagliabue, Ralph Wilson, Jr., Ron Wolf, George Young

Whew what a list...

DB Rod Woodson and DE Bruce Smith seem sure things.

And that old zebra Ben Dreith has to be a lock.

Who in New England forgets his phantom roughing call against Patriot DE Sugar Bear in the 1976 Oakland Raider-Patriot playoff game that gave Oakland a key late game first down. A first down that led to a Raider win and eventual Super Bowl.

Ben was always famous for his "He was giving him the business down there" roughness penalty call.

Anyway back to the football players. The Hall needs a separate wing for contributors, refs, assistant coaches, owners, GM's, scouts, TV guys, Commishes, and ego maniacs like Jerry Jones.

And Art Modell and Bud Adams what is this the year we honor the city jumpers?

So we need 13 men to go with Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson.

QB Ken Stabler, RB Terrell Davis, RB Roger Craig, TE Shannon Sharpe, WR Cris Carter, WR Andre Reed, G Russ Grimm, G Bob Kuchenberg, G Randall McDaniel, DE Richard Dent, T Joe Jacoby, LB Derrick Thomas, LB Robert Brazile, CB Lester Hayes, DT Joe Klecko, DE Chris Dolemen, DB Louie Wright.

Let of good players left on the cutting room floor.

Its a crowd. A backlog.

Add in the senior guys and a voter can only pick at top seven of the above.

The Magnificent Seven, eh? Sometimes its only five.

DE Bruce Smith and DB Rod Woodson are all but locks.

This is WR Bob Hayes second shot at the senior committee nomination. I'd say he makes the catch this year.

Despite a short career RB Terrell Davis runs in.

Cris Carter has been so close this year he makes the TD.

That's five already.

My nod goes to DE Richard Dent and CB Lester Hayes if they take seven.

But what about the Hogs Russ Grimm and Joe Jacoby?

Or maybe LB Robert Brazile and WR Andre Reed.

Or Bob Kuchenberg who has been so close and Don Shula say's was his best player.

Ken Stabler is the only all decade QB not in the Hall is this the year the Snake slithers in?

Or what about......