The Canadian Music Hall of Fame has announced that Corey Hart will become the 52ndmember into their Hall of Fame. The Montreal born singer burst onto the scene with his hit “Sunglasses at Night” in 1984, which was a hit in both Canada and the United States.  While today that song might be the most enduring song of Hart’s career it was not actually his biggest in terms of chart success.  In 1985, he would release his sophomore album, “Boy in the Box”, which yielded his first #1 hit in Canada, “Never Surrender”, which peaked at #3 in the United States and would be his biggest hit there. Hart would have two more #1 songs in Canada “Everything in My Heart” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.  Overall he had six more top ten hits in Canada and was a Juno Award winner for the Best Single in 1985 with “Never Surrender”.   Hart will be officially inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on March 17 at the Juno Awards in London, Ontario. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Corey Hart for earning this prestigious honor.

Yes, this is taking a while! As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Philadelphia Phillies, two time World Series Champions (1980 & 2008). As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:  Advanced Statistics. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. Playoff accomplishments. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet. Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories. This list is updated up until the end of the 2016-17 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: Mike Schmidt Robin Roberts Steve Carlton Pete Alexander Ed Delahanty We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists. As always we thank you for your support.

As we are deep into the NFL Playoffs a member of the most successful post season team of all time died today as former Miami Dolphin, Bob Kuechenberg passed away today at age 71.   A Dolphin for all fourteen of his NFL seasons, Kuechenberg played 196 Games, starting 176 of them predominantly at Left Guard.  Kuechenberg was a member of the Dolphin’s perfect 1972 14-0 Super Bowl VII team and he would help them repeat as champions in Super Bowl VIII.  He would be chosen for six Pro Bowls and two First Team All Pros.   He is ranked #43 on our Notinhalloffame.com Football List as those worthy of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Bob Kuechenberg at this time. 

The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2019 today and let’s get right into the new members: Dallas Austin.  Austin has written many major hits for acts like Boyz II Men (Motownphilly), TLC (Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg) and Madonna (Secret).   Missy Elliott.  Elliott makes history as the first female rapper to enter the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She has five top ten hits. Tom T. Hall.  Hall wrote twelve country music number ones and one crossover number one with “Harper Valley P.T.A.” John Prine.  Prine was a surprise nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past year and has been active as a performer since the early 1970’s.  Prine’s hybrid of folk and country has been widely acclaimed and he is considered among the best songwriters amongst his peers. Cat Stevens.  Now known as Yusuf Islam, Stevens was a very successful singer/songwriter in the 1970’s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Jack Tempchin.  Tempchin wrote songs for the Eagles and later Glenn Frey during his solo career. This group of inductees will be officially inducted on June 13 at the Marquis Hotel in New York City. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the new members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

We have a sudden retirement to talk about as Rick Nash has retired from professional hockey. In a statement from his agent the retirement stemmed from “unresolved issues from the concussion sustained last March”.  That was one of many concussions that Nash sustained over his career. A six time All Star, Nash was the first overall pick in 2002 by the Columbus Blue Jackets and in his second season he would win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Award as the leading goal scorer in the National Hockey League.  Nash played for Columbus for nine seasons and after his rookie season he never had less than 54 Points in a season and he was a 30 Goal scorer seven times.   He would be traded to the New York Rangers but he was not as consistent a player but he did have a 69 Point season in 2014-15.  He would finish his professional career last season with Boston.  Nash would score 805 Points over his career and Internationally he was a two time Olympic Gold Medalist for Canada (2010 & 2014) and a World Hockey Championship Gold Medalist once in 2007.   Nash will be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2021 but is likely a fringe candidate. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Rick Nash on having a wonderful career and we wish him the best in his post playing career.

Last year we speculated that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did not induct Radiohead on their first year of eligibility due to the band stating that they would not attend due the ceremony (if chosen) due to having a prior commitment (a concert in South America).  The band had been quiet leading up to the announcement of the Class of 2019 in regards to whether they would attend if inducted this year, but we now know that at least one member will not be attending. In an interview with Variety, Radiohead frontman said that he personally would not be at the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict: “I know I can’t, because of these piano pieces that I’ve written”  That may seem like a lame excuse but Yorke wrote a piano piece of Katia and Marielle Lebeque of the Paris Philharmonic.  The premier is the same day of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.  Yorke continued on in regards to his opinion of the Rock and Roll Hall itself. “We’ve always been very blasé about that stuff. We just think that we just don’t quite understand it. We’ve had it explained to us, so it’s cool.  But we don’t really understand it as English people. I think our problem is essentially that every awards ceremony in the U.K. stinks. We grew up with the Brits, which is like this sort of drunken car crash that you don’t want to get involved with. So, yeah, we don’t really know what to make of it.” This does not mean that other members of Radiohead won’t be in attendance although previous comments from the band indicate that they likely won’t attend. Notably, Yorke did say that he would attend the Oscars if nominated.  His song, “Suspirium” from the film “Suspiria” has been shortlisted for the Best Original Song category. Ah, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame controversy…please never change!

It is another big day in the Hall of Fame word as the College Football Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2019. The Class of 2019 are: Terrell Buckley: Florida State (1989-91) Linebacker: Buckley left the Seminoles as their all-time leader in Interceptions (21) and Interception Return Yards (501), the latter of which is the best all-time in the NCAA.  Buckley would also win the Jim Thorpe Award in his final year at Florida State. Rickey Dixon: Oklahoma (1984-87) Defensive Back:  Dixon played in four straight Orange Bowls (1985-88) and was a member of the Sooners’ National Championship Team of 1985.  He won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1987 and he had 17 Interceptions over his career at Oklahoma. Dennis Erickson: Idaho (1982-85 & 2006), Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami (1989-94), Oregon State (1999-2002), Arizona State (2007-11) Head Coach: Erickson has a career record of 179-96-1 and he would win two National Championships with the Miami Hurricanes (1989 & 1991).  He was also a three time Pac-10 and three time Big East Coach of the Year.  London Fletcher:  John Carroll (1995-97) Defensive Back:  Fletcher would be named the Division III Linebacker of the Year in 1997. Jacob Green: Texas A&M (1977-79) Defensive Lineman:  In his final season with the Aggies, Green was an All-American that recorded 134 Tackles and 20 Sacks.  He would net 37 Sacks overall at Texas A&M. Raghib “Rocket” Ismail: Notre Dame (1988-1990) Wide Receiver:  The Rocket did it all on offense in his three seasons at Notre Dame as a Running Back, Wide Receiver and Returner.  An All-American in 1990 and National Champion in 1988 the “Rocket” had 4,187 All-Purpose Yards and was the runner up for the Heisman in 1990. Torry Holt: North Carolina State (1995-98) Wide Receiver:  Holt would have 3,379 Receiving Yards with 31 Touchdowns and was a former ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Darren McFadden: Arkansas (2005-07) Running Back:  McFadden rushed for 4,590 Yards and 41 Touchdowns over his career as a Razorback.  He would win two Doak Walker Awards, the Jim Brown Trophy and the Walter Camp Award. Jake Plummer: Arizona State (1993-96) Quarterback:  Plummer was third in Heisman Trophy voting as a Senior and almost took the Sun Devils to a National Championship falling just short in a Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State.  Plummer threw for 8,626 Yards and 34 Touchdowns. Troy Polamalu: USC (1999-2002) Defensive Back:  Over his three year career with the Trojans, Polamalu would record 278 Tackles and…

