This is a surprise to absolutely nobody.

Two months ago, the World Golf Hall of Fame altered the age threshold for induction from 50 to 45.  

Who is turning 45 this year? Tiger Woods.

Who was a Finalist this year? Tiger Woods.

Who is the lone inductee this year?  Tiger Woods.

As a golfer, Woods has done it all.   

He is an 11-time PGA Tour Player of the Year, he has 93 worldwide tour wins, with 15 majors.  Woods is without question the biggest name the sport has ever had, and he raised the profile of the game immensely.  

While his first year of eligibility was sped up, there is no doubt that he is a first ballot inductee.

As of this writing, there is no location set for the ceremony.  We imagine that with Woods as the highest-profile inductee ever, they will try to secure a large venue.  The Hall is located in St. Augustine, Florida, and has not been drawing good numbers. It is housed in the World Golf Village, and its retail ring has less than 50 percent occupancy in 80,000 square feet of retail space.  

An article was also written three years ago, stated how the Hall has been a money loser for the taxpayers of Florida since the new facility opened in 1998.  It certainly raises an easy answer, as to why they felt the need to rush Woods into the Hall.

As it stands now, Woods will be the lone inductee as the other finalists did not advance.  They were Padraig Harrington, Tom Wieskopf, Johnny Ferrell, Dottie Pepper, Susie Maxwell Berning, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson, and two contributors; Tim Finchem and Marion Hollins.

Regardless of the backstory, we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Tiger Woods for earning this honor.

We have a very significant retirement to discuss in the world of Pro Football as Marshal Yanda will be announcing his retirement on Wednesday.

A third round pick from Iowa, Yanda would start 12 of his 16 Games as a rookie and he would be a permanent fixture on the right side of the line from 2010 until his retirement in 2019. Yanda went to his first Pro Bowl in 2011, and he would go to eight in total. A two-time First Team All-Pro, Yanda was also a Second Team Selection five times.  His presence on the O-Line helped the Ravens win the 2012’s season Super Bowl.

Yanda’s lunch pail work ethic made him a star in the eyes of his peers, his coaches and the fans.  He was considered to be one of the most regimented players in the game.

In our pre-season ranking of active players for Hall of Fame consideration, Yanda was ranked #27 overall and #3 among Offensive Linemen.

Yanda will be eligible for the Hall in 2025, and he will receive (and should) serious consideration.

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

It is a sad day for the Montreal Canadiens and the world of hockey as it was announced today that Henri Richard passed away at the age of 84.

The younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Henri was nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” in reference to his small stature.  While he may have played part of his career in his brother’s shadow, the younger Richard was a superstar in his own right.  

Playing his entire 20-year career with the Canadiens, Richard debuted in 1955-56, and two years later he would lead the NHL in Assists.  That season, the Centre would earn a First Team All-Star selection for the first and only time.  Richard would later be a Second Team All-Star three more times, and in 1962-63, he won his second Assists Title.  Overall, he would score 1,046 Points in 1,258 regular season games.

Richard was not just a playmaker, but he was also a leader.  Henri took over the captaincy of the Habs in 1971 from the legendary Jean Beliveau, and he would wear the “C” until his retirement in 1975.  

Montreal was a league powerhouse while he was there.  In 11 of his 20 seasons, Richard would hoist the Stanley Cup over his head, the most won by any player.  This is a record that will never be broken.  He had 129 Points in the playoffs.  Richard was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

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

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 news to us that the New York Mets will be retiring the #36 of Jerry Koosman this season.

Koosman made his major league debut with the Mets in 1967, and in the following season, he was an All-Star with a 19-12 record and a 2.08 ERA.  He followed that with a 17-9 campaign with a 2.28 ERA, and a second straight trip to the All-Star Game, but this was 1969, and a very special season.  This year, along with fellow Pitchers, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan, would take the “Miracle Mets” to a shocking World Series Championship.  The Mets, who began their existence in 1962, had never had a winning season until ’69, and despite their Pennant win, they were expected to falter against the favored Baltimore Orioles.  The Mets would win in five with Koosman winning two Games, including the clinching Game 5.

Koosman played with the Mets until he was traded in 1978 to the Minnesota Twins.  His best regular season with New York was in 1976, where he had a career-best 21 Wins with a 2.69 ERA and 1.096 WHIIP.  He was the runner-up for the Cy Young Award that year.  Overall, as a New York Met, Koosman would have a record of 140-137 and 1,799 Strikeouts.

The retirement ceremony will take place on June 13, during the Mets’ home game against the Washington Nationals.

The other retired numbers by the Mets are Gil Hodges (#14), Mike Piazza (#31), Casey Stengel (#37), Tom Seaver (#41), and the league-mandated #42 of Jackie Robinson.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Jerry Koosman for earning this honor.