Yes, we know that 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 Chicago Cubs.  When it comes to iconic sports teams in North America, few can come close to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs first came into existence in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings would join the National League in 1876.  Before 1900, Chicago was one of the most successful teams.  Led by Cap Anson, Chicago would win the National League Pennant in 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885 & 1886.  They would go through a couple of name changes to the Colts, Orphans and would officially adopt the name of the Cubs in 1903. The Cubs did well in the first decade of the 1900s where with stars like Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance, and Three Finger Brown and would win the World Series in 1907 and 1908.  That would begin the longest championship drought in sports. You know the story.  The alleged curse of the goat.  Steve Bartman.  It would take until 2016 when they would win the World Series again, although they did win the National League Pennant multiple times between them (1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 & 1945).  They also had Hall of Famers at that time, like Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg. As of this writing, three World Series Championships is not very many for a team that has been around since the beginning, but again, how many organizations are as well-known as the Cubbies! 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 the National League. 3.  Playoff accomplishments. 4.  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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Cap Anson 2. Ernie Banks 3. Ryne Sandberg 4. Ron Santo 5. Billy Williams We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue…

On the weekend of what was supposed to be NCAA’s Final Four, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today their Class of 2020. As expected, the triumvirate of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett have all been selected for Springfield.  They comprised the top three in our most recent Notinhalloffame.com list of those to consider for the Hall. Kobe Bryant tragically passed away along with eight other people (including his daughter, Gianna) in a helicopter crash.  Bryant played his entire pro career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would lead the Lake Show to five NBA Championships.  Individually, he would win the 2007-08 MVP, was a 15-time All-Star and was a First Team All-NBA Selection 11 times. Internationally, Bryant won the Olympic Gold Medal twice with the United States (2008 & 2012). Like Bryant, Tim Duncan played his entire career with one team, his being the San Antonio Spurs.  “The Big Fundamental” took the Spurs to five titles, and he was a two-time MVP.  Duncan went to 15 All-Star Games, was a 10-time First Team All-NBA Selection, an eight-time All-Defensive First Team honoree, and was the Rookie of the Year. At Wake Forest, he was also the Consensus National College Player of the Year in 1997. Kevin Garnett did not spend his career with one team, but he is easily the greatest Minnesota Timberwolves player ever.  It was in Minnesota where he won his MVP, but he would later help the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship in 2008, while also winning the Defensive Player of the Year.  Garnett went to 15 All-Star Games, was a four-time First Team All-NBA Selection, and would be an All-Defensive First Teamer.   Also chosen was Eddie Sutton.  With a career record of 806-326, Sutton went to three Final Fours (one with Arkansas and two with Oklahoma State), and he was a two-time AP College Coach of the Year.  Sutton was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. A five-time NBA All-Star, Rudy Tomjonavich was a Head Coach for the Hosuton Rockets from 1992 to 2003.  He took the Rockets to the NBA Championship in 1994 and 1995, and the United States to Olympic Gold in 2000. All five male Finalists got in, as did all three female finalists, which were Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey and Barbara Stevens: Tamika Catchings won four Olympic Gold Medals for the United States, and took the Indiana Fever to a WNBA Title in 2012.  Individually in…

It was announced today that R&B/Soul/Pop legend, Bill Withers died last Monday at the age of 81 due to heart complications. Born in West Virginia, Withers moved to Los Angeles in 1967 seeking a career in music after a nine-year career in the military.  He put out his first album in 1971, which included the hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine”.  Later hits in the 1970s and early 1980s would include “Lean on Me”, “Use Me”, “Lovely Day” and “Just the Two of Us”.  He would win two Grammys and was chosen for the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Bill Withers.

Didn’t we just write this? We did, but The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced that they will be postponing their induction for the Class of 2020 until 2021, specifically on June 10, 2021 in New York City. The announcement came today from SHOF Chairman, Nile Rodgers. The Class of 2020 comprises Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (The Eurythmics), The Isley Brothers, Steve Miller, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo (The Neptunes), Rick Nowels, William Stevenson, Paul Williams and Jody Gerson. It is not known at this time whether there will be an additional class in 2021, or whether that will be cancelled in its own right to focus on this group.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame has announced that the Hall of Game weekend is officially cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  It was scheduled for this June.   Rather than simply announce a postponement, they announced that they will be honored at the 2021 induction ceremony.  The official plaques will however be at display at the Hall starting in June. The Class of 2020 is comprised of boxers, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, “Sugar” Shane Mosely, Frank Erne, Paddy Ryan, the first female boxing honorees, Barbara Buttrick, Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker.  Promoters Low DiBella, Kathy Duva and Dan Goosen as well as journalists Bernard Fernandez and Thomas Hauser were also part of thte class.

There is always Hall of Fame related news when you look hard enough! With the hope that the Pro Football Hall of Fame Ceremony will go on in August, impending inductee, Jimmy Johnson has given some insight as to his inductor will be. On Twitter, he was asked if Jerry Jones, his former boss and owner of the Dallas Cowboys would induct him.  He responded that the honor will go to Troy Aikman and that Terry Bradshaw will put the jacket on him. While there remains a rift between Johnson and Jones, there is hope that the Hall of Fame induction of Johnson will lead to a place in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.  It is worth noting that Tom Landry did not enter the Ring until three years after his Hall of Fame induction. Hopefully we will find more Hall of Fame related news, and of course, we will be looking!

It was announced today that former baseball player, Jimmy Wynn, has passed away today.  He was 78 years old. Wynn played 15 seasons in the Majors, with the first 11 spent as a Houston Astro.  Nicknamed the “Toy Cannon” for his slight frame and explosive power, Wynn would blast 291 Home Runs over his career.  While he had a Batting Average of .250, his On Base Percentage was .366, and he led the National League twice in Walks.  Wynn also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where in both of his seasons there, he was named to the All-Star Team. In our latest Notinhalloffame rank of those to consider for the Baseball Hall, he was at #87. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Jimmy Wynn at this time.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  Eventually, we plan to do that for the major colleges in the NCAA.  As such, it is news to us that Creighton University has announced the three members of their Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The new members are: Kelli Browning, Volleyball (2011-14).  Browning was the first person in her program to be named an All-American in three straight years, and she is first all-time in school history in percentage (.335), block assists (547) and blocks per set (1.42). Mike Tranchilla, Soccer (1999-02). Tranchilla helped the Blue Jays reach four NCAA tournaments, including reaching the 2000 National Championship game.   Pat Venditte, Baseball (2005-08).  Venditte was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 MVC Tournament, and he would have a 2.86 ERA with 255 Strikeouts. The date and location of the ceremony, which will be the 53rdannual ceremony, has yet to be determined. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to the impending members of the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sports may be in limbo, Hall of Fames may be closed, but Hall of Fame related news continues. The Marshall University Athletic Hall of Fame has announced the newest members who will comprise the 2020 Class. The nine new members are: Karla May, Basketball (1982-86).  May is the all-time leader in Assists (751) and she helped the Thundering Hers win two Southern Conference regular season titles. Albert McClellan, Football (2005-09).  McClellan was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and he was also a two-time First Team CUSA Selection.  As a pro football player, he won two Super Bowls, one with the Baltimore Ravens, and one with the New England Patriots. Bill Noe, Swimming (1982-86).  Noe was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection. Sam O’Dell, Golf (1997-00). O’Dell was an Academic First Team All-American, and he set a school freshman record with a 74.3 average. Dave Ramella, Baseball (1976-79).  Ramella played in 136 Games at Third Base for Marshall where he batted .275.  He helped the Herd win the 1978 Southern Conference Team that played in their second NCAA tournament. Jalicia Ross, Volleyball (2004-08).  Ross helped Marhsall win the Conference USA Title in 2005. Kellie Schmitt, Tennis (2005-09).  Schmitt is the all-time school leader in combined singles and doubles wins (236), and she is a three-time Conference Player of the Year (2007-09). Steve Sciullo, Football (1999-02).  Sciullo played at Offensive Line, and in 1999, he helped the Herd finish #10 in the nation and defeat BYU in the Motor City Bowl. Trusty Tallman, Football/Baseball (1916-19 & 1925-28).  Tallman was this year’s legends inductee.  He helped Marshall go undefeated in 1919. The Hall of Fame dinner will take place on September 11, and the new class will be honored at Marshall’s pregame before Pittsburgh. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame.

