Being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is the highest honor for a basketball player anywhere in the world. As the hall celebrates basketball players, coaches, and contributors from all over the world, at all levels, and across all genders, it is a very special achievement for anyone involved with basketball to become an honouree. However, in the NBA, there is something unique about a player having their jersey number retired. It’s a huge sign of respect from a franchise to the player, coach, or commentator, recognizing the impact that the person had on the organization and the sport. The NBA is flourishing right now and is stacked with talent. LeBron James is one of the sport’s biggest stars, is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame and may even have his number retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. There could be a quintuple day of retirement at the Oakland Arena one day. Even though Michael Jordan jokingly dismissed Steph Curry as a Hall of Famer for the time being, Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green could see their numbers hoisted to the rafters or a special ‘Hamptons 5’ jersey to immortalize the team-first mentality of the all-conquering group. It remains true to this day that two NBA teams are yet to retire any numbers. The 2019 NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors, and the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t flung any player’s number up into the canopy yet. On 12 January 2019, the Oklahoma City Thunder officially joined the ranks of teams with retired numbers. Nick Collison’s number was the first to be retired by the team since their move from Seattle. So, that leaves just the Clippers and Raptors without a retired jersey number. Claims for the Clippers’ first retired numbers {youtube}YLAl5Wjlusk{/youtube} While there may still be a sour taste in the mouth of what became of the Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin were once the proponents of change and the core pieces of the awe-inspiring ‘Lob City’ era. Having only been founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves before going to San Diego and then finally landing as the Los Angeles Clippers in 1984, the team lacked a history of success and has been mired in controversy before ‘Lob City’ came to town. Through Paul, Jordan, and Griffin, the fortunes of the Clippers were…

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 Brooklyn Nets.  The Nets were formed in 1967, as the New Jersey Americans an inaugural ABA franchise.  They would relocate after one year to New York City, and became the Nets, and with the arrival Julius Erving in 1974, they would win the ABA Title in 1974 and 1976.  The Nets were one of the four teams to join the NBA, but they did so without Erving.  They would return to New Jersey in 1977, where they would stay until 2012.  The Nets have yet to win the NBA Championship, but did win the Eastern Conference in 2002 and 2003.  They moved to Brooklyn in 2012, where they have remained since. 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 NBA. 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 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: Jason Kidd Julius Erving Buck Williams Brook Lopez Vince Carter We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.   As always we thank you for your support.

44 years after he was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Bill Russell finally accepted his Hall of Fame ring.   In a tweet, he said that “in ’75 I refused to be the 1stblack player to go into” the hall as he “felt others before me should have that honor.”  He referenced Chuck Cooper in that tweet, who was chosen earlier this year.  Cooper was the first African-American to play in the NBA in 1950. Russell mentioned that he received the ring in a private ceremony, which was attended by his wife and close friends, which included Alonzo Mourning and Bill Walton.   Walton was an 11-time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics, a two-time NCAA Champion with the University of San Francisco and an Olympic Gold Medalist with the United States.  He was a five-time MVP, eleven-time All-NBA selection and twelve-time All-Star. Suddenly, the Basketball Hall of Fame seems so much more relevant.    

It is another big day for us at Notinhalloffame.com! Following the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s announcement of their Finalists, our Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is announcing its Finalists for the 2019 Class. This will be the fifth full class. Like in previous years, the opening round began with over 500 Fictional Musicians which was reduced to 40 Fictional Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Semi-Finalists.  The top 15 vote getters advanced to the Final Round. The 15 Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall Finalists are: Archies, The (Archie). In the real world, the Archies went number one with “Sugar Sugar”.  The Archie universe continues with comics and the show, Riverdale. This is their third straight year as a Finalist. Banana Splits, The(The Banana Splits).  From the minds of Sid and Marty Kroft, the Banana Splits lasted just over 30 episodes but the baby boom generation clearly remembers them well.  This is the second time that they have been Finalists.   Bleeding Gums Murphy(The Simpsons). This is the only Finalist for The Simpsons, who have produced one every year since we began this process. Eddie and the Cruisers(Eddie and the Cruisers).  The bar band from New Jersey is a Finalist for a second time.   Figrin D’An and the Modal Nodes(Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope).  The band from the Mos Eisley Cantina makes their first appearance as a Finalist. From what we know, they only know two songs. Jackie Rogers Jr.(SCTV). This is a surprise Finalist, as Rogers Jr. has never been a Semi-Finalist before this year.  Could be have our first albino singer in the Hall? Jem and the Holograms(Jem and the Holograms).  This truly, truly, truly outrageous band from the 80s who were beacons of good.  This is their second time as Finalists. Jesse and the Rippers(Full House). This is another major surprise as this San Francisco bar band had never made it to the Semi-Finals before this year. Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith(8 Mile). For the first time, B-Rabbit makes the Finals and we could have our first rapper in the Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Otis Day & The Knights(Animal House). This is the third time that Otis Day has made the Finals, and we think if they get in, they will party at the Dexter Lake Club. Randy Watson(Coming to America).  We last saw Watson at the Queens, New York, Black Awareness event.  Perhaps we will see more of him in the impending sequel. This is the first time that he has…

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 and executive.  Eventually, this will extend to major American Universities. As such, it is news to us that the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame have announced the seven-member Class of 2020. The Class of 2020 comprises: Ariel (Turner) Gebhardt (Women’s Volleyball):  Gebhardt would be a four-letterwoman from 2009 to 2012, and she is second all-time in school history in kills (1,906).  As a Senior, she was named the Academic All-American of the Year for Volleyball.  She is also a former Big Ten Player of the Year. Shaun Guice (Men’s Track & Field):  Lettering every year from 2000 to 2004, Guice was a seven-time All-American in the High Jump.  He would finish in both the 2001 and 2003 NCAA Indoor Championship at that event. Robbie Hummel (Men’s Basketball):  Hummel played for the Boilermakers from 2008 to 2012, and is the only player in school history to have 1,500 Points, 800 Rebounds and 250 Assists.  He would be named a Second Team All-American in 2010 and a First Team Big Ten Selection in 2008, 2010 & 2012.  Hummel also was the named the 2009 Big Ten Tournament MVP. Chuck Kyle (Football):  Kyle was a Consensus First Team All-American at Defensive Middle Guard in 1968.  The three-time First Team Big Ten Player would go on to play in the Canadian Football League.   Casey Matthews (Women’s Diving):  Matthews made school history when she won the 2013 3-Meter Title, making her the first female to win an individual title.  She was also the 2014 Big Ten Champion on the 1-Meter. Bruce Parkinson (Men’s Basketball):  Parkinson played for the Boilermakers from 1973 to 1977, and he would score 1,224 Points.  He would help them win the 1974 NIT Tournament. Shereka Wright (Women’s Basketball):  Wright would play for Purdue from 2001 to 2004 and helped them win the Big Ten regular season in 2001 and 2002, and the Big Ten Tournament in 2003 and 2004.  She was a three-time All-American and she scored 2,251 Points and 793 Rebounds. The group will be officially introduced during their Men’s Basketball Game on February 22 against Michigan.  This is the 20thClass, and it brings the number of enshrines to 167. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame members for…

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 and executive.  As such, it is news to us that Dallas Stars have announced that they will be retiring the number #56 of Sergei Zubov next season. This announcement follows Zubov’s Hockey Hall of Fame selection this summer.   The Defenseman would join the Stars after being traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins before the 1996-97 Season, and he would stay there until he left the NHL after the 2007-08 campaign.  With Dallas, Zubov would go to three All-Star Games, and would be chosen as a Second Team All-Star in 2005-06.  The Russian blueliner would finish in the top ten in Assists three times and he would lead the NHL in Defensive Point Shares in 2000-01.  He was a vital member of Dallas’ Stanley Cup win in 1999. As a Star, he would play in 839 Games with 549 Points and a Plus/Minus of +109. This makes Zubov the second former Dallas Star player to have his number retired.  He joins Neal Broten (#7), Bill Goldsworthy (#8), Mike Modano (#9), Bill Masterton (#19) and Jere Lehtinen (#26). We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Sergei Zubov for earning this honor.

One of the core lists for us on Notinhalloffame.com is our Football section, which ranked over 100 former players who are worthy of Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration.  In honor of the NFL’s 100thAnniversary, and announcement that there will be a special committee that will add fifteen senior candidates, we have decreed that our section needed an update. In looking at our list, we were guilty of not taking a proper look at the pre-Super Bowl era candidates, feeling that they received a proper look by the varying committees who voted for candidates since 1963.  In retrospect, that was wrong. Before, we continue, a special thank you to Vinny Lospinuso, who has been doing many podcasts with us, in regards to Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs.  Much of his input is reflected in this revision. We have expanded this list to 300, which is the number we intend to keep it for the unforeseeable future.  You can find the new list here:  http://www.notinhalloffame.com/football?start=0 We here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you all for your support, and we ask you to take a look, and cast your votes and offer your opinions.  Future lists are altered based on your feedback, and we encourage your assistance.

