Not again.

Sean Taylor, safety for the Washington Redskins, a man I never knew, died yesterday. When the horrific news got to me, shock gave way quickly to an all too familiar emotion – despair. And one relentless thought.

Dammit, not again.

You reach for words, and profanities come to mind. Some days, nothing is as eloquent.


Another player from “The U” (of Miami) dies young.

Again.

Another senseless homicide of a young black man. A daughter left fatherless.

Again.

“I never ever ran from the Ku Klux Klan
I shouldn’t have to run from a black man,
‘Cause that’s sel####estruction…”

- Kool Moe Dee, “Self Destruction” (1988)

It is a statistical fact that the leading cause of death for black men ages 15-24 is homicide. It is also a fact that the killer is likely to be another black male.

I am a black male. I know the numbers too well. As Jemele Hill points out, we are SIX times more likely to be killed than a white male in the same age bracket.

Like a sick, twisted, Indiana Jones movie, growing up as a young black man seems to involve avoiding death traps on a regular basis, except that all too often, if it isn’t the big, huge boulder (gang-life) running you down, or the poison-tipped darts (drugs), or a broken education system (over 65% of all black college students are female), it is the guns. There are even more reasons and factors, but that is a discussion for another day.

Worst of all, your friends – yes, your friends can drag you down.

“Friends” who are jealous of your success, or demand that you keep it real by being involved in their foolishness. The road to hell is an 8-lane highway paved with best intentions of proving that you haven’t forgotten your homies.

After all of that, institutional racism – in all it’s forms - doesn’t have to pick off many men.

I can’t pass judgment on what happened Sunday night in the Taylor home. And you know something? It’s really immaterial.

Sean Taylor was 24, and had by all accounts had truly turned his life around from a rocky start, which makes this all even more painful. Sadly, he probably should have moved out of Miami, as there is a fairly good case that can be made that he knew his assailant.

Already, much has been made about Taylor’s past somehow still catching up to him, but it really doesn’t matter. Ask the late Broncos cornerback Darrant Williams who had the misfortune of getting killed by a bullet meant for someone else. Case still unsolved.

Ask the Timberwolves’ Antoine Walker, or the Knicks Eddie Curry. Both men were the victim of savage home invasions, like the one that killed Sean Taylor. Neither man has been in any trouble whatsoever with the law.

Neither story got more than a brief mention when it happened. Somehow, I have to believe that if Brett Favre was the victim of a home invasion, if Deanna Favre had a gun shoved in her face and terrorized, the story would have rated slightly more press no?

Clearly, judging by the overkill of the Michael Vick scandal, we know what would have happened if, heaven forbid, that Curry and Walker were holding guns, rather than facing one.

Our media has a much easier time (and makes more money) envisioning black men as perps rather than victims of violent crime.

We live in a society that is increasingly violent. We also live in a society where even wealth and success guarantees no real escape for some unless they are willing to make real changes in associates and even geography. Perhaps if Taylor had made his full-time home in D.C. instead of near his old haunts in Miami, life would have been different. It is tragic that that would even have to be an option. But it is fact.

The deepest feeling I have today is pain. I feel his loss the same way I felt the fall of Maurice Clarett. The same way I may feel when I hear about the senseless loss of a young brother locally. We can't afford to lose any black men. It is hard enough already.

It is the reason why I have contempt for writers and talking heads that wallow in barely concealed schadenfreude when a Vick or Clarett blow their chances to escape their environments.

Yes, I know it is good business, low hanging fruit, and easy copy, but there is a bigger story and far bigger issues.

It is far, far too personal for me. Today, yet another young black man lies dead at 24.

A father, a soon-to-be husband.

A friend and a teammate.

Another luminous life, a world of potential snuffed out too soon.
Again.

Damn.

A number one overall pick.

A tenth-round selection.

A guy who went to Canada to play quarterback for six years because one look at his skin made teams think “defensive back”.

Toss in a running back that had a chip on his shoulder because he was picked number 40 in the draft, an offensive lineman who was cut by two different teams before finding his All-Pro niche in Miami. A converted center who went on to be a dominating guard.

The roads to the Hall of Fame are many, and later today the NFL will announce their Hall Of Fame selections. 15 finalists. Anywhere from four to seven players and contributors will be selected. For some unknown reason, no one from the NFL called me and asked to submit a ballot. The nerve of some people.

So here is my look at the following finalists: Reggie White, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Thurman Thomas, Derrick Thomas, Harry Carson, L.C. Greenwood, Claude Humphrey, Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg, Michael Irvin, Art Monk, Gary Zimmerman, John Madden, and Rayfield Wright. The last two are special selections from the Veteran’s Committee.