Maybe there is a light at the end of the Corona tunnel. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that the rescheduled 2020 induction ceremony will take place on November 7 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.  It is scheduled to be broadcast live on HBO, which will be the first time that the ceremony will not be aired on a multi-month delay. The ceremony was originally scheduled in May, with the inductees being Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., T-Rex, Jon Landau and Irving Azoff. We are hoping that this will go through, and we are looking forward to watching it.

This really should not shock us anymore, but here we are with a sudden retirement in the NFL, as Dallas Cowboy, Travis Frederick announced on social media that age 29, he is ending his pro football career. Taken with the 31st overall pick in 2013, Frederick came from the University of Wisconsin to start immediately at Center for Dallas. Frederick became the literal centerpiece of what became one of the most dominating offensive linemen in pro football. From 2014 to 2017, he was named to the Pro Bowl, and a First Team All-Pro Selection came his way in 2014. He would be forced to sit out the entire 2018 season when he was diagnosed with Guillane-Barre Syndrome, but he would return in 2019, and earn his fifth and what will now be his final Pro Bowl.   In his social media post, he referenced the disease, as a reason to re-evaluate what was important, thus leading to what is considered to be a shocking retirement. Prior to the 2019 season, Frederick was ranked #60 on our pre-season list of those worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.  Frederick will be Hall of Fame eligible in 2025, but it is unlikely that he will make the cut. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Travis Frederick the best in his post-playing career.

It was announced that Kenny Rogers, passed away last night at the age of 81 due to natural causes. A legend in country music, it took a long time before Rogers achieved stardom.  The native Texan went from a rockabilly group, to a jazz ensemble, to psychedelic, to folk, and after more than a decade plus he found his first real success with the First Edition. The group (later renamed Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) would have a hit with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”, which although was not a country song, it had a country flavor to it, and that foreshadowed his future musical direction. Rogers went solo in the mid-70’s, and over the next ten years, he became a superstar with multiple country-pop crossovers like “The Gambler”, “Coward of the County” “Lady” and “Lucille”.  He also had major success with duets with Dolly Parton “Islands in the Stream” and with Sheena Easton “We’ve Got Tonight”. Rogers would also cross over into acting, most notably starring in the 1982 film, Six Pack. He was indicted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kenny Rogers.

Hall of Fame news isn’t over! The World Video Game Hall of Fame has announced the Finalists for their Class of 2020. They are: Bejeweled Centipede Frogger GoldenEye 007 Guitar Hero King’s Quest Minecraft NBA Jam Nokia Snake Super Smash Brothers Melee Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The World Video Game Hall of Fame is housed at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York.  It also is the home of the Toy Hall of Fame.

Impact Wrestling announced that Ken Shamrock will be entering their Hall of Fame, which was formerly known as the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame.  Shamrock is a pioneer in Mixed Martial Arts, and a member of the UFC Hall of Fame.  The former UFC main eventer would become a star in the WWE, where he won the King of the Ring, the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championship.  His influence in bringing an MMA style into professional wrestling is unquestionable. When Impact Wrestling opened in 2002 (as TNA), Shamrock was its first champion.  He is currently employed by Impact, and has been a regular on their programming over the last few months. It is notable that the WWE allowed their footage to be used in the induction package. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Ken Shamrock for earning this honor.

Hall of Fame related cancellations just keep on coming.   The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced that all of the events of the Hall of Fame Classic Weekend on may 23 have been cancelled. Those events include the annual legends game, the Night at the Museum program and the BASE Race Charity Run The Hall itself is already closed indefinitely.

Ben Watson, who last played with the New England Patriots, has announced that he is retiring from the NFL.  This is his second retirement, as he called it a career after the 2018 season before as a member of the New Orleans Saints.  He came out of retirement when he signed with the Pats last year. Drafted with the last pick of the first round in 2004, Watson won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie.  While that would be the only championship hardware he would obtain, Watson enjoyed a long and productive career.  Five times he would have at least 500 Yards, and he would also enjoy runs in Cleveland, New Orleans and Baltimore. Watson retires with 547 Receptions, 6,058 Receiving Yards and 44 Touchdowns. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Ben Watson the best on his post-playing career.

With all of the Hall of Fame related news being about the physical buildings shutting down, it is nice to talk about something else for a change. In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Jushin “Thunder” Liger said that he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  This was confirmed by the WWE later today. Born Keiichi Yamada, Liger made his debut in 1984, and after wrestling around the world, he took on the Liger persona in 1989.  Immediately, he took over the Junior Heavyweight division, and was renowned for his innovative high-flying style. Liger would win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title eleven times, and would also with the unifying J-Crown in 1996.  Tournament wise, he won the Best of the Super Juniors three times. North American fans were treated to Liger in WCW, where he won the Light Heavyweight Title from Brian Pillman. He officially retired from wrestling at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome. In the WWE umbrella, Liger only wrestled once.  He beat Tyler Breeze at one of their Takeover shows in 2015. In our last update of the Notinhalloffame WWE list, Liger was ranked 28 of those to consider for the WWE Hall of Fame. We will be revising out list after Wrestlemania (if it happens). We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Liger for obtaining this honor.

As the Coronavirus spreads across the world, the Halls of Fame are closing along with it. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, announced today that it is closed as of today, with a potential reopening planned on March 27. The Pro Football Hall of Fame, located an hour south of the Rock Hall in Akron, will be closed on the 16thof March, and like the Rock Hall, is pegging March 27 as the day that the doors may open again. In Cooperstown New York, the Baseball Hall will close its doors tomorrow indefinitely.   The Country Music Hall in Nashville, Tennessee, closes on the 16thwith the 31stslated as a potential date for patronage to resume. In Toronto, Canada, the Hockey Hall closed today and has a scheduled reopening of April 6. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, was already closed for renovations.  It is not scheduled to reopen until May, 1. We here at Notinhalloffame.com, remain open!

