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3h ago

Longtime Selector John McClain Not Retained After Hall of Fame Cuts Panel to 28

Hall officials say the overhaul is meant to reduce unintended biases; the Hall has not disclosed how it chose which members to remove.

Sweeping changes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's selection process resulted in longtime Houston Chronicle reporter John McClain no longer being part of the group of selectors after 33 years.

Overview

  • John McClain, a Houston reporter who served 33 years on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee, said Tuesday he was told he did not make the cut after the panel was reduced from 50 members to 28.
  • The Hall approved sweeping bylaw changes in early September that eliminated guaranteed city‑or team‑based representation and moved initial candidate presentations to people outside the committee.
  • Officials, led by Hall president Jim Porter, framed the changes as steps to address uneven presentations and other sources of what they called unintended biases in voting.
  • McClain’s removal drew sharp criticism from fellow journalists and social media users who warned the cuts risk losing long‑tenured institutional knowledge about local teams and candidates.
  • The Hall plans the first in‑person vote under the new structure for the Class of 2027 in early February 2027 and says selector identities will be released after current members are notified, leaving questions about who else was removed and what criteria were used.