The CMAs Can Keep Their Little Red Carpet. Give Sammy Kershaw the Whole Damn Red Carpet Tour.

How in the hell are you going to put on a '90s country tribute and tell Sammy Kershaw he doesn't meet the criteria to walk your red carpet?

He met that damn criteria in the '90s.

"Cadillac Style." "She Don't Know She's Beautiful." "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer." Play any one of those songs in a room full of country fans and see who needs an introduction. Hell, the CMA itself nominated Sammy for its Horizon Award in 1993. You'd think the people putting on a tribute to the decade would remember who was on their own damn ballot.

Sammy said he rearranged his tour schedule and booked flights and a hotel so he and his wife, Mendy, could spend the evening celebrating country music. His manager told Country Rebel that the CMA cited too many requests and updated criteria. They could still buy tickets at roughly $800 or more apiece, his manager said, with no guarantee they'd sit with the other artists. Sammy's manager said he was planning to skip it. I would, too.

Then the artists started speaking up. Riley Green told Sammy that if he hadn't earned the right to be there, nobody had. Carly Pearce reminded everybody how many of today's artists owe a debt to singers like Sammy. Jake Owen said he was Team Sammy. And Drew Baldridge went a step further. He offered Sammy his own spot on the red carpet.

Drew, I love that you offered. I'd love to see more artists put their own walk on the line, too. Because if you're willing to say Sammy belongs there, how much does that walk mean to you when he's the one being turned away?

And who needs the CMAs to put on a '90s country show anyway? Sammy's still out there touring. His fans are still showing up. When that band kicks into "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer," the only thing that crowd wants to know is whether he's playing "Third Rate Romance" next.

So here's my pitch, Sammy. Call the next one Sammy Kershaw's Red Carpet Tour. Put it on the marquee. Bring Mendy. We'll roll that carpet right up to the doors and let the fans walk it, too.

The CMAs can keep their little red carpet. We want to give you the whole damn tour.