Professional Wrestling lost one of is more colorful characters as Butch Miller passed away at the age of 78.

Known best for his work in the late 80s and early 90s as one half of the Bushwhackers with Luke Williams, Miller began his career in 1964 in his native New Zealand, and would team with Williams shortly after. They made their way to North America, where they were known as the “Kiwis”, and would win the Tag Team Titles in Stampede, but following 1975, wrestled sporadically until they appeared in Portland for Don Owen in 1979.

Now known as the Sheepherders, they worked their way up the card in various North American promotions as a bloodthirsty tandem. They would compete in the NWA Crockett Cup in 1987, and following their stint in the NWA, they joined the then-named WWF in early 1989.

Now christened the Bushwhackers, the team never won the Tag Team Titles but were fan favorites for their six-year run, always drawing a pop from the crowd and selling considerable merchandise. They competed on multiple pay per views, with their last WWE in-ring appearance coming at Wrestlemania 17 at the Gimmick Battle Royal.

In 2015, they were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

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

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives. As such, it is important to us that the Atlanta Braves have announced that they will be retiring his number 25 this season.

From Curacao, Andruw Jones made his debut with the Braves at age 19 and it was clear from the beginning that this was a star in the making.  Jones would have his first 30 Home Run season in 1998 and from 2000 to 2003 he would hit that mark with three 100 RBI seasons and a .300 season in 2000, which surprisingly was the only one he ever had.  Jones would add to his already prolific power numbers in the 2005 season where he had a league leading (and career high) 51 Home Runs and also was the champion in Runs Batted In with 128. For his efforts he was the runner-up for the National League MVP.  His overall power totals for the Braves would be an impressive 368 Home Runs, 1,117 RBIs with a .497 Slugging Percentage.

No conversation about Andruw Jones can take place without discussing his incredible defensive abilities.  Jones would win the Gold Glove every season from 1998 to 2007 (all with Atlanta) and he had six straight years where he would finish first in Total Zone Runs (1997 to 2002).  As a Brave, he was the NL leader in Defensive bWAR and in six other seasons he was in the top ten. 

Had Jones had a better Batting Average and OBP (.263 and .342 are decent but not spectacular) he would be higher on this list.  The Braves chose Jones for their Hall of Fame in 2016, and he is currently on the Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 58.1 percent last year, which was his sixth time.

Jones will join Dale Murphy (#3), Bobby Cox (#6), Chipper Jones (#10), Warren Spahn (#21), John Smoltz (#29), Greg Maddux (#31), Phil Niekro (#35), Eddie Mathews (#41), Hank Aaron (#44), Tom Glavine (#47) and the league-mandated #42 of Jackie Robinson.

The ceremony will take place on September 9 during Atlanta’s hone game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Pau Gasol for earning this impending honor.

It is another major announcement in the Hall of Fame season that will wrap up soon, as the Country Music Hall of Fame has named three inductees of the Class of 2023. They are Patti Loveless (Modern Era), Tanya Tucker (Veterans Era) and Bob McDill (Songwriter).

Loveless had ten number one songs, with 41 overall in the top ten, most of which came in the 1990s.

Tucker, who is close to age of Loveless (Tucker is 64 and Loveless is 66), began her career as a teen, and had most of her big hits well before Loveless’s run took off.

McDill wrote a bevy of hits, most notably recorded by country legends such as Ronnie Milsap.   The Country Hall rotates the induction of Songwriters with Recording and/or Touring Musician and Non-Performer.

With the help of special contributor, Aaron Freeman, our Notinhalloffame.com Country list will be updated soon.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the second year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first one.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 40 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We were going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward, but now that we are in the home stretch, this will be the last update until season’s end.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 160 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers.  160 Cup Points:  77 Games, 62 G, 84 A, 146 P, +17, 17.2 PS.  (#1 on last update)

What more can we say about McDavid’s 2022/23 Season.  He is running away with every major statistical category, and has a commanding lead in Cup Points, that cannot be caught.  Last year’s Notinhalloffame NHL Cup winner is extending his lead and he is currently the league-leader in Goals (60), Assists (78), Points (138) and Point Shares (16.3).  The Hart, Pearson, Richard and Art Ross are his to lose, and he won’t.  Is this the best year of his life?  He would agree, but only if the Oilers win it all!

2. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 134 Cup Points:  76 Games, 56 G, 46 A, 102 P, +33, 13.6 PS. (#3 on last update)

Pastrnak is back where he belongs at #2.  The top offensive Bruins player is second in Goals (56), fifth in Points (102), seventh in Plus/Minus (+33) and is also leading the NHL in Even Strength Goals (38) and Shots (371).

3.  Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 126 Cup Points:  64 Games, 34 G, 63 A, 97 P, +23, 11.0 PS.  (#2 on last update)

MacKinnon is playing phenomenal hockey, is ranked very high in Cup Points considering he played relatively less than the rest of the top ten.  He is third in Points per Game (1.52), and sixth in Points (97).

4. Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins.  116 Cup Points:  46 Games, 37-6-1, 1.88 GAA, .938 Save Percentage, 12.4 PS. (#6 on last update)

Ullmark is the odds-on favorite for the Vezina and is currently the league leader in Wins, GAA and Save Percentage.  Our question, is can he do this is the playoffs?

5. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche. 114 Cup Points:  75 Games, 49 G, 43 A, 92 P, +10, 11.1 PS. (#4 on last update)

Rantanen slips one spot to #5.  He is the current co-leader in Even Strength Goals (38), fourth in Goals (49) and is on a team that could repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

6. (TIE) Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers, 108 Cup Points:  74 Games, 38 G, 64 A, 102 P, +26, 11.5 PS.  (#5 on last update)

Dropping one to #6, Tkachuk is at present is seventh in Assists (64) and fourth in Points (102).  He is only two Points away from last year’s total.

6. (TIE) Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators, 108 Cup Points:  76 Games, 34 G, 44 A, 78 P, -9, 8.5 PS.  (Not on last update)

Yes, the Tkachuk brothers are tied in Cup Points, although Matthew is clearly having the better year.  The younger sibling is a point-per-game player, and has emerged as the top gun for the Senators.  He is currently fourth in Shots (324), which is a large part of how he is this high.

8. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks, 107 Cup Points:  73 Games, 36 G, 60 A, 96 P, +15, 10.2 PS.  (#7 on last update)

Pettersson is having his best year to date, albeit on an abysmal Canucks team.  He is currently tenth in Assists (60) and ninth in Points (96).

9. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils.  106 Cup Points, 72 Games, 40 G, 49 A, 89 P, +7, 10.3 PS. (#9 on last update)

Hughes holds on at #9.  The two-time All-Star is ninth in Goals (40), and is the top offensive threat for the Devils.

10. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning.  105 Cup Points:  77 Games, 48 G, 41 A, 89 P, +7, 10.7 PS. (#8 on last update)

Point is having a good year, and is a point-per-game player, there are still quite a few players with higher point tallies than the Tampa Center, who dropped four spots in our last update.  Saying that, Point has been the most clutch player for the Lightning, and is currently fourth in Goals (44).

Dallas’s Jason Robertson, fell off the top ten.

Our next update will the final one.