Coronavirus is affecting our little niche in the Hall of Fame world, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced that this year’s induction ceremony has been postponed indefinitely. There is no date set for a possible rescheduling.   In a statement with Rolling Stone, Rock Hall President had this to say: “We are very disappointed to announce the postponement of this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Our first concern is to the health and safety of our attendees and artists and we are complying to the direction of the local and state authorities and common sense. We look forward to rescheduling the ceremony and will make that announcement at the earliest convenience.” The virus has caused cancellations of concerts, sports leagues and the shutdown of theme parks.  Wrestlemania is still scheduled next month in Tampa, as is the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. We expect that to be cancelled soon.

It was announced today that Del Shofner passed away in his home.  He was 85 years old. Playing his college ball at Baylor, the Los Angeles Rams chose Shofner with the 11thpick overall in the 1957 Draft.  Shofner was used mostly as a Defensive End as a rookie, but he would play a lot more on the offensive side of the ball afterward.  He would be a First Team All-Pro in both 1958 and 1959 and won the Receiving Yards Title in the former year with 1,097 Yards.   Shofner joined the New York Giants in 1961, and that year, and the two seasons after he was a First Team All-Pro. In all three of those campaigns, he would break the 1,000 Yard mark.  He would go to five Pro Bowls over his career. Shofner retired in 1967 and would accumulate 6,470 Yards with 51 Touchdowns.  He is ranked #78 on our latest list of those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family at this time.

Yes, we know that 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 Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Pittsburgh Penguins were part of the first wave of expansion in 1967, and they were off to a horrible start.  When they did make the playoffs, they were often bounced early, and fans grew tired. By 1983, the Penguins were close to folding or relocation, but then the words happened:  Mario Lemieux. Lemieux became an instant superstar and a must-watch team.  His existence saved the franchise, and with the addition of Jaromir Jagr and other stars, the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.  Years later, with the Penguins in financial trouble again, Lemieux would buy the team and save it the organization from the same fate it had years before.  With the top pick in 2005, they chose Sidney Crosby, and with him and later Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins would win the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017. As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NHL. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. 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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Mario Lemieux 2. Sidney Crosby 3. Jaromir Jagr 4. Evgeni Malkin 5. Marc-Andre Fleury We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   Look for our All-Time Top 50 Chicago Cubs coming next! As always we thank you for your support.

We have another huge day at Notinhalloffame.com as the College Football Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2020. Seventeen former players and two former Coaches will be induced on December 8, at the New York Hilton.  To become eligible as a player, that individual must have been a First Team All-American and have last played his college ball ten years ago.  In addition, they must have played their last year in college at least 50 years ago (1970.). As for the Coaches, they become eligible when three years after they retired or are 70 years old. The College Football Hall of Fame Class comprises: Lomas Brown:  Offensive Tackle, Florida (1981-84).  Brown was an All-American in 1984, which was the year he would win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.  He was the anchor of the “Great Wall of Florida” Offensive Line, and he would help Florida win the 1983 Gator Bowl.  Professionally, he would be a seven-time Pro Bowl Selection and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants (XXXVII).  Keith Byars:  Running Back, Ohio State (1982-85).  Byars had a phenomenal 1984 campaign where he finished first in the NCAA in Rushing Yards (1,746), All-Purpose Yards (2,441) and Points (144).  Byars was the runner-up for the Heisman that year and would win the Big Ten Player of the Year.  He would also take the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl appearance.  Byars was a team captain the year after, and he went on to have a 13-year career in the NFL.  He would overall have 4,082 Yards from Scrimmage with 49 Touchdowns with Ohio State. Eric Crouch:  Quarterback, Nebraska (1998-2001).  Crouch won the 2001 Heisman Trophy, and he made statistical history as the first Quarterback to throw for 4,000 Yards and rush for 3,000 Yards.  In 2001, Crouch led the Cornhuskers to the BCS National Championship Game, and he would win the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien Award that year.  Crouch would be drafted in the NFL as a Wide Receiver, but he would never play a game in that league.  He did however play in NFL Europe and the CFL. Eric Dickerson:  Running Back, SMU (1979-82).  The star of SMU’s famous “Pony Express”, Dickerson finished third in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1982, which would be the year he led them to a win in the Cotton Bowl.  The Running Back would go for 4,450 Yards as a Mustang and was twice named the Southwest Conference Player of the Year.  Dickerson would be drafted…

This is a surprise to absolutely nobody. Two months ago, the World Golf Hall of Fame altered the age threshold for induction from 50 to 45.   Who is turning 45 this year? Tiger Woods. Who was a Finalist this year? Tiger Woods. Who is the lone inductee this year?  Tiger Woods. As a golfer, Woods has done it all.    He is an 11-time PGA Tour Player of the Year, he has 93 worldwide tour wins, with 15 majors.  Woods is without question the biggest name the sport has ever had, and he raised the profile of the game immensely.   While his first year of eligibility was sped up, there is no doubt that he is a first ballot inductee. As of this writing, there is no location set for the ceremony.  We imagine that with Woods as the highest-profile inductee ever, they will try to secure a large venue.  The Hall is located in St. Augustine, Florida, and has not been drawing good numbers. It is housed in the World Golf Village, and its retail ring has less than 50 percent occupancy in 80,000 square feet of retail space.   An article was also written three years ago, stated how the Hall has been a money loser for the taxpayers of Florida since the new facility opened in 1998.  It certainly raises an easy answer, as to why they felt the need to rush Woods into the Hall. As it stands now, Woods will be the lone inductee as the other finalists did not advance.  They were Padraig Harrington, Tom Wieskopf, Johnny Ferrell, Dottie Pepper, Susie Maxwell Berning, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson, and two contributors; Tim Finchem and Marion Hollins. Regardless of the backstory, we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Tiger Woods for earning this honor.

We have a very significant retirement to discuss in the world of Pro Football as Marshal Yanda will be announcing his retirement on Wednesday. A third round pick from Iowa, Yanda would start 12 of his 16 Games as a rookie and he would be a permanent fixture on the right side of the line from 2010 until his retirement in 2019. Yanda went to his first Pro Bowl in 2011, and he would go to eight in total. A two-time First Team All-Pro, Yanda was also a Second Team Selection five times.  His presence on the O-Line helped the Ravens win the 2012’s season Super Bowl. Yanda’s lunch pail work ethic made him a star in the eyes of his peers, his coaches and the fans.  He was considered to be one of the most regimented players in the game. In our pre-season ranking of active players for Hall of Fame consideration, Yanda was ranked #27 overall and #3 among Offensive Linemen. Yanda will be eligible for the Hall in 2025, and he will receive (and should) serious consideration. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Marshal Yanda the best in his post-playing career.

