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Super Bowl sabotage be damned. Even before Tim Brown accused Bill Callahan of trying to throw the biggest game in all of sports the Raiders receiving legend was already longshot to make the final cut for the Hall of Fame in 2013. His words didn’t help his case this time around but in reality there was nothing Brown could do or say that would have increased his odds.

Oddly enough it’s a man that has gotten the Hall call ahead of Brown that might have made the best case for the former Heisman winner and Notre Dame Alum to earn a yellow jacket this time next year.

Cris Carter gathered enough votes to finally be allowed into Canton and with that there was a breakthrough amongst the Hall eligible receivers that have been playing the waiting game the last three years.

After Carter there remains Andre Reed and Tim Brown among those that have put up Hall of Fame numbers at receiver even though they never added a Super Bowl ring to their jewelry collection. That would seem to be the most logical reason why it’s taken Carter this long and even longer for Brown and Reed.

Look at the list of Hall of Fame receivers and you won’t see many that have the career accomplishments in terms of stats that Reed and Brown have amassed. However winning a Super Bowl or two certainly helped Michael Irvin get inducted and without a doubt is the biggest reason Lynn Swann is enshrined.

Carter never won a Super Bowl yet had plenty of praise as one of the best to ever play his position. Now that he’s in the path has been paved for Reed and Brown. Just how much longer those two will have to wait is anyone’s guess but the precedent has been set and a blueprint established to make a much better argument for those two all-time greats to finally earn their overdue honor.

For Brown it couldn’t have come as too much of a shock when he didn’t get that Hall call over the weekend. No doubt his hopes were high but the reality is that he’s been there before and chances are he’ll be back there again.

Next year brings another crop of players and coaches eligible for enshrinement and with them even fewer votes to go around. Considering Bill Parcells, a man once called the best coach of his generation, couldn’t get it and that Brown is buried behind his fellow receivers Cris Carter and Andre Reed you can see how much more difficult the task is for Tim.

For whatever reason, wide receivers just aren’t given the same credit for their production as other offensive players.

Some will argue that the receiver position is so closely tied to that of quarterback that it is hard to distinguish a Hall of Famer from a right guy in the right place at the right time. Even if we’re to entertain that logic it makes Brown’s career even more impressive.

It wasn’t until Rich Gannon came along that Brown finally played with an elite quarterback. Before then Brown’s best thrower was Jeff George. Despite playing with men like Jay Schroeder, Steve Beuerlein and the ageless wonder Vince Evans, Brown was a consistent producer. His stats reflect that and any man that had to cover Brown will tell you the same.
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Another year of waiting for Tim Brown. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE)

Will Tim Brown join the growing list of Raiders snubbed for Hall of Fame induction or will his time come? Of course, only time will tell. One thing we do know is that Brown will have to wait at least one more year.

Brown failed to make it into the final 10 for Hall consideration. Ahead of him are fellow receivers Andre Reed and Cris Carter, though neither of them made the final cut. Getting into Canton as a receiver is proving more difficult each year.

Makes you wonder how much longer Brown will be waiting.

You can’t help but wonder if there will ever be a day when Ray Guy is actually voted in. That seems like a pipe dream at this point.

Brown’s numbers are among the best for any receiver to ever play the game. Apparently that doesn’t factor in when it comes to getting Hall consideration. Plenty of record setting receivers are on the outside looking in while the likes of Lynn Swann have gained Canton induction despite meager production.

There truly is no formula to Hall of Fame voting, a process that frustrates many. Still, the mere fact that Brown is gaining yearly consideration says his time should come. There’s just no telling when that time might be.