Pro Football Hall Of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony: The First Thirty Minutes

Some quick notes from the first half-hour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony, as seen on NFL Network:

- Emmitt Smith isn't known for his public speaking ability. And yet, Rich Eisen remarked that Smith isn't going to use any notes for his speech. This could either be really bad or really great.

- A few minutes of the broadcast were dedicated to NFL personalities who passed away since the last ceremony, and I was struck by how many of the photos used were from the last fifteen or twenty years. There were perhaps twenty names and photos displayed, and it seemed like nearly half of them were from players who were in uniforms not long ago. It's a terribly sad thing.

- They didn't play background music for any of the names announced saved for John Randle, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith.

- Given that the two biggest stars of the night are Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, there are plenty of rival Cowboys and 49ers fans in attendance. So there are boos mixed in with cheers. There were more cheers than boos for commissioner Roger Goodell.