Cooney: HOF selector on Moss, Owens

Feb 2, 2018 — In a telephone conference call choreographed by ESPN Thursday, former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss, among the finalists to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, did what he does best. As pre-selected participants on the call lobbed softballs in the guise of questions, Moss caught them in a graceful manner reminiscent of those 982 receptions he made during his 14-year career in the NFL.

Based on several curious responses, he either sidestepped or misunderstood some of the queries, but that is common among all too many celebrity-types in the league when confronted with a straight question. And, as a selector on the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there were a couple of questions I wanted to ask. 

But the way this call was conducted did not seem to allow queries from those not pre-ordained to take part actively. We inquired before the call and received no response. 

Regardless, we asked most of these questions of Moss previously and responses then showed he still had enough moves to be on Dancing With the Stars. The predominant topic of Thursday's call regarded whether Moss would be a so-called first ballot inductee, an ancient term in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame that began to gain traction during the last decade in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There was another interesting question about the possibility of being in the same Hall of Fame Class as wide receiver Terrell Owens, but the response was indecipherable. 

Despite an increasingly emotional debate over this meaningless first-ballot issue, history tells us that first-ballot induction for wide receivers is a rare event, with only one this century: Jerry Rice. Among all 25 modern-era Hall of Fame wide receivers (those who played most of their career after 1946), only five gained entry as a first-time eligible: Along with Rice (class of 2010), there were Raymond Berry (1973), Lance Alworth (1978), Paul Warfield (1983) and Steve Largent (1995). 

The list of great receivers who endured significant waiting periods includes Lynn Swann (14 years as a finalist and after 14 years of eligibility), Andre Reed (eight as a finalist, nine eligible), John Stallworth (eight and 10), Don Maynard (eight and nine) and Cris Carter and Tim Brown (both six and six). 

Moss left no doubt that he firmly believes he should be a first-ballot inductee, regardless of whether it is a historical rarity. As for the Owens question, Moss' response could have been flagged for offensive pass interference after he pushed off and headed in another direction. Still, despite the irrelevance of this issue, Owens and Moss are now firmly coupled together because the selectors failed to induct Owens during the last two years and now these two are on the same ballot as finalists.

It is an embarrassment that the selectors can now mitigate only by voting in both Owens and Moss this Saturday. Moss, for one, is convinced he deserves the honor, saying he has "done enough" to be a first-ballot inductee after a 14-year career spent with the Vikings (1998–2004, 2010), Raiders (2005–06), Patriots (2007–10), Titans (2010) and 49ers (2012). 

He conceded, "there isn't a darned thing he can do about it" if the 48 selectors decide otherwise. "It's kind of like you're going into court and being in front of the jury," Moss said during the Thursday conference call. "Your fate is in their hands. I don't have no control over it. I don't have a vote. "I think I'm deserving of getting in on the first ballot. But if things don't go according to plan, the show must go on. You win some, you lose some. I don't think I'll get tied up in not making it. I just played the game for the love. If the Hall of Fame is my final stop, I'm definitely honored to put that gold jacket on." 

There are many who scream that Moss belongs in the Hall of Fame because he is probably the most talented wide receiver in league history. I agree Moss may be the most gifted wide receiver in football history. Our records at NFLDdraftScout.com recorded his 1998 Pro Day at Marshall, where he measured 6-foot-4 inches, 215 pounds, ran 40 yards in 4.25 seconds, soared 47 inches in the vertical jump and used his huge hands to snag every pass thrown in his general vicinity. 

Due primarily to off-field issues, he wasn't drafted until the Minnesota Vikings grabbed him with the 21st pick in the first round. All evidence now clearly shows he should have been drafted higher. 

His ardent advocates indicate he changed the game, pointing to the necessity for defenses to deploy Cover 2 tactics, always keeping a second pass defender over the top to guard against the deep pass. Actually, that was nothing new because of speedy receivers who came before, including Oakland Raider Cliff Branch (25 yards a catch in 1975), demanded that a safety be in place over the top. 

What Moss did, however, was encourage quarterbacks to throw to him regardless of coverage, because he used his height, reach, leaping ability, agility and great hands to defy the odds on what should be a 50-50 jump ball. Undeniably great stuff that certainly should give Moss an edge over any receiver in any draft. 

But induction into the Hall of Fame is not a draft. It is not based on talent or ability. It is a reward for what a player actually achieved in his career. Otherwise, based on talent and ability, Bo Jackson should be in the Hall of Fame. 

So, if Moss is indeed the most talented receiver we have seen in the NFL — and he is — then why were his results not even as good as, for example, Owens?

In a convenient coincidence, the careers of Moss and Owens are almost identical with each playing 14 seasons with five teams. Owens played 219 games, Moss 218. Yet Owens caught 96 more passes for 642 more yards. Each scored 156 touchdowns, Moss all by reception and Owens 153 receiving and three running. Owens caught 58 percent of the passes thrown is way, Moss 56 percent. The ONLY statistical edge Moss has over Owens is in yards per catch, 15.6 to 14.8. 

As selectors, we were told the ONLY criteria to consider is what we saw on the field. And this is where Moss created his own problem. I watched Owens give everything he had on the field for all 14 seasons and 219 games, including the previous Super Bowl between New England and Philadelphia, when he played with a broken leg that was not 100 percent healed and caught nine passes for 122 yards, albeit in a 24-21 loss. 

One can only surmise that if Moss played with as much intensity as often as Owens that it would be reflected by superior statics. He didn't and it isn't. In 2005, Moss came under criticism in Minnesota for not giving 100 percent on the field, and he told local sportswriter Sid Hartman, "I play when I want to play," which he tried to redefine last season. 

Regardless, after that, and leaving a game before it was finished, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders before the next season. Raiders game tapes show him standing still on the line of scrimmage during many plays. Moss explained that injury and age was impacting his game during two less than impressive seasons with the Raiders. However, in 2007 he made a great comeback playing for a much better team, scoring a league-record 23 touchdowns on receptions for the New England Patriots. 

Both Moss and Owens irritated people with off-field issues, but this selector dismisses that because they didn't take place on the field. Some claim Owens' conduct off the field, in the locker room, impacted the team on the field. However, the reality is that when he was on the field, Owens improved every team he played for. Can't say the same for Moss. And both were sent packing when teams didn't want to put up with their antics. 

So that's a push. There was a time I wanted to withhold easy entrance to the Hall of Fame for Moss to reflect the two or three seasons he played when he wanted to play. But keeping Owens out of the HOF for two years is already embarrassing enough.

So my vote is to put them both in the HOF this year and clear the decks for wide receiver Isaac Bruce next season. They are all Hall of Fame-caliber players. Let's move on. 

Frank Cooney, publisher and CEO of The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com, is an award-winning sportswriter who has covered pro football for six decades and is on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee.