Terrell Davis (Denver Post file)
Had the NFL made a big deal of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 40th anniversary, the Broncos would have been shut out.
Can't attend a party if you're not invited. And don't start with Willie "Raider" Brown and Tony "Cowboy" Dorsett.
But it's the golden anniversary that the Hall of Fame is celebrating this weekend in Canton, Ohio, and thanks to a nice run at immortality in the past decade, the Broncos were well represented by John Elway, Gary Zimmerman, Floyd Little and Shannon Sharpe.
What the Broncos need now is one for the thumb.
"I think the next Bronco to go in might be Champ Bailey," Sharpe said.
Bailey still is playing cornerback for the Broncos, and while there's little doubt he's a Hall of Famer, the plan is to put off his eligibility until at least 2020.
Same for Peyton Manning.
There will be no problem if he's mostly remembered as an Indianapolis Colt ? so long as he wins one more Super Bowl title ring with the Broncos.
Here are other Broncos who deserve Hall of Fame recognition before Bailey and Manning become eligible:
Dan Reeves, coach and player. Bud Grant, who lost four Super Bowls with the Vikings, is in the Hall of Fame. Marv Levy, who lost four Super Bowls with the Bills, is in the Hall of Fame.
Reeves lost four Super Bowls with two teams and has yet to become a finalist through his first five years of eligibility.
This would be an outrage if not for his more flagrant omission from the Broncos' Ring of Fame.
"Not only Bud Grant and Marv Levy, but help me, my Super Bowl memory is a little foggy: What did George Allen win again?" said Sharpe, who was drafted and given a chance by Reeves.
Further pushing Reeves' candidacy: He threw a 50-yard halfback touchdown pass to Lance Rentzel in the Ice Bowl.
Terrell Davis, running back. The Hall of Fame is heavy on players who were good for a long time, but never great; light on players who were great for a brief time. Canton needs to consider more players like Gale Sayers and Joe Namath.
Davis was the NFL's best running back for three consecutive seasons. He played in eight playoff games and rushed for at least 100 yards in seven.
Just as Sandy Koufax has a plaque in Cooperstown, Davis should have a bust in Canton.
Randy Gradishar, Karl Mecklenburg, Steve Atwater, Louis Wright. Perhaps the astute senior selection committee will understand that the Broncos haven't posted the NFL's second-best record since 1975 on Elway alone.
Tom Jackson, player and contributor. Hall of Fame voters may scoff, but Jackson's 27 years on ESPN's "NFL Primetime" show should carry substantial weight.
Even if nearly every recognizable former player becomes a TV analyst, Jackson has soared to within shouting distance of John Madden.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, mklis@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/klis/ci_23791781/hall-call-broncos-deserve-have-more-representatives-canton?source=rss
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