Ten jilted players who deserve to be in Hall of Fame

	Bills running back Thurman Thomas failed to reach the Hall of Fame in his first eligible year. Rick Stewart/Getty Images
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We haven't had a good argument in a long time. No really good brouhahas, not even over my Dallas-to-win-the-Super Bowl pick. So as we head into the summer football doldrums, let's invent a nice little controversy.

Let's argue over who among the eligible coaches and players most deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I've got my list ready. Get yours and let's brawl.

Keep in mind that many of these guys were discussed in the meeting of the 39 Hall selectors in Detroit the day before the Super Bowl. Here, then, is my list of The Jilted 10.

1. Thurman Thomas, RB, Buffalo. I continue to be amazed at the lack of an uproar when he didn't make it last year. He's one of those guys who everyone says, "Oh, don't worry. He'll get in.'' Probably so, but I've heard that said about too many people over the years, people who never got in. So I take nothing for granted. Thomas was the most versatile running back over a six- or seven-year period, and he was the reason the Buffalo offense kept so many long drives alive. Only one Hall of Fame back, Walter Payton, has more catches than Thomas' 472. This guy's lock city. Or should be.

2. Mick Tingelhoff, C, Minnesota. Two numbers say it all: seven years All-Pro, more than any other center in NFL history (not counting Jim Otto's AFL awards), and 240 consecutive games. The man never missed a game due to injury for 15 years. At center! I've always felt he was unfairly singled out for the Minnesota Super Bowl losses and for getting beat on a few memorable plays. You don't play that long without being a great football player. And Tingelhoff was.

3. Michael Irvin, WR, Dallas. Three knocks on Irvin I always hear. 1) He cheated: He held and pass-interfered when the officials couldn't see. 2) He was a mess off the field. 3) Dallas will have Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith (and maybe Larry Allen) in the Hall when this era's team is considered. That's enough. Poppycock. This man was the leader of the Cowboys, pure and simple. The leader. And he was a great player who simply refused to lose. I know it's a cliché, but ask anyone around that team -- Aikman, Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones. It's absurd he hasn't made it. And re: the off-the-field stuff, we are not allowed to bring those considerations into the meeting room. Only what happened between the lines should matter. Catching 750 balls for a three-time Super Bowl winner and being the key guy in the locker room on game days ... that should make him a gimme.