Blame Lions, Not Voters, For Sanders' Delayed Entry Into Hall

Charlie Sanders would never say it, but that's what bloggers are for, right? He would never say that the reason his entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been delayed lo these many years is largely because of the teams for which he played. He would never say it, but he would be right if he ever did.

Sanders, finally elected last Saturday (he'll be inducted in August), goes in some 30 years after he played his last game. His stats never got any better in that time frame, but neither did the image of the franchise for which he toiled.

The Lions' lack of decent heritage in any decade that happened after the 1950's has gotten some of their other great players, too. I'm still waiting for the Alex Karras enshrinement, for example. And Lem Barney, inducted in 1992, entered the Hall 15 years after he played (nine years after being eligible for the first time). Doubtless that these delays had more than a little to do with the Lions' mediocrity. Karras, Barney, and Sanders each played in one playoff game: the 5-0 loss to the Cowboys in 1970. Most of their teams were .500 or below. And Hall voters like to vote the champions in first -- even if the non-champions were better performers.

Barry Sanders was elected in his first year of eligibility because he was, well, Barry Sanders. His feats were too large to ignore, despite a 1-5 record in the playoffs as a Lion.

The reason I say Charlie Sanders would never squawk about his team is because he's a Lion, through and through. He has immense respect for the Ford family, and that's terrific. But had Sanders, one of a handful of tight ends in the Hall, played for the Steelers or the Cowboys or the Raiders, he'd have been inducted back in 1984 -- his first year of eligibility. No question.

Now that Sanders is rightfully where he belongs, it's time to think about other Lions players who might fall victim to their team's ineptitude, when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.

Wait. I'm still thinking.

There's Lomas Brown. He played a solid left tackle for over 15 seasons. Chris Spielman, who might have been the best middle linebacker in Detroit since Joe Schmidt and Mike Lucci, might be worth a look. The Hall has never been kicker-friendly, but wouldn't Jason Hanson be a worthwhile candidate? Herman Moore? Maybe not a long enough stretch of brilliance.

That's about it, folks. Slim pickings, considering we're talking some 40 years of Ford family ownership.

So enjoy the enshrinment of Charlie Sanders this summer in Canton. It's likely to be the last such honor bestowed on any Lion in a hideous amount of time. Let's put it this way: Charlie Sanders had to wait 23 years for Hall entry. But that wait may pale in comparison with how much time will elapse between his enshrinment and that of the next Detroit Lion.

Sad, but true, I fear.