Never underestimate how much First Team All Pro Selections mean in terms of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  While it is possible to enter Canton without one, this accolade tells everyone that in that particular year you are the best at your position.  Now granted it means more in some positions than others (Special Teams for example will always struggle to get players inducted) but this is a vital step to get into the Hall. Rather than look at the 2018 First Team All Pro Selections by position, let’s list them in order of how many they have in total. 5th: J.J. Watt, Defensive End: Houston Texans.  Watt was named a First Team All Pro each season from 2012 to 2015 but injuries prevented him earning any accolades the last two seasons.  He is clearly back!  Watt is currently an eight year veteran of the National Football League. 5th: Luke Kuechly, Linebacker: Carolina Panthers.  Kuechly was a First Team All Pro in 2013 2014, 2015 and 2017 previously and he is a six time Pro Bowl Selection over his seven season career. 4th: Aaron Donald, Defensive Lineman: Los Angeles Rams. Donald has been chosen for his fourth straight First Team All Pro and he is a five year veteran.  Donald received the maximum number of votes. 4th: Bobby Wagner, Linebacker: Seattle Seahawks.  This is Wagner’s fourth First Team All Pro and third in a row.  He is a seven year veteran, all with the Seahawks. 3rd: Zach Martin, Right Guard: Dallas Cowboys.  In five seasons in the NFL, Martin has been a Pro Bowl in all of them and a First Team All Pro in three.  This is a Hall of Fame caliber start. 3rd: Khalil Mack, Defensive End: Chicago Bears.  In four seasons with Oakland, Mack went to two First Team All Pros.  In his fifth season in the NFL and first in Chicago he was chosen for his third First Team All Pro. 3rd: Justin Tucker, Place Kicker: Baltimore Ravens. Tucker’s two previous selections were in 2013 and 2016. 2nd: Todd Gurley, Running Back: Los Angeles Rams. Gurley is in his fourth season and this is his second straight selection.  He led the league in Rushing Touchdowns (17) and had 1,251 Yards with another 580 from the air. 2nd: Tyreke Hill, Wide Receiver (Flex Selection): Kansas City Chiefs.  Hill was a First Team All Pro in his rookie season and this his third year in the NFL. The Kansas City Chief caught 87 passes for 1,479…

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2019 and as per normal, there are little surprises. The Finalists are: Steve Atwater:  Atwater played Free Safety for the Denver Broncos from 1989 to 1998 and in that span, he would win two Super Bowls and would be named to two First Team All Pro and eight Pro Bowls.  He was known for delivering the most punishing hits for a Safety.  Atwater played one final season for the Jets and this is his second time as a Finalist, the last being in 2016.  He is ranked #12on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.   Champ Bailey:  Bailey began his career playing for the Washington Redskins in 1999 where he quickly would establish himself as one of the top Cornerbacks in the NFL.  He would play there for five seasons, going to four Pro Bowls in his last four seasons there, but he would be traded to the Denver Broncos and elevated his career even more.  A Bronco from 2004 to 2013 was a First Team All Pro three years in a row 2004-06 and was a Pro Bowl Selection eight more times.  He retired with 52 Interceptions.  Bailey becomes a Finalist in his first year of eligibility and he is ranked #2on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list. Tony Boselli:  Arguably the greatest Jacksonville Jaguar of all-time, Boselli was only in the National Football League for seven seasons, but was a Pro Bowler for five of them and he was chosen for three straight First Team All Pros from 1997 to 1999.   This is his third straight time for the Offensive Lineman as a Finalist and he is ranked #64on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list. Isaac Bruce:  Bruce was an explosive Wide Receiver who played the first fourteen of his sixteen years with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and he was a member of the Rams Super Bowl winning “Greatest Show on Turf”.  Bruce was the NFL leader in Receiving Yards in 1996 and retired with 15,208 Receiving Yards, which is fifth all-time.  His 1,024 Receptions and 91 Receiving Touchdowns are thirteenth and twelfth all-time. Like Boselli this is Bruce’s third straight year as a Finalist.  He is ranked #13on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list. Don Coryell:  Coryell was the Head Coach of the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-77) and the San Diego Chargers (1978-86) and had a 114-89-1 record.  Coryell never won a Super Bowl but is known for revolutionizing the passing game in football.  This is his fifth time as a Finalist (2010, 2015,…

The Class of 2018 of our Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame has been announced! After a one year vote, California karate star, Daniel LaRusso, former Rockford Peach, Dottie Hinson and NFL star turned inmate, Paul “Wrecking” Crewe” have been named to the Hall. They join Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy), Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump), Willie “Mays” Hayes (Major League), Apollo Creed (Rocky), Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez, Charlie Conway (The Mighty Ducks), The Hanson Brothers (Slap Shot), Reggie Dunlop (Slap Shot), Happy Gilmore (Happy Gilmore), Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Major League), Crash Davis (Bull Durham), Roy Hobbs (The Natural) and Rocky Balboa, the inaugural inductee. Little League Coach, Morris Buttermaker enters as a contributor and Huxley College (The Marx Brothers) enters in the Veteran’s category. Every year since the Hall’s inception Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) has been a Finalist and this year he finally broke through as the leading vote getter.  The winner of the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament is getting a new look in the YouTube program, Cobra Kai.   Dottie Hinson becomes the first female to enter the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame.  Hinson (Geena Davis) played one season in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and the Catcher was clearly the best player not only on her team but in the league.  This is the first induction from the movie, “A League of Their Own”. From the original Longest Yard in 1974, Paul “Wrecking” Crewe went from the NFL to the prison football in what was the arguably the grittiest sports movie of the 1970’s.  Reynolds, who died earlier this year may have received some sympathy votes as none of his many characters have ever finished in the top ten in voting before.  Morris Buttermaker was a former Pitcher turned down and out little league coach/pool cleaner. Portrayed by Walter Matthau, this was in the original (and by far the best) Bad News Bears and he is the first from the franchise to get inducted.                          The legendary Marx Brothers enter for their work on the College Football farce, Horse Feathers. Voting has now begun on the 2019 Class and the Preliminary Nominees are now up. You can find them here. When you can, please support our site and cast your vote for the Class of 2019! The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame, along with its sister site, The Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is part of Notinhalloffame.com, a pop culture/sports website that first launched…

It is a sad day for wrestling fans as it was announced that former interviewer, “Mean” Gene Okerlund died today at the age of 76.  It is unknown at this time how he passed. From Nebraska, Okerlund moved to Minneapolis where his outstanding voice made him a natural to become a disc jockey.  In 1970, he would be hired by Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association where for over a dozen years he served as a backstage interviewer and occasional ring announcer. As part of Vince McMahon’s national expansion, Okerlund was poached and he would join the World Wrestling Federation at the start of 1984 and again he would take on the role of backstage interviewer.  He would also commentate and ring announce and arguably throughout his run in the organization he was on television as much as anybody. Okerlund was well liked by fans and his highlights in the WWF included singing the National Anthem at Wrestlemania I, teaming with Hulk Hogan in a match against George Steele and Mr. Fuji (Okerlund would get the fall) and was well liked by the wrestlers. He would sign with WCW and continue to be an interviewer but would also work the WCW Hotline, which was a big money maker for the company.   Okerlund would make sporadic appearances with the WWE following the closure of WCW and he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan.  He made his last appearance on the 25thAnniversary show in January when he interviewed A.J. Styles. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of “Mean” Gene Okerlund at this time.

You have to hand it to the Green Bay Packers who know how important their fans are. So much so, that they have a Hall of Fame dedicated to them. The Nominees are out for the 21stClass have been announced and should you wish to vote you can do so here.  Voting is up until January 31. The Finalists are: Chuck Bromley, Middleton, ID Soctt Cagle, Suamico, WI Ron Colbo, De Pere, WI Li Hu, Oshkosh, WI Amy Nelson, Mayville, WI Paul Pagnozzi, Hawthrorne, NJ Brent Perzentka, Madison, WI Steve Sexsmith, Appleto, WI Dennis Wiley, Houston, TX Charlie Younkie, Green Bay, WI The winner will be announced in February.

