By next weekend, two athletes with Colorado ties — Goose Gossage and Gary Zimmerman — will have made Hall of Fame induction speeches over a seven-day period.
That’s additional context for Rod Smith’s retirement announcement. Smith’s Hall of Fame case is at least credible, because of his statistics, his virtually peerless blocking ability and even his by-example leadership and work ethic.
But he shouldn’t be the next ex-Bronco picked during his 25 years of “regular” eligibility.
Neither should Terrell Davis or Shannon Sharpe.
Louis Wright, a shutdown corner before the term was invented, should be the Broncos’ next Hall of Famer.
After years of unconscionable snubs in a voting chamber on the day before the Super Bowl that features more horse-trading than a Keeneland sale and more hangovers than a fraternity house, middle linebacker Randy Gradishar’s name now must come out of the seniors’ committee. Each year, two “senior” nominees are placed before the full selection board each year.
The same is true of running back Floyd Little, Colorado’s first major- league superstar. The lack of support for a third ex-Bronco now only eligible for “seniors” nomination, safety Billy Thompson, who retired after the 1981 season, always has been impossible to justify. Roger Wehrli, a defensive back from Thompson’s era who was inducted last year, couldn’t carry B.T.’s . . . uh, helmet.
But there are so many snubbed players out there, and not just with Denver ties, the line of deserving men for those two annual seniors nominations is long. Even then, at least 80 percent of the voters on the full committee must sign off on a senior nominee to get him in the Hall, and that’s not automatic.
Wright, now a role model as a junior high teacher and high school coach in Aurora, is eligible for “regular” selection through the Class of 2011. Much to Dan Reeves’ consternation, Wright retired after the 1986 season, when he still was near the top of his game, after 12 seasons with the Broncos.
Before the campaign for Smith gears up in five years, or the Denver flag-bearers in the ridiculous voting process attempt to rally support for Davis through his continuing “regular” eligibility, which began in 2007, Louis Wright should be the first priority.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
