The Pittsburgh Steelers have a complicated relationship with the museum in Canton, OH, that claims to be the Hall of Fame for the National Football League. The Steelers have a significant number of Hall of Famers from the 1970s dynasty teams, with 11 players and Head Coach Chuck Noll. The second set of Super Bowl teams from Super Bowl XL, XLIII, and XLVI are represented by Jerome Bettis, Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca, and Bill Cowher.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger celebrates a touchdown run with Hines Ward In Denver.
Ben Roethlisberger will join the current quartet of Steelers from that era when he becomes eligible to be elected. Mike Tomlin's relationship with the national media will seemingly make him a Hall of Fame coach despite only winning a playoff game in 4 of 17 seasons in Pittsburgh. He does however have two Super Bowl appearances (winning in Super Bowl XLIII), and has yet to have a losing season in almost 17 years as head coach. Both candidacies are years away from the voters.
The finalist list for Canton was released on Thursday, and once again, the Steelers were not represented. The 15 finalists included three wide receivers. Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Reggie Wayne were in the final cut. Devin Hester is being included as a return specialist, but is also listed as a wide receiver. Hines Ward was ignored again, and Steeler Nation should be outraged by the snub.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers All-Pro wide receiver, Hines Ward secures one of 1,000 career catches.
The exclusion of Ward from being a finalist defies explanation. Ward has been named as a semi-finalist for the Hall of Fame for eight consecutive years and has never made the final cut. The statistical argument for Ward is strong. He is one of only 14 receivers to catch 1,000 passes. Currently, he is 28th all-time in receiving yards with 12,083 and tied for 19th in receiving touchdowns with Lance Alworth and Paul Warfield. Ward had six 1,000-yard seasons in a run-first offense.
Ward's statistics compare very favorably to Holt, Johnson, and Wayne. He has 80 more receptions than Holt and is less than 70 behind Johnson and Wayne. All three exceed Ward in yards receiving. Ward's 85 touchdowns outpace all three of the finalists. Hall of Fame players are supposed to shine brightest in the playoffs and Super Bowl. This is where the former Steelers legend separates himself from the pack.
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Steelers' Hines Ward was named Super Bowl XL MVP.
Ward played in 18 playoff games versus 21 for Wayne, 10 for Holt, and only four for Johnson. During his postseason career, Ward posted 88 receptions for 1,181 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wayne played in 3 more games and posted 93 receptions for 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns. Holt and Johnson had significantly fewer opportunities, but if you use statistical averages of their playoff games, Ward is second in catches and yards per game behind Johnson, and first in touchdowns. Ward was also named a Super Bowl MVP, which none of the others can boast.
Statistics don't tell the whole story when it comes to Ward. He is the undisputed king of blocking at the position. No one comes close. Ward's vicious hits on linebackers and defensive backs were legendary. In the name of player safety, the NFL had to outlaw Ward's brand of blocking, but it didn't slow him down like Mel Blount before him. He just kept smiling and delivering big hits. Ward has been wrongly labeled a dirty player for his physical play, but the NFL was a different place during most of his career.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Steelers' Hines Ward's signature smile was always present during his time in the NFL.
It boils down to value, and the current crop of Hall of Fame electors are woefully inadequate at assessing Ward's contribution to the game. Ward finished his career over a decade ago, and the current crop of writers is acting like the finalist list is a fantasy football draft. Johnson was on woefully bad teams, but was a fantasy darling. The fact that Calvin Johnson sailed into the Hall of Fame while Andre Johnson is on his third try is almost as baffling as Ward's exclusion from the list.
Steelers Fans Should Be Furious With NFL Hall Of Fame
Ward, sadly, is just one of the many strong Steelers cases that the voters and the Veterans Committee are ignoring. LC Greenwood died a decade ago, and the Veterans Committee, despite his eight times as a finalist during the years he was eligible for voter recognitions, has refused to consider him. Andy Russell was a key part of the Steelers' first two Super Bowls and a perennial Pro Bowler, but is almost completely forgotten. James Harrison and Greg Lloyd are virtually ignored as candidates.
JORDAN STRAUSS / CLEVELAND BROWNS
Steelers legends Lynn Swann, Hines Ward, Terry Bradshaw, Santonio Holmes and Franco Harris pose with Browns icon, Jim Brown.
The Steelers are a marquee franchise, excluding so many deserving players, which is a black eye for the NFL. The deliberations for the Hall of Fame that occur after the finalists are named should be broadcast publicly on NFL Network so fans can see the arguments for and against certain players. The fact that the so-called experts will not publicly debate the merits of individual players makes the exclusion of deserving players an embarrassment. At least, it would be if the voters had any shame.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Will Ward ever be named a finalist for the Hall of Fame? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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