If we are to believe Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, then Kyrie Irving is already a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer. In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ “Posted Up” Podcast, Thompson had the following to say in regards to Irving: “There’s nothing to argue.  The man (Irving) has a gold medal, he’s an NBA champion, he’s an All-Star Game MVP and he’s made multiple big shots in his career.  First of all, you know when you’re looking for a house on the apps, you do a filter? How about you do Kyrie’s résumé and then put the filter to see how many guys show up that have it. You’d be surprised how many of those guys aren’t.” While we are not exactly sure which filters Thompson was referring to, there is some merit to what he said regarding Irving.  In the seven full seasons that he has played in the NBA, the Point Guard has been an All Star five times, a Third Team All-NBA selection (2015), a Rookie of the Year (2012) and an NBA Champion (2016).  Basketball Reference has Kyrie listed as a 36.4% chance to enter the Hall, though that should shoot up quickly.  At age 26, Kyrie Irving still has many great years left in him but with all due respect to the Boston Celtic he has a couple of years before he can legitimately considered for the Hall of Fame, which is not that far away. 

We have a bit of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame related news prior to Christmas as Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament discussed Rage Against the Machine’s snub and Mick Box of Uriah Heep talked about his bands own chances for enshrinement. On their Sirius/XM channel, Jeff Ament briefly mentioned that the fact that Rage Against the Machine was snubbed as they were not chosen for 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class. “Another first ballot snub, our cohorts from Los Angeles, Rage Against The Machine. Of course we have a lot of history with those guys, Brad was in a band with Ed years ago. We jammed with Brad a little bit when we were mixing our first record. We’ve been friends with those guys all the way through. Timmy and I are super tight bass bros.” We didn’t say it was a deep thought on it.   RATM member, Tom Morello is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee and the band was nominated the last two years, which is the exact amount of time they have been eligible. In an interview with “The Five Count Radio Show, Mick Box of Uriah Heep was asked why they have not been inducted yet.  Here is what he had to say:  “I've never even thought about it, because all I hear about how they choose bands and people to be in it, I'm not quite sure it's good or bad; I can't make up my mind about it. But, saying that, just recently, a campaign has been started for us to be in the Hall of Fame. Whether it disappears into the ether, I have no idea. If it comes to fruition, it'll be great — it'll be a nice moment to savor. But, you know, life goes on regardless. And if it comes, great; if it doesn't, then that's great too." "Wouldn't it be nice to have [the trophy]? But if it don't come, then life will continue. And as it is, it's a pretty good life already. I mean, the thing they do overlook is that we were pioneers for a lot of bands throughout our career. For instance, we were the first band to play in Moscow when Glasnost sent us an official invitation to be the first Western rock band to play over in Russia. We went to Moscow and played to 180,000 people in the…

This weekend a huge contest will take place in the National Football League as the New Orleans Saints take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.  As is the case with many important matchups in professional football, a lot of jawjacking is taking place prior to by some of the players and one of them is certainly Hall of Fame related as today a reporter described the upcoming matchup between Quarterbacks Drew Brees (New Orleans) and Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) as a battle between future Hall of Famers.  Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan apparently disagrees. “Is that true?” when Jordan questioned the reporter when he said that Roethlisberger would eventually be enshrined in Canton and he said yes, Jordan said the following: “Really? In this era?  “You’d put him at like a top three in this era?  Top five of this era?  Top five of this era?  You’d put him at top five of this era?  Is that a yes or no?” The yes answer from the reporter elicited a response from Jordan asking if Roethlisberger was better than Los Angeles Chargers’ Quarterback, Philip Rivers. This was after he named Brees, Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), Tom Brady (New England) and Peyton Manning ahead of “Big Ben”. As the conversation continued, Jordan mentioned that he would also put Eli Manning over Roethlisberger. Regardless of what Cameron Jordan thinks, the odds are strong that Ben Roethlisberger, who is a two time Super Bowl Champion will one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It never stops for us at Notinhalloffame.com and nor do we ever intend for it to. Early in the new year, the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the Class of 2019 but before that we have updated our Baseball Futures and here are the potential additions to the that ballot in 2022. In alphabetical order by their first name: A.J. Pierzynski:  The Catcher was certainly famous (or infamous in some cases) is a two time All Star, one time Silver Slugger but importantly was the pulse that helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series. Alex Rodriguez:  Love him or hate him, PED or not, A-Rod was one of the greatest players of all time. A three time MVP and fourteen time All Star, Rodriguez retired with 696 Home Runs, 3,115 Hits, 2,086 Runs Batted In and a bWAR of 117.8, which are all first ballot Hall of Fame numbers however he WAS caught with PEDs and suspended.  He does however have a job broadcasting so his forgiveness trail seems much quicker than some.   Angel Pagan:  Pagan was a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants and he would lead the National League in Triples in 2012.  Pagan is also a two time Silver Medalist at the World Baseball Classis representing Puerto Rico. Billy Butler:  Mostly used as a Designated Hitter, Butler would go the All Star Game in 2012, which would be the same season he was named the winner of the Edgar Martinez Award. Carl Crawford:  Crawford was at his best when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays and it was there where he would become a four time All Star who woud also lead the American League four times in Triples and in Stolen Bases.  He would collect 1,931 Hits over his career. Coco Crisp:  Crisp would help the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and he would also lead the AL in Stolen Bases in 2011.  He would have 1,572 Hits over his Major League Baseball career. Colby Lewis:  Lewis would have a decent career as a starter where he would win 77 Games. David Ortiz:  “Big Papi” is a legend in Boston and how can he not be?  Ortiz powered the Red Sox to three World Series Championships and he was a ten time All Star.  Ortiz is in the opinion of many the greatest Designated Hitter that ever lived and he has 541 career Home Runs with…

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports.  After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.   As such, it is important to note that the Minnesota Twins have announced that they will retire the number 7 of Joe Mauer, who retired at the end of the 2018 season after playing all 15 of his seasons with the team. Joe Mauer first suited up for the Twins in 2004 and in 2006 he would breakthrough with a Batting Title (.347) won his first Silver Slugger and went to his first All Star Game.  Already establishing himself as the best hitting Catcher in the American League, Mauer went on a three year tear (2008-10) where each year he was an All Star, a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove winner and won two Batting Titles and was named the American League MVP in 2009 and in the other two years he was a top ten finisher in the MVP race.  Mauer would switch to First Base and would go on to two more All Star Games at that position (2012 & 2013). He retires with 2,123 Hits, a Slash Line of .306/.388/.439 and a bWAR of 55.2. Mauer joins Harmon Killebrew #3, Tony Oliva #6, Tom Kelly #10, Kent Hrbek #14, Bert Blyleven #28, Rod Carew #29, Kirby Puckett #34 and the league retired #42 of Jackie Robinson. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Joe Mauer Middleton for earning this very prestigious honor.

For all intents and purposes, this is our Christmas morning. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2019 and there was little surprise with who got chosen as Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, The Cure and The Zombies were chosen. Radiohead enters on their second year of eligibility. Nominated last year as well, we suspect that when they announced last year they could not attend the ceremony due to commitments on tour in South America that the committee decided to delay the inevitable by a year. Def Leppard is no surprise as they easily won the fan vote keeping the streak alive as every fan vote winner has been ushered in.  This was their first nomination. Stevie Nicks makes history as the first woman to be a double inductee.  She was previously inducted with Fleetwood Mac.   Janet Jackson enters on her third nomination.  It has been speculated that without Les Moonves wielding his influence against her (over Nipplegate) that this should be her year.  It is, and she joins her brothers into the Rock Hall. The selection of the Cure opens up a glut of future inductions for early 80’s Alternative bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode. Roxy Music enters on our their first nomination, though they have been eligible for nearly twenty years. The Zombies, who have been nominated before finally enter after being eligible for more than 25 years.  The biggest surprise in terms of who did not get in has to be Todd Rundgren, but the fact that he was nominated bodes well for a future induction. Kraftwerk, MC5, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Devo, Rage Against the Machine, LL Cool J and John Prine. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and we will begin work on a new and revised list!

