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It’s been a long road to the Hall of Fame for former Raiders head coach Tom Flores. He was the first minority coach to win the Super Bowl and did so twice. Despite those facts, the Hall of Fame has snubbed him year after year. Last year was probably the most egregious snub yet as Bill Cowher was selected and he only won one Super Bowl.
After decades of waiting, it looks like Flores may finally get his due as he was selected among the senior committee finalist and was the only coach nominated.
This is his best shot yet with no other coaches receiving the nomination. The outcry for him not getting elected last year was very loud and the Pro Football Hall of Fame can’t ignore his case anymore. He’s been nominated many times before but it’s hard to imagine he gets snubbed yet again.
Internet Reacts to News
Flores is a revered figure for Raider Nation. He led the team to two of their three Super Bowl wins and has stayed very close to the team since he retired. Even those outside of the Raiders’ fan base are hyped for Flores.
Flores will still have to wait on the final vote but it looks like the coach has finally sealed his spot in Canton. Here’s what the coach needs to happen, per Raiders.com:
To be elected to the Hall of Fame, Flores must receive the same 80 percent voting support by the entire 48-member Selection Committee on “Selection Saturday.” The Hall’s Selection Committee, at its annual meeting to be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 in Tampa, Fla., will consider 18 finalists, including a Senior (Drew Pearson, also named Tuesday), a Coach (Flores) and a Contributor (to be named Tuesday, Aug. 25), and 15 Modern-Era Finalists (to be determined from a preliminary list announced on September 16; trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January).
Current bylaws call for a class no smaller than four or larger than eight. Flores will be voted on for election independent of the other finalists.
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Cliff Branch Still in Limbo
Unfortunately, Flores is among many Raiders who have been denied the Hall of Fame for far too long. Ken Stabler had to wait until after he passed away to get inducted and there are many others who are still waiting. Wide receiver Cliff Branch has long been considered one of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs and he passed away last year. Despite that fact, the Hall of Fame still doesn’t seem very interested in inducting him anytime soon.
Branch was one of the greatest deep threats of all time and his numbers are comparable to others who have made the Hall of Fame. There doesn’t really seem to be any logical reason why he’s not getting consideration. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson is nominated this year but Branch had better career numbers and more Super Bowl championships. It doesn’t really make any sense why he would get in before Branch.
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