It is a sad day for the Montreal Canadiens and the world of hockey as it was announced today that Henri Richard passed away at the age of 84. The younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Henri was nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” in reference to his small stature.  While he may have played part of his career in his brother’s shadow, the younger Richard was a superstar in his own right.   Playing his entire 20-year career with the Canadiens, Richard debuted in 1955-56, and two years later he would lead the NHL in Assists.  That season, the Centre would earn a First Team All-Star selection for the first and only time.  Richard would later be a Second Team All-Star three more times, and in 1962-63, he won his second Assists Title.  Overall, he would score 1,046 Points in 1,258 regular season games. Richard was not just a playmaker, but he was also a leader.  Henri took over the captaincy of the Habs in 1971 from the legendary Jean Beliveau, and he would wear the “C” until his retirement in 1975.   Montreal was a league powerhouse while he was there.  In 11 of his 20 seasons, Richard would hoist the Stanley Cup over his head, the most won by any player.  This is a record that will never be broken.  He had 129 Points in the playoffs.  Richard was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Henri Richard.

It seems that the more lists we create, the more we have to continue to update them.   That sounded pretty obvious didn’t it?  Of course, we have to, and we love it! Today, we have the unveiling of our 2021 version of the Notinhalloffame.com football list.  Only a few months ago, we expanded our list to 300, and this is the number that we are going to keep it firm at.  Last season, the National Football League celebrated its 100thAnniversary, and to coincide with the landmark, the Pro Football Hall of Fame added 15 new members, 10 of which were former players.  In addition to the five who were chosen by the regular committee, this means that we had to remove 15 names in total, the most we have ever done. To recap, the 15 removed were Steve Atwater (#5), Troy Polamalu (#7), Isaac Bruce (#9), Alex Karras (#14), Edgerrin James (#20), Donnie Shell (#21), Mac Speedie (#22), Steve Hutchinson (#24), Cliff Harris (#26), Duke Slater (#33), Harold Carmichael (#37), Bobby Dillon (#118), Winston Hill (#147), Ed Sprinkle (#164) and Jimbo Covert (#285)  We have added new names are now eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a few who we might have overlooked in the past.  Those who we had on our Futures Section, we have taken your votes and comments into account and inputted them into our revised list.  We have also looked at your existing votes, and we are proud to present the new list of those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The complete list can be found here, but here is our new Top Ten: #1. Peyton Manning.  Everyone else is fighting the remaining spots, as there has not been a lock this solid since Brett Favre’s first year of eligibility. Manning won a Super Bowl with Indianapolis and Denver, and he is a five-time MVP.  The Quarterback is also a fourteen-time Pro Bowl, seven-time First Team All-Pro and has a resume of 71,940 Passing Yards with 539 Touchdown Passes. Who else could be number one? #2. Charles Woodson.  Woodson makes his debut at the second spot on our list, and like Manning, the Defensive Back looks like he is entering on his first year on the ballot. Splitting his career between Green Bay and the Oakland Raiders, Woodson won the Defensive Rookie of the Year (1998), and would later win the Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.  The two-time Interception leader owns a Super…

Last night on WWE Backstage, it was announced that John Bradshaw Layfield will be entering the WWE Hall of Fame this year. After beginning his wresting career in 1992, Layfield signed with the WWE in 1995 as Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw, where the Texan was in full cowboy gimmick similar to Stan Hansen.  The character would see television time, but it was a lower-card gimmick that did nothing more than have a forgettable feud with Savio Vega.   In early 1997, Bradshaw became “Blackjack Bradshaw” and formed the new Blackjacks with Barry Windham.  The team went nowhere, and Bradshaw would be a single again, though this time as a babyface.  He switched back to being a heel, this time forming a tag team with Faarooq and being part of the Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness stable.  This was a winning tag team, and the Acolytes (their team name) would win the WWF World Tag Team Titles in May of 1999.   Faarooq and Bradshaw stayed together for four years, and following the Undertaker’s sabbatical due to injury, the tandem became fan favorites as they morphed into cigar-shopping, beer-swilling, poker-playing tough guys for hire.  The fans responded, and they would win the tag titles two more times.  The tag team was broken up during the 2002 brand split, and Bradshaw was a mid-card face, who would win the Hardcore Title, but they were reunited a year later on the Smackdown brand.   Around this time, Bradshaw became known for his investments, and would even have a book come out about it. The team would break up for good when Faarooq was put out to pasture by the WWE as an on-screen character, and Bradshaw would don a new character, that of John Bradshaw Layfield, a J.R. Ewing type of rich Texan.  It cliqued, and he would feud with Eddie Guerrero, and win the WWE Championship from him that year.  JBL would have his own stable, The Cabinet, and he would hold the title until he lost it to John Cena at Wrestlemania 21.   JBL would remain near the top of the card, and at Wrestlemania 22, he defeated Chris Benoit for the United States Title.  He held that for a few months, and took time off away from the ring to be a commentator, and let injuries pile up.  He came back in 2007 and after more high-profile feuds, he would win the Intercontinental Championship and lost it to Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania XXV.  He retired that day.  …

Yes, we know that 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 Colorado Avalanche.  Debuting as the Quebec Nordiques in 1972 in the World Hockey Association, they would become one of the most successful teams in the league.  The Nordiques won the Avco Cup in 1977, and they would be one of four franchises that would be absorbed into the NHL in 1979.  Despite having some good players in Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny, they struggled in the league.  After drafting Eric Lindros who refused to play for them, they traded his rights to the Philadelphia Flyers, and the haul they got that included Peter Forsberg would give them hope.  Sadly, it was a small market, and they were no longer able to remain financially viable. The team would relocate to Denver in 1995, and would become the Colorado Avalanche.  In their inaugural year, they would trade for Goaltender, Patrick Roy, and with Forsberg and Joe Sakic, they would win their first Stanley Cup in their inaugural year in the Mountain Time Zone.  They would win a second Cup in 2001.  As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NHL. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. 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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here,but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Joe Sakic 2. Peter Forsberg 3. Michel Goulet 4. Peter Stastny 5. Patrick Roy We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   Look for or All-Time Top 50 Pittsburgh Penguins coming next! As always we thank you for your support.

We are only in March of 2020, but the World Golf Hall of Fame has announced the Finalists for the 2021 Class. Earlier this week, the nomination committee have put forth ten Finalists.  Four are in the male category, four in the female category and two in the contributor category. The Male Finalists are: Johnny Farrell:  Farrell won 28 PGA Tour Titles, including the 1928 U.S. Open. Padraig Harrington:  The Irishman won six PGA Tour Titles, 15 European Tour Titles and was the 2008 PGA Tour Player of the Year. Tom Weiskopf:  Weiskopf won 16 PGA Tour Titles, which included the 1973 Open Championship. Tiger Woods:  Woods won a whopping 92 PGA Tour Titles, including 15 Majors.    The Female Finalists are: Beverly Hanson: Hanson won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Title in 1950, and would later win 17 LPGA Titles and three Majors. Susie Maxwell Berning:  Berning won 11 LPGA Titles with four Majors. Sandra Palmer:  Palmer was the 1975 LPGA Player of the Year, and would win two Majors and 19 LPGA Titles. Dottie Pepper:  Pepper captured 17 LPGA Titles, with two of them being Majors. The Contributors are: Tim Finchem:  Finchem was the PGA Tour Commissioner from 1993 to 2016. Marion Hollis:  Hollis won the 1921 U.S. Amateur Tournament and was one of the early golf course arhitects.   The conspiracy theory in us, has to wonder aloud if the recent change to from 50 to 45 years old, is to fast track Woods into the Hall.  If that is the case, that would indicate a need to generate immediate income for the institution (see Basketball Hall of Fame, Naismith). Regardless, we here at Notinhalloffame.com will be watching!

