One of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time, Terry Funk, has passed away.

The son of Dory Funk, and younger brother of Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk first began wrestling in 1965, and would compete in every significant wrestling promotion that mattered. Funk gave off the persona of a crazed wildman, but the Texan was also an accomplished mat technician, who could adapt to any style. Winning the NWA World Heavyweight Title in 1975, Funk was also very successful in Japan, winning multiple titles and tournaments with his brother.

Winning titles all across the United States, Funk pioneered what would become known as Hardcore Wrestling. In 1985, he had his first foray into the WWF, challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Title and competing in a tag team match at Wrestlemania 2. By the end of the 80s, Funk returned to the NWA and challenged Ric Flair for the World Title at the 1989 Great American Bash.

In the 1990s, Funk became the lynchpin for Paul Heyman’s ECW, headlining their first Pay Per View, and though he was in his 50s, he made returns to the WWF and WCW. He continued to wrestle, finally lacing up the boots in 2017.

Funk would also act in movies, namely Paradise Alley, Over the Top and Roadhouse.

In 2009, The Funk Brothers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

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

The 2023 Pro Football Season will begin shorty, but a major step in the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame process occurred today with the announcement of Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell as this year’s Finalists. They join Buddy Parker, who advanced days ago as the Coaches/Contributor Finalist.

Randy Gradishar: Linebacker, DEN 1974-83. Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. This was a long time coming for Gradishar, who was twice a Modern Era Finalist (2003 & 2008), and was a Senior Finalist in the 2020 Centennial Class. Gradishar was the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year and would collect seven Pro Bowls. He is also a two-time First Team All-Pro. If Gradishar goes through (and he likely will), it will end the drought for the Super Bowl XII participants, as they are the only team to participate in the Super Bowl in the 1900s that have no Hall of Fame representatives.

Steve McMichael: Defensive Tackle & Nose Tackle, NWE 1980, CHI 1981-93 & GNB 1994: Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. McMichael, who has ALS, has seen his disease take a turn for the worse, and bluntly, he does not have much time left. This likely explains Mongo’s rapid ascension here, as he has never been a Semi-Finalist of any sort since this year. He won a Super Bowl with Chicago and was a two-time Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro.

Art Powell: Split End, Defensive Back & Wide Receiver, PHI 1959, NYT 1960-62, OAK 1963-66, BUF 1967 & MIN 1968: Ranked #171 on Notinhalloffame.com. Powell is a surprise, as it looked like this spot might go to either Wistert, Baughan or maybe Sharpe. Twice leading the AFL in rushing, Powell was a five-time AFL All-Star and two-time First Team All-Pro.

These selections mean that the following did not make the cut.

Ken Anderson: Quarterback, CIN 1971-86: Ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com. Anderson is a Finalist once again, and seeks to become the third Bengal to gain enshrinement. He brought the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance and was the consensus MVP in 1981. Anderson went to four Pro Bowls, was a one-time First Team All-Pro, and also won the coveted Walter Payton Man of the Year. Statistically, he threw for 32,838 Yards, 197 Touchdowns, led the NFL in Passing Yards twice, and Pass Completion Percentage three times.

Maxie Baughan: Linebacker, PHI 1960-65, LAR 1966-70 & WAS 1972. Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com. Baughan went to nine out of 10 Pro Bowls throughout the 1960s, and was also chosen for one First Team All-Pro and five Second Team All-Pros.

Roger Craig: Running Back, SF 1983-90, RAI 1991 & MIN 1992-93: Ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com. A three-time Super Bowl Champion with San Francisco, Craig made history as the game’s first player to obtain for 1,000 Rushing Yards and 1,000 Receiving Yards in the same season. He is a four-time Pro Bowl, one-time First Team All-Pro and was the 1988 Offensive Player of the Year.

Joe Jacoby: Offensive Lineman, WAS 1981-93: Ranked #41 on Notinhalloffame.com. Jacoby won three Super Bowls and was a four-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro.

Albert Lewis: Cornerback, KAN 1983-93 & RAI/OAK 1994-98: Ranked #129 on Notinhalloffame.com. Lewis was a Finalist for the first time in his last year on the modern ballot, and is here on his first Senior ballot. The Defensive Back had 42 Interceptions, four Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pros.

Eddie Meador: Cornerback & Safety, RAM 1959-70. Ranked #81 on Notinhalloffame.com. Meador recorded 46 Interceptions and went to six Pro Bowls in the 1960s along with obtaining two First Team All-Pros.