In an interview today with the NFL Network, former Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back, Fred Taylor, decreed that he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He specifically had this to say: “Obviously I think I belong.  It’s not in my hands. I think the voters, after doing a deep dive, they’ll understand that I belong there too. I really believe I had a solid career, and hopefully the writers will understand that one day.” Taylor, who has been eligible for Canton since 2016, has yet to make the Semi-Finalist cut.  He likely never will. Taylor was a very good player, who would accumulate 11,695 Rushing Yards, placing him 17thall-time as of this writing.  In terms of Yards from Scrimmage, he is 35thall-time with 14,079.  While these are more than respectable numbers, at no point was Taylor ever considered to be the best Running Back at his position.  Generally, he was never in the discussion.  Taylor made it to the Pro Bowl only once (2007) and his highest finish in Rushing Yards was sixth, which he did twice (2000 & 2003). This is not to say that he was not good and at times great player, as he certainly was, but to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you need to be elite, or at least have been in that debate.  If you are not, you need to have the longevity that has few equals.  13 years is very good, but in his case, not good enough.   We are in the process of expanding our list to 300.  Taylor was considered, but did not make the cut.  When we get to the all-time Jacksonville Jaguars, he will have a high rank, likely in the top three.

The Toy Hall of Fame has announced that Magic the Gathering, Matchbox Cars and the Coloring Book comprise their Class of 2019. Housed at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, these toys were chosen and pared down from 12 Finalists.   The other finalists were Care Bears, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Jenga, Mattel’s Masters of the Universe, action figures, My Little Pony, the Nerf Blaster, Risk, the Smartphone and the Top. Since 1998, 71 toys have been chosen for the Hall.  This is always a fun Hall of Fame, and we look forward to how they expand next year.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced the Finalists for the Class of 2020.  It comprises of 24 candidates from a very diverse musical spectrum. The Performing Nominees are: Mariah Carey:  Carey was nominated last year and co-wrote 17 of her 18 number one songs. Gloria Estefan:  Estefan wrote or co-wrote most of her hit songs and she helped pen Shakira’s hit, “Wherever, Whenever.” The Eurythmics (Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox):  The Eurythmics had many hits, which included the number one smash, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). David Gates & Jimmy Griffin (Bread):  Bread would have five top ten hits, which included the number one song, “Make It with You.” Vince Gill:  Gill charted over 40 songs on the Country Chart and was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. The Isley Brothers:  The Isley Brothers had multiple number one hits on the R&B Chart, and they would enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Journey:  The successful arena rock band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Mike Love:  Love wrote or co-wrote many of the Beach Boys songs, though is not yet in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, though Brian Wilson is.   The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo):  In addition to their own work, they have written hits for Jay-Z, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher. Outkast (Big Boi & Andre 3000:  The influential Atlanta based hip-hop duo had many hits, including “Hey Ya”. R.E.M.:  From Athens, Georgia, the Alternative Rock band had a lot of chart success in the 1980s and 90s and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Patti Smith:  Very influential in the 1970s in the Alternative and Punk scene, Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. The non-performing nominees are: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty:  Ahrens and Flaherty have written many musicals and have won a Tony. L. Russell Brown and Irwin Levine:  Brown and Levine penned many hits, their biggest being “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” and “Knock Three Times” for Tony Orlando and Dawn. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart: Boyce and Hart would write hits for the Monkees, Jay & The Americans and Paul Revere & The Raiders. Sonny Curtis:  Curtis wrote songs that were covered by The Everly Brothers, Bobby Fee and is best known for writing, “I Fought the Law.” Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan: Fleming and Morgan have…

When the Baseball season ends, the Baseball Hall of Fame season begins. Today, the Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the 10 Finalists for the Modern Baseball Era, which is one of four Era Committees.  The Modern Era focuses on the era between 1970 and 1987. The ten candidates are Dwight Evans:  Evans was a twenty-year veteran of the Majors, 19 of which were with the Boston Red Sox.  An eight-time Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star, Evans collected 2,446 Hits with 385 Home Runs and an OPS of .881.  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com. Steve Garvey:  Garvey was National League MVP in 1974 and he would help the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.  Over his career, he set a National League record of 1,207 consecutive games and would be named to ten All-Star Games and four Gold Gloves.  He would accrue 2,599 Hits and 272 Home Runs and also won the 1978 and 1984 National League Championship Series MVP.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Tommy John:  Playing for a whopping 26 seasons, Tommy John would rack up 288 Wins over 4,710.1 Innings.  A four-time All-Star, John finished second in Cy Young voting.  He is also known for returning from a surgery to repair his ulna collateral ligament in 1974, the successful procedure being known now as “Tommy John Surgery.”  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.   Don Mattingly:  Mattingly played 14 years (all with the New York Yankees), where he would win the Batting Title in 1984, and the MVP the next season.  He would amass 2,153 Hits with 222 Home Runs while winning nine Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers.  He would also be a six-time All-Star.  Ranked #40 on Notinhalloffame.com. Marvin Miller:  Miller was elected as the head of the Major League Baseball Players in Association in 1986, a position he held until 1982.  Under his watch, free agency came into fruition and players’ salaries rose tenfold. Thurman Munson:  Munson played 11 seasons with the New York Yankees, where he was the 1970 Rookie of the Year and 1976 MVP.  Munson went to seven All-Star Games and won three Gold Gloves.  He would also twice help the Yankees win the World Series. He would sadly die in a plane crash during the 1979 season.  Ranked #83 on Notinhalloffame.com.    Dale Murphy:  Murphy played most of his career with the Atlanta Braves and he would be named the National League MVP in 1982 and 1983.  The seven-time All-Star would win five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. He would have 398 Home Runs over his career.  Ranked…

In an interview with Billboard, Dave Matthews was asked about his band’s first nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It was a very humble answer by Matthews, the leader of the Dave Matthews Band.  In addition to saying that he felt “unqualified and undeserving” he had this to say:  “I'm not sure that Lemmy Kilmisterever heard of the Notorious B.I.G., and I'm not sure if the Notorious B.I.G. ever heard of Lemmy, but maybe that's what rock ’n’ roll is… people falling out of their world or getting out of their world and getting in front of everybody and doing something that seems impossible and getting noticed for it. I feel like I don't belong, but I'm pretty happy to be included...in a pretty outrageous lineup of people. If I'm gonna be in a category of people getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it's good to be included in one that makes no sense. I was very happy to hear about it, and it is overwhelming. I do feel undeserving and flattered as well by the whole thing, and I think the whole band does, too. We all reached out to each other to say, 'How bizarre is this?'" The selection of the Dave Matthews Band could be the most polarizing one of the Finalists.  While they have a wide fan base, they have also drawn the most online criticism of any group to be nominated.  We do have to disagree with Matthews in his claim that this is a group of candidates that makes no sense, as this has been the pattern for nominees over the past decade.  Let the conversations on this topic continue.

In an interview with 101.8 in Wolverhampton, England,K.K. Dowling of Judas Priest discussed his nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the interview, he had this to say: “I think it’s looking pretty good this time, to be fair.  I know there was a lot of backlash when we didn’t make it last time a year or two ago.” This is Judas Priest’s second nomination for the Hall, the last one coming in 2018.  Dowling isn’t wrong, as there were many fans of the band who were upset that it took them even that long to get nominated.  They were first eligible in 1999, so the wait to for them to even reach this point seems long overdue. The length of time for Judas Priest to get inducted is nothing new for Metal bands as Dowling is most certainly aware of as he discussed in the interview that Black Sabbath had to wait 15 years before induction.  It also took Kiss 14 years to get in.  The only exception to the Metal rule is Metallica, who got inducted in 2009, their first year of eligibility. While many eligible Rock and Roll acts who have waited as long as Judas Priest has seemed to get (dare we say) crusty about their snub, Dowling has taken it in stride: “There’s no such thing as a young legend.  So, these are the credentials you’ve got to have.” It should be noted that Judas Priest is not the only Heavy Metal band on this year’s list of Finalists. Motorhead have finally become Finalists after being eligible since 2002.  It is unlikely that both will get in this year.  As Dowling noted in his interview, nobody from the original lineup of Motorhead is alive.  Stay tuned for more news about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as we know for certain, more will come.

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 and executive.  We also plan to later extend that to the major universities of the NCAA.  As such, it is news to us that Fresno State has announced that it will be retiring the number 24 of Paul George during their opening home game against Winthrop on November 10. In the 63 Games he played for the Bulldogs, George would accumulate an average of 15.5 Points, 6.7 Rebounds and 2.4 Assists.  He is to date a six-time All-Star in the NBA and is currently with the Los Angeles Clippers. This makes George the second former Fresno State player to have his number retired.  In 2014, former player and head coach, Jerry Tarkanian would earn this honor. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Paul George for earning this honor.

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 and executive.  As such, it is major news to us that the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame will be inducting former players, Al Harris and Charles Woodson. After spending five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Al Harris would arrive in a trade to Green Bay before the 2003 Season.  Playing at Cornerback, Harris would secure two Pro Bowl Selections (2007 & 2008) and was regarded as one of the better man-to-man coverage specialists in the league.  Statistically speaking, Harris had 14 Sacks, running two of them back for Touchdowns. Charles Woodson was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1997 and he was drafted fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders.  Like Harris, Woodson played at Cornerback and he would join Green Bay in 2006 as a Free Agent.  Woodson played seven seasons with the Packers, and he would be named to the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons (2008-11).  In 2009 and 2011, he would lead the NFL in Interceptions and was a First Team All-Pro, with the first of those seeing Woodson win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Woodson would overall record 38 Interceptions and 11.5 Sacks in Green Bay, while helping them win Super Bowl XLV.  He would rejoin Oakland in 2013. The official induction ceremony will happen on April 18, 2020. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate both Al Harris and Charles Woodson for earning this honor.