The 15 finalists all make a great case for enshrinement. Some of this group is stone cold locks. Others make a very strong case, but perhaps not this year. Here are my picks:

The Locks

Reggie White – The late, great Minster of Defense might have been the best two-way lineman who ever played the game. An absolute beast against the run, also racked up 190 sacks in his career, as I pointed out in an earlier article. Had 21 sacks in 12 games in 1987, a record average of 1.75 sacks a game for the season. 124 of his sacks came in his 121 games with the Eagles. Had 10+ sacks in nine consecutive seasons, another NFL record. Whether lining up at tackle or defensive end, Reggie ruled. 13-time All-Pro, and 13 Pro Bowls as well. Added intangible: Reggie's signing with Green Bay was a huge turning point for that franchiese in the free agency era. The conventional wisdom held that premiere black players would never go to Green Bay, which previously had all of the appeal of Siberia in January.

Why he is a lock: You are kidding aren’t you? His bust was cast sometime during the early 1990s while he was still active. The only real regret is that this is a posthumous honor.

Troy Aikman – Won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, which will get you in the Hall even if you ran the wishbone. As it happened Troy could throw pretty well too. Six Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro selections attest to that. This was an offense that really centered on Emmitt Smith (in my opinion the true heart and soul of those Cowboy teams), but when the Cowboys put it up, Aikman was as accurate as they came. Career 61.7 percent passer. Try this stat: 41 times, Aikman completed 70 percent of his passes (minimum of 20 attempts) in a game.

I’ll be honest, his career numbers pale compared to many of his contemporaries, and I feel that when the Cowboys were no longer able to dominate on the ground, Aikman wasn’t a player would could put the 'Boys on his back and carry them.

Nevertheless, he was the trigger man on the winningest team of the 1990s (Aikman had a record 90 wins in the decade).

Why he is a lock: Which part of “Three Time Super Bowl Champion” didn’t you get? The man is a lock. Just don’t ask me to rate him in the top-15 of all time quarterbacks.

Thurman Thomas – I have a soft spot for Houston football players, especially ones I saw play in high school. “Thermal” was the key to the Bills K-Gun offense along with QB Jim Kelly. Led the NFL in total offense a record four consecutive seasons. Ran for more yardage in the 1990s than anyone not named Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders. Five consecutive All-Pro selections, and should have been named MVP of Super Bowl XXV. Who cares that he was on the losing team of the closest Super Bowl ever? With career totals of 12,074 yards rushing and over 400 receptions. Besides Thomas, only Marcus Allen and Walter Payton are members of the 10,000 yard/400 catch club. Played in four Super Bowls, and is the all-time playoff record holder for touchdowns and points. He was drafted in the second round after a stellar college career at Oklahoma State (Barry Sanders sat behind him for two years), and used that snub as fuel. Sometimes, he seemed to never get over it, but can you argue with performance?

Why he is a lock: Thomas was a rare talent as double-threat runner/receiver with a high level of production.

Got to put them in…

Harry Carson – In an earlier article, I noted that Harry Carson was one of the greatest players not to be in a Hall Of Fame in his sport. The heart and soul of those great Giant defenses, the signal-caller for the best linebacking corps of the decade, Carson made 9 Pro Bowls, and six times made the All-NFL first or second team. Respected football analyst Paul Zimmerman calls Carson, “The best short yardage and goal line linebacker who ever played.” As solid in pass coverage as he was against the run, Carson maintained a high level for his entire 13 year career. Stirred a controversy last year when he told the Hall Of Fame to take him off the ballot and leave him alone. I love his style.

Chances – I think he probably helped himself last year with his comments. Harry should have been in years ago, and is probably wondering, “What in the hell happened to that advantage I was supposed to get from playing in New York?” He’s on Dr. Midnight’s ballot, and I give him a 75-25 chance of being in this year.

Warren Moon – He didn’t throw his first NFL pass until he was almost 28 years old. Coming out of U-Dub, scouts saw the strong arm, the mobility, and thought, "There goes a safety...". So off Moon went to the Edmonton Eskimos, where he won five titles in six seasons. Moon reminds me of the great black baseball players of the 1930's and 40's who spent their best years in the Negro Leagues, then got a late start in the so-called majors and dominated.

Even now, some scouts from the late 1970s will say that he would have been drafted as a quarterback. Sure you did. Moon and Steve Young are the two most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history.

Consider that despite the late start, he finished his career third all-time in attempts, completions, and yardage, and fourth in touchdown passes. If he had had those six years in the NFL instead of Canada, Dan Marino (and everyone else) would be chasing Moon in the record books.