One of our favorite franchise Hall of Fames is that of the St. Louis Cardinals, which was only established in 2014, but has quickly earned a place as a must-see for baseball fans. For the Class of 2020, the fan vote is now available, where the top two vote getters of seven former Cardinals will become part of the organization’s Hall of Fame.   Steve Carlton 1965-71.  Carlton would play the first seven seasons of his career with St. Louis, and he was a three-time All-Star while playing there.  Carlton helped St. Louis win the 1967 World Series, and he was a 20 Game winner in his final year as a Cardinal.  With St. Louis, he had a record of 77-62 with 951 Strikeouts and a 3.10 ERA.  Carlton would be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. Keith Hernandez 1974-83.  Playing at First Base, Hernandez was one of the better defensive players at that position of all-time.  A Cardinal for the first decade of his career, Hernandez went to two All-Star Games and won six Gold Gloves as a Cardinal.  A key member of the 1982 World Series Championship team, Hernandez was the co-winner of the 1979 MVP.  With the Cards, the First Baseman had 1,217 Hits with a Batting Average of .299. Tom Herr 1979-88.  Herr was an All-Star in 1985, and he was part of the 1982 World Series Championship Team.  He would have 1,021 Hits for the team with a .274 Batting Average. Matt Morris 1997-05.  A St. Louis Cardinal for eight years, Morris was second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1997.  He was sidelined in 1999 due to Tommy John Surgery, but he rebounded well, leading the National League in Wins (22), going to the All-Star Game, and finished third in Cy Young voting.  Morris was an All-Star again in 2002, and he would have a record of 101-62 overall with 986 Strikeouts in St. Louis. Edgar Renteria 1999-04.  Renteria was a Cardinal for six years, and he was an All-Star for three of them.  The Columbian Shortstop had at least 10 Home Runs in each of his seasons, and had 71 overall for the Redbirds.  Renteria also stole 148 bases, and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.  He had 93 Hits with a .290 Batting Average in St. Louis. Lee Smith 1990-93.  Three times an All-Star with the Cardinals, Smith led the National League in Saves in both 1991 and 1992, and was in the top four in Cy Young voting in both seasons.  He would…

While politics and sports don’t often mix, it does occur, especially when the topic of Halls of Fame come up. 102 members of the U.S. Congress have sent a letter to the Baseball Hall of Fame, extolling the candidacy of Curt Flood, who could be nominated by the Veteran’s “Golden Days” Committee this December.   As a player, Flood was a three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove recipient, and he would help the St. Louis Cardinals win two World Series Championships.  What made Flood more recognized is that in 1969 he challenged the reserve clause in Major League Baseball. Flood had asked the Cardinals for a pay raise, which was denied.  At that time, players were completely under the control of their respective team, and Flood was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.  Flood refused to report. With the backing of the Player’s Union, the case went to the Supreme Court, which Flood would lose 5-3.  Although Flood retired, the cause continued, and it was the catalyst that resulted in Free Agency becoming a part of the Majors in December of 1975. Flood’s  areer was short because of his principles, although it was not like he did not receive prior consideration for the Hall of Fame.  He was on the ballot for fifteen years, and peaked at 15.1% in 1996, his final year on the ballot.  What this means for Flood’s Cooperstown chances are anyone’s guess, but as always, we will be paying attention!  

Didn’t this seem like it already existed? The Premier League will be launching a Hall of Fame, with two players to be inducted.  The EPL, which was founded in 1992, is considered to be the top professional soccer league in the world.  As the name suggests, only accomplishments made in the EPL will be part of the consideration.  Those who are inducted, will receive a personalised medallion. At present, there is an English Football Hall of Fame, which began operation in 2002.   We here at Notinhalloffame.com are ecstatic about this new Hall, and we can’t wait to see how it progresses. 

We were wondering how they were going to do this. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 is the largest of all-time, and it was announced that it will span over two ceremonies. The Regular Class will take place on August 8, coinciding with the beginning of the NFL pre-season. The Centennial Class will be inducted on September, 18, which will not receive the same national coverage. As such, this has angered some of the fan bases, who have hoped that their respective candidate wild receive their proper due. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to again congratulate the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

While this hasn’t been confirmed by the WWE, it was reported by WhatCulture.com that Bret “Hit Man” Hart will be the one who will be inducting the British Bulldog into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. At one time, Bret and Davey were brothers-in-law, as Smith married Bret’s sister, Diana.  The two worked together often in Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, and when they arrived in the WWF together in the mid-80’s they wrestled against each other often in their respective tag teams, The Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs. By the early 90s, both Hart and Smith were singles wrestlers and at Summer Slam 1992, Smith defeated Hart for the Intercontinental Title in the main event at Wembley Stadium.  The two would later feud over the WWF World Heavyweight Title in the mid-90s, and would be part of the new Hart Foundation stable in 1997. When Hart left the WWF following the Montreal Screwjob, Smith followed him to WCW.  Smith passed away in 2002 following a heartattack. At last year’s ceremony, Hart was inducted for a second time as one half of the Hart Foundation tag team, with the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart.  During his acceptance speech, a crazed fan charged the ring and tackled Hart.  Many of the wrestlers in attendance quickly took out the attacker.  We are thrilled that this did not deter Hart from returning back to the ceremony. As always, we will be watching!

In a recent TMZ Post, Darren Sproles, who retired last season said that he feels he is a Hall of Famer. That probably won’t happen. This is not a shot on Sproles, who played 14 seasons with stops in San Diego, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.  Despite what Deion Sanders said a few weeks ago, the threshold for enshrinement is very high.  A three-time Pro Bowl Selection, Sproles was a multi-faceted offensive dynamo. On the ground, he rushed for 3,552 Yards and 23 Touchdowns.  In the air, he caught 553 Receptions for 4,840 Yards and 32 Touchdowns. That gives him a very good total of 8,392 Yards from Scrimmage and 55 Touchdowns, but that tally doesn’t take into account his Special Teams play. In that category, Sproles had 2,961 Punt Return Yards, 8,352 Kick Return Yards, 9 Return Touchdowns, and when you put it all together, he has 19,696 All-Purpose Yards, placing him fifth all-time.  From 2008 to 2011, Sproles had at least 2,200 All-Purpose Yards, and he would lead that category with 2,696 in 2011 when he was a Saint.  That is an all-time record for a single season.   Despite the high amount of Yards from Scrimmage he had, the Hall will likely view him primarily as a returner, and if that is the case, Special Teams players have a real hard time getting inducted. He is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025, and will definitely be on our future Notinhalloffame.com list, but the Hall will likely elude the former Super Bowl champion. We wouldn’t mind one bit if we are wrong!

