As it pertains to any professional sports Hall of Fame, debates are never-ending when it comes to who is in, and who should be in. It doesn’t matter the sport, there will always be snubs, and those who might have snuck through the cracks. Either way, it comes down to subjective criteria as to who gets in, and who gets out.

Or does it?

One aspect of success is based on aspects of sports which are not subjective. I’m talking about winning and losing. There is nothing subjective there. Statistics accrued is another area which doesn’t lend itself to manipulation. If you scored any number of goals in the NHL, or threw for so many touchdowns in the NFL, no one can debate those statistics. Yet there are some who are taking the subjective and making it a part of the criteria.

9 times out of 10, the subjective aspect of Hall of Fame debate is typically centering around a players persona, attitude, or behavior off the field.

Should this even matter? For some, it does, while others choose to ignore it.

There are millions of examples of players who some deem worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, but their off-field antics might keep them away from their respective shot at glory. Currently in the NFL, many are asking if/when Antonio Brown reaches the required time away from the game to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, if he would be considered. His numbers back up his spot in Canton, OH, but his off-field transgressions have others wondering if he’s even worthy of the gold jacket.

Then there is the most famous Hall of Fame “snub”, and that’s Major League Baseball’s Pete Rose. His gambling on baseball as a player/manager is undoubtedly unacceptable, but there are still those who feel the way he played the game, and the success he had, holds merit as one of the greatest players to ever step on the diamond.

The issue with these debates most certainly is the fact some want to look solely at the players’ performance at their respective sport, while others want to throw in the subjective aspect of their careers/lives. There is no right or wrong, just a difference in how fans see specific players and their careers.

Some want a set conclusion to this debate, unfortunately there isn’t one. As long as there are Hall of Fames for players to enter, there will be those who are deemed worthy, and those who are deemed unworthy. The reason for either, well, that’s subjective.