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 and executive. Eventually, we will look at the major U.S. colleges.  As such, it is news to us that the Michigan State will be retiring the number 23 of former player, Draymond Green. Green grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and stayed close to home when he joined the Spartans in 2008, the team he would play collegiately for four full seasons.  Green would improve annually and as a senior, his accomplishments put him on the national map.  In the 2012 NCAA Tournament, he became third player following Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson to post a triple-double in the tourney.  While Michigan State did not win the NCAA, they did win the Big Ten League and Big Ten Tournament Championship, with Green as their leader.   Individually speaking, that year he would win the Big Ten Player of the Year, NABC National Player of the Year and was a Consensus First Team All-American.   Green would be drafted by the Golden State Warriors 35thOverall and to date would win three NBA Championships, is a three-time All-Star and is a former Defensive Player of the Year. This will happen on December 3, against their home game against Duke.  We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Draymond Green for earning this honor.

In an interview with Steve Baltin at Forbes, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails discussed his nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Reznor had in the past been cynical about the Rock Hall, and had even trashed it, but it changed for him when he was the inductor for the Cure last year. He had this to say: "I get asked to do the Cure, induct them, and I love the Cure. And I wanted them to be inducted properly. I thought I could do a good job, went there. As I was in the audience, sitting there, it felt kind of cool in the audience.  So, I'm sitting at a table with the Radiohead guys, super nice, and I think we all kind of looked at it like, 'This could be bullshit. As we're there it kind of wasn't bullshit. We're watching Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music get inducted, who I love, and then play. And I see a whole arena full of people into it. I walk backstage cause the Cure's gonna come up. I go out and do my thing and I'm not sure if the Cure is gonna resonate with the audience, the audience I see sitting on the floor there is mostly old industry people. Then I walk out to do the induction, it's loud applause for them and it seems real. They come up and I can see that Robert Smith is happy and the other guys in the band are all kind of freaked out. It felt validating. I wanted to see them respected someplace I feel they deserve. It ended up being a pretty cool experience and I thought, 'Alright, it doesn't feel as bullshit as I kind of snarkily dismissed it as.' I don't have any problem admitting I've changed my opinion about something. Of course, it would be nice to get in. But at the same time, I can look on that ballot this year, Todd Rundgren, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk. And it's hard for me to make an argument why I should get in before they do.  Those guys, all of them, have been incredibly integral to me even having a band." He added that if he could have had the inductor he really wanted, it would have been David Bowie. This is Nine Inch Nails third nomination for the Hall, the last two coming in 2015 & 2016. We…

The Black College Hall of Fame has announced the Finalists for their Class of 2020.  Comprising of 23 Players, 2 Coaches and 1 Contributor, the Class will be announced on November 14, with the official ceremony taking place on February 22, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Player Finalists are: Joe Adams: Quarterback, Tennessee State, 1977-80:  Nicknamed “747”, Joe Adams threw for 8,653 Yards for the Tigers, a school record that he held for 34 years.  He would later play three seasons in the Canadian Football League, two with Saskatchewan and one with Ottawa. Coy Bacon: Defensive Lineman, Jackson State, 1964-67:  After a strong career at Jackson State, Bacon would go on to the NFL where he would have three Pro Bowl Selections.  He is believed to have had 130 “unofficial” Quarterback Sacks in the NFL. Dwaine Board: Defensive End, North Carolina A&T State, 1975-78:  Board did well at college and was a fifth round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He didn’t make the team, but would be signed by the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for ten years and won three Super Bowls. Ben Coates: Tight End, Livingstone College, 1987-90:  Coates set multiple receiving records at Livingstone and he would go on to have a great career with the New England Patriots.  He would be names to five Pro Bowls, two First Team All-Pros and in his final season he won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. Greg Coleman: Punter, Florida A&M, 1972-75:  Coleman was s good at Florida A&M, that he would be one of the few Punters drafted. Coleman would go on to have 12 seasons in the NFL where he played with the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins. Clem Daniels: Running Back, Prairie View A&M, 1956-59:  Daniels would captain Prairie View to the NAIA Title and would later be a champion in the AFL with the Oakland Raiders and was a four-time AFL All-Star.  He would win their Rushing Title in 1962. Kevin Dent: Safety, Jackson State, 1985-88:  Dent would make history as the only Jackson State player to ever make three All-American rosters.  The Tigers would win 27 of 28 conference games while he played there.   Donald Driver: Wide Receiver, Alcorn State, 1995-98:  Driver would record 88 Receptions for 1,993 Yards for Alcorn State and he would play his entire 14-year pro career with the Green Bay Packers.  He would win Super Bowl XLV with them and went to three Pro Bowls. Jimmie Giles: Tight End, Alcorn State,…

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2020, which will comprise of four former NFL players. The group was pared down from 100 candidates and then to 10 Finalists. The 2020 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame consists of: David Dixon (Maori Ancestry): Born in New Zealand, Dixon would become the second player of Maori ancestry to play in the NFL.  He played collegiately at Arizona State and was drafted in the 9thRound by the New England Patriots in 1992.  He wouldn’t make the team that year, and tried out for the Minnesota Vikings, but also did not make the regular season roster. The year after, he was on the practice squad for the Dallas Cowboys.  It would change in 1994, when he made the Vikings roster, and would play there for 11 seasons.  Dixon would play on the Offensive Line, and would play 152 Games, starting 134 of them at Right Guard. Frank Manumaluega (Samoan Ancestry):  From Hawaii, Frank Manummaluega is one of the first players of Samoan ancestry to play in the National Football League.  Manumaluega played at Linebacker, and he was at Sat Jose State when he was drafted in the 4th Round in 1979 by the Kansas City Chiefs.  He would play there for three seasons, and would see action in 35 Games, starting 29 of them.  He would also play three seasons in the USFL, two years with the Oakland Invaders and one season with the Portland Breakers. Haloti Ngata (Tongan Ancestry):  Playing at the University of Oregon, Haloti Ngata would be a Consensus All-American, win the Morris Trophy and was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.  He would be drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 12th overall and the Defensive Tackle would play in Baltimore for nine seasons.  As a Raven, Ngata would go to five Pro Bowls, secure two First Team All-Pro Selections and helped the team win Super Bowl XLVII.  He played three years additional seasons with the Detroit Lions and one final one with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.  Ngata would play 180 Games in the NFL. Dominic Raiola (Hawaiian Ancestry):  From Honolulu, Dominic Raiola was a Consensus All-American at the University of Nebraska in 2000, where he won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top Center.  Raiola was drafted in the 2nd Round by the Detroit Lions in 2001 and he would play there for 14 seasons, and started 203 of his 219 Games. The ceremony will take place on January 18, which will coincide with…

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 and executive. Eventually, we will look at the major U.S. colleges.  As such, it is news to us that the University of Syracuse will be retiring the number 44 of former player, John Wallace. The ceremony will take place on February 29, during their home game against North Carolina. From Rochester, New York, Wallace was recruited by Syracuse, where he would play four years (1992-96).  He played Small Forward for the Orangemen, and would be named a First Team Big East Selection twice (1995 & 1996).  Wallace was also named a Second Team All-American in 1996.  That year, he took Syracuse to the NCAA Finals, but they would lose to the Kentucky Wildcats. Wallace would go on to have a seven-year career in the NBA with stops in New York, Toronto, Detroit, Phoenix and Miami. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate John Wallace for earning this honor.

We initially were not going to comment on this but based on the buzz it is generating, and the fact that we are Notinhalloffame.com, we have decided to give our pair of pennies. In an interview with Today on NBC’s Today on why Steph Curry would not be on his dream five-man pick-up team. His answer was: “He’s still a great player…Not a Hall of Famer yet, though.  He’s not.” Keep in mind this was said in a playful tone, so we have no idea whether this was done with a wink, and whether he actually meant it.  We have to believe that he didn’t and was just playing, or perhaps if he did, it is not by his “hall of fame standard”. If he does mean it, he is in the minority, as he is a two-time MVP and three-time NBA Champion with six All-Stars and a scoring title.   As for our opinion, in our new section that ranks active basketball players based on their existing Hall of Fame resume, we have Curry ranked #5, and feel that he is already a Hall of Fame lock. Either way, it generated a few comments in the 24-hour news cycle of sports and will be forgotten tomorrow.   Until Curry brings it up in his Hall of Fame speech.  