As speculated, on last night’s Friday Night Smackdown, the Bella Twins (Brie & Nikki) were announced as the newest members for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame Class. Signed to WWE Developmental in 2007, they made their debut on the main roster in 2008. Their first few years were non-eventful, as they were involved in mediocre storylines, and often served as arm candy to the Guest Hosts on Monday Night Raw.  Both twins would win the Diva’s Championship in 2012, but they would leave the WWE in April of that year.   The came back before Wrestlemania I 2013, but they would have a higher profile role. Not only were they getting more screen time on the wrestling shows, they were the cornerstone of the new reality show in E!, “Total Divas.”  Nikki and Brie would feud in 2014, and while that did not last long, it was given a lot of attention on WWE programming.  Nikki won the Diva’s Title in November of 2014, when the Bellas reunited. In 2015, the “Women’s Revolution” began, as fans saw the work of the females of NXT and started the hashtag of “Give Divas a Chance.”  Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks were called up, and this coincided with the improved skills of the twins.  Nikki lost her championship to Charlotte Flair, and had to take time off due to neck and back issues.  Brie continued to wrestle, but would go into semi-retirement.   They both came back in the 2018 Royal Rumble, and later that year, Nikki challenged Ronda Rousey for the women’s title at Evolution. The Bella Twins may not have been the best workers in the business, but they became very well known, and were two of the most recognizable female wrestlers in the 2010s. We had not ranked them in our most recent Notinhalloffame.com WWE List, as we had them in the futures section instead.  This decision was due to their youth (once a wrestler is 46, they are automatically ranked), and their ability to come back full time if desired. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Bella Twins for earning this honor.

It flew under the radar of most music publications, but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame made a huge announcement as they added five new members to their Board of Directors. They are: Michele Anthony (Executive Vice President Universal Music Group) Jody Gerson (Chairman & CEO Universal Music Publishing) Pam Kaufman (President Viacom/CBS Consumer Products) Jon Platt (Chairman & SONY/ATV Music Publishing) Pharell Williams (Artist/Producer/Entrepreneur) The RRHOF Board Chairman, John Sykes, brought this group in, and it is a strong step towards his mandate to have more diverse representation as it includes three women and one African-American.   What this means going forward is still up for discussion. As always, we will be watching!

Yes, we know that 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 Edmonton Oilers.  Debuting as the Alberta Oilers in 1972 in the World Hockey Association, they would exchange the Alberta for Edmonton after one year.  The Oilers were an original WHA team, who would be one of four franchises that would be absorbed into the NHL in 1979.  When they joined the NHL, they had a young Wayne Gretzky in tow, and after drafting players like Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Grant Fuhr, a dynasty occurred that would win four Stanley Cups in the 1980s and one in 1990.  Since that time, they made the Finals once in 2006.   As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NHL. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. 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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Wayne Gretzky 2. Mark Messier 3. Jari Kurri 4. PaulCoffey 5. GrantFuhr We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   Look for or All-Time Top 50 Colorado Avalanche coming next! As always we thank you for your support.

When the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced their Finalists, Chris Bosh was left off of it.  This is his first year of eligibility after being forced to retire due to issues with blood clots in 2014.  He had this to say on his Instagram: "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm a competitor, man. I've been competing my whole life. A lot of people don't really know that about me, but I'm a fierce competitor. Losing bothers me. Coming up short bothers me. It always has, you know, since the moment I started playing basketball and it kind of bleeds over into everything that I do. So I'll just get ahead of it, and so you hear this from me: I'm disappointed." Only five men (down from ten) were named as Finalists this year, with three of those being former players (Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett).   The conspiracy theory in us feels like Bosh (and other previous finalists like Chris Webber and Ben Wallace) were put on the shelf for now to clear the path for Bryant, Duncan and Garnett.  With all due respect to Bosh, he is the clear number four behind those three.  The delay of Bosh also gives the Hall a headliner for the 2021 Class, and let’s be honest, they need to sell tickets to. As always, we will be watching.

Normally we wait until it is confirmed by the WWE, but when it is reported by Dave Meltzer of f4wrestling.com, we tend it believe that this is will come to fruition.  On his recent Wrestling Observer Radio show, Meltzer said that the late Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the Class of 2021.  From England, Smith would cut his teeth in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling and Japan in the late 70s and early 80s.  Smith and his regular tag team partner, The Dynamite Kid, were brought into the WWF in early 1984, and the British Bulldogs would take their innovate style made everyone take notice.  At Wrestlemania 2, the Bulldogs would win the WWF Tag Team Championship over the Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake).  The reign was cut short, as Dynamite suffered a severe back injury in December of 1996 in Hamilton, Ontario.  The Bulldogs would promptly lose the tag titles to the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) the following month.  Dynamite would recover (though was never the same) and they Bulldogs would continue to work for the WWF until November of 1988 after asking for their release. The Bulldogs would again work in Calgary and Japan, but after two years, the relationship between Smith and Dynamite deteriorated, and without telling him, Smith returned to the WWF alone as the British Bulldog.  Smith would become an upper-card babyface, and his popularity in Britain and Europe skyrocketed. At SummerSlam 1992 in Wembley Stadium in London, Smith pinned Bret Hart in the main event to win the Intercontinental Championship.  He held that strap for three months until he was pinned by Shawn Michaels.  Behind the scenes, along with the Ultimate Warrior, he was fired for obtaining HGH. Smith went to WCW which was brief, but he was involved in the high end of the card.  He came back to the WWF at Summer Slam 1994, assisting Bret against his brother Owen, and he would later team with Lex Luger as the Allied Powers. Luger left for WCW, and Smith turned heel and would challenge Diesel and later Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Title.  Smith would become part of Jim Cornette’s stable, and later the new Hart Foundation. When Bret left the WWF after the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Smith and Niedhart followed, bit it was a mess for the latter two. Smith barely reached the lower mid-card in WCW, and his back was destroyed…

