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Derek Stepan

Derek Stepan is among a small group of players who scored a hat trick in their debut game. He did this in 2010 with the New York Rangers and finished the year with 21 Goals and 45 Points, and it appeared that this was a stepping stone to greatness. That would not be the case.

Stepan still had a good career, but he only had one more 20-goal year (22 in 2015-16), and while he broke 50 Points six times, he never made it to 60.  After seven seasons in New York, Stepan joined Arizona in 2017-18 and his last of the aforementioned 50-point campaign.  He played three years with the Coyotes, one in Ottawa, and concluded his career with two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.

He amassed a respectable 515 Points in 890 Games.

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How Kiss Became the World’s Biggest Virtual Band

Kiss, the band that made glam rock’s penchant for face painting and art, is going virtual. 50 years after it all started, the band’s current quartet of members hung up their thick-soled boots with a farewell performance at Madison Square Garden. The phrase “gone but not forgotten” can certainly be used when discussing Kiss and their influence on music. However, as it transpired, we’re not quite at that stage yet. Yes, the members of Kiss physically left the stage for the last time in December 2023, but that’s not the end. Such is the band’s iconic status and enduring appeal that future Kiss concerts will involve virtual avatars.

Much like Abba did with their virtual show in London, Kiss will continue entertaining audiences around the world without having to be on stage. The Kiss avatars made their debut at the farewell concert in New York. After Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer left the stage, the avatars emerged. The virtual versions of all four members performed God Gave Rock ’n’ Roll to You, and with that, a new era was born (see video below). As the Guardian’s Michael Sun described it, we’re now witnessing the “afterlife” of Kiss.

From Long Kiss Goodbye and Virtual Hello

What’s interesting about this transition is that it’s been happening for more than a decade. The members morphed into mechanical and digital beings back in 2012 when the Kiss slot game debuted in Las Vegas. The band had been featured in movies, magazines, and more a long time before they were the focus of slot game developers. However, the live slot game was the first step towards the band’s transition into virtual reality. Indeed, the popularity of the original Kiss slot game has inspired countless spinoffs.

Fans can play KISS in some of the most popular slots online, with Play’n Go’s Kiss: Reel of Rocks rocking Canadian casino gamers since 2021 with its 50,000x jackpots. Spinning alongside more than 2,000 other slots at one of Canada’s online casinos has kept Kiss in the limelight and inspired the virtual avatars we see today. Of course, the band’s legacy doesn’t live and die with its virtual personas, Kiss has influenced artists around the world for generations.

Kiss Will Live On Forever

Nirvana and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has said Kiss “inspired” him to become a “rock’n’roll musician.” In fact, Esquire contributor  James S. Murphy went so far as to argue that Kiss created Indie rock. His 2014 came out on the eve of Kiss being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In it, he argues that Kiss inspired a “whole lot of boys” born “outside of big cities.” In his opinion, people like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain weren’t inspired by Iggy Pop or Velvet Underground but by Kiss and their “spirit of rebellion.”

Some might agree with Murphy, others may have a different view. What can’t be denied, however, is that Kiss is an iconic band that’s stood the test of time. Even in the wake of countless line-up changes and two farewell tours, the band still has a place in modern culture. Whether or not the virtual era will be as successful as the previous remains to be seen. One thing that’s for sure is that famous black and white face paint will be forever immortalized in the virtual world.

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Our All-Time Top 50 Tampa Bay Rays Have Been Revised to Reflect the 2023 Season

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out, and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Tampa Bay Rays.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Rays went off to a torrid start and made the playoffs but was unable to get past the first round.  There are two new entrants and several elevations, some of which are significant.  However, this is more of a reflection of the franchise’s relative youth and Tampa Bay’s propensity to unload tenured players.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Evan Longoria

2. Carl Crawford

3. Ben Zobrist

4. David Price

5. Kevin Kiermaier

You can find the entire list here.

Yandy Diaz, who went to his first All-Star Game, and won his first Batting Title, skyrockets from #29 to #10.

The enigmatic Outfielder, Randy Arozarena, also made a huge jump.  An All-Star last season, Arozarena climbed to #19 from #30.

Now a two-time All-Star, Pitcher Shane McClanahan also had a giant rise in the rank.  He went from #43 to #20.

Another Pitcher, Tyler Glasnow, who is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, went from #45 to #30.

The controversial and likely MLB-banned Wander Franco debuts (and likely ends) at #32.

Manuel Margot moved to #43 from #50 and is no longer with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The last new entrant is Isaac Parades, who enters the list at #47.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

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David Krejci

16 Season in the National Hockey League.  16 Seasons with the Boston Bruins.

Any player who stays that type of duration with one team regardless of the sport shows that he or she is very competent and very happy. The Bruins had that in David Krejci.