Sterling Sharpe: Wide Receiver, GNB 1988-94: Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com. Sharpe’s career was cut short due to injury, but still managed five Pro Bowls, three First Team All-Pros and twice led the NFL in Receptions. He also once led the NFL in Touchdown Receptions.

Otis Taylor: Wide Receiver & Flanker, KAN 1965-75: Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com. Taylor is a Super Bowl Champion with the Chiefs and he has an AFL All-Star and two Pro Bowls on his ledger. He was also the NFL’s leading receiver in Yards in 1971.

Al Wistert: Tackle, Guard & Defensive End, 1943-51: Ranked #38 on Notinhalloffame.com. Wistert won two NFL Championships with the Eagles and was honored with four First Team All-Pro Selections.

This does not guarantee induction, but recent history dictates that they will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all the Finalists for the 2024 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In July, the LA Chargers signed QB Justin Herbert on a five-year contract extension worth $262.5 million, making him the highest paid QB in history – but what is behind this decision, and why do the Chargers have so much pinned on the handsome, reticent player barely out of his rookie season?

If you are looking for another way to play online, and fancy a break from the Eye of Horus slot games, you might want to look at sports betting and the NFL in particular – and knowing the latest news before the start of the season might help you decide on what to bet on.

Before we delve into Herbert, let’s look at the LA Chargers.

Who are the LA Chargers?

The LA Chargers play in the NFL and their home games are played at the SoFi Stadium, which the team shares with the LA Rams in Inglewood, California.

The team was founded in 1959, and played their first season in the American Football League in 1960.

In 1961, the team relocated to San Diego, and played as the San Diego Chargers for decades, winning the AFL Championships in 1963.

One of the best performances of the Chargers was in 194, when they won the AFC Championship and a place in the Superbowl but lost 49-26 to the San Francisco 49ers.

2017 saw the Chargers return to LA, and since then they have worked hard to remain in the top flight of the AFC West, finishing 2^nd last year and earning a place in the Wild Card Playoff, which they unfortunately lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-30.

With the contract extension for Justin Herbert, the LA Chargers are showing that they have big plans for the upcoming season, putting their introverted quarterback at the forefront of their plans for domination.

Why Justin Herbert?

Born in March 1998, Justin Herbert developed his amazing throwing arm in his early life, competing in the softball throw tournaments from the age of 7 and winning again and again. The movement into football was almost a no-brainer, and by his senior year of high school, he was named First Team All-State and awarded the Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year at Sheldon High School.

College saw him named as QB2 when he started at Oregon, but he soon became a starter, as his freshman season saw him equalling or setting records for things like passing yards and TD passes. While the 2016 season for his college team wasn’t exactly full of glory, it wasn’t for a lack of talent in their QB, at least. The rest of his college career saw him win the Rose Bowl, the Redbox Bowl, and many personal accolades, including Academic All-American for his 4.08 grade point average in Biology.

When it came to the draft, Herbert was picked sixth overall in the first round, and named as backup QB to Tyrod Taylor. His arrival was watched with interest; his play style and movie-star good looks made him seem to be the ultimate sports personality.

This seemed to be spot on for the fans, as he became the starting QB in just the second game of the year. His awesome skills and extensive power in his throw saw him named as Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020.

It was in 2021 that Herbert really came to life, smashing franchise records across the field – from completing 5014 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 63 carries for 302 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in just one season.

What is the secret sauce that makes Herbert so good – and worth so much?

Well, there is that unnaturally good throwing arm. Even his own teammates sometimes are awed by just how far – and how straight - he can throw. Despite this, he is steady and uncomplicated, humble, and quiet.

Unlike some of the other quarterbacks in the NFL, Herbert seems completely disinterested in the trappings of the position. He Is noticeably uncomfortable in front of a microphone, uneasy when put in the spotlight, and often deflecting personal questions to make them about the performance of the team.

Does this make him a better player? Perhaps, he is certainly more focused on his play, running practice drills until they are perfect with that attention to detail that even his teammates are fascinated with.

This ultra focused player looks the part, with his handsome features and good hair – but the only thing that matters is the football. He has no delusions about his position, often the only player who tidies after himself in the locker room and packs his own holdall before away games.

His third season saw Herbert come out of himself a bit more. Maybe through maturity or being more comfortable with his important position – whatever it is, he was more relaxed in interviews, making jokes on camera, and actively encouraging his teammates.

Whatever the secret is, it has transformed Justin Herbert’s career – he was scheduled to earn $4.23 million in his fourth year for the Chargers, and thanks to his new contract that number is about $52.5 million.

It is with great pleasure that we continue the third annual Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Season Cup, and let us explain how this works:

With every single regular season game, we anointed the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1.