The Baseball Hall of Fame will have two new members as the Today’s Game Committee have elected Harold Baines and Lee Smith. Over a 22 year career, Baines collected 2,866 Hits with 384 Home Runs and 1,628 RBI. Primarily a Designated Hitter, Baines was with the Chicago White Sox for 14 of those years and he was a five time All Star.  He also played for Baltimore, Texas, Oakland and Cleveland.  The selection of Baines bodes well for future Designated Hitters.  Lee Smith recorded 478 Saves, leading his respective lad in that four times and at the time of his retirement he was first all-time in Saves.  Unlike Baines who was only on the Hall of Fame ballot for six years, Smith lasted the entire fifteen years on his initial eligibility.  Smith received all 16 votes and Baines got the minimum 12 votes needed for election. Lou Piniella just missed with 11 votes.  The selection of Baines is turning heads in some circles as he never was never a strong MVP candidate.  He never had a bWAR over 4.2 and if there was a Hall of Very Good, Baines would be the perfect selection.  Jerry Reinsdorf, who was his owner when he was with the White Sox, is on that committee and he allegedly lobbied hard for this induction.  Baines also had other ties with Pat Gillick (former GM), Roberto Alomar (former teammate) and Tony LaRussa (former Manager).  This one will be debated for years to come. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Lee Smith and Harold Baines for this honor.

It is a sad day in the world of music as it was announced today that Pete Shelley passed away at the age of 63 in home in Estonia.  It is expected at this time the cause of death was from a heart attack. Shelley rose to prominence as the leader of the Punk/New Wave band, the Buzzcocks who had had some hits in the late 70’s (Orgasm Addict, What Do I Get?) and were one of the more influential groups of their time.  Shelley would have a solo career in the 1980’s, which was punctuated by his top ten U.K. hit “Homosapien”.  The Buzzcocks would reunite in 1989 and have toured off and on since. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Pete Shelley at this time.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2019, which consists of four former boxers and five non-combatants.   The new members are: Teddy Atlas.  Atlas was a trainer and commentator and is known for taking Michael Moorer and Alexander Povetkin to the Heavyweight Championship.     Donald Curry (Modern Era). Curry was the undisputed Welterweight Champion in 1985 by unifying the titles with his defeat of Milton McCrory and he would later become the WBC Super Middleweight Champion.  Curry retired with a 34-6 record with 25 KOs. Tony DeMarco (Old Timers).  DeMarco would become the Welterweight Champion in 1955 but the native of Boston is best known for his two brutal battles afterwards with Carmen Basillio. Don Elbaum.  Elbaum was a former manager/promoter/matchmaker from Erie who was the “teacher” of Don King.  Julian Jackson.  Jackson won the WBA Super Welterweight Championship in 1987 and held it until he forfeited the title to move up to Middleweight.  Jackson won the WBC Middleweight Title twice.  He retired with a record of 5506 with 49 KOs. Guy Jutras.  Jutras was a long time official in boxing. Buddy McGirt.   McGirt was the IBF Junior Welterweight Champion in 1988 and would later be the WBC and Lineal Welterweight Champion.  He would later become a successful trainer. Mario Rivera Martino.  Martino served Puerto Rican boxing as a writer and later as a commissioner.   Lee Samuels.  Samuels worked as a publicist for Top Rank. The induction ceremony will take place next June. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

It is a very sad day in the world of professional wrestling as it was announced that Thomas Billington, who performed as The Dynamite Kid passed away at the age of 60. Beginning his career in 1975, the Dynamite Kid first gained serious attention in the late 1970’s working for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary where he would rise to the top of the card despite having a small stature.  As good as he was in Calgary, Dynamite made heads turn in Japan where along with Tiger Mask they put forth some of the best high-flying matches that the world had ever seen.  He combined moves off the top rope with a throwback tough as nails attitude where he would quickly be referred to by many of his peers as the best pound for pound wrestler in the business. Along with Davey Boy Smith, he would form the British Bulldogs tag team in the WWF and within two years the duo would become WWF World Tag Team Champions.  During this reign Dynamite would suffer a severe back injury, which would force the Bulldogs to drop the titles to the Hart Foundation.  Despite this injury, when he came back to wrestle, the Dynamite Kid kept the same style and would eventually do more damage to his spine.  The Bulldogs would leave the WWF in 1988 and they would compete in Stampede and later All-Japan until the tag team was broken up when Davey Boy Smith returned to the WWF in 1990.  He would continue to wrestle for a couple more years and he made his last in ring appearance in 1996 for Michinoku Pro but he was literally half the size that people remembered lacking any musculature.  Due to the injuries he sustained over his career he was reduced to a wheelchair for the final 20 years of his life. The Dynamite Kid goes down in history as one of the greatest workers of all-time and one of the most influential. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and family of the Dynamite Kid.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports.  After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.   As such, it is important to us that the New York Rangers retired the number 11 yesterday of Vic Hadfield in a pre-game ceremony. Hadfield was a member of the Rangers’ famed “Goal A Game” Line that also consisted of Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert, both of who already had their number retired so this is a reunion of sorts.  As a member of the New York Rangers, Hadfield played 13 seasons where he scored 262 Goals and 310 Assists.  He was also the captain of the team from 1971 to 1974. This marks the tenth time that New York has retired a number.  Hadfield joins Mark Messier, who also had the #11 retired.  This has happened before as the #9 was retired for both Adam Graves and Andy Bathgate. The other retried numbers are Ed Giacomin #1, Brian Leetch #2, Harry Howell #3, Rod Gilbert #7, Jean Ratelle #19 and Mike Richter #35. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Vic Hadfield for earning this prestigious honor.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives. As such, it is important to note that last night the Boston Bruins retired the #16 of former forward, Rick Middleton. After playing his first two seasons in the NHL for the New York Rangers, “Nifty” was traded to Boston prior to the 1976-77 season and it proved fruitful for the Bruins. In the 1979-80 season, Middleton would begin a five season streak of 40 Goals, which included a career high of 51 n the 1981-82 campaign. That season he would be named a Second Team All Star as well as winning the Lady Byng Trophy. Middleton would represent the Bruins in three All Star Games and also had a pair of 100 Point seasons. His overall statistical contribution to Boston would see the Right Wing score 402 Goals, 496 Assists and 898 Points. Middleton becomes the 11th player to have his number retired. He joins Eddie Shore #2, Lionel Hitchman #3, Bobby Orr #4, Dit Clapper #5, Phil Esposito #7, Can Neely #8, John Bucyk #9, Milt Schmidt #15, Terry O’Reilly #24 and Ray Bourque #77. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Rick Middleton for earning this very prestigious honor.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives. As such, it is important to note the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame has announced that they will be inducting former players, Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald to their institution at their February 26 home game. Sjorberg joined the Jets after playing in his native Sweden for various teams and twice at the Olympics (1968 & 1972). The Defenceman would be 30 when he arrived in Manitoba and he proved himself to be a good playmaker accruing 40 or more Assists in his first four years in the WHA. In the 1977-78 season Sjoberg would win the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy as the league’s best blueliner and he would help the team win three Avco Cups (1976, 1978 & 1979). When the team joined the National Hockey League, Sjoberg would become the first Jets Captain in the NHL. He would retire after the 1979-80 season. Ab McDonald was a three time Stanley Cup Champion and five time Al Star who played fourteen years in the NHL before he joined the Jets in their inaugural season. McDonald was named the first Team Captain and he was with the team for two years scoring 70 Points with the team. We do want to point out that while the Jets Hall of Fame includes players from the first incarnation, the current one does not own the history of the franchise hence when we do our all-time 50 for this team we have to base it on the beginning as the Atlanta Thrashers. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald for earning this very impressive honor.