Krejci was a 2nd Round Pick in 2004 but honed his skills in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before he joined the Bruins in 2016.  After a brief period in the AHL, Krejci proved his value quickly, leading the NHL in Plus /Minus (+37) in 2008-09, when he also boasted a career-high 73 Points.  Krejci never broke that mark, but he did match it in 2018-19 and had four other years where he broke at least 60.  Krejci also had a second Plus/Minus Title (+39) in 2013-14).

Where Krejci shined brightest was in the NHL post-season.  Krejci was the leading scorer in the 2010-11 Playoffs (23) in the year where the Bruins won it all.  He also was the leader in Game-Winning Goals with 4.  He also was the league-leader in Playoff Points in 2012-13 (26) and also recorded the most Assists (17). 

Overall, in the regular season, Krejci compiled 786 Points in 1,032 Games and was lauded for his two-way play and hockey IQ.  Internationally, Krejci represented the Czech Republic multiple times, including three Olympics and won two Bronze Medals for his nation.

Krejci will not be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but we hope that the Bruins honor him one day. 

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Cory Schneider

Cory Schneider won the William M. Jennings with Roberto Luongo in 2010/11, but as Vancouver’s backup, he did not get the time between the pipes he coveted.  That changed when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where Schneider was their lead Goalie and was an All-Star in 2016, the only year he received Vezina votes (6th).

He would have an overall career record of 171-159-58 with a GAA of 2.43.

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Craig Anderson

Craig Anderson had an extraordinary 20-year career in the National Hockey League, but his remarkable achievements may have gone unnoticed in the sport's history.

Anderson was drafted by his hometown team, the Blackhawks, in the Third Round in 2001. He later played for Florida and Colorado before being traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2011, where he had his most successful and longest run. In the lockout-shortened 2012/13 season, Anderson led the NHL in Save Percentage (.941) and Goals Against Average (1.69) and was fourth for the Vezina. He remained as Ottawa’s lead Goalie for the rest of the decade, winning the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2016/17 for his admirable performance in between the pipes while dealing with his wife’s cancer.

Anderson concluded his career with Washington and Buffalo, retiring with a record of 319-275-73.

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Tyler Bozak

Tyler Bozak went undrafted, but the Saskatchewan native proved himself at the University of Denver and was a highly sought-after free agent. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and found his way onto the team as a deep-line center. Bozak played for Toronto for nine seasons, scoring over 40 Points, and was the league leader in Shooting Percentage in 2013-14.

Bozak signed with the St. Louis Blues as a Free Agent in 2019 and helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup, which was also Bozak’s first.  He retired after the 2021/22 Season with 461 career Points.

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47. Isaac Paredes

Isaac Paredes arrived in Tampa in a straight-up trade for Austin Meadows, which was an excellent opportunity for the versatile infielder.  Playing at Third, Second and First, Paredes, who only had 2 Home Runs over 57 Games in Detroit, had 20 in 2022 in 111 Games. 

Last year, Paredes broke out with 31 Home Runs, 98 RBIs, and a Slugging Percentage of .488.  This could be a future All-Star.

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The 2026 Basketball Futures are up

This March, we have been working diligently on adding to our futures section in the big four sports.  We have our first update to share, with the addition of the 2026 Basketball Futures.

All of the names feature retired players who will first be Hall of Fame eligible for the Class of 2026.  You can now vote and/or comment as to whether you believe these names are (or are not) Hall of Fame worthy.

The new names are:

Andre Iguodala:  Iguodala was a four-time NBA Champion with the Golden State Warriors and was a Finals MVP.  He was also an All-Star and was the Sixth Man of the Year once and twice.

Carmelo Anthony:  Anthony led Syracuse to an NCAA Championship and was on three Olympic Gold Medal Teams for the United States.  A ten-time All-Star, Melo had four Third Team All-NBA, two Second Team All-NBA selections, and won a Scoring Title.

Goran Dragic:  A multi-time champion in Slovenia, Dragic won a EuroBasket Gold for his country.  In the NBA, he was an All-Star, a Third Team All-NBA and Most Improved Player Award winner.

Hassan Whiteside:  For a brief time, Whiteside was one of Miami’s best players and is a former Second Team All-Defensive Selection.

Joe Johnson:  Johnson went to seven All-Star Games and was a Third Team All-NBA Selectee once.  His best years were with Atlanta.

LaMarcus Aldridge:  Aldridge went to seven All-Star Games and was at his best with the Portland Trail Blazers. He earned five All-NBA spots, two Second Team spots, and three Third Team spots.

Lou Williams:  Williams twice won the Sixth Man of the Year Award and holds the record for the most Points off of the bench.