It was reported today that Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Willie Brown, passed away at 78.  As of this writing, the cause of death is unknown. Playing his college ball at Grambling, Brown was undrafted in 1963 and would try out for the Houston Oilers of the AFL.  He didn’t make the team, but would with the Denver Broncos, where he would become a starting Cornerback as a rookie.  Brown would go to two AFL All-Star Games with Denver, but he was traded to the Oakland Raiders before the 1967 Season. In the next seven seasons, Brown was an AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection and would be named a First Team All-Pro four times.  Brown would help the Raiders win Super Bowl XI and would record what was then the longest Interception Return Touchdown (at the time) for 75 Yards in the win.  He would retire in 1978 with 54 career Interceptions. After his playing career ended, he would become the Raiders Defensive Backs Coach, a role where he won two more Super Bowls (XV & XVIII). Brown served on the Administrative Staff of the Raiders since 1995, a position he held until his death.  He would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Willie Brown at this time.  

With the Yankees post-season now officially over, the career of CC Sabathia is now officially over. Arguably, it ended three days before in Game 4, when he had to leave the game when his knee buckled and his shoulder appeared to give out.  He limped off the field and was replaced on the post-season roster.  This was not the way that he wanted to go out, but that is often the case for the great ones. From Vallejo, California, Sabathia made his debut in 2001 with the Cleveland Indians and he would go 17 and 5 and finish behind Ichiro Suzuki for the American League Rookie of the Year.  The southpaw would later go to the All-Star Game in 2003 and 2004 and in 2007, where he would ho to his third All-Star Game, he would have his best season to date.  That year, he would go 19-7 with 209 Strikeouts and lead the AL in Innings Pitched (241.0) and SO/BB (5.65).  Sabathia would also win the Cy Young in that campaign.   2008 would see him traded to the Milwaukee Brewers midway through the season.  Sabathia was an impending Free Agent, and Cleveland was not performing well.  He would finish off the season in the National League by going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA and help the Brewers make the playoffs.  Despite only having 17 Starts, he would finish fifth in Cy Young voting. Sabathia would sign with the New York Yankees for the 2009 Season, and this will would be the third and final team he would play for.  That year, Sabathia would help the Bronx Bombers win the World Series and he would win the American League Championship Series MVP.  That year, he would lead the AL in Wins (19) and finished third in Cy Young Voting.   The Pitcher would then go on a three-year run of All-Star Game selections and in 2010, he would again lead the AL in Wins with 21, a career-high.  He would also notably finish third and fourth in Cy Young voting in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Sabathia reached 3,000 Strikeouts this year, and retires with 3,093.  As of this writing, 18 Pitchers have reached the 3,000 K milestone, and all of those who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame have been inducted with the exception of Curt Schilling.  It could be decades before we see a 300 Game winner in the Majors, and Sabathia retires with 251, which is arguably the “modern…

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 and executive. As such, it is news to us that the New England Patriots Hall of Fame have announced the opening of a new exhibit called “Yes, It’s Still A Dynasty”. Obviously, you would have to be a really good team for the past decades to have an exhibit with that title and arguably only the New England Patriots can pull that off! The new section will focus on events of the last 20 years, which as NFL fans know would see New England win six Super Bowls, nine AFC Conference Championships and 16 AFC East Titles.  The last time the Patriots did not win their division was in 2002, and they are strongly favored to win it again this year.  The Patriots Hall of Fame Executive Director, Bryan Morry, stated that it seemed to fit as this is “Bill Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s 20thseason with the team.” Some of the showcases announced will be: Tom Brady’s game worn jersey when he threw his 50thTouchdown of the 2007 season. Rob Gronkowski’s game worn jersey in his last home game; their 2018 playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Willie McGinest’s cleats that he wore during Super Bowl XXXIX. Vince Wilfork’s gloves when he made his first career interception against the Chargers in 2011. Ty Law’s cleats worn during New England’s Super Bowl XXXVIII win. Troy Brown’s 2002 game worn Pro Bowl Jersey. Julian Edelman’s game worn jersey when he caught 10 passes for 100 Yards in New England’s 2015 Playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the New England Patriots Hall of Fame for their continued growth and dedication to their history.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are always looking to add new sections to our website.  Last month, we uploaded our top 100 active NFL players and how their Hall of Fame resumes stack up.   We are doing the exact same thing with the NBA. As opposed to 100 like we did in Football, we are going with only 50 in Basketball.   We liked the idea that we used in Football with a modern “Modern Positional Average”, so we are doing something similar here.  With advanced analytics, we decided that we don’t have to isolate based on position so they are all on one list. Inspired by Jay Jaffe’s JAWS statistic that looks at the best seven-year stretch of a baseball player according to bWAR, we are doing the same with current basketball players.  Specifically, we compiled the average PER, Win Shares and VORP for each of the past Hall of Famers based on their best seven-year period.  The additional thinking behind this is that in Basketball, there is an additional focus on periods of greatness as opposed to sports like Baseball, where compiling statistics is more glorified. To keep everything modern, the average we used is the last 14 inductees, but only the ones who were Modern Era Inductees.  This excludes Direct-Elect Candidates (contributors, Early African-American Pioneers, International and Veterans).  The only exception is Vlade Divac, who was chosen via the International Committee, but has a healthy NBA career to draw upon. As of this writing, the 14 players from the last four induction classes who we are using for the composite averages are: Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jones, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Sidney Moncrief, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Jack Sikma and Paul Westphal.  While we are not looking at traditional statistics, we are averaging out All-Star Games and All-NBA Selections.  With the latter, we are looking at this in weighted fashion.  In terms of Third Team All-NBA Selections, one point will be assigned, Second Team All-NBA Selections will have two points will be granted, and First Team All-NBA Selections will have three points.   Here are the averages: Based on their elite seven-year stretch the average PER of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 21.5. Based on their elite seven-year stretch, the average Win Shares of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 65.1. Based on their elite seven-year stretch, the average VORP of the…

We love this day! One of our pet projects, The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame is announcing the Finalists for the Class of 2019. This will be the 6thfull class, and it is all based on your online votes. As in past years, we have a Preliminary Group, which is pared down to Semi-Finalists. After four months of your voting, here are the results: The Fictitious Athlete Finalistsare: Al Bundy:Married With Children (Football star at Polk High in Chicago, IL).  Every year that we have been doing this, Al Bundy had reached the Finals.  In two occasions, he finished fourth in voting, just missing out on induction. Will this be the year for the down on his luck shoe salesman? Al Czervik: Caddyshack (Amateur golfer who challenged the status quo at Bushwood Country Club).  After many years as a semi-finalist, the less than posh (but very rich) amateur golfer makes his debut as a finalist.  He could join Carl Spackler, the Bushwood groundskeeper as a Caddyshack inductee.  “All The Way” Mae Mordabito: A League of Their Own (Centerfielder for the Rockford Peaches).  Arguably the best comedic performance that Madonna ever had, “All The Way” Mae could join teammate, Dottie Hinson, who got in last year, Amanda Whirtlitzer: Bad News Bears: (Female Little League Pitcher for the Bears).  From the original film, Whurlitzer’s arrival to the team changed the fortunes of the Bears.  This is the first time that she has been a Finalist. Billy Chapel: For Love of the Game (Aging Starting Pitcher for the Detroit Tigers).  Should Chapel get in, this will be the second induction for a baseball player portrayed by Kevin Costner.  The first was as Crash Davis in Bull Durham. Chazz Michael Michaels: Blades of Glory (Champion Singles and Pairs Figure Skater).  If it always seems that there is a Will Ferrell character as a Finalist, it is because there always is.  This is the only fictional figure skater to make the Finals. Clubber Lang: Rocky III: (Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World).  Lang has been a Finalist three times and is one of the best sports villains ever. Dean Youngblood: Youngblood (Left Wing for the Minor League Hamilton Mustangs).  Youngblood led voting of all the semi-finalists but all votes are wiped clean for a fresh start.  This is his second time as a Finalist. “Fast” Eddie Felson: The Hustler and The Color of Money (Pool Shark). “Fast” Eddie returns as a Finalist for the third time.  To date, there is no…

We have what we like to consider a distinct “Holiday Season” at Notinhalloffame.com.  Today is the start, our “Thanksgiving” of sorts, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has made their announcement as to their Finalists for the Class of 2020. This is the first year that the Rock Hall is under new guidance (sort of) as Jann Wenner, the co-founder of the institution is set to step down officially on January 1.  The new Chairman, John Sykes, has been doing the press junket, and this will be the first induction under his watch; although the induction process won’t be.   Let’s get right to the Nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2020: Pat Benatar:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame claims it wants more women, and Pat Benatar was the queen of early 80s Rock and Roll.  This is her first nomination and she has been eligible since 2004.  Ranked #44 on Notinhalloffame.com. The Dave Matthews Band:  The Dave Matthews Band is one of the most successful touring bands ever and this is their first nomination.  They were first eligible last year.  Ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com. Depeche Mode:  Depeche Mode is nominated for the third time and the first since 2018. Last year’s selection of The Cure bodes well for Depeche Mode and should they get in, look for groups like New Order and The Smiths to follow.  Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com. The Doobie Brothers:  A Classic Rock staple, The Doobie Brothers have finally garnered their first nomination since being eligible in 1997.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com. Judas Priest:  The metal band from England are nominated for the second time, the first coming in 2018.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com. Kraftwerk:  In terms of influence, nobody deserves it more than Kraftwerk, who is nominated for the sixth time.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com. MC5:  This is a very influential proto-punk band who is nominated for the fifth time.  Despite this group receiving multiple nominations, they have not received a lot of online support.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com. Motorhead:  This is the first nomination for Motorhead, who have been eligible since 2002.  Sadly, this nomination has happened after the death of their lead singer, Lemmy Kilmister, who passed away in 2015.  Along with Judas Priest, they are one of two heavy metal bands who are nominated.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com. Nine Inch Nails:  This is the first nomination since 2016 and third overall for Nine Inch Nails, who is basically just Trent Reznor.  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com. The Notorious B.I.G. This is the…

