Former Chargers and Redskins GM BOBBY BEATHARD has "reached the doorstep" of the Pro Football HOF after being announced Friday as the "only finalist in the contributor category" for '18, according to Tom Krasovic of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. For induction, Beathard "needs approval" from 80% of the 48-member body of football writers. The vote "comes in February, the night before the Super Bowl." Of the five previous contributor candidates, all but former NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE "were inducted." Former Cowboys Personnel Dir GIL BRANDT said, "He’s a very good candidate -- a good choice" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/26). In San Diego, Nick Canepa wrote Beathard, the "greatest of all football talent evaluators, finally gets nominated" for the HOF -- about 10 years "too late." Canepa: "Like I’ve said, he’s what all other GMs wanted to be when they grew up" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/27). In Boston, Ben Volin noted Beathard was nominated over "several other candidates," including Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT, Broncos Owner PAT BOWLEN, former Giants GM GEORGE YOUNG, Brandt and Tagliabue. Kraft may have a "better chance" in '19, when up to two contributors "may be elected for enshrinement" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/27).
MAYBE NEXT YEAR: In Denver, Nicki Jhabvala wrote it was believed Bowlen "faced a significant hurdle in swaying voters to make him the third owner selected in consecutive years," following former 49ers Owner EDDIE DEBARTOLO JR. in ‘16 and Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES in ‘17. Bowlen finished third in the '17 voting, and with "each passing year momentum has swelled in support." But "never did he garner as much attention as he did this year, making the rejection especially painful for the Broncos and their fans" (DENVER POST, 8/26). Denver-based KUSA-NBC's Mike Klis noted NFL Network's CHARLEY CASSERLY, who served as Beathard’s longtime assistant in DC, was "in the voting room as a contributor consultant." Imagine if Broncos President & CEO JOE ELLIS "were in the voting room as a consultant?" Despite this "overt case of Casserly conflict-of-interest, the committee submitted Beathard as its nominee" (9NEWS.com, 8/25). In N.Y., Gary Myers wrote one of these years, Young is "going to get into" the Pro Football HOF. There are two spots for the class of '19 and Young and Brandt "will be elected." Myers: "I’m disappointed the contributors committee didn’t pick Young for the fourth year in a row. ... I think the HOF is well run by the folks in Canton, but it’s such a bad look that they used Charley Casserly and JOHN MADDEN as consultants last week to the contributors committee." Casserly worked for Beathard, and Madden was his "roommate and teammate at Cal Poly." There is a "perception problem that the fix was in for Beathard" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/27).