It was announced that Willie Naulls passed away at the age of 84. He had been battling Churg-Strauss syndrome, a rare immunological condition. Naulls played collegiately at UCLA under Hall of Fame Coach, John Wooden where he was a Second Team All-American in his final season. The St. Louis Hawks in the Second Round of the 1956 Draft would choose the big man but he would only play 19 Games there before being traded to the New York Knicks, which was a much better fit. In New York, Naulls would find himself as the starting Small Forward and he would be chosen for four All Star Games and he would have five seasons where he averaged over 10 Rebounds per Game and three where he had over 20 Points per Game. He would be traded in 1963 to the San Francisco Warriors and after that he was sold to the Boston Celtics where he was a member of three consecutive Championship Teams (1964-66) Naulls is ranked #95 on our Notinhalloffame.com list of those to consider for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, of Willie Naulls at this time.

Yes, this is taking a while! As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Kansas City Royals, two time World Series Champions. As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: Advanced Statistics. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. Playoff accomplishments. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet. Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories. This list is updated up until the end of the 2016-17 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article. They are: George Brett Bret Saberhagen Kevin Appier Willie Wilson Amos Otis We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists. As always we thank you for your support.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their 25 Semi-Finalists after being pared down from 103 Preliminary Nominees and there are some familiar faces and new faces who are hopeful to become Finalists when they are announced on January 3. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Semi-Finalists are: Steve Atwater, Safety: 1989-98 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets. This is Atwaters’ eighth straight year as a Semi-Finalist and he is a two time Super Bowl Champion with the Broncos and he is an eight time Pro Bowl Selection. He is ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com. Champ Bailey, Cornerback: 1999-03 Washington Redskins, 2004-13 Denver Broncos. This is Champ Bailey’s first year of eligibility and he has a great chance to become a Finalist. Bailey is a twelve time Pro Bowl Selection and three time First Team All Pro who also led the NFL in Interceptions twice. He is ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. Ronde Barber, Cornerback/Safety: 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barber is a Semi-Finalist for the second straight year and he was a five time Pro Bowler with three First Team All Pro Selections. Barber won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and was the league leader in Interceptions in 2001. He is ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com. Tony Boselli, Offensive Tackle: 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans. Boselli is arguably the greatest Jaguar of all-time and he was a five time Pro Bowl and three time First Team All Pro Selection. He is a Semi-Finalist for the fourth straight time. He is ranked #64 on Notinhalloffame.com. Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver: 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers. Bruce was a key member of “The Greatest Show on Turf” and won a Super Bowl Ring with them on Super Bowl XXXIV. The four time Pro Bowl Selection is a Semi-Finalist for the fifth straight year. Bruce is ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com. LeRoy Butler, Safety: 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers. Butler was a member of the Packers’ Super Bowl XXXI win and was a four time Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro. This is his second straight trip to the Semi-Finals. Butler is ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com. Don Coryell, Coach: 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-86 San Diego Chargers. Coryell is not necessarily here for his success as a coach but for his innovative offensive style. This is his eleventh Semi-Final appearance and tenth in a row. Alan Faneca, Offensive Guard: 1998-2007 Pittsburgh…

The day after the Baseball Hall of Fame unveiled their official 2019 ballot, a top name has emerged for the 2024 ballot as Adrian Beltre has announced his retirement from baseball. A member of the 3,000 Hit Club who probably could have extended his career to a 21st season, Beltre was signed as an Amateur Free Agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994 and as a teenager he would make his Major League debut at Third Base in 1998 and he would cement himself as a the team’s starter the next season. The native of the Dominican Republic would have a breakout season in 2004 where he was the runner-up for the National League MVP with a league leading 48 Home Runs and a .334 Batting Average. He would sign with the Seattle Mariners as a Free Agent where he played from 2005 to 2009 and while he was solid it was not until his lone season with the Boston Red Sox (2010) that he would finally be named an All Star and he had another top ten finish in MVP voting. Beltre would then sign with the Texas Rangers in 2011 and he would stay there until the end of his career. He would go to three more All Star Games and from 2011 to 2016 he would receive MVP votes. Beltre may never have won a MVP but he was four time Silver Slugger and five time Gold Glove. His overall numbers are Hall of Fame worthy with 3,166 Hits, 1,524 Runs, 477 Home Runs, 1,707 RBI and a career bWAR of 95.7, which is only behind Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews among Third Basemen. By this standard he should be a Hall of Fame lock. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Adrian Beltre on having a wonderful career and we wish him the best on his post-playing career.

Baseball Hall of Fame season is in full gear as following the announcements of the Today’s Era Finalists last week, Cooperstown has now unveiled the official Hall of Fame ballot. Let’s take a look at the 35 former players who the Baseball Writers can vote on: In alphabetical order: Rick Ankiel: Ankiel is debuting on the ballot and he was the runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 as a Pitcher. Injuries to his pitching arm forced him to abandon that aspect of the game and he would come back as an Outfielder and collect over 400 Hits. This is a great story but just getting on this ballot is a win. Jason Bay: Bay was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2004 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and he would be selected for three All Star Games. The Canadian would have 1,200 Hits with 222 Home Runs but he is unlikely to get any votes. Lance Berkman: Berkman was the third “Killer B” for the Houston Astros and he would later win a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. This is his first time on the ballot and he is a six time All Star with 366 career Home Runs with an OPS at .943. He will struggle to get past the first ballot. Berkman is ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com. Barry Bonds: Bonds returns to the ballot for the seventh time and he had a high vote of 56.4% last year. The All-Time Home Run Leader and 7 time MVP has seen a 20.2% since he debuted and the “PED” guys have gone from “no chance” to “50/50”. Expect another bump this year. Bonds is ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. Roger Clemens: How fitting that Clemens alphabetically comes after Bonds! Clemens was to pitching what Bonds was hitting and he was a 7 time Cy Young Award winner with 354 career Wins. Like Bonds, he has on his seventh year on the ballot and he had 57.3% of the ballot last year, well up from the 37.6% from his first year. Clemens is ranked #1C on Notinhalloffame.com. Freddy Garcia: Garcia got off to a good start where he was a two time All Star and he was in the top ten in Cy Young voting twice. The Venezuelan Pitcher won 156 Games and he is on his first ballot but he will…

It has been an interesting year for John Prine who was nominated for both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriting Hall of Fame this year. In an interview with Billboard, he discussed both of those nominations and what those meant to him. "It's been quite a year. The (halls of fame), those things are pretty darned neat just to get nominated for. I know there's lots of people who have been waiting years to just get in. Truly, the nominations are good enough. I haven't been nominated before for these particular organizations. I don't know if I'll get in the first year or not."    When asked about the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Prine indicated that it would it mean a lot to him to be inducted: "I found it easier to make up songs than to learn other people's songs…The Songwriters Hall of fame, that's the one all the big-time writers get into, the really great stuff, the Broadway stuff and all that. That would be something, to get your name in there." Prine however was comfortable with the idea that he could possibly be a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer next year. “I always related to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. So that'd be great to be in there, no matter what year they want to put me in." Prine however was quick to add tha the felt the Zombie should go in before him.   We will know next month whether or not Prine will get into both, one or neither of the Halls of Fame. As you can imagine we will be paying very close attention to what those nominations will be!