Days after Brian McCann announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, we have another former World Series Champion who has announced that he is hanging up the cleats. David Freese announced on Twitter today that he will be retiring from Baseball after an 11-year career.   Freese was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2006 and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team he would debut for in 2008.  The Third Basemen will always be remembered for his 2011 post-season, where he won the NLCS and the World Series MVP and collected a record 21 RBIs.  He would make the All-Star team the following season. He would be traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after the 2013 season and would later sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a Free Agent in 2016.  Freese was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before 2018 and he appeared in their playoff run this year. He retires with 1,041 Hits, 113 Home Runs and a Slash Line of .277/.351/.427.  He is 36 years old. Freese likely will not be chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he will be eligible in 2025.  Anyone, who won the World Series MVP is someone who we want to see on the ballot. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank David Freese for all his excellent career and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

The American Hockey League Hall of Fame announced the four new members of their Hall of Fame, which will comprise the Class of 2020. The new members are: Robbie Ftorek:  Ftorek debuted on the pro level with the Virginia Wings where he played two years (1972-73 & 1973-74) and scored 125 Points.  Late in his career, he played 18 Games for the New Haven Nighthawks for 18 Games, but would take over as their Head Coach for three years. Je would later lead the Albany River Rats to a Calder Cup win in 1995.  Ftorek is 11thall-time in wins by a coach in the AHL with 354 and he is a two-time AHL Coach of the Year.  He is also a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Denis Hamel:  Hamel played 850 Games in the AHL over a 12-year period and would score 651 Points.  The native of Quebec played for the Rochester Americans, Binghamton Senators and Adirondack Phantoms over his career and in 2005-06, he would lead the AHL in Goals with 56.  His 338 AHL Goals is 11thall-time. Darren Haydar:  Haydar is one of the most successful players in AHL history, having played in 780 Games and scoring 788 Points.  The forward would win two AHL Championships (one with the Milwaukee Admirals and one with the Chicago Wolves) and he was the AHL MVP and leading scorer in 2006-07, when he was with Chicago.  He is currently the all-time leading scorer for both Milwaukee and Chicago and also for the AHL post-season. Fred Thurier:  Thurier was the AHL scoring champion in 1940-41 when he was with the Springfield Indians, and he would also be a First Team AHL All-Star.  Following World War II, Thurier played for the Cleveland Barons and would lead them to two Calder Cup Championships. The American Hockey League was formed in 1936.  This group comprises the 15thHall of Fame Class.   We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the attest members of the AHL Hall of Fame.

In the aftermath of the Atlanta Braves 13-1 loss and elimination in Game 5 of the National League Division Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, Braves Catcher, Brian McCann has announced that he is retiring after 15 seasons in the Majors. McCann was drafted by Atlanta in the 2nd Round of the 2002 Amateur Draft and he would crack the Braves roster in 2005.  He would be named the everyday Catcher going into the 2006 season and over the next six years he was considered one of the top catchers in the National League. McCann would begin a six-year run of All-Star Selections, and he would establish himself as the most consistent power-hitting Catchers.  From 2006 to 2017, he never had a season where he wasn’t between 18 and 26 Home Runs.  His power would earn him seven Silver Sluggers, six of which were consecutive from 2006 to 2011.  He would sign with the New York Yankees for the 2014 season and would be there for three years and collected his seventh Silver Slugger there.  McCann would then play for the Houston Astros for two years, and he would win the World Series with them in 2017.  He returned home to Atlanta this year, in what we now know in his final year in the game. He retires with 1,590 Hits, 282 Home Runs, 1,018 RBIs and a Slash Line of .275/.348/.469.  He is 32ndall-time among Catchers in bWAR with 31.8. McCann will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.  His numbers are more than good enough to get him on the ballot but overall metrics will make it hard for him to move past the first year of eligibility.  We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Brian McCann for the memories he created on the field and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

The world of Rock and Roll suffered a huge loss today as the legendary drummer, Ginger Baker, passed away at the age of 80.  He had been battling heart issues for years. Considered by many to be one of rock music’s early star drummers, Baker was born in South London, and while much of his skills were self-taught, he did practice under British Jazz star, Phil Seamen.  He would get his first taste of fame when he was a member of the Graham Bond Organisation, a British Jazz/R&B group.  It was there where he would first collaborate with Jack Bruce, the bass player in the band.  Along with Bruce, Baker, and Eric Clapton formed Cream in 1966.  The British group fused Blues Rock and the Psychedelic Rock scene and released four albums over the next two years.  This would yield many hits such as “I Feel Free,” “Strange Brew,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “White Room,” and “Crossroads,” and Baker’s drumming was the backbone of the groups raw sound.  Cream became known as a must-see live act with Baker’s solos often being the highlight. Baker and Bruce often had an acrimonious relationship (Baker once allegedly tried to stab Bruce), and Cream would break up in 1969.  Clapton and Baker joined Steve Winwood and Ric Grech to form Blind Faith, which released one album in 1969 that topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K.  Baker would then helm his own band, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, that was a rock fusion outfit. Following that, Baker was pretty much off the radar.  He moved to Africa in the early 70s, exploring music of that continent and worked with Fela Kuti.  He would occasionally do session work and collaborated at times with Paul McCartney, Hawkwind, and Public Image Ltd and would have various bands here and there, no nothing that would ever come close to the success he had in the 60s.  That didn’t matter as Ginger Baker’s legacy was long since secured. Baker’s primal skills and long solos laid the blueprint for many of the rock and metal drummers that followed him.  Cream would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and would have a brief reunion in 2005. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Ginger Baker at this time.  

Now we get into the second group of bands eligible for the Rock Hall, artists that have a sliver of a shot of getting in. Remember, this list is not how much I like these bands (or Supergrass would be much higher) but rather how likely I think they are to get in the Hall.And as always, if I ranked your favorite band too low, it is entirely personal. You know what you did. Paul Oakenfold Hometown:Mile End, London, EnglandDate started:1980Eligible Based on:Debut Recording The Goa Mix (1994)Top Selling Record:Bunkka (2002)Top Hits:Faster Kill Pussycat (#4 Dance Charts, 2006) Underrated Track: Ready, Steady, Go (2002)In Line Behind:Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, trance music getting in the hallInduction would Help:John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, Sasha, Carl CoxOdds of Nomination This Year:0%Odds of Nomination Ever:2%Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No Facts: This year is in many ways the year of the DJ. There are four major ones all eligible for the Rock Hall for the first time this year and while Oakenfold has the spot any of the other three (John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, or Sasha) could be in this spot. Each has won best DJ in the World at least once, which would really count for something if there was any evidence that a DJ would ever get into the Hall. And with all of the difficulty that techno has getting into the Hall, taking the next step to trance DJs seems like a huge gap to bridge.That said, if any DJ deserved the first spot it’s Oakenfold. Born in London in 1963, Oakenfold started deejaying as a 17-year-old and decided that the place to build his career was New York City. He moved in 1981 and immediately began sneaking into clubs, such as Studio 54, on a fake ID and met many big names within the music industry. He moved back to London and actually started as an A&R Man for Champion Records and signed both DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Salt-N-Pepa. He continued DJing and in 1987 threw his first acid house party in a London club. It was successful and led to him beginning to focus on his DJ career. He began producing records with several friends under the name of Electra and while they released many popular songs, Electra really rose to prominence in 1992 when their remix of U2’s Even Better than the Real Thing, charted higher than…

