Committee Chairman

Ronnie Milsapto the Country Music Hall of Fame

Apr 23, 2014

Shortly after the Country Music Hall of Fame completed its expansion, the Nashville based institution has announced three new inductees in their Class of 2014.

Ronnie Milsap headlines this group as the Modern Era Artist inductee, and is one of the most successful Country Musicians of all time. Starting out as a session musician in the 60’s (he appeared on Elvis Presley’s Kentucky Rain), Milsap also penned some hits for others (including Ray Charles) but in 1972 after a trip to Nashville, he switched his focus to Country Music at the influence of Charley Pride. Milsap would soon after have his first top forty Country hit, and by 1976 he emerged as one of the top acts of the genre.

Milsap would also have crossover success in the Pop world as he blended mainstream elements to his music. He would go on to have forty Country number one hits.

Milsap is joined by Hank Cochran who had seven top twenty Country Music hits. Cochran is more known for his songwriting skills, as he wrote “I Fall To Pieces” and “She’s Got You” which would become major hits for Patsy Cline. Cochran passed away in 2010.

The third inductee is Veteran Era Artist Inductee, Mac Wiseman. Wiseman was a major figure in Bluegrass Music where he began singing harmonies for Flatt & Scrugg’s Foggy Mountain Boys and Bill Monore’s Bluegrass Boys before becoming a very successful solo artist.

The Country Music Hall of Fame was first established in 1961, and this year’s ceremony will be the first one in the facilitie’s new 800 seat theatre. Once we finish a few other projects on this site, we are looking to create a section for this Hall.

Pat Tillman to the Hall of Fame?

Apr 22, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

After watching ESPN’s Outside the Lines Program about the death of Pat Tillman, Sunday Night Football Analyst and Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee, Cris Collinsworth took the Twitter stating his belief that Tillman should be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

“If I live to be a million years old, I will never understand why Pat Tillman is not in the NFL Hall of Fame. Thanks ESPN. Great Reporting”

“I cannot name one person in NFL history that represents what I would like the NFL to be more than Pat Tillman. Shouldn’t that be enough HOF?”

Actually Cris, it isn’t.

We need to make it very clear that this is not a shot at Pat Tillman in any capacity. It takes great conviction to forego a million dollar contract (which was offered) to instead serve your country knowing full well that you would put your life in danger overseas. Tillman was killed by friendly fire in 2004, and the NFL and his former team, the Arizona Cardinals, have by multiple accounts honoured the career of Tillman appropriately.

The NFL has long been known for its support of the military, and the Arizona Cardinals (and his College of Arizona State) have retired his number. Traditionally, many professional sports franchises have retired the numbers of players who died tragically while they were a member of the team, and the Cardinals and Sun Devils gesture was a warm one, as he was not an active member of the roster.

Currently, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honors those who have made a significant impact on the field (or as a contributor) in the Professional ranks, and as we look up and down those who have been inducted, they have done just that.

With all due respect to Pat Tillman, his professional football career was not a Hall of Fame one. He played four seasons with Arizona where he played sixty games (starting thirty-nine of them) and while good enough to have received a multi million dollar offer from the team (prior to enlisting), he had not achieved an All Pro or Pro Bowl level on the NFL level.

Known columnist, Peter King opened up his opinion on whether Pat Tillman’s military sacrifice was enough to warrant a Hall of Fame Induction.

“Should all 26 NFL players who have died in service to our country, either in World War II, Vietnam or Afghanistan be enshrined in Canton? Is one player’s service worth more than others? Should every player who served in wartime be enshrined, or put a wing of the Hall of Fame?

What about others who played football and went on to great things? Byron “Whizzer” White, a running back in the NFL, went on to be a Supreme Court Justice. Jack Kemp quarterbacked the Bills, then became a nine-term Congressman and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Should they be in?

I think football players and coaches and executives should be in the Hall of Fame for what they accomplishment as football players and coaches and executives and not for anything else.”