A few weeks ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame Class.  The result was that Derek Jeter (on his first ballot), and Larry Walker (on his tenth and final) were chosen to enter Cooperstown. The two will join former Catcher, Ted Simmons, who was elected by the Veteran’s Committee.  All three of those former players were ranked in the top ten, and have been removed from the list. For the first time since we began this list in 2010, there is no new entry in our top 15.  Actually, there is no new entry in the top 50.  This should assist in clearing any existing backlog.  The new top ten is: 1A. Pete Rose.  Following the bombshell that was the Astros sign-stealing scandal, Rose again lobbied for reinstatement in the Majors.  His reasoning was that since no Astros player was punished, that logic should transfer to his own situation.  That likely won’t happen, but he did remain in the news as President Trump also said he should be in the Hall of Fame.  Since he is ineligible, he has the “1A” designation. 1B. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Like Rose, Jackson was banned from baseball, which is now 100 years old.  Jackson was banned for his (alleged) participation in the 1919 Black Sox scandal where players were paid by gamblers to throw games in the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.  Jackson was a Hall of Fame worthy player, but as such his estate has to settle for his “1B” rank. 1C. Roger Clemens.  Unlike Rose and Jackson, Clemens is Hall of Fame eligible, but the PED stain has kept him out thus far.  He has two more years left and a big mountain to climb, but what looked impossible a few years ago, could be attainable.   2. Barry Bonds.  Ditto for Bonds, and the only reason he is behind the “Rocket”, is because he has a slightly lower vote total than anyone than Clemens.  The all-time Home Run king is in the same boat as Clemens, as they both are in the low 60s in voting with two years left of eligibility.   3. Lou Whitaker.  Playing his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, Lou Whitaker was only on the Hall of Fame ballot for one year, but has appeared on the Veteran’s Committee Ballot. There is still a good chance that he could enter via that route and join his double play partner, Alan Trammell, who also had to wait for a Veteran’s…

Yes, we know that 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 Indiana Pacers.  Founded in 1967, the Indiana Pacers were an inaugural team of the American Basketball Association, and they were the most successful team in the upstart league with three championships (1970, 1972 & 1973).  They would be one of four teams that would merge with the NBA in 1976, and they would struggle for years.  While the three-time ABA Champs have yet to capture a title in the NBA, they contenders in the 1990s led by Reggie Miller.   As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. 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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Reggie Miller 2. MelDaniels 3. George McGinnis 4. Roger Brown 5. Billy Knight We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   Look for or All-Time Top 50 Edmonton Oilers coming next! As always we thank you for your support.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their North American Finalists, as is tradition before the NBA All-Star Weekend. It is a reduced number of Finalists from previous years, though this is nothing new as the Hall has never been consistent with their amount of Finalists as there are only five men and three women on this short list.  Last year, there were 10 men and three women who made it this far last year. The five male North American Finalists are: Kobe Bryant:  Many outlets interpreted the statement by Hall of President, Jerry Colangelo, who said he had “no doubt Kobe (will) be honored as he deserves” as acknowledgement that he is already in.  He isn’t, but there was never any doubt that he would be.  Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash last month, and the impending ceremony will likely be a tribute to the “Black Mamba.”  As a player, Bryant played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and would lead them to five NBA Championships.  He would go to 18 All-Star Games, was a 15-time All-NBA Selection and was the 2008 MVP.  The two-time United States Olympic Gold Medalist is fourth all-time in Points. Tim Duncan:  Playing his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, Duncan would take his squad to five NBA Championships.  “The Big Fundamental” was a 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA Selection and was a two-time MVP.  The only player to win 1,000 Games with one team, Duncan is in the top ten in Rebounds and Blocks.  Collegiately, he played at Wake Forest and was the Consensus Player of the Year in 1987. Kevin Garnett:  Garnett was a 15-time All-Star who would win the NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.  KG played most of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and over his NBA career, he also won the MVP (2004), Defensive Player of the Year (2008) and was a nine-time All-NBA Selection.  Internationally, he was a member of the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal team for the United States. Eddie Sutton:  Nominated last year, Sutton was a Head Coach with a record of 805-326 with stops at Creighton (1969-74), Arkansas (1974-85), Kentucky (1985-89) and Oklahoma State (1990-2006).  He appeared in three Final Fours, and was a four-time National Coach of the Year. Rudy Tomjanovich (Coach):  A five-time NBA All-Star with the Houston Rockets, Tomjanovich is nominated as a Coach, and he would helm the Rockets to two NBA Titles (1994 & 1995).  He also led the United States…

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that the Boston Celtics will be retiring the #5 of Kevin Garnett next season. Debuting for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, Kevin Garnett plated for them until 2007.  Garnett was a perennial All-Star and he was the 2003-04 MVP, but he grew frustrated with the team and sought a new environment.  Minnesota dealt Garnett to Boston for multiple players and picks, and his new team also signed Ray Allen, who was a free agent.  Together with Paul Pierce, the Celtics had a “Big Three” and they gelled immediately winning the NBA Championship.   While that would be the only title that Garnett would win, he would have six seasons in a Boston uniform, with four All-Star Game appearances. With Boston, he also won the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year Award, was a First Team All-NBA Selection (2008), and was a three-time All-Defensive Selection (2008, 2009 & 2011).   The other retired numbers by the Celtics are Walter Brown (#1), Red Auerbach (#2), Dennis Johnson (#3), Bill Russell (#6), JoJo White (#10), Bob Cousy (#14), Tom Heinsohn (#15), Tom Sanders (#16), John Havlick (#17), Dave Cowens (#18), Don Nelson (#19), Bill Sharman (#21), Ed Macauley (#22), Frank Ramsey (#23), Sam Jones (#24), K.C. Jones (#25), Cedric Maxwell (#31), Kevin McHale (#32), Larry Bird (#33), Paul Pierce (#34), Reggie Lewis (#35), Robert Parish (#00) and Jim Loscutoff (LOSCY). We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Kevin Garnett for earning this honor.

In a recent piece on ESPN, Tom Flores had a few things to say about the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  As you can deduce, it was not exactly positive. Like the rest of us, Flores knew that it did not look good when three weeks before the Super Bowl, Hall of Fame President, David Baker, appeared on the AFC Divisional Game pre-show to present Bill Cowher his gold jacket.  At that point, there was only one spot left, as the Blue Ribbon Committee had only two spots out of ten to give in the Coaches pool.  It was a bit of a surprise, as Flores and Don Coryell were both Finalists last year, when the Coaches were placed in the same pool as the players.   Baker would be busy that weekend. The following day at the half-time show, he showed up to present Fox’s Jimmy Johnson his gold jacket.  While this made for great television, and it was phenomenal to watch play out, it was evident at time that Flores was not getting in. In that ESPN piece by Paul Gutierrez, that was when Flores knew too.   In a defence on Baker, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has no obligation to tell people ahead of time if they are getting in or not ahead of time, but it is a really shitty way to find out, especially when you were told, as Flores was by Baker, that he was “almost a shoo-in” for the Blue Ribbon Committee panel of 2020.  Maybe, that is why he said “almost”. Baker and the Hall took a lot of criticism, and it is easy to see why.  Neither Cowher or Johnson were Finalists last year, and Flores was. Coryell, for that matter had reached the Final Round on five previous occasions.  Standard thought would have thought that Coryell and Flores were on the pecking order over Johnson and Cowher, and in terms of their actual accomplishments, they should be.   So, what happened? Is it as simple as Baker and the Hall looking for televised feel-good moments?  Again, it looked great on tv, but it made you wonder if Flores was working as an analyst on a station that broadcast the playoffs, would he be in right now?  In the piece, Flores said: “It happened. What can I do about it?  I don’t have a choice.  My fans are still my fans.  They’re still going to make a lot of noise.  A lot of people are really pissed off…