The International Boxing Hall of Fame has announced their ballot for the Class of 2020.  It is a particularly loaded ballot, as the Hall has reduced their wait time to three years. The full ballot of the Modern Candidates was not released, but they did announce the 12 new eligible former boxers who have been named to the ballot: They are: Jorge Arce:  64-8-2-1 49 KO, Mexico.  Former WBO-NABO, WBO, WBC, Lineal Light Flyweight, WBC, WBO Super Flyweight and WBO Bantamweight Champion. Timothy Bradley Jr.:  33-2-1-1 13 KO, U.S.A.  Former WBC, WBO Light Welterweight and WBO Welterweight Champion. Vuyani Bungu:  39-5, 19 KO, South Africa.  Former IBF Super Bantamweight, IBO Featherweight Champion. Joel Casamayor:  38-6-1, 22 KO, Cuba.  Former NABF, WBA, IBA Super Featherweight, WBC, Ring Magazine, Lineal Lightweight Champion. Diego Corrales:  40-5 33 KO, U.S.A.  Former IBA Intercontinental Lightweight, IBF, IBA, WBO Super Featherweight, WBO, WBC, Ring Magazine, Lineal Lightweight Champion. Bernard Hopkins:  55-8-2-2 32 KO, U.S.A.  Former IBF, WBA, WBC, Ring Magazine, Lineal, WBO and Undisputed Middleweight and the IBO, Ring Magazine, WBC, Lineal, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion. Juan Manuel Marquez:  56-7-1 40 KO, Mexico.  Former WBO-NABO, WBA, NABF, USBA, WBA, Ring Magazine, USBA, IBF, WBO Featherweight, WBC Super Featherweight, Ring Magazine, Lineal, WBA, WBO Lightweight and WBO Welterweight Champion. Sergio Martinez:  51-3-2 28 KO, Argentina.  Former IBO Super Welterweight, WBC, WBO, Ring Magazine, Lineal Middleweight Champion. Shane Mosley:  49-10-1-1 41 KO, U.S.A.  Former IBF Lightweight, WBC, IBA, Lineal, WBA Welterweight, WBA, WBC, Ring Magazine, Lineal, IBA Light Middleweight Champion. Antonio Tarver:  31-6-1-1 22 KO, U.S.A.  Former NABF, USBA, WBC, IBF, WBA, IBO, Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight, IBO Cruiserweight, Champion Israel Vazquez:  4405 32 KO, Mexico.  Former NABF, IBF, WBC, Ring Magazine, Lineal Super Bantamweight Champion. This will be the first time that the Hall will have a Women’s section: The first ballot’s nominees are: Laila Ali:  24-0 21 KO, U.S.A.  Former IBA, WIBA, IWBF, IBA, WBC Super Middleweight and IWBF Light Heavyweight Champion. Sumya Anani:  25-3-1 10 KO, U.S.A.  Former WIBA, IBA Super Lightweight, WIBA, GBU, IBA Welterweight Champion. Ragina Halmich:  54-1-1 16 KO, Germany.  Former IBF Light Flyweight, IBF Flyweight, IBF Super Flyweight Champion. Holly Holm:  33-2-3 9 KO, U.S.A.  Former IBA, NABF, WIBA, IBA Light Welterweight, WBAN Junior Welterweight, WBA, WBC, GBU, IBA, WIBA, IFBA, WBAN Welterweight and IFBA Light Middleweight Champion. Susi Kentikan:  36-2-0-1 17 KO, Germany.  Former WBA, WIBF, WBO, WBA GBU Flyweight Champion.  Christy Martin:  49-7-3 31 KO, U.S.A.  Former WBC Lightweight and WBC Super Welterweight Champion. Lucia Rijker:  17-0 14 KO, Netherlands.  Former WIBF Super Lightweight and WIBO Junior Welterweight Champion Jisselle Salandy:  16-0 6 KO, Trinidad…

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s incoming chairman, John Sykes, has stated that he intends to see the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony live on HBO. This came from an interview that Sykes did with the L.A. Times.  In the piece, he also said that he was looking for the Rock Hall to have more a presence in Los Angeles, and he also promised to connect more with young people. Sykes was a former executive at MTV and VH1 and he will officially take over on January 1 from Jann Wenner.  We hope that this comes to fruition as we will certainly be watching!

Milestones are a huge part of what people talk about in terms of athletic Halls of Fame.  As such, it is major news that yesterday Frank Gore, went over 15,000 career rushing yards, in the Buffalo Bills loss to the New England Patriots. This makes Gore the fourth player behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders to hit that mark.   Gore has been discussed as a Pro Football Hall of Fame possibility for years but that is a buzz that continues to rise as he defies the odds by continuing to produce at one of the most physically demanding positions in professional sports.  What has always hampered his cause is that he has never been a First Team All-Pro, nor has he ever finished in the top five in Rushing Yards or Rushing Touchdowns.  Basically, we are saying that Frank Gore was never in the conversation as being considered an elite player. That normally matters, but 15,000 Yards?  That will be hard to ignore. By the way, he is now 248 Yards behind Barry Sanders for third overall. Going into this season, we had him ranked at #18 on our Active Player List for future Hall of Fame consideration. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Frank Gore for achieving this milestone, and we won’t bet against him achieving more.

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 and executive. As such, it is news to us that the Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that they will be creating their own franchise Hall of Fame in 2020. It was also announced their Steve Blass will be part of the Pirates’ inaugural Hall of Fame Class. Blass played ten seasons for Pittsburgh where the Pitcher posted a record of 103-76 and earned a World Series Ring in 1971.  Following his playing career, he would become a broadcaster for the team, which began in 1983, a role he still has today. It is unknown at this time whether or not Blass will be joined by others in the inaugural class, but we suspect there will be more. The Hall of Fame will be located at PNC Park. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Steve Blass for this prestigious honor and the Pittsburgh Pirates for establishing this institution.

As part of the celebration of the National Football League’s 100thAnniversary, 20 members will be named to the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class. In addition to the five Modern-Era Inductees, a special “Blue Ribbon Panel” will name 10 Seniors, 3 Contributors and 2 Coaches for the Centennial Class. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has now announced the 25 people who comprise the Blue Ribbon Panel.  This is a collection of people who are regular followers of Canton are familiar with. They are: As of this time, we do not know when the panel will meet or when they will decide.  They will be presented on February 1, where the entire group will be subject to a yay or nay vote (they won’t possibly vote nay, would they?) to the 48-member Board of Selectors, some of which as you can see are on the Blue Ribbon Panel.  They will require 80 percent of the vote and will be voted in as a group. ERNIE ACCORSI – Former GM Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and N.Y. Giants. BILL BELICHICK – New England Patriots head coach. JARRETT BELL – Hall of Fame selector, USA Today. JOEL BUSSERT – Former NFL executive, pro football historian. JOHN CLAYTON – Hall of Fame selector, Washington Post. FRANK COONEY – Hall of Fame selector, SportsXchange. JOHN CZARNECKI – Hall of Fame selector, Fox Sports. RICK GOSSELIN – Hall of Fame selector, Talk of Fame Network. ELLIOTT HARRISON – Pro football historian, NFL.com. JOE HORRIGAN – Former Pro Football Hall of Fame executive, pro football historian. IRA KAUFMAN – Hall of Fame selector, JoeBucsFan.com. DICK LEBEAU – Hall of Fame cornerback, former NFL coach. JEFF LEGWOLD – Hall of Fame selector, ESPN.com. JOHN MADDEN – Hall of Fame coach. JOHN McCLAIN – Hall of Fame selector, Houston Chronicle. GARY MYERS – Hall of Fame selector, The Athletic. OZZIE NEWSOME – Hall of Fame tight end, former GM Baltimore Ravens. CARL PETERSON – Former GM Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs. SAL PAOLANTONIO – Hall of Fame selector, ESPN. BILL POLIAN – Hall of Fame contributor, former GM Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts. DAN POMPEI – Hall of Fame selector, The Athletic. CHAREAN WILLIAMS – Hall of Fame selector, Pro Football Talk. CHRIS WILLIS – Producer/head of research library NFL Films, pro football historian. BARRY WILNER – Hall of Fame selector, Associated Press. RON WOLF – Hall of Fame contributor, former executive Oakland/L.A. Raiders, GM Green Bay Packers. That part seems strange, doesn’t it? We will add more news as we here it!

The 2019-20 NBA Season will tip off next month and unlike in years past, there is no consensus pick to win the Championship.   Star upon star has switched team leading to an unprecedented amount of uncertainty on the top of the NBA’s food chain.  As you can imagine, this has led to wide speculation as to who could possibly emerge as the 2020 NBA Champions and pundits like us here at Notinhalloffame.com and Sports Booking sites like Sports Interaction. But before you take the step and join this operator, you have to remember that you always need to read reviews. By doing so, you prevent the chances of being fooled or scammed by fake or un-secured websites. This is why reading a sports interaction review is very important before taking any step. There are many aspects that have to be checked before deciding if a certain website is legit or not. Now, let's get back to our review!   We have seven teams that we think could take it all, and notably last year’s Finalists (Golden State and Toronto) are not among them. East: Milwaukee Bucks:  Giannis Antetokuonmpo is the reigning MVP and he hasn’t turned 25 yet, meaning he is likely to only get better.  With a returning Khris Middleton, the Bucks won’t creep up on anyone this year but the added playoff experience can only make them better.  Anytime, you have a situation where the best player is on the court is on your team, you have an excellent chance to win.  Milwaukee has that in every game they play. Brooklyn Nets:  Can Kyrie Irving do for Brooklyn, what he couldn’t do for Boston? Kevin Durant, the other big name the Nets signed in the off-season won’t be able to help much (if at all) and Irving does not have as good a supporting cast as he did with the Celtics.  What he might have his chemistry, and he does have a chip on his shoulder.   Philadelphia 76ers:  Joel Embiid and the rest of the “process”was one Kawhi Leonard bucket from the Eastern Finals.  Like the Bucks, this is a team that will benefit from post-season experience and Embiid is only getting better. West: Los Angeles Clippers:  Kawhi Leonard is returning home to L.A. and he is bringing Paul George with him.  Leonard is already a two-time NBA Champion and was the Finals MVP in both of them. George is coming off the best season of his life where he finished third…

