The world of professional wrestling lost another of its own as Mike Graham was found today at the age of 61. Graham was the son of legendary promoter, Eddie Graham, and as such spent the bulk of his time competing in Florida. Graham won the majority of his titles in his father’s promotion, and this was not a case of nepotism as the Mike was an excellent technical wrestler who would later become an agent in trainer in other promotions. Thanks Mike for the memories, and I am going to find some classic matches of his in the Sunshine State.

We apologize….we spend our days thinking about Halls of Fame and the perpetual ranking of our sections. However, we have realized we made a horrible error. In 2011, Paul Kariya retired after sitting out a season due to concussion symptoms. Initially, we had him pegged to be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2014 as the Hall will declare someone eligible three years after their professional career is over. However, as Kariya’s last pro game was in 2010 (despite retiring a year later) he is eligible for 2013, and should have been included in our hockey revisions. We have fixed this mistake, and have placed Paul Kariya on the list at number four. Everyone under that number has slid down one accordingly. We apologize here at notinhalloffame.com and encourage you to keep us on our toes!   Even we make mistakes… J

The world of football lost another legend when Alex Karras passed away today at the age of 77. The former Detroit Lion had been battling a myriad of ailments over the past few years which included dementia, stomach cancer and kidney failure, and his passing had been expected for some time.

Although he was understandably frail at the time, Karras was first known on the gridiron for his punishing strength and fear he put in opposing Quarterbacks. He was the anchor of an excellent Lions Defensive Line and a member of the 1960’s All Decade Team. As popular as he was as an athlete, he became one of the first to transition into acting.

Karras first broke into a role he was familiar with; himself. It was in the film adaptation of “Paper Lion” which documented George Plimpton’s tryout with the Detroit Lions. Karras’ role was not just of a cameo, but one with a high billing and a serious chance to break out into to a line of work. Karras would go full force into Hollywood, landing movie and TV work among which included the iconic role of “Mongo” in Mel Brooks film, Blazing Saddles. Although Karras’ portrayal of Mongo was that of a dimwitted oaf, he was anything but. Appearances on the Johnny Carson show allowed him to display his humor and intellect. He even had a well-received run as the Color Commentator on Monday Night Football in 1977.

Perhaps it was his role as George Papadopoulos in the 80’s sitcom Webster that he became most known for. True, he again portrayed an ex-football player, but he did so in a way that showed his softer side. A generation saw Karras as one of their favorite TV dads as opposed to a feared NFL defender. He helped show other athletes that they too could pursue acting careers, or even that they did not have to be defined by what they could do on a playing field.

Thanks Alex, and you were more than just a pawn in life’s game.

The Czech Goalie, Dominik Hasek has announced that he is forgoing thoughts of returning to the National Hockey League. At the age of 47, Hasek last played in North America for the Detroit Red Wings where he captured the second of his two Stanley Cups. Hasek lasted played professionally in the KHL for HC Spartak Moscow in the 2010-11 season.

The Hockey Hall of Fame allows for players to be eligible three years after their pro career (regardless of what league) has ended. Hasek will remain eligible for the Hall in 2014, and based on his legacy as one of the greatest Goaltenders of all time, we would champion him as a first ballot entrant.

We bring this up, as we are currently working on our lists for future players for the Hockey Hall of Fame. At present sections for the Baseball Hall of Fame and those who will soon be eligible is populating our site. Look for hockey to follow suit.