The Front Row with ERIC PLUMMER, August 12, 2012

Shame on the NFL Hall of Fame voters who continue to omit arguably the most deserving candidate yet to be enshrined.

Every year that goes by without former Sandpoint, University of Idaho and Green Bay Packers football legend Jerry Kramer finally getting his bust in Canton only seems to bring more stink to what simply feels wrong.

Don't believe me? Then take Roger Staubach, Joe Gibbs and Frank Gifford's word for it. All three call Kramer the greatest offensive lineman of his generation, joining an ever-growing and mystified group of fans calling for the selection committee to finally wake up and smell the coffee.

The most plausible explanation I've heard as to why Kramer isn't in is that most people already think he is.

The worst explanation I've heard is that there are already too many Packers from that era in the Hall of Fame.

Actually, they're one short.

ACCLAIM TO Mike Ehredt of Hope.

Close your eyes for a second and imagine the rigors of running a marathon.

Now imagine cranking out those same 26.2 miles for 10 days in a row. Crazy, right?

Finally, imagine running a marathon every day for 81 straight days.

Ehredt, a 51-year-old running enthusiast and veteran of many ultra marathons, plans to do just that. Starting August 23, Ehredt will run 2,200 miles from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, called Project America Run Part II, hitting eight states along the way.

Every mile, Ehredt will stop and put a flag in the ground honoring all 2,200 soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. In 2010, he did a 4,000-mile run, planting a flag every mile to honor those who died in Iraq.

On his website, www.projectamericarun.com, Ehredt says there is no message, no statement, just him paying tribute.

One of the soldiers whose flag he'll plant, No. 126 actually, is that of Pat Tillman, the former Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals linebacker/safety who was killed by friendly fire in 2004.

I was lucky enough to not only get to watch Tillman play in person a number of times, but also to get to hang out with him on a couple of occasions.

He left quite an impression.

Much like Ehredt.

SHAME ON the PGA players using putters the size of shovel handles. Ben Hogan would roll over in his grave watching these guys bury the end of their putter in their gut, or worse yet, use it like a broom handle.

Thanks to the purists out there who feel the same — the PGA is considering banning the increasingly popular putters. It only seems fair that the players are all using the same equipment.

ACCLAIM TO John Daly, spotted on the first page of the leaderboard again at a major.

It’s hard not to pull for the guy, whose personal and professional life have been full of highs and lows, much of it for public consumption.

Still fluid swinging and highly aggressive, this weekend Long John reminded us that when he’s on, he’s as gifted as they come. Of course, doing it for four straight rounds has always been his undoing, as he seems to lack the automaton chip that helps the top players stay locked in for 72 straight holes.

In a sport rife with country club-bred players who travel with swing coaches, personal trainers, dietitians and even psychologists, it’s a treat to watch a guy like Daly go out there and simply cut it loose.

SHAME ON the fans in the stands of sporting events with their nose and thumbs buried in a phone.

It’s amazing how many people pay good money to attend pro games, and then sit there texting, tweeting or emailing who knows what.

Are people so tethered to the cyberworld that they can’t be in the moment and simply enjoy a good baseball game, like folks have been doing for more than a century?

Players at this year’s All-Star game were tweeting during the game, part of a promotion put on by Major League Baseball, of all things. The old-school side of me was slightly repulsed, but alas, that’s sports in this day and age.

ACCLAIM TO Beth Orton, an 81-year-old Sandpoint woman who recently completed the Valley Girl Triathlon in Liberty Lake. How’s this for inspiration: Orton didn’t tackle her first triathlon until the age of 66, round about the age when most folks stop trying such things.

Despite two knee operations, Orton completed the 1/3 mile swim in 32:57, the 11-mile bike leg in 1:42.13 and the three-mile run in 1:40.34. The final results said she placed 457th — fourth place in the 70 and over division — but I’m inclined to think she was the biggest winner.

Eric Plummer is the sports editor of the Daily Bee in Sandpoint. For comments, suggestions or story ideas, he can be via email at eplummer@bonnercountydailybee.com.