After being dormant since 2012, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame has announced their newest Class.  They will be officially inducted on November 1, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The new class consists of: 1998 Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team:  This was the first time that Women’s Hockey was featured in the Olympics and the U.S. defeated the favored Canadian team in the Gold Medal Game. Candace Cable (Paralympics): Cable would become the first person to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.  She has won 12 medals, eight of which were Gold. Lisa Leslie (Women’s Basketball): Leslie is arguably the best women’s basketball player ever and she would lead the Americans to four Olympic Gold Medals in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Nastia Liukin (Women’s Gymnastics):  In 2008, Liukin would win the Women’s All-Around Gymnastic Gold Medal.  She would also win in those same Games, Silver in the Team Competition, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam and Bronze in the Floor Exercise. Misty May-Treanor (Women’s Beach Volleyball):  May-Treanor is the most successful women’s beach volleyball player ever.  Along with her partner, Kerri Walsh, she won Gold in the 2004, 2008 & 2012 Olympics. Tim Nugent (Contributor):  Nugent was the founder of the Wheelchair Basketball Association. Ron O’Brien (Diving Coach): O’Brien has coached divers to twelve Gold, three Silver and four Bronze Medals in the Olympic Games. Apolo Anton Ohno (Men’s Short Track Speed Skating):  Ohno competed in three Olympic Games (2002, 2006 & 2010) and would win eight medals. This comprised of two Gold, two Silver and four Bronze. Erin Popovich (Paralympics): Popovich is a swimmer who won 14 Paralympic Gold Medals and 19 in total. Tommie Smith and John Carlos (Men’s Track & Field):  Smith won Gold and Carlos won Bronze at the 1968 Olympics in the 200 meter dash.  The two wore a black glove and raised in it the air during the playing of the American National Anthem bringing attention to civil rights issues in the U.S.. Dara Torres (Women’s Swimming): Torres won medals in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 & 2008) and would collect 12 Medals.  That was an even distribution of four Gold, four Silver and four Bronze. Chris Waddell (Paralympics): Waddell has competed in both the Summer and Winter Paralympics and has five Gold, five Silver and two Bronze Medals. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate to newest members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the institution itself for its revival.

So begins my annual sojourn through all of the bands first eligible for the Rock Hall for the coming year. Usually, this is a list of 30, sometimes 40 at the outside. But 1994, the year that all of these bands had their first major release was a banner year for music. As a result there were nearly 90 bands that I considered before making this countdown. Ultimately, I thought 50 was the appropriate number for this year (and hopefully this year only). To show you how hard the cuts were, here is a partial list of some of the bands that did not make this countdown:At the Drive In, Braid, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Christie Front Drive, Converge, Cradle of Filth, Deadeye Dick, Econoline Crush, Fu Manchu, Fuzzy, Gogoroth, Grandaddy, Harvey Milk, Ida, In Flames, Jaime Walters, John Digweed, Knapsack, Low, MK Ultra, Mouse on Mars, MxPx, Orphaned Land, Paul van Dyk, Refused, Robbie Fulks, Sasha, Shellac, Soul Coughing, Symphony X, The Mountain Goats, The Van Pelt, Tortoise, and Vitreous Humor. Once again, this is not a ranking of how much I like these bands. This is an attempt to create a ranking of how much the Hall and nominating committee will like these bands based off of what the bands have accomplished and what the Hall seems to value in their nominees. All opinions are my own and if your favorite band isn’t high enough for your liking, know that it is that I have always harbored a deep seated hatred for you in particular, random person I will never meet reading this somewhere I will never be. Now that that is all settled… On to part 1 of 5 of the list. 50 through 41, “The Thought Of, But Not Getting In Ever”.  The Wrens Hometown:Seacaucus, New JerseyDate formed:1989Eligible Based on:Debut Album Silver (1994) Top Selling Record:The Meadowlands (2003)Top Hits:NoneUnderrated Track:Everything they ever did. Just listen to The MeadowlandsalbumIn Line Behind:Many, many other bandsInduction would Help:Forgotten 90s indie bandsOdds of Nomination This Year:0%Odds of Nomination Ever:0%Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:NoFacts:The pride of Seacaucus, New Jersey, The Wrens are both one of the best live bands ever and also a tale as to how hard it is to make money in the music business. Founded in the late 1980s by brothers Greg and Kevin Whelan, guitarist Charles Bissell, and drummer Jerry McDonald. They originally started performing under the name Low, but found…

After digesting the results of the FIBA World Basketball Championships, we noticed that not very many people are talking about how this could relate to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  People should, and we certainly noticed because that is what we do!  Considering the Hall does pay attention to International accomplishments and has a committee for that category alone, the events of the past few weeks will matter. Three (people) come to mind immediately in terms of what we consider the Hall of Fame elevator. Marc Gasol:  Elevator up.  Gasol made history as the second player (after Lamar Odom) to win an NBA Championship and a World Cup Gold Medal in the same calendar year.  Gasol made the all-tournament team is a three-time All-Star from his time in Memphis and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2012-13. The Spanish star was also a former First Team All-NBA Selection in 2014-15. Luis Scola:  Elevator up.  Currently playing in the Chinese League, Scola was also an all-tournament team selection. Representing Argentina on the International level, Scola would become the second leading scorer (behind Brazil’s Oscar Schmidt) in World Cup Scoring and he won his second Silver Medal in this tournament.  He has also won a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics, Bronze in the 2008 Olympics, Gold at the Pan-American Games and in the AmeriCup, he had two Gold Medals, four Silver Medals and three Bronze Medals. Team U.S.A.:  All of them on a stalled elevator where anyone of them would have rocketed two floors.  When star after star pulled out of Team U.S.A., they were expected to falter, but a seventh-place finish is disastrous.  Had the Americans won Gold with one (or multiple) players leading the charge that player(s) would have a major feather in their cap taking an underdog U.S. team to a title. We are also in the process of unveiling are top 50 active Basketball Players for Hall of Fame consideration.  It will be in a similar format of our Football List, which we uploaded last month.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame has announced the newest members who will comprise the Class of 2019. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978.  The Class will be officially inducted in an industry event on October 27 in Calgary, Alberta. The Class will also be featured at the 2020 Juno Awards. The new class consists of: Chilliwack:  From Vancouver, Chilliwack was a successful Rock/Pop group had four top ten Canadian Hits with another three making the top twenty. Named after the town east of Vancouver, Chilliwack has been active since 1970. Cowboy Junkies:  The Alternative Country band from Toronto would have five top thirty albums on the Canadian Charts and would have nine songs reach the top 40.  Their second album, The Trinity Sessions, received international acclaim. Bobby Curtola:  Curtola was a teen idol in the 60s and he had 14 top ten hits in Canada.  He passed away in 2016 at the age of 73. Andy Kim:  From Montreal, Kim would have two number one hits in Canada with “Baby, I Love You” and “Rock Me Gently”, which also topped the U.S. Charts.  Kim also wrote many songs for other artists. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate to newest members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Days after the passing of Eddie Money, the Rock and Roll world has lost another of its brethren as Rik Ocasek has passed away at the age of 75.  He was found dead in his New York City apartment.  No cause of death has been announced. Ocasek and his long-time friend and musical collaborator, Ben Orr, would found The Cars in 1976 and along with Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton and Dave Robinson had a band that was about to mesh musical styles.  Combining pop, synth and album rock, their eponymous release generated hits like “Just What I Needed”, “My Best Friends Girl” and “Good Times Roll”.  They would put out four more albums (Candy-O, Panorama, Shake It Up and Heartbeat City over the next six years and they hit the charts with songs such as “Let’s Go”, “Touch and Go”, “Shake It Up”, “Since Your Gone”, “Drive”, “You Might Think” and “Hello Again”.  They were part of the early years of MTV and they had a sound that could be played on various radio formats. While all of this success was transpiring, Ocasek was also establishing himself as a successful producer.  He worked with Suicide, Romeo Void, and Bad Brains. He would later work with No Doubt, Guided by Voices, Bad Religion, Weezer and Nada Surf just to name a few. Following the disbanding of the Cars in 1988, Ocasek would have a solo career and would continue as a producer. He would reunite with the group in 2011 and join them on tour. In 2018, The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans, and family of Rik Ocasek at this time.