We have a significant retirement to discuss in baseball as Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins has elected to retire from the game after playing 15 seasons in the Majors, all of which were with the Twins. Mauer made his announcement in an open letter to the fans that will run in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Mauer cited a desire to maintain his health and spending time with his family to retire from the game at age 35. His last contract came to an end this year. The first overall pick of the 2001 Amateur Draft, Mauer would make his debut in a Twins uniform in 2004 and was cemented as the starting Catcher the following season. In 2006, he would win his first of three Batting Titles, leading all batters with in the American League with a .347 Batting Average. He would win his second Batting Title in 2008 and his third in 2009 with a career high of .365. Mauer would also finish first in On Base Percentage (.444), Slugging Percentage (.587) and OPS (1.031) and he would have a career high 28 Home Runs. For his efforts, Mauer would be named the American League Most Valuable Player. Mauer would continue to be productive with four more seasons over .300 and he would also have a second season (2012) where he would lead the AL in On Base Percentage. The Catcher retires with 2,123 Hits and a .306 career Batting Average with five Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves. He will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. It is definitely worth mentioning that Joe Mauer is one of 22 MVPs to remain with one team. The other 21 all entered Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame candidacy of Joe Mauer is strong. He retires with a decent bWAR of 55.1, which eclipses the average Catcher’s bWAR of 53.5 and he has a higher JAWS of 47.0 than the average Hall of Fame Catcher, which is 44.0. As a former MVP, and being one time regarded as the best in his position bodes well in his favor. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Joe Mauer for the wonderful on field memories and we wish him the best in his post playing career.

The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced that the three new inductees are the Magic 8 Ball, Uno and Pinball. These toys will comprise the Class of 2018. Going forward they will be on display inside the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York and will join the 65 other honorees. The other Finalists this year were American Girl Dolls, Chalk, Chutes and Ladders, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Masters of the Universe, Sleds, Tic-Tac-Toe, Tickle Me Elmo and Tudor Electric Football. The Magic 8 Ball likely saw this induction coming after being a finalist seven previous times. The toy comprising of a floating 20-sided die was first introduced in 1946. Uno was first developed 50 years ago and is currently the property of Mattell. Pinball machines have been around for decades enjoying incredible popularity in the 1970’s. There are continued pinball competitions being held across the country.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame have announced their Finalists for the 2019 Class. The Performing Finalists are: Cat Stevens: Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) had four top ten hits. The British Singer/Songwriter was chosen for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.   Chrissie Hynde: The lead singer of the Pretenders wrote many of her bands hit songs including “Brass in Pocket”, “Don’t Get Me Wrong”, “Middle of the Road” and “My City was Gone”. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Jeff Lynne: The lead singer of ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) was also the lead songwriter and producer for the band. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Jimmy Cliff: The reggae star from Jamaica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. John Prine: This is a big year for the Country/Folk Singer/Songwriter as he was also nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Lloyd Price: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Lloyd Price had multiple R&B Hits, quite a few of which crossed over to the mainstream.   Mariah Carey: It isn’t widely known but many of her hits (and there have been eighteen alone that went #1) were written or co-written by Carey herself. Mike Love: The co-founder of the Beach Boys co-wrote 35 songs (officially) and claims to have co-written another 40. For those wondering, Brian Wilson was inducted in 2000.   Missy Elliott: Should Elliott be chosen, she would become the first female rapper inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She had five top ten hits. The Eurythmics: Comprising of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, the British duo had three top ten hits with one, “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” going to the top. Tommy James: James led his group, Tommy James and the Shondells to multiple hits in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Vince Gill: Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, Vince Gill had five #1 songs and 50 that charted onto the Country Charts. The Non-Performing Finalists are: Bobby Hart & Tommy Boyce: Hart & Boyce wrote the songs for the Monkees and also had hits written for Jay & the Americans and Paul Revere & the Raiders. Dan Penn & Spencer Oldham: Penn & Oldham wrote…

It is a pretty big day in the Baseball Hall of Fame as the Today’s Game Era Committee has announced their 10 nominees for the Hall. This is one of four committees, which includes the Modern Baseball, Golden Days and Early Baseball. Specifically, the Today’s Game Era Committee comprises candidates whose contributions occurred from 1988 on. Along with the Modern Baseball Committee the Today’s Era Committee meets twice in a five year period. The last time they met was in 2016 where Commissioner Bud Selig and longtime Atlanta Braves Executive, John Scherholz. The nominees include six former players, three managers and an owner. Let’s take a look at the nominees! Harold Baines: A six time All Star, Baines was an elite Designated Hitter who had 384 Home Runs and had 2,866 Hits over his career. Baines played 14 of 22 his seasons with the Chicago White Sox and he also spent time with Baltimore, Oakland, Texas and Cleveland. He is ranked #39 on Notinhalloffame.com. Albert Belle: Belle was one of the most feared power hitters for a time and he would blast 381 Home Runs and he would lead the American League in that category in 1995. The five time All Star was a three time RBI leader and he was in the top three in AL voting three years in a row (1994-96). Belle played for Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore. He is ranked #56 on Notinhalloffame.com. Joe Carter: Carter smacked 396 Home Runs but it was one that he hit in Game 6 to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays that he will always be remembered most for. He was a six time all star who also played for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. He is not ranked on Notinhalloffame.com. Will Clark: Clark was best known for his hitting prowess as a member of the San Francisco Giants where he would have four top five finishes in American League MVP voting. Clark retired with a .303 Batting Average with 284 Home Runs. He also played for Texas, Baltimore and St. Louis. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com. Orel Hershiser: The long time Los Angeles Dodger won the Cy Young in 1988 and was in the top four in voting three times. He was a three time All Star who won 204 Games and he…

It is a sad day for baseball and the city of San Francisco as Willie McCovey passed away at the age of 80. It is not known at this time as to how he passed away. Debuting for the San Francisco Giants in 1959, he would make an immediate impact going four for four his first game, against future Hall of Famer, Robin Roberts. Amazingly, that game was on July 30, and he was so dominant the rest of the year that he was the 1959 Rookie of the Year. So much was expected of McCovey but over the next few seasons it appeared the man they called “Stretch” was going to be a fluke. McCovey was a First Baseman, but Orlando Cepeda played there and was hesitant to move positions and McCovey was moved to the Outfield where he struggled. His bat also left him and he never seemed to have his groove again until 1963. Saying all of this, he was just a great power hitter that in 1962 he hit 20 Home Runs in just 262 Plate Appearances and he was a help to the Giants in winning the National League Pennant. 1963 would see him have a good season, as he would be chosen for the first of six All Star Games and led the NL in Home Runs. 1964 saw another regression, but from 1965 to 1970 he would never have less than 30 Home Runs and his second and third Home Run Title highlighted this where in 1968 and 1969 he blasted 36 and 45 dingers respectively. He would also win the RBI Titles those seasons and he was the leader in Slugging and OPS from 1968 to 1970. 1969 was by far the best of the lot as not only did he have those incredible power numbers he batted .320 and had a league leading .453 OBP en route to being named the National League MVP. Willie McCovey would play for the Giants until he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 1973. He would later play in Oakland before signing back with the Giants where he would finish out his career in 1980. He would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 on the first ballot. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Willie McCovey at this time.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives. As such, for us to note that last night during halftime of the Buffalo Bills home loss to the New England Patriots that the number 34 of Thurman Thomas was retired. Along with Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, Thomas was the running portion of a potent Bills offense that went to four straight Super Bowls. The Running Back would play 12 seasons for Buffalo and was named a Pro Bowler from 1989 to 1993 and was a First Team All Pro in 1990 & 1991. He would also lead the league in Yards from Scrimmage every season from 1989 to 1992 and was named the AP MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1991. As a Bill he rushed for 11,938 Yards, received 4,341 more Yards and had 87 Touchdowns. This marks the third time the Buffalo Bills retired a number. Jim Kelly’s #12 was retired in 2001 and Bruce Smith’s #78 was retired in 2016. Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Thurman Thomas for earning this very impressive honor.

A quick note on our WWE Futures sections as we have added three names to that section. Paige, Colt Cabana and Natalya have been added. Paige, who currently serves as the Smackdown Live GM, was forced to retire from in ring competition a few months ago. Due to her youth, we are putting her on the Futures section as she could mimic Daniel Bryan and return one day. Colt Cabana, who most recently was sued (unsuccessfully) by WWE doctor Dr. Chris Amman currently works the indies and does commentary (and occasionally wrestles) for Ring of Honor. He has a forgettable run as Scotty Goldman in the WWE in 2008 to 2009. Natalya has been with the WWE since 2007 and is a former Divas and Smackdown Women’s Champion. As she is 36 (which is certainly not old), there arguably could be less time left in wrestling than there is in what she has already accomplished. Look for more updates from us soon!

