While Sterling Sharpe was announced as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025, someone on the NFL Honors production team didn’t seem to know who he was.
The Class of 2025 was announced during Thursday’s NFL Honors show. Sharpe, who was a prolific receiver for the Green Bay Packers from 1988 to 1994 before a neck injury brought his career to an early end, was the second name announced, following Jared Allen.
“A dominant dynamic receiver in Green Bay who made five Pro Bowls, Sterling Sharpe,” presenter LaDanian Tomlinson said.
But as Tomlinson made his announcement — which co-presenter Rich Eisen responded to with an emphatic, “Yeah” — the camera focused on Eric Allen. In what was a theme of the ceremony, the graphic identified Allen as Sharpe. The camera continued to focus on Allen for about 12 seconds before finally shifting over to Sharpe right as the receiver reached the stage.
Sterling Sharpe gets his long-awaited call to the Hall of Fame and the camera focused on…the next inductee, Eric Allen. pic.twitter.com/GC8b3KqFCz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 7, 2025
In addition to being a snub of Sharpe, the mistake also completely ruined any surprise that might have lingered about who the next name would be. Allen, a star cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and then-Oakland Raiders, was the third of four inductees named. Then-San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates rounded out the class.
Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s a given.
Still, to say that the production of this NFL Honors ceremony has been a train wreck would be an insult to the name of train wrecks.