It is onward and upward for us here at Notinhalloffame.com as we have added to one of our existing sections, the Baseball Futures. Today, we are pleased to unveil our section of former baseball players who will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023. The entire section can be found here, but below is the complete list of those whom we are profiling. They are: Aaron Hill:  An All-Star in 2009 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Hill retired with just over 1,500 Hits.  He would also be named a Silver Slugger twice. Adam Lind:  Lind would have 200 Home Runs and as a Blue Jay in 2009, he would win both the Silver Slugger and Edgar Martinez Award. Andre Ethier:  A career Los Angeles Dodger, Andre Ethier was a two-time All-Star and would win the Silver Slugger in 2009. Bronson Arroyo:  A member of the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Championship Team, Bronson Arroyo had his best seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.  He would retire with 148 Wins and was an All-Star in 2006. Carlos Beltran:  Beltran retires with a strong Hall of Fame resume as he retired with 2,725 Hits and 435 Home Runs.  Beltran went to nine All-Star Games, won two Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves and was a World Series Champion in his last season in Baseball. Carlos Ruiz:  Ruiz was a light hitting Catcher, but he was an All-Star in 2012 and a two-time Wilson Defensive Player.  He has a World Series Ring with Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. Chad Qualls:  Qualls pitched mostly in middle and long relief and would pitch in 844 Games. Erick Aybar:  Aybar was an All-Star in 2014 and was a Gold Glove winner in 2011. Francisco Rodriguez: “K-Rod” won the World Series with the Anaheim Angels in 2002 and would go on to six All-Star Games. Rodriguez led the AL in Saves three times and collected 437 in total. Glen Perkins:  Perkins secured 120 Saves over a career that was spent entirely with the Minnesota Twins. Huston Street:  Street was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2005 and would be a two-time All-Star.  He retired with 324 Saves. J.J. Hardy:  Hardy was a two-time All-Star at Shortstop and would be a three-time Gold Glove recipient.  He would also win the Silver Slugger Award in 2013. Jacoby Ellsbury:  Ellsbury won the World Series twice with the Boston Red Sox, and he was an All-Star, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner in 2011. Jason Grilli:  Grilli played for…

We have another retirement to talk about as Shaun Livingston has announced that his NBA career is coming to an end at the age of 34. The 4th Overall Pick from the 2004 Draft, Livingston played his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers before suffering a knee injury that would take him out of the 2007-08 season.  He would go into full journeyman mode after that, playing for Miami, Oklahoma City, Washington, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Brooklyn before signing with the Golden State Warriors before the 2014-15 season.   Livingston found a home in Golden State coming off of the bench for the Warriors for five years and he would appear in the finals in every one of them.  He would win three Championship Rings with the Dubs, making him one of the few players who can make that claim. Livingston retires with a 6.3 Points per Game Average over an 833 Game career. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Shaun Livingston for his on-court memories and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

Blue Collar Rock and Roll took a tumble today as Eddie Money died at the age of 70 due to esophageal cancer. From New York City, Money (born Eddie Mahoney) followed his father’s footsteps as a New York City cop, though he pursued a musical career at night.  He gave up law enforcement and moved to California where he was discovered and signed by promoter, Bill Graham.  His debut album (eponymously named) was released in 1977 and it yielded radio-friendly hits like “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise”.  His gruff voice and relatable songs made him an everyman star and he would continue to have success until the early 80s but fell off the radar when drugs, alcohol and typical rock and roll excess.   Money made a comeback in 1986, with his album, “Can’t Hold Back”, that had one of his most enduring hits, “Take Me Home Tonight”, a song where musical legend, Ronnie Spector reprised the “Be My Little Baby” line from the early 60s hit of the same name.  He would have a few minor hits until the early 90s and would regress into the oldies circuit after. Money is ranked #281on our latest Notinhalloffame.com Rock List. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Eddie Money at this time. 

For us at Notinhalloffame.com, this is our march toward our Christmas.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced the Modern-Era Preliminary Nominees for the Class of 2020, a total of 122 former players.   To qualify, a player must have retired less than 25 years ago and at least 5 years ago: The nominees are: Quarterbacks: Randall Cunningham: 1985-2001, PHI, MIN, DAL, BAL. Cunningham is a three-time Bert Bell Award winner a four-time Pro Bowl Selection.  Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com. Jake Delhomme: 1999-11, NOR, CAR, HOU. Delhomme went to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and he would throw for over 20,000 Yards. Boomer Esiason:  1984-97, CIN, NYJ, ARI.  Esiason went to four Pro Bowls and in 1988 he was named the AP MVP.  He would take the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance and threw for over 37,000 Yards with 247 TDs.  Ranked #74 on Notinhalloffame.com. Jeff Garcia:  1999-09, SFO, CLE, DET, PHI, TAM.  Garcia was a four-time Pro Bowler and would throw for over 25,000 Passing Yards. Jeff Hostetler:  1985-97, NYG, RAI, OAK, WAS.  Hostetler won two Super Bowls and was the winning Quarterback in Super Bowl XXV. He would later be a Pro Bowl in 1994 with the Raiders. Dave Krieg:  1980-98, SEA, KAN, DET, ARI, CHI, TEN.  Krieg went to three Pro Bowls with the Seahawks and threw for 38,147 Yards and 261 Touchdowns over a 19-year career.  Ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com. Donovan McNabb:  1999-01, PHI, WAS, MIN.  McNabb took the Eagles to the Super Bowl and was a six-time Pro Bowler.  He threw for 37,276 Yards with 234 Touchdowns and ran for another 3,459 Yards and 29 TDs.  Ranked #67 on Notinhalloffame.com. Running Backs: Shaun Alexander:  2000-08, SEA, PHI.  Alexander went to three straight Pro Bowls and in the last one he won the Rushing Title and was named the AP MVP.  Alexander retired with 10,973 Yards From Scrimmage and 112 Touchdowns. Mike Alstott:  1996-06, TAM.  Alstott won a Super Bowl with the Bucs and was a six-time Pro Bowl and three-time First Team All-Pro.  He would total 7,373 Yards From Scrimmage with 71 Touchdowns. Tiki Barber:  1997-06, NYG.  Barber rushed for over 10,000 Yards and was a three-time Pro Bowler.  He also caught another 5,000 Yards and was a two-time leader in Yards From Scrimmage.  Ranked #93 on Notinhalloffame.com. Earnest Byner:  1984-97, CLE, WAS, BAL.  Byner won a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins and he was a two-time Pro Bowler. He would accumulate 12,866 Yards From Scrimmage with 71 Touchdowns over his career. Larry Centers:  1990-03, PHO, ARI, WAS, BUF, NWE.  Centers was a three-time Pro Bowl Selection…

The Toy Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2019. The Finalists are:   Care Bears Coloring Book Fisher-Price Corn Popper Jenga Magic the Gathering Masters of the Universe Matchbox Cars My Little Piny Nerf Blaster Risk Smartphone The Top   The winners will be inducted on November 7.  The Magic 8 Ball, Pinball and Uno were chosen last year.The Toy Hall of Fame is part of the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. We here at Notinhalloffame.com will certainly be paying attention!

Rutgers University has announced their latest Hall of Fame Class. The Class will be officially inducted on October 18 at their annual hall dinner and will be honored the following day during the Scarlet Knights’ home game against Minnesota. Todd Frazier, Baseball 2005-07: Nicknamed “The Toddfather”, Frazier was a First Team All-American in 2007 and was the Big East Player of the Year.  He would leave Rutgers as the all-time leader in Home Runs (42) and Runs Scored (210). Frazier would later become a two-time All-Star in the Majors.   Fred Gruninger, Athletic Director 1973-98: Gruninger oversaw a substantial growth in the Rutgers sports programs over his tenure, especially on the women’s side. Greg Rinaldi, Men’s Lacrosse 1987-90: Rinaldi scored 144 Goals for Rutgers, which was a school record at the time. He would be a three-time All-American and was named to the First Team in 1990. He would take the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament in 1990. 1919-20 Men’s Basketball Team: This induction celebrates the 100thanniversary of the first Rutgers team to play in the postseason. They would defeat Georgia, Utah and the Young Men’s Organization of Detroit before falling to NYU in the Finals of the National Amateur Athletic Union Basketball Tournament. 1981 Men’s Track & Field Two Mile Relay Team: Comprised of Brian Grimes, Stan Belin, Walter Kirkland and James Westman. The quartet would win the National Indoor Championship. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Rutgers Athletic Hall of Fame.

The University of Tennessee has announced their six-person Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019: Doug Dickey, Football Coach 1964-69 & Administrator 1985-2003: Under Dickey’s tutelage, the football program really took shape and he would take them to two SEC Championships while going 104-58-6.  As the Athletic Director, the University would 10 National Championships and 38 SEC Titles. R.A. Dickey, Baseball 1994-96: Named the Baseball America Freshman of the Year and would win 38 Games for the Volunteers, a school record and would lead Tennessee win the 1995 College World Series.  Dickey would go on to have a successful career in the Majors, highlighted by winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2012. Christine Magnuson, Swimming & Diving 2005-08: Magnuson was the 2008 NCAA Champion in the 100-Yard Butterfly and was also the SEC Swimmer of the Year. She was a 23-time All-American. Gus Manning, Administrator 1951-2000: Holding a variety of different positions over his 50-year career serving under eight different Assistant Directors. Candace Parker, Women’s Basketball 2005-08: Parker was an absolute superstar leading the Lady Vols to the NCAA Championship in both 2007 and 2008.  She would also win the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2008 and the John R. Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008.  She would score 2,137 Points and made history as the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament Game.  Parker would later become the number one draft pick in the WNBA and is a two-time league MVP.  She is also a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist for Team U.S.A. Tony Parrilla, Men’s Track & Field 1991-94: Parrilla won four 800-Meter Titles and was a 10-time All-American.  He was named the 1994 SEC Men’s Track & Field Outdoor Athlete of the Year. The Class of 2019 will be officially inducted on October 25 and they will be recognized the following day during their football game against South Carolina.   We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the future University of Tennessee Hall of Famers.