We love this. Another significant figure who is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has stated his contempt towards that institution. That man is Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson who in a spoken word tour in Australia had this to say when asked by a fan if he thought that Iron Maiden should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He had this to say: “Absolutely. I actually think the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you. It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face. They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer." That sounds pretty rock and roll to us! The heavy metal band has been eligible for the Hall since 2004 and has never been nominated. Iron Maiden is ranked #14 by us on Notinhalloffame on or list of those to consider for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As always we can’t get enough of the drama!

Yesterday, we discussed how it wouldn’t be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without a potential inductee (in this case it was Trent Reznor) essentially saying it was worthless. It also wouldn’t be the Rock Hall with another potential inductee (Ted Nugent) implying it was criminal that he was not included. In an interview with My Global Mind Magazine, Nugent had the following to say about his omission from the Hall: “I have some really clear thoughts. Its sacrilege, it’s ultimately disrespectful and cruel to Chuck, Bo and Little Richard and all the founding fathers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Because the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame means something and I don’t have to explain to you because you know, and you don’t have to explain it to me. Abandon egos, bragging, and Ted Nugent speaking on behalf of Ted Nugent; is it or is it not vulgar, dishonest, and obscene that Grand Master Flash, Patti Smith, and ABBA are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but Ted ‘Fucking’ Nugent isn’t! Is that the most outrageous and disgusting lie you have ever seen? Joe Walsh nailed it; ‘It’s not music lover driven.’ He used the word fan, and it’s not fan driven. Its ultra leftist liberal CEO driven gang who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the music.” David Crosby, a two time inductee with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash responded on Twitter with a simple shot: “That is really funny stuff ....he’s not good enough and he never will be ....a hack player and no singer at all ....could not write a decent song if his life depended on it” If this seems familiar, it is because the same thing happened a year ago where Nugent stated he should be in, and Crosby decreed the Motor City Madman (actually he called him an asshole) wasn’t good enough. Damn, we love the drama that this Hall continues to create!

It wouldn’t be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without a high profile artist stating that they don’t want any part of it. Trent Reznor just added his name to that list. In an interview with Stereogum, Reznor had the following to say about a possible Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction: "I saw somebody write something online or comment on Twitter like, 'What could be less rock 'n' roll than the fuckin’ Hall of Fame,' And that is authentically how I feel about it. I’ll say this: It’s nice to be appreciated. It’s nicer when it feels like that’s coming from a place that you care about. Like, a Grammy doesn’t mean a fuckin’ thing. It means a few assholes in a room that are trying to make a TV show have good ratings deciding, 'Let’s give it to this guy.' It doesn’t feel like it has any meaning behind it. I honestly couldn’t give less of a shit. I’m not gonna sleep any better. Included or not. With that being said, it’s always nice to feel you’ve been appreciated to some degree, but it’s not on my list of things I have to achieve before I die.   The Oscar was completely unexpected, when you see what goes on behind the scenes there and the different guilds and how many people are involved and how seriously they take it, I’m still pretty blown away by that. I’m not saying there isn’t politics and bullshit involved too, but it feels like it’s coming from a much more significant place and from the community that’s honoring you than a couple dudes trying to get ratings for a TV show like the Grammys. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who knows what that is. I don’t give a shit. It’s irritating every year that suddenly my inbox lights up with, 'Oh man, sorry about … ' I don’t give a fuck! You know what I mean? I don’t … The worst would be if we did [get inducted] and then what? We’d have to fuckin’ show up and jam? I can’t even imagine what that would be." Nine Inch Nails were nominated in 2015 and 2016 but never since. This is not exactly a shocking statement from Reznor and we expect we will hear more from RRHOF worthy artists before the Class of 2019 is announced.

As we inch towards the 2018-19 regular season in the National Basketball Association, we have another significant retirement as Richard Jefferson is calling it a career in professional basketball. Drafted 13th Overall in 2001 from the University of Arizona, Richard Jefferson began his pro career with the New Jersey Nets where he had the best part of his career. Jefferson would take over as the starting Small Forward in his sophomore season and he would have four 19 Points per Game seasons in the seven seasons he played in the Garden State. Jefferson would later play foe Milwaukee, San Antonio, Golden State, Utah, Dallas, Cleveland and Denver and it was in the 2015-2016 season with the Cavaliers where as a key reserve player he won a NBA Championship ring. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Richard Jefferson the best in his post-playing career.

It is a sad day for fans of the Green Bay Packers and Pro Football in general as Hall of Fame Fullback Jim Taylor passed away today at the age of 83. An All-American at LSU, the Packers would select Taylor in the second round of the 1958 draft. He saw limited action as a rookie but when Vince Lombardi was hired, Taylor would become a feature back. Along with Paul Hornung, the Packers would have the best pair of backs in the game. A power runner, Taylor was especially effective in short yardage situations. In 1960, Taylor would have his first of five consecutive 1,000 Yard Rushing seasons. His most productive would occur in 1963 where he would have a career high and league leading 1,474 Yards with 19 Rushing Touchdowns and he was named the AP MVP. Under Lombardi, Taylor would assist the Packers win the 1961, 1962, 1965 and 1966 NFL Championship and he was a member of the Super Bowl I Championship Team. Individually speaking he was a five time Pro Bowler and a First Team All Pro in 1963. Finishing his career in New Orleans for one season in 1967, he would retire with 8,597 Rushing Yards with 83 Rushing Touchdowns. He would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and family of Jim Taylor at this time.

We discussed a significant change that took place in the process of the voting of the International Tennis Hall of Fame whereby a fan vote would be put in place that would assist the top three vote getters. How it works is that the top vote getter will receive a three percent boost in, the second place finisher a two percent boost and the third place finisher a one percent increase in the vote percentage whereby a 75% vote is needed for induction. Here are the three beneficiaries of the first ever fan aided voted. From China, Li Na received the highest number of votes. Once ranked #2 in 2014, Na won 9 WTA Tournaments including the 2015 Australian and 2011 French Open. Goran Ivanisevic is the only player in Tennis history to win the Wimbledon as a wildcard entry, a feat he accomplished in 2001, although he did not win any other Singles Grand Slams. The Croatian would however win 22 singles titles and 9 doubles titles while being ranked as high as #2 in 1994. Keeping in the International theme, Mary Pierce from France finished third. She was ranked as high as #3 (1995) and she would win the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open. The Class of 2019 will be announced on January 22 during the Australia Open and the ceremony will take place on July 20.

