[sportscurmudgeon]

skinsguy:

Players - especially the really good players - need to find a balance when dealing with the press. They have to keep them at arms length to some degree in order to have some privacy in their life and to keep the negativity of much of the press out of their life. BUT they ALSO have to be courteous to the press and minimally accomodating to their needs - deadlines for newspaper reporters and quick soundbite stuff for radio and TV guys.

The reason really good players need to do this is because it is those same press guys who will decide if you get into the HoF. And they are human too. If you spent a 15 yer career pissing them off and making theri jobs harder to do, they will be far less inclined to do something for you - like vot you into the Hall.

I believe the local guy who votes for HoF in football is Michael Wilbon of the Post and ESPN's PTI - but I'm not positive of that.