Shame on ‘Fame If Taylor Is Voted In

Until Lawrence Taylor, deadbeat dad-drug user-tax evader, and Michael Bauman, misguided Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, spoke Monday, you could have made the argument that Taylor, the former New York Giant linebacker, should win election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

But such nonsense, such gobbledygook, such defiance, and that was just Bauman prattling on, one of the 36 voting media members, claiming Taylor should be allowed into the hallowed hall without objection.

“You have to vote for him because of his playing credentials,” said Bauman, dismissing Taylor’s three drug arrests, including one as recently as October. “Is it some kind of moral failing having a cocaine problem? It’s not like murder.”

That’s why it’s not advisable to wear a Cheesehead for too long.

“If you guys are asking me to apologize or be remorseful for what I’ve done, I can’t do that,” Taylor said in a telephone conference call with the media here for the Super Bowl.

But what about his arrest in Florida, his arrest in New Jersey, his pleading guilty to drug charges in South Carolina, probation for federal income tax evasion, his failure to make support payments for his children, his testimony before a grand jury investigating organized crime. . . .

“I won’t talk about that,” said Taylor, in Florida on location for an Oliver Stone football movie, “On Any Given Sunday.”

“First of all, guys, everyone is just going to assume I’m guilty. Let the courts decide that. Unless you know the situation, unless you know the story, unless you know what happens, there’s no reason for me to even talk to you.”

So what happened?

“You got D.A. [district attorney] on your resume?” Taylor said. “Guys, I’m not going to go through that.”

Although he was also suspended four games in 1988 for a second positive drug test and admitted in his book that he used cocaine between 1982 and 1985, it’s all in the Hall of Fame bylaws for those who support Taylor and his unquestioned football talents, including 137 1/2 sacks in 184 games.

Section 3, Item C: “The only criteria for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a nominee’s achievements and contributions as a player, a coach or contributor in professional football.”

Hogwash. “If O.J. Simpson was not in the Hall of Fame right now and you believed he was a double-murderer, if you weren’t going to vote for him for the Hall of Fame, then you should resign from the committee,” said Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who will cast his ballot Saturday. “Period. It’s that simple.”

Double hogwash. “If he has problems now they reflect on him, not on the Hall of Fame or me as a voter,” said Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who will vote. “If he’s in the rehab tank the day he’s enshrined, so be it. The guy should be admitted with all his flaws.”

And so he will be. The New York Daily News surveyed the 36 eligible voters and received six no votes with five undecided and the remainder favoring Taylor’s induction. If 35 or 36 voters cast their ballots Saturday morning, it will take eight negative votes to keep him out. Thirty-four or fewer voters, and seven no votes will shut him out.

However, the Hall of Fame is required to induct four players every year--another silly bylaw--and should four of the 15 finalists not receive the required votes, the four players with the highest vote total will be inducted.

“I think there is precedent to make a moral judgment about Lawrence Taylor,” said Frank Luksa of the Dallas Morning News, who will not vote for Taylor. “That precedent is Bob Hayes. Taylor may have reinvented his position, but Bob Hayes changed the game. Yet there was a moral judgment made on him because he was arrested, convicted and jailed for cocaine distribution.”

Taylor’s retort. “Guys, if you’re going to start going by off-the-field things, you might have to kick out half the people in that Hall of Fame right now.”

Luksa was not moved. “I have never knowingly voted for a drug addict to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some have showed up afterward, but they got there without my knowledge.”

Ram running back Eric Dickerson is considered a sure bet to make it this year, and former Buffalo coach Marv Levy and Cleveland Brown tight end Ozzie Newsome should receive considerable attention, still leaving a spot for Taylor.

Long-time football writer Vito Stellino of the Baltimore Sun--who delivered the memorable quote after Raider owner Al Davis finally won induction: “Putting Al Davis into the football Hall of Fame was like putting John Dillinger into the banking hall of fame,”--thinks it would be even a greater injustice to keep Taylor out.

“Character has nothing to do with it,” Stellino said. “You are voting for great players.”

Name one thing, however, that Al Davis did that was worse than what Taylor has done.

“The guy has done so much damage to the game,” Stellino said, “and besides the guy has been a fool for 15 years.”

He signed Jeff George, yes, but he’s never been accused of trying to buy $50 of crack cocaine off an undercover cop.

Jerry Magee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who will not vote for Taylor, said, “The people we honor in such a way should be responsible citizens. I realize my stance is not a popular one, but if you had a 13-year-old boy how would you explain that the NFL just voted Lawrence Taylor into the Hall of Fame?

“I think Taylor will eventually get in, perhaps this year, but it wouldn’t hurt him to wait a few years and ruminate over his many past deeds.”

Will McDonough of the Boston Globe said, “Anyone who says, ‘I think I will make him wait a year,’ is not applying the rules to the Hall of Fame and has his own deal. There are a lot of guys in the Hall of Fame who have done worse than this guy.”

That would make it the Hall of Shame.