August 5, 2006
Associated Press
AP Football Writer
CANTON, Ohio -- Harry Carson used his induction speech for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday to lobby the NFL for more help for retired players and more diversity in the sport.
Carson called on the NFL and the players' union to upgrade its treatment of retired players. The NFLPA and the league recently reached an agreement to upgrade pensions and player benefits by about $120 million a year.
"I can't be happy about it until I get one or two things off my chest," the star linebacker of the New York Giants from 1976-88 said of his joining the Hall of Fame along with Reggie White, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Rayfield Wright and John Madden.
"As a Hall of Famer, I want to implore the NFL and its union to look at the product that you have up on this stage. The honor of making it into the Hall of Fame is great, but it was even greater to have the opportunity to play in a league with 18,000 individuals.
"I would hope that the leaders of the NFL, the future commissioner, and the players association do a much better job of looking out for those individuals. If we made the league what it is, you have to take better care of your own."
Carson also noted this is the 60th anniversary of Bill Willis integrating the league.
He chided pro football for shutting out the likes of Fritz Pollard in the 1920s -- Pollard entered the Hall of Fame last year -- and urged continued dedication to reform.
"I hope that the owners and those in the positions of power will open it up to a greater sense of diversity and understand that even those players who have played the game who are looking to get into coaching, give them a shot," Carson said.
------
REGULAR PRESENTER: John Madden was introduced Saturday by Raiders owner Al Davis, the ninth time Davis has been a presenter at the induction ceremony.
Davis, who entered the Hall of Fame in 1992, used a walker to support himself as he ran through the litany of Silver and Black honorees in Canton.
"Nine Raiders legends -- nine -- are in this Hall," he said, rattling off Jim Otto, George Blanda, Willie Brown, Fred Biletnikoff, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks and Dave Casper. Davis is the other, of course.
"It's a great inspiration for me to come to this Field of Dreams every year."
Davis emphasized Madden's 36-16-2 record against Hall of Fame coaches.
"John coached in the golden era of great coaches. In his 10 years, John coached against many who are enshrined in this Hall of Fame: Don Shula of Miami, Chuck Noll of Pittsburgh, Tom Landry of Dallas. Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Hank Stram, Bud Grant and others."
Madden was 32 when Davis hired him, and he left after a decade, went into TV commentating and has become a broadcasting icon. He's always remained loyal to Davis
"He stood behind me not only the 10 years I was the head coach, but he stood behind me for the last 40 years," Madden said. "I remember I had the opportunity to induct him into the Hall of Fame. At the time, I said, talking about loyalty, what a guy Al Davis was, that he's the guy, if you had anything happen, you had one phone call, who would you make that phone call to? I said it would be Al Davis.
"All these years later, I got an opportunity. I got voted into the Hall of Fame, I had a phone call to make for a presenter, and I called Al Davis."
------
WHITE FAMILY: The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a family affair for the Whites.
Reggie White's widow, Sara, made the acceptance speech on behalf of her late husband, who died in December 2004 just a week after his 43rd birthday. Their son, Jeremy, a junior at Elon College, presented his father.
Jecolia White, Reggie and Sara's 18-year-old daughter, sang the national anthem, followed by a U.S. Navy flyover.
"He was a compassionate father, a loving husband, a selfless friend and a loyal teammate," Jeremy White said. "I know that he is an inspiration to countless people who want to make their dream a reality, whatever that dream might be."
------
RETURNEES: Seventy Hall of Fame members returned for the festivities, including two inductees from last year: Dan Marino and Steve Young. The biggest ovations, not surprisingly considering the concentration of Cowboys fans in Fawcett Stadium, were for Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach.
A moment of silence was held for three Hall of Famers who died in the past year: Wellington Mara, Frank Gatski and Ernie Stautner.
------
ALSO HONORED: The Hall of Fame recognized two media members this weekend, Lesley Visser and John McClain.
A former sports writer for the Boston Globe, Visser won the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. Visser has covered the NFL for three decades and will be working for CBS Sports' "NFL Today" this season. She was the first woman to work as a sideline reporter, for ABC on "Monday Night Football."
McClain received the Dick McCann Memorial Award for long and distinguished service reporting pro football. The sports writer for the Houston Chronicle and past president of the Pro Football Writers of America serves on both the Hall of Fame selection committee and its seniors committee.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
________________________________________
You can find this article at:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=114996
________________________________________
Associated Press
AP Football Writer
CANTON, Ohio -- Harry Carson used his induction speech for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday to lobby the NFL for more help for retired players and more diversity in the sport.
Carson called on the NFL and the players' union to upgrade its treatment of retired players. The NFLPA and the league recently reached an agreement to upgrade pensions and player benefits by about $120 million a year.
"I can't be happy about it until I get one or two things off my chest," the star linebacker of the New York Giants from 1976-88 said of his joining the Hall of Fame along with Reggie White, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Rayfield Wright and John Madden.
"As a Hall of Famer, I want to implore the NFL and its union to look at the product that you have up on this stage. The honor of making it into the Hall of Fame is great, but it was even greater to have the opportunity to play in a league with 18,000 individuals.
"I would hope that the leaders of the NFL, the future commissioner, and the players association do a much better job of looking out for those individuals. If we made the league what it is, you have to take better care of your own."
Carson also noted this is the 60th anniversary of Bill Willis integrating the league.
He chided pro football for shutting out the likes of Fritz Pollard in the 1920s -- Pollard entered the Hall of Fame last year -- and urged continued dedication to reform.
"I hope that the owners and those in the positions of power will open it up to a greater sense of diversity and understand that even those players who have played the game who are looking to get into coaching, give them a shot," Carson said.
------
REGULAR PRESENTER: John Madden was introduced Saturday by Raiders owner Al Davis, the ninth time Davis has been a presenter at the induction ceremony.
Davis, who entered the Hall of Fame in 1992, used a walker to support himself as he ran through the litany of Silver and Black honorees in Canton.
"Nine Raiders legends -- nine -- are in this Hall," he said, rattling off Jim Otto, George Blanda, Willie Brown, Fred Biletnikoff, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks and Dave Casper. Davis is the other, of course.
"It's a great inspiration for me to come to this Field of Dreams every year."
Davis emphasized Madden's 36-16-2 record against Hall of Fame coaches.
"John coached in the golden era of great coaches. In his 10 years, John coached against many who are enshrined in this Hall of Fame: Don Shula of Miami, Chuck Noll of Pittsburgh, Tom Landry of Dallas. Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Hank Stram, Bud Grant and others."
Madden was 32 when Davis hired him, and he left after a decade, went into TV commentating and has become a broadcasting icon. He's always remained loyal to Davis
"He stood behind me not only the 10 years I was the head coach, but he stood behind me for the last 40 years," Madden said. "I remember I had the opportunity to induct him into the Hall of Fame. At the time, I said, talking about loyalty, what a guy Al Davis was, that he's the guy, if you had anything happen, you had one phone call, who would you make that phone call to? I said it would be Al Davis.
"All these years later, I got an opportunity. I got voted into the Hall of Fame, I had a phone call to make for a presenter, and I called Al Davis."
------
WHITE FAMILY: The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a family affair for the Whites.
Reggie White's widow, Sara, made the acceptance speech on behalf of her late husband, who died in December 2004 just a week after his 43rd birthday. Their son, Jeremy, a junior at Elon College, presented his father.
Jecolia White, Reggie and Sara's 18-year-old daughter, sang the national anthem, followed by a U.S. Navy flyover.
"He was a compassionate father, a loving husband, a selfless friend and a loyal teammate," Jeremy White said. "I know that he is an inspiration to countless people who want to make their dream a reality, whatever that dream might be."
------
RETURNEES: Seventy Hall of Fame members returned for the festivities, including two inductees from last year: Dan Marino and Steve Young. The biggest ovations, not surprisingly considering the concentration of Cowboys fans in Fawcett Stadium, were for Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach.
A moment of silence was held for three Hall of Famers who died in the past year: Wellington Mara, Frank Gatski and Ernie Stautner.
------
ALSO HONORED: The Hall of Fame recognized two media members this weekend, Lesley Visser and John McClain.
A former sports writer for the Boston Globe, Visser won the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. Visser has covered the NFL for three decades and will be working for CBS Sports' "NFL Today" this season. She was the first woman to work as a sideline reporter, for ABC on "Monday Night Football."
McClain received the Dick McCann Memorial Award for long and distinguished service reporting pro football. The sports writer for the Houston Chronicle and past president of the Pro Football Writers of America serves on both the Hall of Fame selection committee and its seniors committee.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
________________________________________
You can find this article at:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=114996
________________________________________
0 comments:
Post a Comment