The logjam for wide receivers to enter the Hall of Fame has forced many worthy candidates to wait years to be enshrined.
This time the Hall of Fame committee selected Marvin Harrison to enter, forcing Terrell Owens to wait at least another year.
Predictably, Owens complained about the perceived snub of not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, at one point saying he felt "disrespected."
This week the normally quiet Harrison fired back at Owens, telling the "Talk of Fame Network" he's sick of Owens whining and wasn't concerned about the possibility he's split receiver votes with T.O.
"I wasn't concerned at all,'' Harrison told hosts Ron Borges, Rick Gosselin and Clark Judge. "I'm not concerned about, you know, T.O. Not one bit. I was concerned about myself. I wasn't worried about splitting the vote with anyone. That was it.
"The person who was supposed to get in got in. And that was me. If he didn't get in, that's his problem. He can talk all that other bull---- like he's been doing. That's on him. But I'm in. My jacket is gold. I will look in the rear view for nobody.
"So he can get his ass in whenever he gets in ... if he gets in. If he doesn't get in too bad. The hell with him.''
Well, that felt like some latent anger Harrison needed to release.
Harrison deserved to be in the Hall. He sits third all-time in receptions (1,102), fifth in touchdown catches (128) and seventh in receiving yards (14,580).
Owens will get in as well, likely next season.
The order in which they entered will be a minute footnote in history that no one walking around the hallowed halls in Canton will consider five years from now.
Whether a player is a "first-ballot Hall of Famer" or not has always seemed overblown, conjured from the egos of superstars and the media members covering them. To paraphrase Happy Gilmore, first ballot, second ballot, who gives a crud.
