T.O Reminds Me To Be Angry For Bullet Bob

On Sunday, Terrell Owens caught four touchdown passes. With assists from Tony Romo and his offensive teammates, he beat the Washington Redskins 28-23. He also tied a thirty-seven year old Cowboys' record, held by the late, great "Bullet" Bob Hayes, for touchdowns caught in a single game.

He reminded us all of Hayes' legacy, and that reminded me to be pissed that the legendary speedster is not in the Hall of Fame.

Many ardent Cowboys' fans and more than a few writers will tell you there exists an anti-Cowboys bias in Hall of Fame voting. The conspiracy theory follows the logic that, while being in the NFC East is a boon to the Cowboys as far as keeping them on the national stage, it results in their being hated in the major eastern media markets. There are few things fans in Philly, New York, and DC hate more than the Dallas Cowboys. Has that hatred spilled over to the journalist keepers of the keys to the Hall of Fame?

Maybe. Who knows? You can certainly see a disparity between the number of great '70s Steelers, who won four Super Bowls, and the equally great '70s Cowboys, who competed in five Super Bowls, winning two. Rayfield Wright, without doubt one of the greatest offensive linemen of his day, had to wait until he was an old man to be inducted. Cliff Harris and Drew Pearson top the list of '70s Cowboy greats who still wait.

But there is no greater injustice in relation to Halls of Fame than Bob Hayes being shut out of Canton. He was a singular player. He was more than just the fastest man in the world at that time, he was a great receiver. He was the reason zone coverage was invented. He was a four-time All-Pro, who caught seventy-one touchdown passes in his career (and that was plenty for that era.) He changed the game, leaving an indelible mark upon it, and helped lift the Dallas Cowboys to the status of "great team."

Sure, he had off the field struggles with drugs. Back then, that was rare...and a big deal. It isn't any wonder that he had to wait. But how long must the NFL keep the man in Purgatory? They let him grow old, rot, and die without bestowing the honor he deserved. It is time to right that wrong. What he did off the field was wrong...and he paid. What he did on the field was extraordinary...so pay up! Give the man his due. Send his jersey to Canton and his soul to football heaven.

FOOTNOTES:

1. A 2005 Football Digest article places Hayes at the top of their list of men waiting to be enshrined.
2. Bob's Wikipedia page.
3. Hayes not on the 2008 list.