2000 Hall Has Bay Flavor

CANTON, OH. - An assemblage of talent never before seen descended upon the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday to celebrate the newest class of enshrinees. Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Dave Wilcox, Howie Long and Dan Rooney crossed the threshold of football's version of immortality, taking place while their peers were in attendance.

Hall of Fame Public Information Director Joe Horrigan extended invitation to all 136 living members to return, 111 accepted, thus signifying the greatest collection of talent to any sport as Joe Montana explained, "What a team. Take a look at them, some are ugly, but what a team."

San Francisco 49er Ronnie Lott, inducted by his father, Roy Lott, explained the importance of Montana as a teammate and a friend.

"Joe, you taught me to deal with adversity and pain," he said. "You taught me to never give up."

Montana was presented for induction by former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo.

"I have mixed emotions," DeBartolo said. "When I was asked, I was deeply honored and overwhelmed."

DeBartolo went on to praise both Lott and Montana, saying, "Ronnie, I love you. ... Joe Montana, simply stated, was the greatest quarterback of all time."

The weekend perhaps could be best defined as a Bay Area celebration, as Montana, Lott, Wilcox and Long all played for Bay Area teams.

Long was presented for induction by his Raider defensive line coach, Earl Leggett.

"If it weren't for Earl Leggett, I wouldn't be much of a football player," Long said.

Long also poked some good-natured fun at his fellow enshrinee Montana.

"I had five or six chances for shots on Joe," he said, "but I couldn't take them because his kids are too cute."

Fellow 49er Dave Cox was the only player of the four inductees not to play the majority of his career in the 1980s. Wilcox chose his 49er coach Mike Giddings for his induction.

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, son of late Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr, were just the second father/son inductees, joining Tim and Wellington Mara. Rooney kept the weekend in perspective. When asked at the press conference about his quarterbacking days in college, Rooney dryly said, "I'm not here because of my quarterbacking."

The camaraderie among the 116 living hall members is a preciously close fraternity. This number accounts for less than .5 percent of all players to partake in the NFL. This 2000 class of inductees did not take long to understand the magnitude of the returning "Men of Fall," as Wilcox explained, "If you had to pick a year to come here, this would have to be it.

An estimated 20,000 fans were in attendance.

Never before and never again will football fans see the heroes of yesteryear assembled. The 20,000 fans Saturday will perhaps grow to hundreds of thousands in 20 years as many epic events tend to do.