There is an exhibit in the Hall that does acknowledge Tillman and others that served in various wars, so it is not as if his career and sacrifice is not represented in Canton, but is a bust of Tillman among the great players of the game needed? With all due respect, his play doesn’t warrant it, and that is what should occur.

We do think that many sporting Halls of Fame have forgotten that the key word is “fame”, and may depend a little too much on stats as opposed to moments, but again, Tillman became famous for walking away from the game, and the fact is he was a good NFL player, but not a great one. If the Hall looks to induct those who had heroic acts off the field, do we then kick out the ones who committed atrocities off of it (O.J. Simpson)? It should be noted that Tillman was never a preliminary nominee on the Hall of Fame ballot.

We are very curious to see if this sentiment builds momentum and also what your thoughts on this are.

A Garbage bin enters the RRHOF (Seriously)

Apr 21, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

For those to say the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of rubbish, apparently the institution has decided to confirm it.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have procured one of the painted oil drums that is used at the Glastonbury Music Festival to collect garbage will soon be on exhibit in Cleveland, Ohio where it will stand alongside Elvis’ leather jacket and everything that Bruce Springsteen ever owned. When asked why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted this to add to their collection, Glastonbury founder and promoter, Michael Eavis could only offer a perplexing explanation.

“I don’t really understand why. For some reason the Americans wanted to put one is as a sample of what we do.”

Interesting statement isn’t it? Of all the things that they could have asked for from this famed festival of music, they are asking for a garbage bin?

For those unaware of Glastonbury, Michael Eavis put this together in 1970 in the United Kingdom where for a one pound ticket you could see the headliner T.Rex in a music festival. The festival returned a year later, where David Bowie was the headliner. After a seven year hiatus, Eavis brought the festival back and with the exception of 1980, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2012, it has been an annual staple on the music scene.

A virtual who’s who has performed at this festival over the years. The list includes The Rolling Stones, U2, R.E.M., Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Peter Gabriel, The Wu-Tang Clan, New Order, Oasis, Paul McCartney, The Smiths, Elvis Costello, Coldplay, The White Stripes, Johnny Cash, Beyonce, The Cure, The Pixies, Morrisey, Blur, Kings of Leon, Paul Simon, Rage Against the Machine, Gorillaz, Muse, Foo Fighters, Jackson Browne, Sting, Curtis Mayfield, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Eyed Peas, Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Manic Street Preachers, Yes, Primal Scream, Lenny Kravitz, Arctic Monkeys, Moby, Ray Davies, Bjork, Suzanne Vega, Pulp, Mumford & Sons, Tony Bennett, Muse, The Prodigy, The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Blondie, Shakira, The Flaming Lips, James Brown, Sinead O’Connor, P.J. Harvey, Joe Cocker, B.B. King, The Chemical Brothers, Tori Amos, The Specials, Roger Waters and the Happy Mondays.

With the vast history and incredible talent that has appeared at Glastonbury, a garbage bin is what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to showcase? This is a commentary that writes itself.

Colts keep Marvin Harrison's number 88 out of circulation

Apr 20, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

When the New York Giants had Hakeem Nicks, the Wide Receiver wore the number 88; though he will not be wearing those digits with the Indianapolis Colts, who he signed a free agent deal with in the off-season. Why is this news to us? In about six months, we will be unveiling our look at the retired numbers and franchise Halls of Fame/Rings of Honor and since 88 has been made unavailable to Nicks, this tells us that the Colts will be retiring it.

At present, the Colts have retired eight numbers, including the number #12 of the still active Peyton Manning who is now with the Denver Broncos. Marvin Harrison was the last player to wear 88 for the Colts. Harrison played all thirteen seasons with the Colts and was a Hall of Fame Finalist this year, and is likely to be enshrined in Canton. His number has been kept out of circulation since his retirement in 2008.

As for Nicks, he has selected the number 18 to wear in Indianapolis. We suspect that Harrison’s number will be retired by the organization in the next few years, perhaps to coincide to his eventual induction into the Football Hall of Fame.