As if the recent election results weren't bad enough, today we have a real voting scandal.
Somehow, the great Patrick Willis was not included among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process. Seriously.
He became eligible this year, as did Troy Polamolu and Reggie Wayne, who were included. No slight intended to those excellent players, but Willis' impact on the games and seasons in which he played, and on the teams for which he played, was as great or greater than theirs. He was the captain, leader, and most outstanding player on the league's best defense from 2011-2013. He faced off against the Hall of Famer Ray Lewis in Super Bowl XLVII, a contest between two of the greatest ever at their position, and he more than lived up to the high standard set by his opponent.
We have no doubt Patrick Willis eventually will be enshrined in Canton. We're just disappointed it won't happen this year, and we're more than disappointed that the voters believed they could find 15 candidates more worthy than he. In fairness, we believe Polamolu is an excellent comp for Willis; both had an oversized impact on the game and both defined the great defensive teams they represented. Perhaps in a year or two they'll be voted in together. It would fit.
But this, today, is an oversight that needs to be corrected. It reflects badly on the judgment of those who made the choices. Come on, people. You're supposed to be experts. You can do better. Now please, do better next time. The man deserves the honor, and everyone knows it.
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