Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Could be the Greatest!

This week we saw Michael Strahan and Jonathan Ogden retire ... two men who will see their way into Canton, OH. One of the greatest offensive tackles and defensive ends in our time should both enter the Hall in 2013.

If'n that weren't the only guys on that list.

Add in a certain guy by the name of Brett Favre (who now owns most of the quarterback records), Larry Allen and Warren Sapp ... not to mention the possibility of Junior Seau ... and and we could have one of the best classes in HoF history.

There are even a few fringe guys like Steve McNair, Rod Smith, Bryant Young and Priest Holmes who will get some love, but probably won't make it in -- at least not in '13.

But what a class that could be? There is a cut-off of five inductees (not counting ones from the Senior Committee) that can go in a single year ... meaning a name or two won't make the cut. Favre, Strahan, Ogden, Sapp and Allen each have won a Super Bowl. They have all kinds of Pro-Bowls on their resumes and several have records to boot ... making them the five favorites to get in (Seau could push Sapp out of that loft).

We've had star-studded classes before. Back in 2000, Joe Montana, Howie Long, Ronnie Lott and Dan Rooney headlined the list. 1993 featured Walter Payton, Dan Fouts, Bill Walsh and Chuck Noll. 1989 had Art Shell, Terry Bradshaw, Willie Wood and Mel Blount. And how about 1985's class of Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, Pete Rozelle and O.J. Simpson?

You also have to feel for those who will be trying to get in over the next four years. Guys like Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Shannon Sharpe, John Randle, Bruce Smith, Chris Carter, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Aeneas Williams and Brian Mitchell.

Of course, guys like Rice, Emmitt, Bruce Smith, Sanders, Sharpe, Woodson and Bettis shouldn't have a worry about getting in. But there are those who won't get in on the first try that may wonder about slipping a few years before hearing their name called. I mean, how in the heck did Chris Carter not get in this year? Just ask Art Monk, who is finally getting his due.

This should be quite the magical Canton Classes.