NFL Tickets
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee’s process in deciding Hall of Famers must be looked at immediately.
The 46-person panel of journalists certainly has a difficult task. However, too often lately, a writer gets behind a marginal candidate and is successful in pushing him through into induction. In addition, an increasingly disturbing factor is media-friendly players receiving much more attention from the committee than players who were not as cooperative or loved.
The induction of running back Jerome Bettis sheds light on this situation. Bettis had a few great years, several good ones, then hung on to compile inflated numbers. Bettis was also an affable guy, who was a media favorite and has since become a member of the media at ESPN.
On the other hand, you have Corey Dillon. Has anyone ever heard of Dillon being discussed for the Hall of Fame? Why is this? His numbers and production are across the board more impressive than Bettis. The difference is, Dillon didn’t give the media much and was a surly guy, who also has had numerous off-field issues.
I’m not saying Dillon is a Hall of Famer. If I had a vote, I probably wouldn’t vote for either player. This isn’t the Hall of Very Good Players. It is the Hall of Fame and should be an exclusive club, reserved for the absolute greatest players to ever play in the NFL. However, if the voters truly believe Bettis is a Hall of Famer, then so is Dillon.
In 13 NFL seasons, three with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and 10 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bettis compiled 13,662 rushing yards, 15,111 yards from scrimmage and 94 total touchdowns. In his 10 seasons, seven with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final three with the New England Patriots, Dillon compiled 11,241 yards on the ground, 13,154 from scrimmage and 89 total touchdowns.
Bettis has more yards and touchdowns, so what’s my argument for Dillon? Bettis gained a perceived advantage by playing longer. While durability and longevity is a plus, it only gains clout if those seasons were productive.
After rushing for 1,072 yards in 2001, Bettis was average during his final four seasons and padded his total yards, while Dillon retired with more left in the tank. By hanging on for four more seasons, Bettis was able to add an extra 2,786 rushing yards to his total. I don’t give compilers credit for hanging on too long. If total yards is the go-to statistic, Vinny Testaverde would be looked at as a better quarterback than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Steve Young and Troy Aikman. Instead, I value how many productive seasons a player had and how many could be considered Hall of Fame years.
During his career Dillon averaged 87.69 scrimmage yards per game and .593 touchdowns per game. Bettis averaged 78.70 scrimmage yards per game and .489 touchdowns per game. Dillon also caught more passes in 10 seasons than Bettis did in 13. Also adding to the advantage is Dillon’s 4.3 yards-per-carry career average compared to Bettis’ 3.9. Dillon averaged under 3.9 yards just once during his career, while Bettis averaged under that mark a whopping nine times.
Dillon had five Hall of Fame seasons, rushing for over 1,200 yards in 1999-2002 and 2004. Bettis had four similar seasons, breaking the 1,200-yard mark in 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000.
Both players won a Super Bowl ring – Dillon in 2004 and Bettis in 2005 – but Dillon also fared better in the postseason, averaging 72.8 scrimmage yards per game compared to 52.1 for Bettis.
I always thought Bettis was a bit overrated. He was a very good player and leader, but his persona as “The Bus” and his infectious smile and personality made him an NFL celebrity. In quite a contrast to how Dillon was perceived by journalists, Bettis became a media darling, and in the end, that’s what made him a Hall of Famer.
It’s just disappointing to see the committee cede to human nature and make decisions based on likability instead of true performance on the field.
Nick Sardina is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Nick onTwitter @nicksardina13, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
Share 
