Want to show your support for former Ravens owner Art Modell's bid for enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year?
While only the Hall's Board of Selectors does that actual choosing, fans will have the ability to sound off for their favorite candidates with the Van Heusen "Fan's Choice" initiative.
The microsite is housed within retailer JC Penney's Website and allows interaction and debate within a large community of football fanatics.
"It's like a CNN poll," George Veras, president of Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises, told Advertising Age. "You know, the president of the United States looks at polls, and they can impact the process."
Modell, the man who brought the NFL back to Baltimore in 1996, has been on the ballot for years, but never made it to the final list of inductees.
That is considered a travesty by many – fans, players, media members and fellow owners alike.
Modell originally bought the Cleveland Browns in 1961 and was a key contributor to the early growth of the league, which includes the NFL-AFL merger.
In 1970, Modell was a driving force behind the launch of Monday Night Football on ABC, and his team even hosted the inaugural showcase.
He was one of 15 finalists for a bust in the Canton, Ohio, shrine in 2001 and a semifinalist in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Current owner Steve Bisciotti bought a minority stake in the team in 2000, when the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, and then took full control of the franchise in 2004.
But, Modell's status is still revered among the halls of Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md., where Modell still keeps an office.
Let others know about your support of Modell by going to the "Fan's Choice" Web site, where many other players with Ravens ties are also discussed.
That includes tight end Shannon Sharpe (2000-01), tight end Ben Coates (2000), quarterback Randall Cunningham (2001), running back LeRon Hoard (1996) and cornerback Carnell Lake (2001).
