Twistity Sports Exclusive: KIDS IN THE HALL

 
The Pro Football Hall of Fame beautifully melds the past, the present and the future.

A week of spectacular fun and activities in Canton, Ohio peaks on Saturday with the introduction of the Class of 2014. Then it hits further heights on Sunday night with the first preseason game, feeding starved football fans an ersatz feast that generally lacks the top players but sure looks a heck of a lot like America’s most popular sport.

We’re happy when football is back, even through the interminable preseason games that rarely feature the stars but always manage to get a few of them injured anyway. And we get to look back at some great players, even as the preseason tips us off about some of the greats of tomorrow.

Ray Guy finally made the Hall, breaking the long-standing embargo against punters. The former Oakland star is a deserving addition. Defensive end Claude Humphrey, who did his damage to quarterbacks before sacks became an official stat in 1982, also goes in. Cornerback Aeneas Williams and linebacker Derrick Brooks are also quite worthy. Offensive tackle Walter Jones never said much but he dominated on the left side for Seattle. Too bad there are no statistics for the offensive linemen.

The stars of the class, though, are Andre Reed and Michael Strahan. Reed’s Buffalo Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls and Strahan won a couple of those Super Bowls with the New York Giants. Reed was a dominant receiver, Strahan a dominant pass rusher.

The Giants beat the Bills 20-19 in the memorable Super Bowl XXV in which the Bills’ last-second field goal try went wide right. So it is fitting the Bills and Giants meet in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night to open the preseason.

Past, present, future. Let’s start the party now.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .