Bob Gretz is getting drunk right now.

[Hammock Parties]

I am pleased to see his humanity injected into something.

http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-footb...bout-time.html

It’s About Time
January 31, 2009 - Bob Gretz |

From Tampa, Florida

The world has been spinning pretty fast for the last 14 hours and I’m only now getting the chance to sit down and compose some thoughts about what happened today with the addition of Derrick Thomas to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

My first reaction at 2:40 p.m. EST when Hall of Fame President Steve Perry announced the six-man class of 2009 was: it’s about time!

My second reaction was one of relief.

My third reaction was one of joy when I saw the smile on Norma Hunt’s face. The first lady of the Chiefs was there for the announcement and she was giddy, not only about D.T. but another member of the class: Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson, one of the original owners from the first year of the American Football League.

I keep getting told these days that I need to make my posts more personal; that’s the way of the 21st Century Internet I’m told. That’s tough for me, because I wasn’t trained that way. I was taught to keep myself out of stories, to tell the facts, or provide analysis or commentary based on facts.

But somewhere along the way, I became part of the story when it came to D.T. and his five-year wait to get into the Hall of Fame. As the Kansas City representative on the 44-person Board of Selectors, it was my job for the last five years to present Thomas’ credentials for induction into the Hall.

And so his failure became my failure. I was roasted by talk-show mumblers, letter writers, e-mailers and those folks who live on the discussion boards. I’ve never been one who much cared what other people thought about me. I’m not trying to win friends and impress people. I’m trying to get reads and visitors to this site, just as I tried to get listeners in radio and subscribers for newspapers.

But after awhile it got old, because it was unfair. D.T. didn’t make the Hall for the first four years because it wasn’t his time. It had nothing to do with me. D.T. didn’t make the Hall because of me, although my friends say I should take the credit.

D.T. is a Hall of Famer because of D.T.

Over five years that he was a finalist, D.T.’s sacks total did not increase. He didn’t force any more fumbles. He didn’t score any more sacks. On first blush, his record was good enough.

But the group did not agree. They didn’t so much disagree, as the time was not right. I said throughout that there was no doubt in my mind that Thomas would make the Hall. Everyone needed to be patient. It was just a matter of time.

That time was Saturday in Tampa. Why? Got me. I’m not going to question what happened. I’ll just enjoy the results.

So what happened? The Board of the Selectors for the second straight year looked harder at defense than offense. Last year, four of the six inductees were defensive players. The class for this year has three of the six on the defensive side. That’s good, because an imbalance has grown over the years with so m any offensive players getting into Canton.

Now, seven of the last 12 have been defense.

That left out a couple of big name receivers, specifically Cris Carter both this year and last year, and Shannon Sharpe, new to the room this year. I’m sure the selectors will get grilled by the analysts and pundits for not providing Carter and Sharpe tickets to Canton.

They too will eventually get in. They just need to be patient.

Several things rolled in D.T.’s favor this year. One, there were two older members of the board who have never been in his corner who were not in the room. They were replaced by younger voters who grew up watching Thomas cause havoc. Two, he was the only linebacker on the ballot. There were two defensive ends and two defensive tackles. DT Cortez Kennedy and John Randle are worthy considerations for the Hall, but this was their first trip into the meeting room and their credentials were not so good that they were headed for immediate induction.

The defensive ends were Bruce Smith and Richard Dent. Smith was an automatic selection. Dent has a very good career record, including more sacks than D.T. and Super Bowl appearances.

Ultimately in the voting, Dent went the same way as Carter and Sharpe and when the voters were down to their final five, it was a lock.

And that sent Derrick Thomas to his rightful place, the hallowed halls of Canton, Ohio.

That’s it for now. I’m going to go pound a mojito or 12 and enjoy the moment. More on Sunday about the whole day, including the stuff you can’t get anywhere else: what actually went on in the voting room.