By Chris Schisler
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is where football’s legends are celebrated forever. This hallowed ground is where the memories and the history of the world’s greatest game lives forever. I have visited the Hall of fame twice; once as a young boy and once as a young adult. The history of the game is fascinating enough to bear the 7 hour drive from Finksburg, Maryland. It is important to see the whole picture of this history. With the glory that comes to inductees is the heartbreak of those who have waited to long to be inducted.
In September of 2012, Art Modell passed away. He was an iconic figure in NFL history that will never be able to wear that famous gold jacket. Modell is mostly remembered as the man who took football away from Cleveland and returned football to Baltimore. Its a shame that Cleveland’s resentment has tainted the memory of Art Modell and made his great contributions to the game of football be forgotten. He was a huge part of the NFL-AFL merger which might be the single most important moment in the history of the sport. He was influential in making Monday Night Football a weekly event for television viewers. Art Modell was a great man. Modell gave black players a chance in a time where racial tensions were high. The list of his merits could go on forever but hatred is keeping him out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The said thing is if the new Browns could just operate like a pro sports team should people would be over it by now.
We pick sometimes weak arguments to keep out worthy candidates for induction. Marty Schottenheimer has been kept out of the hall of fame for one reason: he never won a Super Bowl. Schottenheimer gave his life to the game as a player and a coach. Much of Schotenheimer’s success is probably due to Lou Saban’s influence as a mentor. Schottenheimer’s coaching tree impressively includes Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy and Herm Edwards. Cowher and Dungy are also in the category of great coaches and have impressive coaching trees of their own. Both his sons have been assistants in the NFL, most notably Brian (OC for Rams, formerly the Jets). Certainly Schottenheimer has had a major impact on the history of professional football.
With 200 wins in the NFL (101 with the Kansas City Chiefs) Marty Schottenheimer is in elite company. He is one of only 5 coaches in history with 200 wins. He was a great coach who won a lot of games. There is no denying this. People criticize his overly conservative approach to football but their real complaint is that he has no Super Bowl ring. Does this make him less devoted to the game of football? Does this really tarnish his legacy?
Marty Schottenheimer is 70 years old and could still live a good while. But lets hurry up and decide that he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Lets celebrate the impact he has had on the game. We waited too long with Art Modell. We cannot make the same mistake with Marty.
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