A gross exclusion from the Hall of Fame...

Perusing The Bulldog Shop today and taking a look at its new throwback Fresno State football jerseys got me thinking again about former wide receiver Henry Ellard. More specifically, it got me thinking about how Ellard is not yet in the NFL's Hall of Fame.

How can that be?

Someone more in the NFL know, please explain this to me. Ellard, the longtime L.A. Rams star who also spent time with the Redskins and Patriots, retired as the NFL's fourth leading receiver of all-time. I don't know what he ranks as now, and I don't need to know. It's somewhere in the top eight I'm guessing. That's plenty good enough.

The 17 finalists for this year's induction class were announced, and Ellard's name is nowhere in print. Cris Carter is a finalist this year, and he has only been retired a handful of years. Is anyone else in the top 10 who's not active not in the Hall of Fame? Jerry Rice, Steve Largeant, Art Monk, etc.

Ellard's NFL career:

• 17 years (11 Rams, 5 Redskins, 1 Patriots)
• 13,777 yards receiving (7 season over 1,000 yards)
• 814 receptions
• 65 touchdown catches
• 16.9 yards per catch
• 135 punt returns, 1,527 yards, 4 touchdowns
• 19 kick returns, 364 yards
• 2 fumbles lost (1 catch, 1 rush)

My brain might implode

If there weren't former Fresno State players in the NFL, well, there'd be no reason to watch (and we'd be more like San Jose State). But this year, the AFC championship game is mind-boggling. Who do I root for?

Pro-Bowler Lorenzo Neal, who miraculously came back from a broken leg in about a month, starts at fullback for the Chargers and is one of my all-time favorite 'Dogs. He's a legitimate good guy of the sporting world and I even got to grapple with him when he was the No. 1-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the country -- and I was a curious elementary school fan.

Billy Volek is the "best backup QB in the NFL" and should be heading into the game for the Chargers at ANY minute ('cause Rivers stinks). He led the Chargers to a win over the Colts last week when Rivers went out, and if he leads SD to a win over the Pats, the publicity he gets will be unmatched by any other player in the next two weeks (good for Fresno State).

But don't rule out rooting for the Patriots yet -- they've got THREE 'Dogs!

Pro-Bowler Logan Mankins, arguably the best guard in the NFL and best lineman in Fresno State history, leads the charge for New England up front. He's got a mean streak on the field that is the antithesis of his humbleness off of it. And anyone who was in his group in biology lab has to have a soft spot for the big guy...

Couple that with starting safety James Sanders, the ultimate team player at Fresno State, and reserve tight end Stephen Spach, one of the all-time great walk-on to MPC Computers Bowl-game-winning-touchdown-catch hero stories, both also on the field for New England and it's just too close for comfort.

Who do I root for!? I'm so confused...