Tomorrow is “selection Saturday” for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall’s voters get together and debate who goes in, and who doesn’t.
Troy Polamalu and Alan Faneca should be beyond debate.
Polamalu is the best safety I ever saw.
Faneca is the best guard I ever saw.
With Polamalu and Faneca, I don’t need to know how many times each made All-Pro. I don’t need to know how many times each made the Pro Bowl. I don’t need to see the stats, or count the rings. I don’t need to see the highlight reels, although Polamalu’s tape is certainly entertaining. I don't need to see the "all-22" footage.
All I need is the eye test. All I need is what I saw. All I need is what I know.
With Polamalu and Faneca, it was that obvious.
But, for the record:
Polamalu was first-team All-Pro four times, second-team All-Pro twice. He made eight Pro Bowls. He was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. He made the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He won two Super Bowls.
Faneca was first-team All-Pro six times, second-team All-Pro twice. He made nine Pro Bowls. He made the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He won one Super Bowl.
How can Polamalu and Faneca possibly be kept out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
But I bet Faneca is.
Courtesy of Getty Images.