As it happens, over his 23 seasons in two leagues, Moon threw for 70,325 yards and 425 touchdowns. But let’s just stick to the NFL numbers no? His 527 yards in a 1990 game versus Kansas City is second in NFL history, and the most since the AFL-NFL merger. A record eight straight Pro Bowls, and nine total (the last appearance an MVP one at 40!). 49 300-yard games in his career, only behind Marino and Dan Fouts. Nearly 50,000 NFL passing yards and 292 touchdown passes. Strictly on an aesthetic level, Moon threw the prettiest, most effortless ball ever.

Chances – I say he is a lock. However some critics have tried to diminish his numbers as a product of his offense (overrated nonsense), and the fact that his teams never went to a Super Bowl (didn’t stop Dan Fouts and Sonny Jurgensen to name two) will hurt him in the eyes of some. Rate him as an 85% chance of induction this year.

Claude Humphrey – I’m always on the lookout for guys who were overlooked by the general public. Humphrey is already forgotten by many, but this was one of the great pass rushers of all-time. In an earlier blog on great pass rushers, I left him off my list as well. Shame on me.

Part of the problem is that most of his best years were on some bad – really bad – Atlanta Falcon teams. Yet he still had 122 career sacks in 14 seasons, and he missed all of one season due to an injury. In his second-to-last season, he had 14.5 sacks for the Eagles, helping them reach the Super Bowl. Seven times he was selected to the All-Pro team, all while with Atlanta. In the 13 seasons he played, he led his team in sacks nine of those seasons.

Chances – Playing on mostly mediocre teams, where opponents could scheme him out o####ame plan without penalty, he still averaged nearly 9.5 sacks a season. L.C. Greenwood played in the same era and did not approach his pass rushing numbers (although Atlanta was usually bad enough where Humphrey probably got considerably more snaps to sack a passer). Humphrey gets my vote, but I think his chances are 30% of getting in this year.

John Madden –  I have more on Big John in my earlier column on the Top 10 players/coaches not in the Hall Of Fame. Madden has the highest winning percentage (an incredible .739) in NFL history for coaches with 100+ wins. I can’t ignore a raw number that impressive, and let us not forget that the Raiders played in seven conference championship games during his tenure. Six times, the Raiders fell to the eventual Super Bowl champions, including twice each to the great Steeler and Dolphin dynasties.

Chances – Being a Senior’s selection is a great booster. Big John is in on my ballot. My regret is that I have to sacrifice a spot for a player, and an offensive lineman paid for that. Another factoid I heard driving yesterday:

Madden's record against 10 other Hall Of Fame coaches? 33-12-1. Not bad at all...

In case you haven’t noticed by now. I’ve got seven on my ballot: Aikman, T. Thomas, White, Moon, Madden, Humphries, and Carson. The dance card is full.

With deep regrets, here are the guys who have to "Wait ‘til Next Year:

Michael Irvin – Ironic that his nickname “The Playmaker”, while being accurate, also eerily recalls the short-lived and controversial TV show on that Other Sports Network. Irvin certainly was a magnet for off the field drama, but on the field, he was a beast. Specialized in pushing off and shielding defenders from the ball. Worked the deep routes, short routes and everything in between. Averaged an outstanding 15.9 yards a catch in his career.

There is a temptation to compare Irvin to Art Monk because of their size, but Irvin was faster and more explosive, and an equally tenacious blocker. Despite playing in a run-oriented offense, and having his career end early due to a neck injury, Irvin still put up impressive numbers with 750 catches in 12 seasons, despite losing most of two seasons to injury. Five Pro Bowls, three Super Bowl rings as part of the “The Trinity” (Irvin, Aikman, and Smith), and 47 100 yard receiving games.

Chances – Most years, an absolute lock. But given his occasional off-field issues, including the incident that got him in hot water a month ago, he may get bumped for a year especially given the depth of the candidates this year. He gets in next year on my ballot, but only because I have no room for him this year. I think Da Hall selects him this year at the expense of Moon and Grimm.

Derrick Thomas – I suggest you read my Great Pass Rushers blog for more stats on Derrick. Another nominee that will sadly be a posthumous one, Derrick was a devastating edge rusher who still had some good football left in him when an auto accident paralyzed him and eventually ended his life far too early. Based on his body of work, while impressive, I can’t put him in ahead of someone as deserving (and long-suffering) as Harry Carson, who was a steadier player who was a shutdown defender against the run, an area while DT was sometimes indifferent to.

