The Pro Football Hall of Fame should be ashamed of itself.
The Hall won’t allow Junior Seau’s daughter, Sydney, or anyone else from the late linebacker’s family introduce him at the Aug. 8 induction ceremony, according to the New York Times.
“Instead, it will only show a video that will commemorate his career, while avoiding questions about his suicide in 2012 and the subsequent diagnosis of traumatic brain injury that doctors said they believed was brought on by hits to his head,” Kent Belson wrote. “Nor will the video mention the lawsuit that Seau’s family has filed against the NFL, which is trying to curb injuries in active players and address brain disease in thousands of retired ones.”
Seau’s daughter told the Times her speech wouldn’t focus on the lawsuit or any issues related to it.
“It’s frustrating because the induction is for my father and for the other players, but then to not be able to speak, it’s painful,” Sydney said. “I just want to give the speech he would have given. It wasn’t going to be about this mess. My speech was solely about him.”
Seau was one of the greatest linebackers of all time and arguably the greatest player in San Diego Chargers history. The 12-time Pro Bowl pick was voted into the Hall of Fame in February in his first year of eligibility.
Seau deserves to have one of his family members speak about his life and his career on a day that celebrates his accomplishments, but right now, it doesn’t appear the Hall is willing to change its decision. Hall spokesman Joe Horrigan said speeches for deceased inductees were eliminated a few years ago.
“There was an acceptance speech for deceased players, but it got redundant,” Horrigan said. “The honor is supposed to be for the individual.”
Joining Seau in the 2015 class are Jerome Bettis, Will Shields, Tim Brown and Charles Haley.
Thumbnail photo via Charles Krupa Images/Associated Press