The World Golf Hall of Fame has announced their five new members who have received the necessary 75 percent from the 16 member selection committee. The 2019 World Golf Hall of Fame Class will be: Retief Goosen: From South Africa, Goosen won 33 worldwide tournaments, which included the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open. Goosen arguably should be the headliner for the induction ceremony. Peggy Kirk Bell: Kirk Bell won the 1949 Titleholders Championship and was an inaugural member of the LPGA. Her greatest contribution to the game would occur later as an instructor. She passed away two years ago at the age of 95. Jan Stephenson: Stephenson was the LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1974 and the Australian would become very popular for her play and for endorsements, which were also due to her looks. She would win 16 LPGA Titles including the 1981 du Maurier Classic, the 1982 LPGA Championship and 1983 Women’s Open. Billy Payne: Payne was the chairman of the Augusta National and the Masters Tournament (2006-17). Dennis Walters: Walters suffered a golf cart accident at age 24, which while it derailed a promising career as a player would see him continue to give golf clinics and trick shots. We here ay Notinhallofame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

We look forward to this day every year at Notinhalloffame.com. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2019 and annually it brings about the biggest debates in the short history of Halls of Fame. Hell, it was those debates that caused us to create this website in the first place! Here are the nominees: Def Leppard: This is the first time that the British pop-metal band has been nominated after being eligible since 2004. They are ranked #41 on our list. Devo: Often perceived as a one-hit wonder (for Whip It), this was a very influential act that was far more than just a New Wave Band. This is their first nomination and they have are ranked #84 on our list. Janet Jackson: This is Janet’s third nomination and first since 2017. She is ranked #18 on our list. John Prine: While Prine is a decent candidate, this has to be considered the biggest “oh, really?” reaction of this year’s Finalists. He is ranked #314 on our list. Kraftewerk: Arguably in terms of influence, there is no artist(s) that deserve induction more than Kraftwerk. This is their fifth nomination and they are ranked #2 on our list. LL Cool J: This is the lone Hip Hop nominee and for LL Cool J, it is the fifth nomination. He is ranked #88 on our list. MC5: In terms of Proto-Punk or even Punk in general, this would have to be the nomination. They are ranked #6 on our list. Radiohead: Radiohead were nominated last year on their first year of eligibility and they are up again this year. They are ranked #1 on our list. Rage Against the Machine: RATM is back for the second nomination and they are ranked #47 on our list. Roxy Music: This is the first nomination for Roxy Music who have been eligible since 1997 and also for Brian Eno, who also has a solo career worth celebrating. They are ranked #5 on our list. Stevie Nicks: Already inducted as a member of Fleetwood Mac, this is the first solo nomination for Nicks. She is ranked #122 on our list. The Cure: The Cure were nominated before in 2012 and are essentially this year’s 80’s Alternative nominee. They are ranked #11 on our list. Todd Rundgren: This is the first nomination for Rundgren who has been eligible since.…

It is another big day for us at Notinhalloffame.com! Last December, The Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced it’s third full class as voted by a one year long vote by the public. That class comprised of Wyld Stallyns and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. They joined previous inductees, Gorillaz, Tenacious D, Spinal Tap, The Blues Brothers and The Monkees. Like in previous years, the opening round began with over 500 Fictional Musicians which has been reduced to 15 Fictional Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Finalists. The 15 Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall Semi-Finalists are: Alvin & the Chipmunks (Alvin & the Chipmunks) Archies, The (The Archies) Banana Splits (The Banana Splits) Be-Sharps, The (The Simpsons) Bleeding Gums Murphy (The Simpsons) Dethklok (Metapcolypse) Jem and the Holograms (Jem and the Holograms) Josie & the Pussycats (The Archies & Josie & The Pussycats) Marvin Berry & the Starlighters (Back to the Future) Otis Day & The Knights (Animal House) Rutles, The (The Rutles) Soggy Bottom Boys, The (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) Stillwater (Almost Famous) Wonders, The (That Thing You Do!) Voting will be up until late December where the two top vote getters will become the Class of 2018. You can vote here: http://www.notinhalloffame.com/ficitious-rock-and-roll-voting/2018-final-round You know what we want you to do! Cast your vote and tell us who should be in the next Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class! As always we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support!

The American Hockey League has announced the Hall of Fame Class of 2019, which will be the 14th Class of the 80 year old league. The AHL has largely served as a feeder system to the National Hockey League and is now completely affiliated with the NHL. The new members will be: John Anderson: Anderson spent 17 seasons in the NHL as a player and was a player/coach for the New Haven Nighthawks in 1991/92 where he was a First Team All Star and would win the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award. He would become a full-time coach in 1995 and was poached by the Chicago Wolves in the IHL and helmed them to two Turner Cups. When the franchise was absorbed into the AHL, he would take the team to two Calder Cup wins. He is fifth all-time in coaching wins in the AHL. Don Cherry: Before he became an icon in Hockey Night in Canada Don Cherry played 767 Games as a Defenceman for he Hershey Bears, Springfield Indians and Rochester Americans where he recorded 259 Points and well over 1,000 Penalty Minutes. He would become a player/coach for the Americans and was the AHL Coach of the Year in 1974 when he was then a full time coach. Murray Eaves: Eaves is the AHL’s all-time leader in Points per Game (1.27) and is one of two players who scored 115 Points or more in two seasons. The two time Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award winner played for Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia and Adirondack and he scored 680 Points in the league. Brad Smyth: Smyth scored 50 Goals twice in the AHL and he had 326 total and would score 667 Points in 610 Games. Smyth played for Springfield, Carolina, Hartford, Binghamton and Manchester and he would help Hartford win the Calder Cup in 2000. The ceremony will take place on January 28, 2019. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the members of the American Hockey League Class of 2019.

The World Golf Hall of Fame has announced the 15 Finalists in four categories, Male Competitors (4), Female Competitors (5), Lifetime Achievement (3) and Veterans (3). A Sub-Committee of 20 people decided the Finalists, six of which are Hall of Famers. The Finalists are: Male Competitors: Reteif Goosen: From South Africa, Goosen won 33 times on tour and was the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open winner. He is also a six time Presidents Cup winner. Graham Marsh: The Australian won 50 tournaments, 20 of which were on the Asian Tour. Corey Pavin: Pavin won 24 tournaments, which included 15 on the PGA Tour. Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open and four Ryder Cups and was also named the PGA Player of the Year in 1991. Hal Sutton: Sutton won 14 PGA Tournaments, three of which were Majors (the 1983 and 2000 Players Championship and 1983 PGA Championship). He as also a five time Ryder Cup Champion and was the 1983 PGA Player of the Year. Female Competitors: Susie Berning: Berning won 11 LPGA titles, which included four majors; the 1965 Western Open and the 1968, 1972 & 1973 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Beverly Hanson: Hanson won 17 times on the LPGA including the 1955 LPGA Championship, 1956 Women’s Western Open and the 1958 Titleholders Championship. Sandra Palmer: Palmer won 21 tournaments, 19 of which were on the LPGA circuit. Palmer was named the LPGA Player of the Year while winning the U.S. Open that year. Dottie Pepper: Pepper was the LGPA Player of the Year in 1992 and she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship twice (1992 & 1999). She would win 17 tournaments on the LPGA circuit. Jan Stephenson: Stephenson won 16 LPGA tournaments and the Australian won three Majors, 1981 du Maurier Classic, the 1982 LPGA Championship and the 1983 U.S. Women’s Open. Lifetime Achievement: Peggy Kirk Bell: Bell was a charter member of the LPGA in 1950 and she would win the Titleholders Championship in 1949. She would achieve more notoriety as an instructor as she would become the first woman to be named in the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. Billy Payne: Payne was the Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club from 2006 to 2017. Dennis Walters: Walters was a strong golfer who was paralyzed at age 24 due to a golf cart accident but he became a trick shot artist and gave golf clinics…

Now that the Baseball regular season is over we know that there will be significant retirements occurring in the next few months but on the last weekend we knew that we saw that end of David Wright’s career. Wright played two games after coming back from serious injury that prematurely ended his 2016 season. Those were his first games back in 855 days Wright made his Major League debut in 2004 with the New York Mets, which would be the only franchise that he ever played for. Wright would prove to very good hitter as he batted .300 five times in a row (2005-09) and two more (2012-13) and he put forth decent power numbers with five 25 Home Run seasons. He would finish in the top ten in National League MVP voting four times and was a two time Silver Slugger and two time Gold Glove winner. Wright retires with 1,777 Hits, 242 Home Runs a .296/.376/.491 Slash Line and a bWAR of 50.4. He is Hall of Fame eligible in 2024 and it will be interesting to see what percentage of the votes that he will tabulate. It will be difficult for the seven time All Star to get past the first round as while he has solid metrics in both traditional and advanced statistics but they accumulatively do not measure up to other Hall of Fame Third Basemen. While we don’t think he will be enshrined in Cooperstown there is a good chance that he will receive a post career honor by the New York Mets. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish David Wright the best in his post-playing career.