Dustin Pedroia, who last played in 2019, has announced his official retirement from baseball.

Knee problems held Pedroia to only nine combined games in 2018 and 2019, and he did not play at all in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, so while this announcement is not unexpected, it is impactful considering what he meant to the Boston Red Sox.

Pedroia debuted in 2006 for Boston, two years after he was taken in the second round of the amateur draft, and the two years that followed for the Second Baseman was nothing short of magical.  Pedroia won the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award, while also being the spark plug of the Red Sox team that won that year’s World Series.  His following year did not add any finger jewelry, but his trophy case needed expanding.  Pedroia won the Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and MVP, and he was also the American League leader in Hits (213), Runs (118) and Doubles (54).

Remaining one of the top Second Basemen over the next half-decade, Pedroia went to four All-Star Games, and would be four-time Gold Glove recipient. 

He retires with 1,805 career Hits, 140 Home Runs and a .299 Batting Average.  Pedroia’s career bWAR of 51.6 places him 22^ndall-time at his position, and his JAWS is 46.3, 20^thall-time among Second Basemen.   It is significantly lower than the average Hall of Famer at his position, 57.0, but many of those above him do not have two World Series rings and/or an MVP.

Pedroia will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, and in the near future, there will be a profile on him in our baseball futures section.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Dustin Pedroia the best in his post-playing career.

2021 seems so familiar to 2020.

Another legendary figure in the sports world has passed away as Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, John Chaney, passed away.  He was 89.

John Chaney led Cheyney State to a Division II Championship in 1978, and Temple University hired him as their men’s basketball coach in 1982.  He held that position until 2006.

Chaney’s Owls appeared in 17 NCAA Tournaments and while he was quick to lose his temper, he was even quicker to help those in need.  A stickler for the defensive side of the ball, Chaney led Temple to six Atlantic 10 titles and he was a five-time conference Coach of the Year. 

Chaney retired in 2006 with a career record of 741-312.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of John Chaney.

According to mybesthookup users, modern media culture has definitely influenced their dating lifestyle, with musical tastes being a prime motivator. While everyone has a particular genre they enjoy listening to the most, certain trends are guaranteed to produce a sense of excitement and sexual tension, even if this sound isn’t necessarily your first preference. Take rock n’ roll the style that pretty much-transformed society in the 1950s and 1960s single-handedly creating the younger generation and hookup culture.

The impact of the rock n’ roll lifestyle on the sexual behavior of modern adults

Before this defining moment, there was little to differentiate between young people and their parents. They would dress similarly, and share many of the same hobbies or tastes in music. The advent of rebellious, dangerous, and downright sexy performers such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the ‘King of Rock n’ Roll himself – Elvis Presley – in the 1950s led to a generation gap. Older people frowned on these lewd performers. When Elvis appeared on television shows, he was always filmed from the waist up, as his hip gyrations were deemed far too suggestive for family viewing!

Rock n’ roll icons often seem to live in a world far removed from the mere mortals who buy their records and watch their concerts. They party hard, take illicit substances, are far from monogamous, and generally love subscribing to the ‘live fast, die young’ cliché. While this is perhaps irresponsible for anyone seeking a meaningful relationship, it can influence sexual behavior amongst fans, steering them towards ‘no strings attached’ encounters.

The contribution of rockn’roll to hookup culture

Unlike pop music that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, with a lot of the marketing specifically targeting the adolescent market, rock n’ roll tends to be for grown-ups. A key aspect of this form of loud and aggressive music is its sex appeal, from those girls screaming out their teenage crushes at The Beatles, up to today’s groupies hanging around outside dressing rooms hoping to catch the eye of one of their idols, perhaps initiating a hookup that night.

Here are four famed artists, and their key songs that celebrate this somewhat casual but passionate attitude to romance.

The lead singer of the English band Queen, Freddie Mercurywas renowned for being one of the most flamboyant frontmen in rock n’ roll, strutting across stages across the world, his ambiguous sexual status appealing across the board. Queen’s anthemic hit ‘Don’t Stop Me Know’captures his exuberance, inviting singles to follow in his footsteps, and go out there and grab life by the horns!

Kurt Cobainwas the iconic figurehead of the late 1980s revival in US heavy rock that became labeled ‘grunge’.Far removed from the pompous and theatrical behavior of the likes of Guns N’Roses, his band was rawer, hearkening back to the rebellious punk movement from the previous decade.‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, the song that brought them international fame, is a celebration of what it is to be young, and ready to embrace the possibilities of life and love. It’s not about settling down with commitments! 

In the mid-1970s, an entirely new subculture of rock n’ roll music, fashion, and, above all, attitude, swept over the USA, springboarding into the UK. The tabloid press were quick to label this loud, proud, frenetic but anti-social movement ‘punk rock’. But it gave a staid industry a timely shake-up, and one of the primary exponents, Londoners The Clash, led by the late the charismatic, Joe Strummer. The title of their song ‘Lover’s Rock’was a celebration of love.

And, of course,Elvis Presley, who may have originated in relative poverty in Tupelo, Mississippi in the USA, but went on to become one of the most popular and influential rock n ‘roll singers of all time. He could convey strong emotions so effortlessly, in his instantly-recognizable voice. Who’s to say whether these intense feelings were most appropriate for a long-term romance or casual hookups? The common denominator is the depth of passion, applicable to the moment – whether that lasts for one night, or is spread throughout one lifetime.

We have another major retirement in the National Football League as Jason Witten has called it a career.

Drafted in the 3rd Round out of Tennessee in 2003, Witten would see significant playing time in his rookie year but in 2004 he would rise to Pro Bowl status with a 980 Yard season. This would be the first of many seasons where the Dallas Cowboy would be considered an elite Tight End.

From 2005 to 2010 he would be named to six more Pro Bowls, which would also include two First Team All Pro Selections. Four more Pro Bowls would follow (2012-14 & 2017). Four of his seasons would see Witten exceed over 90 Receptions and 1,000 Yards, incredible numbers for a Tight End.

Witten first retired after the 2017 season, and went into the broadcast booth for ESPN for their Monday Night Football package.  He unretired, coming back in 2019, and joined the Las Vegas Raiders last year.

Witten retires as the all-time Cowboys leader in Receptions (1,215) and Receiving Yards (12,977).  and he retires with 13,046 Yards and 74 Touchdowns in total.

With his 11 Pro Bowls and statistical accumulation he has an excellent shot at entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026. He will certainly have a prime position on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.  In our 2020 pre-season rank of active players and their Hall of Fame credentials, Witten was placed #9 overall and #2 in Tight Ends behind Rob Gronkowski.

We will be creating his Notinhalloffame.com profile shortly in the 2026 section.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Jason Witten for all of the memories on the field and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.