We knew the following:

-       The top players for the MLB NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points. It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.

-       In Baseball, it is more common than in Basketball and Hockey for a player to accrue points with a single Home Run in a game, and overall favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Starts and throwing less innings than in previous generations. This also is true for closers, which is not made for this process.

-       Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency. Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

At present 1,009 (up from 994 last week) players have generated at least one Cup Point.

So, MLB players! Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

This is the fourteenth update, with standings as of the morning of August 21.

1. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, Designated Hitter & Pitcher: (Ranked #1 Last Week)

188 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.53 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 89 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .306/.407/.654, 9.4 bWAR & 10-5, 3.17 ERA, 165 SO, 1.064 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. Ohtani continues to grow the gap between himself and his nearest competition, and we can’t see him losing the Cup. After cooling off on the mound, Ohtani is still the American League leader in H/9 (5.9) and ERA+ (142), is third in ERA (3.17) and fifth in Strikeouts (165). With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in bWAR (9.4), Home Runs (43), Triples (7), Walks (77), OBP (.407), Slugging (.664), OPS (1.070), OPS+ (184) and Total Bases (304), while also being second in Runs (95), third in RBIs (89), and forth in Batting (.306). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

2. Ronald Acuna: Atlanta Braves, Outfield: (Ranked #2 Last Week)

151 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.23 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 71 Runs Batted In, 56 SB, .331/.417/.569, 6.2 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (56), Runs Scored (112), OBP (.417) and Total Bases (280). He is second in bWAR (6.2) and OPS (.995), third in Batting (.331) and fourth in Slugging (.569). Acuna also holds the eighth-place spot in Home Runs (28).

3. Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Ranked #5, Last Week)

150 Cup Points, 99 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 34 Home Runs, 86 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .298/.394/.595, 6.4 bWAR.

Betts has had a great summer, where he made his seventh All-Star Game. In the National League, he took over the top spot in OPS (.989) and bWAR (6.4) this past week and has moved up to second in Slugging (.595) and fifth and Batting (.298) and OBP (.394). Betts has also climbed to third in Home Runs (34) and fourth in RBIs (86).

4. Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

142 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 23 Home Runs, 83 Runs Batted In, 16 SB, .333/.411/.575, 5.4 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (45), OPS+ (163) and Total Bases (280) while also currently placing second in Batting (.333), and third in both OPS and Slugging (.411/.585). He is also second in Runs (102), third in Hits (152) and is seventh in Runs Batted In (83).

5. Matt Olson: Atlanta Braves, First Base: (Ranked #4 Last Week)

141 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 108 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .269/.379/.601, 4.9 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (43), RBIs (108) and Slugging (.691). He is also fourth in OPS (.981), ninth in On Base Percentage (.379), and is enjoying the best year of his career.

6. Kyle Tucker: Houston Astros, Outfield: (#7, Last Week)

136 Cup Points, 121 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, 24 SB, .296/.376/.525, 3.7 bWAR.

Tucker has been on fire lately and is now the American League leader in RBIs (92). In regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is eighth in Batting (.296), fifth in OBP (.376) and Slugging (.525), while holding strong at fourth in OPS (.901). He is also in the top ten in Hits, Home Runs, Stolen Bases and Extra Base Hits.

7. Juan Soto: San Diego Padres, Outfield: (Ranked #6, Last Week)

133 Cup Points, 125 Games, 1.06 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 75 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .261/.404/.491, 4.0 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (106) and is third in OBP (.404), fifth in OPS+ (150), and sixth in OPS (.895).

8. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #9 Last Week)

126 Cup Points, 111 Games, 1.03 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .274/.347/.530, 3.0 bWAR.

Devers remains a surprise being so high as he was not in the All-Star Game, nor was considered a significant snub. He and is currently fourth in the AL in Home Runs (29), RBIs (85), and Slugging (.530).

9. Christian Walker: Arizona Diamondbacks, First Base: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

122 Cup Points, 121 Games, 1.01 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .274/.351/.535, 3.8 bWAR.

Corbin Carroll out. Christian Walker in. The Diamondbacks remain represented in the top group with a man who at 32 has never been an All-Star. Walker is at present sixth in RBIs (84) and eighth in Home Runs (28) and Slugging (.535).

10. Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

119 Cup Points, 124 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 20 Home Runs, 81 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .252/.350/.428, 3.6 bWAR.

Bregman remains in the top ten, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten. He moved into fifth in RBIs this week (85).

Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Miami’s Luis Arraez fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of August 28.