Paul Millsap:  Millsap was a rebounding machine at Louisiana Tech and would become a four-time All-Star in the NBA.

Rajon Rondo: Rondo won an NBA Title with the Celtics early in his career and later with the Lakers, and he was also a four-time All-NBA Selection.

Trevor Ariza:  Ariza played over 1,000 Games and won an NBA Championship with the Lakers in 2009.

You know what we want you to do! 

Cast your votes, and offer your opinions!

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support!

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1957 FINAL VOTE

1957 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know that we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. Following that, we asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the twelfth official class;

Below are the final results of this project based on 31 votes,

Remember that the group took a vote, and we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall.  This will be put to a vote again in “1960”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1957:

Player

Year of Eligibility

Vote Total

Steve Van Buren HB

1

28

Al Wistert T

1

22

Beattie Feathers HB-WB

12

14

Kenny Washington B

4

14

Riley Matheson G

4

11

Steve Owen T-G

19

10

Marshall Goldberg FB

4

9

Ken Kavanaugh E

2

8

Whizzer White TB-HB

11

7

Wayne Millner E

7

7

Ace Gutkowski FB-TB

13

3

Bill Osmanski FB

5

3

George Svendsen C

11

2

Buckets Goldenberg

7

2

Woody Strode E

3

2

Ward Cuff WB-QB-HB

5

0

This is for the “Senior Era”, *Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1957:

Swede Youngstrom

5

16

Tony Latone

2

7

Hunk Anderson

7

7

None of the Above

N/A

1

About the 1957 Inductees:

Steve Van Buren HB, PHI 1944-51: Inducted in 1957 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

 

"Supersonic" Steve Van Buren was the first major star player for the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to his arrival as a first-round pick from LSU, the Eagles had only managed a fourth-place finish. However, Van Buren changed all of that. He played halfback for eight years in the NFL, all with the Eagles. Van Buren was a five-time first-team All-Pro, four-time rushing champion, and two-time leader in yards from scrimmage. He led Philadelphia to its first two NFL titles in 1948 and 1949 and paved the way for future backs.

Al Wistert T-G-DT, PHI 1943-51: Inducted in 1957 on his 1st Ballot. Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The man who opened up the lanes for Van Buren joins him as part of the PFHOF Revisited Project.  “The Big Ox” also played his entire career with the Eagles, where he also served as a captain and was named to four consecutive First Team All-Pros.  If Van Buren was the engine that drove Philadelphia to back-to-back titles, Wistert was the horsepower.

Beattie Feathers HB-WB, CHI 1934-37, BKN 1938-39 & GNB 1940: Inducted in 1957 on his 5h Senior Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Playing his college ball at the University of Tennessee, Beattie Feathers would have an incredible rookie season with the Chicago Bears, where in 1934, he would become the first 1,000 Yard rusher (though there are some football historians who dispute the accuracy), and he would also lead the league in All-Purpose Yards and Yards from Scrimmage and was a First Team All-Pro.  In the six seasons he played after (with Chicago, Brooklyn, and Green Bay), he didn't tally as much as he did as a rookie, but that campaign was the most incredible offensive year the league had ever seen. 

Kenny Washington HB, RAM 1946-48: Inducted in 1957 on his 4th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A superstar in both football and baseball at USC, Washington was unable to join the National Football League due to its segregationist policies, so he dominated for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, where he was their best player.  When the Cleveland Rams relocated to Los Angeles, the time was right for reintegration, and he (along with Woody Strode) was signed by the Rams.  Washington’s knees were already banged up, and his tenure in the NFL was only three years, but his role in football should never be discounted. 

Riley Matheson G, RAM 1939-42 & 1944-47, DET 1943, SFO 1948: Inducted in 1957 on his 4th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Riley Matheson arrived in Cleveland with little fanfare to join the Rams in 1939 after going undrafted from Texas-El Paso.  Playing as both Offensive Lineman, Matheson broke out in 1942, earning his first First Team All-Pro, while also capturing that honor in 1944 and 1945.  Granted, this happened during World War II, when the league was depleted during World War II, but the NFL Champion in ’45 was out to prove he was there to stay.  The Rams relocated to Los Angeles, but he remained a First Team All-Pro, selected to his fourth and fifth one in 1946 and 1947.  He left the Rams to join the San Francisco 49ers of the then AAFC and finished off his career with two years in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders.

Swede Youngstrom G-T-E-C, BUF 1920-24, CAN 1921, CLE 1925, FRN 1926-27: Inducted in 1957 on his 4th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From the early days of football, Youngstrom was one of the most powerful guards of the 1920s, and he led the Frankford Yellow Jackets to an NFL Championship.  Youngstrom was also a three-time First Team All-Pro.

 

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