Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
ATLANTA
“Please, continue! More!”
Some egged them on when two selectors, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped Pro Football Hall of Fame meeting room tucked in a secluded corner of Super Bowl media headquarters, traded verbal jabs over two candidates they were championing.
The debate was heating up the cold meeting room. It was lively, informative, impassionate, and good.
The good news was both candidates ultimately hurdled the multiple barriers to gaining election to the Class of 2019. It did not come down to an either/or proposition, as each selector feared during their frosty exchange.
David Baker, president of the Hall of Fame, informed us at the 7 a.m. start that there was a deadline of 3 o’clock to whittle the list of 18 – two from the contributors category, one senior nominee and 15 modern-era finalists -- to the maximum of eight which would comprise the Class of 2019.
Seven hours and 40 minutes later, the election process was over.
The final results were unbeknownst to even the 48 selectors until a live announcement on NFL Network at the NFL Honors program in FOX Theatre several hours later.
Winning a permanent place in the football shrine in Canton in August were:
Senior nominee Johnny Robinson, contributors Pat Bowlen and Gil Brandt, tight end Tony Gonzalez, safety Ed Reed, cornerback Champ Bailey, cornerback Ty Law, and center Kevin Mawae.
The modern-era finalists survived a cutdown from 15 to 10, and 10 to five. And then each had to get at least 80 percent of the vote in a final yes-no tally of all 48 selectors, as did the three special-category candidates.
The first cut to 10 eliminated receiver Isaac Bruce, coach Don Coryell, coach Tom Flores, safety John Lynch, and defensive lineman Richard Seymour.
The second cut to five knocked off safety Steve Atwater, offensive tackle Tony Boselli, guard Alan Faneca, guard Steve Hutchinson, and running back Edgerrin James.
This was one of the breeziest selection meetings in my 20-plus years on the committee. With Baker keeping time on opening presentations with a digital clock displayed on a large projector screen counting down the five-minute time limits for modern-era candidates (seven minutes for the special categories), long-windedness was sharply reduced.
But it didn’t start out that way.
The overall discussion on Brandt, the third candidate presented in a pre-determined random draw on order, consumed 34 minutes. While that proved to be the longest discussion of the day, it seemed excessive because of 14 selectors who spoke, only one offered a discerning sentiment to consider.
Here are the length of discussion times from my unofficial clockings, and some notes on the other candidates:
Johnny Robinson: 10 minutes, 45 seconds.
The long-time safety of the Kansas City Chiefs (nee Dallas Texans) led the AFL in 1966 with 10 interceptions and the NFL (post-merger) in 1970 with 10 again. He was the one candidate sent to the main committee from 23 nominees considered at the senior meeting last August.
Pat Bowlen: 19:30.
The Denver Broncos owner should have been the first candidate to get in when the contributors category was instituted five years ago, in my opinion. Until he stepped aside for health reasons a few years ago, the Broncos never had two losing seasons in a row for 30-plus years of his ownership, and his contributions primarily on the broadcast committee since the 1990s were well-established.
Richard Seymour: 8:27.
There was little discussion on the New England defensive lineman – possibly because Law, his Patriots teammate, was expected to make a serious run at this meeting. Two inductions from the same team/same era are exceedingly rare.
Tony Boselli: 26:11.
The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise left tackle received another fair discussion in his third trip to the finalist round, but his relatively short career of 91 games due to a shoulder injury and reportedly botched surgery was too hard to overcome again. A strong group of offensive linemen beside him also curbed his chances.
Alan Faneca: 10:35.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers guard fell short a fourth consecutive year as a finalist. His day will come, many selectors believe.
Steve Hutchinson: 13:09.
Another guard with impeccable credentials who is two for two as a finalist since becoming eligible.
Kevin Mawae: 24:27.
Strong arguments put the center from the Seahawks, Jets and Titans over the top in his third year as a finalist. His contributions as a players union executive were mentioned, but not a real factor in winning the vote.
Edgerrin James: 9:58.
This was the snub I disagreed with most. His 12,246 rushing yards rank 13th all time, and his 433 receptions and unquestioned blocking merely was icing. In a process that often presents extremely difficult decisions, this was a layup blown by the committee.
Don Coryell: 22:32
The former St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers coach is Exhibit A of why coaches may need their separate category in the near future to get their just reward. Nitpicking over Coryell’s lack of a championship offset his pioneering as an offensive genius. Ultimately, voters are reluctant to use a regular spot on a coach – at the expense of the long list of deserving players -- unless he is a no-brainer.
Tom Flores: 18:54.
The first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl – he did it twice with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders – is hurt by a losing record in a second stint with the Seahawks, making him something less than a no-brainer.
Isaac Bruce: 7:36.
The productive St. Louis Rams receiver did not gender any discussion beyond his presentation.
Tony Gonzalez: 6:10.
Some selectors felt the case of the Chiefs and Falcons tight end could have been wrapped up in a few sentences. He was the first of the three eventual “first ballot” winners discussed.
Steve Atwater: 13:19.
This big, physical safety might be moved to linebacker in today’s game. An all-decade selection of the 1990s, he has five more years of modern-era eligibility to get in.
Champ Bailey: 10:58.
An aggressive discussion started right away about whether he deserved “first ballot” status. Ultimately, his career was too profound to wait another year.
Ty Law: 27:15.
His physical style in personal battles against Peyton Manning’s receivers resulted in an historic crackdown on cornerbacks, which furthered the proliferation of offensive football. He is the first mainstay from the Bill Belichick Super Bowl teams to win election.
John Lynch: 12:39.
An outstanding candidate who got nudged aside again by three other defensive backs.
Ed Reed: 2:22.
Considered by some to be the greatest free safety in pro football history, he needed no verbal support other than his formal presentation, which lasted about two minutes too long, according to some selectors.