Raiders legend Tom Flores snubbed from the Hall of Fame again

Former Oakland Raiders head coach and NFL legend Tom Flores was snubbed from the Hall of Fame again in favor of other coaching legends.

This was supposed to be the year that legendary Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Flores finally received his well-deserved recognition. This was going to be the year that he earned his place among the NFL’s greats enshrined in Canton, Ohio for eternity.

This was supposed to be the year that he made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

But unfortunately, Flores was snubbed from this deserved honor once again drawing the ire of Raiders and general NFL fans alike.

Eight coaches, in total, were named Hall of Fame finalists as part of the “Centennial Class.” A special panel was designed to select 10 seniors (players who’ve been eligible for election for more than 20 years but aren’t in), three contributors, and two coaches.

Flores was not one of the two coaches chosen as legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and Pittsburgh Steelers icon Bill Cowher were each surprised on live TV this past weekend by their peers.

The issue isn’t with either one of the finalists chosen — although Cowher certainly does seem less qualified than Flores — it’s with the fact that Flores will once again have to wait another year to hopefully hear his name called.

And as cynics have pointed out, this has become a troublesome trend for Raiders legends.

Ken Stabler passed away before he was able to take the podium at Canton. Cliff Branch is still awaiting the honor and he passed away last year. Flores is already 82-years-old and has undeservingly been kept out of the Hall for far too long.

Some have pointed to the fact that both Cowher and Johnson have been heavily involved in the media since their retirements while Flores has kept a relatively low profile. Politics always play a part in things like this, but it’s not fair to discredit the accomplishments of those who were elected.

Johnson is very deserving of this honor and even Cowher has made his mark on the football world. But for Flores to continuously get denied year after year, something just isn’t right.

After Johnson’s induction, Flores is now one of only two head coaches to win multiple Super Bowls and not be enshrined in Canton — the other being George Seifert. This was likely his best shot to be inducted and unfortunately, nothing ultimately came of it.

Perhaps next year Tom Flores will finally get what he’s deserved for so long. But that doesn’t make the pain of this snub sting any less.