Bob Kuechenberg – It pains me to say nice things about anyone who went to Notre Dame. But how can I not sing the praises about a player who got cut twice, played semipro ball for seven games (and only got paid for two of them) before getting signed by the team where he found fame? Miami signed a free agent salesman. They got a six-time Pro Bowler who was durable, tough, and versatile enough to be named an All-Pro at two different positions in the same season. In 1978 he spilt the season between guard and tackle. He made the Pro Bowl at guard and was named All-AFC at tackle. Was a key part of the Dolphins’ offensive line that set an NFL record for rushing yardage in 1972, and made three straight Super Bowl appearances.

Chances – Great story, great player. Not enough offensive linemen get in as far as I’m concerned. But, the competition is a bit too stiff this year. I count three locks (White, Aikman, and T. Thomas), and at least one of the senior’s selections will make it. The Hall Of Fame almost never takes more than four to five selections, and even with me maxing out my seven slots, I can’t fit him in. This year.

Art Monk – Like Chris Noth on “Sex in the City”, “Big” is usually the adjective that is used to describe Art Monk. And in his case, no Hollywood embellishment is needed. 6-3 and a solid 210 pounds, Monk was the prototype of a trend away from small, quick receivers to the type of player who could muscle through jam coverage and go across the middle and operate between the hashmarks. Caught an NFL record 940 passes at the time of his retirement. Set a single season record of 106 catches, both marks have been surpassed since. As tough blocking as he was going over the middle. As devoid of ego as they come. Twice made All-Pro, and selected to three Pro Bowls.

Chances – Not all that good. I know, I rated him as highly deserving previously, but when going into the “Upon Further Review” mode, Art Monk has some flaws that put him behind some of his peers. While he has three Super Bowl rings, which should count for something, his lack of a downfield game and only three Pro Bowls in a long career will hurt him. Career average of just 13.5 yards a catch (Irvin averaged 15.9 by comparison), and never scored in double figures in touchdowns. My feeling is that Art will need some help from the Senior's Committee down the road if he doesn’t get voted in within the next 3-5 years.

Russ Grimm – Oink oink baby. The last thing a hapless defender often saw in the 1980’s was number 66 pulling on the famed Washington “Counter Gap”. Russ Grimm and Joe Jacoby were the Gene Upshaw and Art Shell of the 1980’s – in other words, a utterly devastating left side on offense. Grimm was a charter member of “The Hogs”, the premiere offensive line of the 1980’s. When the Hogs ran left it was behind Grimm and Jacoby. In the clutch, Washington went left, and usually they got the job done. Grimm‘s excellence was rewarded with four straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections. He topped it off by being voted to the All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

Chances – Grimm is worthy. But more worthy than Gary Zimmerman, who was first or second team All-NFL eight times? You can’t beat the marketing edge that being A Hog gives you. But fairness says that Russ waits another year or two.

Rayfield Wright - My earlier version of this post did not have my views on Rayfield. My apologies, because the "Big Cat" was hard to miss. An anchor of the Cowboys offensive line for fourteen years, he was the only Cowboy to have played in the Ice Bowl and also play on all five Super Bowl teams of the 1970s. Six straight All-Pro selections, six Pro Bowls, and he made the All-Decade Team of the 1970s.

Chances - In my mind, if you make an All-Decade team, you should be in the Hall. That denotes a high level of play for an extended period of time. The Senior's tag certainly helps. And he clearly has been overlooked. I do NOT believe in this silly "anti-Cowboy bias" talk that has been going around - and note that Wright just entered the Cowboys Ring Of Honor two years ago. Clearly, he hadn't been getting the love for a while. Having said all of that, Wright should get in. The question is, will there been enough room in this year's very impressive class?

L.C. Greenwood – I don’t what it is, but “L.C.” just sounds like a bad-#### football name. I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I'm running FAR away from a 6’6” man named L.C. you know? And for 13 seasons, many NFL offenses tried. Most of them didn’t make out too well. Ask Fran Tarkenton!

Few defensive lines in NFL history could approach the tandem of Greenwood and Joe Greene. Only 74.5 sacks in his career, but he had to share with teammates on probably the greatest defense in NFL history. Tremendous big game performer with two sacks, three batted down passes and a safety in SB IX, and three sacks in SB X. Twice an All-Pro, five times an All-AFC performer.

Chances - Strong performer, but not quite in a class with some of his peers. We’ve also seen darn near every teammate and ballboy of his on the Steelers teams of the 70's inducted already. That tends to work against you after a while. 

Oh and the gold shoes? “#### Eye for the All-Pro” can’t be far away...

Gary Zimmerman – Eight Pro Bowl selections for an outstanding offensive guard who made All-Pro with Minnesota and Denver. Even by offensive line standards, he flew under the radar. This is one reason why he will not make it in this year. I rate him as a lock within five years. It should be sooner, but Russ Grimm and Bruce Matthews (when eligible) will get press ahead of Gary.