In terms of Hall of Fame tragedy, this might be the worst that we can think of, especially with 2020.  It was announced today that Dick Allen, passed away today at age 78.

Dick Allen was an offensive star in Baseball’s deadball era, winning the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year with Philadelphia in 1964.  The power hitter would become a seven-time All-Star and as a member of the Chicago White Sox, he was named the American League MVP in 1972.  With the ChiSox, he was a two-time Home Run leader.

Allen had his issues with the baseball media, but following his career, he was on the Hall of Fame ballot for the full fifteen years, but failed to gain induction.

On August 13 of this year, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that they would be retiring his number.  We here at Notinhalloffame.com speculated that it was to assist Allen in getting into the Baseball Hall, as he would be eligible for this year’s Veteran’s Committee. There was a lot of hope that this could be his year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Dick Allen at this time.

We all know that the San Francisco 49ers have given us multiple Hall of Famers and won several Super Bowls.  Despite that, there is no other man that could be debated as the greatest 49er than Jerry Rice, who is also undoubtedly the best Wide Receiver in the game's history.

Toni Kukoc was a superstar in Europe in 1990, playing for Jugoplastika in Croatia and winning the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award after leading his team to the EuroLeague Title. Despite those accomplishments, Chicago fans scratched their heads when the Bulls used their Second Round Pick to take him.  Two EuroLeague Titles later (the second one being with Treviso of the Italian League), Kukoc was ready to join the Bulls.

Kukoc was immediately popular with Chicago fans, and he logged heavy minutes despite usually coming off the bench.  Michael Jordan returned from his stint as a minor league baseball player, and Kukoc was a considerable part of the second three-peat dynasty (1996-98), with Kukoc winning the Sixth Man of the Year in 1995-96.  The Small Forward never had a season in Chicago where he didn't have at least 10 Points per Game, and his best season was an 18.8 PPG campaign in 1998-99, the year after Jordan retired a second time.

The Bulls were in rebuilding mode, and he was traded to Philadelphia in 2000.  As a Bull, Kukoc averaged 14.1 Points per Game with a PER of 18.6, and would enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

THE OUTLOOK OF THE NFL POSTSEASON

The NFL season is slowly grinding out into the postseason, and it won’t be long now until we know who is making it into the New Year with a championship to play for. 

There have been a lot of surprises, changes, evolutions, and even “as expected” this season in the NFL, and despite the fears and pressure of the coronavirus, the league has held its own and teams have shown the requisite resilience. With the season set to roll into the New Year and in a new playoff format, there is all the excitement and competition to look forward, including quite a lucrative time to be had for those who love a flutter and do not mind investing some hard-earned greens and time. For those rooting for the Giants, or pretty much anyone who needs some incentive, the bonus code SugarHouse will be a big boost to their first go.

The NFC

For a number of seasons now the NFC has been a very competitive conference with the NFC West being the pick of the lot. However, the Seahawks are coming out on top, thanks to an MVP-level of play from quarterback Russell Wilson. Despite being 8-3, a tie with the Green Bay Packers and one step back from the New Orleans Saints (9-2), the Seahawks are still expected to be the name out of the conference when the bowl comes around. The New York Giants are having a resurgence with a winning streak that is taking them into the postseason. At 4-7, the Giants are tied with Washington (4-7) but hold a head-to-head advantage over them. Tom Brady has not had the easiest of seasons in Tampa Bay, but he still has the team in a wildcard spot, alongside the Rams and Cardinals, but only temporarily. Despite their poor season, the 49ers are still in the running for a wildcat spot, including eight other teams, amongst which are the Eagles (3-7-1), Cowboys (3-8) and Falcons (4-7).

The AFC

The Steelers have been so shockingly dominating, it has been both awesome and crazy to watch. At 11-0, the Steelers have looked steady all season long and are already assured to make the playoffs, and the Kansas City Chiefs are not letting them off the hook at 10-1.Patrick Mahomes has not been loudest best his play has been stellar and looks paced for the postseason. The Titans (8-3) and Bills (8-3) have been equally as impressive and are looking sure to be in the postseason. The conference is so competitive, the Browns at 8-3 can only manage a wildcat spot at the moment, but they have looked even more sure-footed without Odell Beckham Jr. The Patriots have had a season to forget, but their greatness still has them fighting for a wildcat spot at 5-6. This would be quite an achievement for the rebuilding patriots and not a very bad start to Cam Newton’s start in New England. The Ravens, Raiders, Broncos, Texans, Chargers, and Bengals are all in the mix.