Yes, we know that 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.  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 the first revision of our top 50 Oklahoma City Thunder of all-time. As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet. Please note that this is the first update since 2016, and it does not reflect the current season.  Please also note that the history of the Thunder includes that of the Seattle SuperSonics. 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, which has altered the rankings considerably. This list is updated up until the end of the 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Russell Westbrook 2. Gary Payton 3. Kevin Durant 4. Shawn Kemp 5. Jack Sikma We have used a different algorithm from our initial list, and this has resulted in a few changes that are reflected on the entire list, and even in the top five. Current Houston Rocket, Russell Westbrook, takes over at #1 from #3 three years ago. The last two seasons he had with OKC, put him over Durant and Payton.  Gary Payton dropped from #1 to #2 due to Westbrook’s ascension to the top. Kevin Durant, who almost made it to number, fell from #2 to #3.  With the new algorithm in use, Shawn Kemp and Jack Sikma reversed their rank at #4 and #5 respectively. There were other significant changes.  We dropped the ball by not ranking Serge Ibaka.  That was a major oversight, and the Congolese Center enters at #11.  Steven Adams, who has been their Center for the last few seasons, debuts at #17. As always, we thank you for your support.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the seven new members of their Class of 2020, which will add seven new members; four former players and three contributors. The new members are: Debbie Brock:  As a coach, Brock led Delta State to three AIAW Championships in the 1970s. Carol Callan:  Callan has been the U.S. Women’s National Team Director since 1996, and the nation has won six straight Gold Medals at the Olympics. Tamika Catchings:  An NCAA Champion with Tennessee in 1998, she would play her entire WNBA career with the Indiana Fever where she would be the League MVP in 2011 and she took her team to the WNBA Title the season after.  Catchings was also a 10-time All-Star, 7-time First Team All-WNBA Selection, 5-time Defensive Player of the Year, 7-times Steals Champion, and was the 2002 Rookie of the Year.  Internationally, she was on four Olympic Gold Medal Teams for the United States. Swin Cash:  Cash won two NCAA Titles at UConn (2000 & 2002), and was the Tournament MOP in the latter.  She would later win three WNBA Titles (two with the Detroit Shock and one with the Seattle Storm) and would be a four-time WNBA All-Star. Sue Donohoe:  Donohoe served as the Vice President of Division I Women’s Basketball from 2003 to 2012 and was the Director of the NCAA Tournament from 1999 to 2002. Lauren Jackson:  From Australia, Lauren Jackson represented her country and captured three Silver Medals and one Bronze, while also winning the 2006 World Championship. On the WNBA level, she played her entire career with the Seattle Storm and won two WNBA Titles and was a three-time MVP.  She also won one Defensive Player of the Year Award, one Rebounding Title and was seven-time All-Star. Carol Stiff:  Stiff is ESPN’s Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, and she had a focus on the WNBA and NCAA. The ceremony will take place on June 13 in Knoxville, Tennessee, which houses the Hall.  This will be their 22ndClass. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yes, we know that 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 Boston Celtics.  Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are one of the original teams of the National Basketball Association, and one of the most successful.  Under the early guidance of Red Auerbach, and the on-court presence of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, the Celtics became the first dynasty in the league. As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:  1.  Advanced Statistics. 2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA. 3. Playoff accomplishments. 4. 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 2018-19 Season. The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are: 1. Bill Russell 2. Larry Bird 3. John Havlicek 4. Bob Cousy 5. Paul Pierce We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   Look for or All-Time Top 50 Indiana Pacers coming next! As always we thank you for your support.

Approximately a few weeks ago, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their Class of 2020.  As always, this requires us to make revisions on our core Notinhalloffame.com Rock List of those worthy of consideration for the hallowed halls of Cleveland, Ohio.     This means three things:   The first is that we removed those who were chosen (The Notorious B.I.G. #6, T. Rex #14, Depeche Mode #18, The Doobie Brothers #25, Nine Inch Nails #26 & Whitney Houston #271).     The second is that we added the acts who are now Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the 2021 ceremony.   The third is that we looked at your votes and comments to assist on ranking modification.   Got all that?   Let’s move on!   You may have noticed that we have been expanding our core lists.  This is no different for our Rock list, as the eventual goal is to have 1,000 ranked.  We will get there, but in the meantime, we have an uneven number, but give us a year! Maybe two? The entire Notinhalloffame.com Rock list is here, but below are the changes in our top ten: Kraftwerk hangs on to the number one spot.  To date, they have been nominated six times, including the last two years.  They will likely get another kick at the can in 2021. The highest debut comes high with Jay-Z at #2.  The New York City based rapper should be a lock for induction, and he brings sure-fire star power to a 2021 ceremony. Foo Fighters make their first appearance at #3.  Like Jay-Z, it is expected that they will go “one and in”, and Dave Grohl will become a two-time inductee. With the two new high-profile entries, there is a drop in the rankings for some of our other previous top tens.   Oasis drops from #2 to #4.  Oasis is in their second year of eligibility, and they were not nominated last year.  Regardless, of when (or if) they get in, you know there will be drama should any Gallagher appear.   Jethro Tull went from #3 to #5.  The Progressive Rock band have been eligible for Cleveland since 1993, but have never received a nomination. Also losing two spots were The Smiths, who went from #4 to 6.  They have been eligible since 2008 and were nominated in both 2015 and 2016.  The induction of Depeche Mode should help The Smiths and other 80s Alternative Bands. MC5 goes down to #7 from #5.  The proto-punk band has been eligible…

Another day, another retirement, though today it is in the world of baseball as Kendrys Morales, who last played for the New York Yankees has announced that his playing career has come to an end. From Cuba, Morales defected in 2004, and he would enter the Majors in 2005 with the Los Angeles Angels.  He would have a breakthrough season in 2009, where he finished fifth in MVP voting with a 34 Home Run, 108 RBI season while batting .306.    As good as 2009 was, he would have his most infamous moment the year after.  Morales hit a walk-off Home Run against the Seattle Mariners and when he arrived at home plate to greet his teammates he jumped up in the air and landed awkwardly shattering his right leg.  Morales missed the rest of the year and all of the 2011 season. Morales returned with a 22 Home Run Season in 2012, and had another 23 Homers in a season with the Seattle Mariners.  After a brief stop in Minnesota, Morales had a comeback year in Kansas City, where in 2015, he helped them win the World Series, and as their Designated Hitter, he won the Silver Slugger and the Edgar Martinez Award.  He had another 30 Home Run year with the Royals in 2016, and had back-to-back years of 20 plus taters for the Toronto Blue Jays.  He finished his 2019 campaign split between Oakland and the Yankees.  Morales retires with 1,289 Hits and 213 Home Runs.  He will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, but is unlikely to garner any votes.  This should not take away from what was a fine baseball career.  We wish Morales the best in his post-playing career.