The buzz in South Florida

Super Bowl week is in full force as we head toward a big weekend. I arrived in South Florida on Tuesday and have been running around getting the lay of the land of the Media Center as we prepare for the Class of 2010 announcement on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a great week for football – a who’s who of the NFL. It seems I can barely walk 10 feet without bumping into someone and striking up a conversation. Aside from the obvious, you know that game on Sunday between the Colts and Saints, much talk has focused on who will make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Every year during Super Bowl week, the attention really starts turning toward the Hall of Fame election that takes place Saturday morning. Especially starting today and more so tomorrow, there seems to be quite a buzz building for our big announcement.

In the past, I’ve always felt a certain momentum building for one candidate or another during the days leading up to the annual selection meeting. This year seems different so far. Two candidates appear to be locks, Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. That means that there are only up to three more spots available for the remaining 13 modern-era finalists. The senior nominees, Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little, are voted on separately from the others.

As I talk with many members of the media, a number of whom serve on our Selection Committee, this is going be one tough year. The debate is more “when” than “if.” I think it just goes to show that our selection process works very well. The finalists that will be before our Selection Committee when they meet on Saturday are quite obviously among the best to have ever played and coached in the NFL.

As one of our Committee members told me, it’s hard to get into the Hall of Fame, and it ought to be!