As we methodically put together our all-time Top 50 of every team from the big four of American sports, the next goal will be to look at how each franchise honors their past players. As such it is significant news to us that this evening the Los Angeles Lakers will be retiring both the #8 and #24 of Kobe Bryant, which will mark the first time in a major North American sport where two numbers were retired in honor of one player.

This is perfectly fitting, as Bryant’s performance wearing both numbers is more than good enough to warrant retirement.

In what is now considered a lopsided trade. The Charlotte Hornets traded their 1996 13th overall pick (Bryant) for Vlade Divac. Bryant took #8 and before long he was multi-time All Star and along with Shaquille O’Neal would be part of three NBA Titles. Following the split between Shaq & Kobe, Bryant looked for a fresh start in the 2006-07 season, and he adopted #24, the same number he wore in Prep.

The overall results were pretty much the same as Bryant would again go to many All Star Games and would again win the NBA Title twice, though as #24 he would also win the Scoring Title twice. Actually, the results were scarily similar. Bryant scored only 89 more Points as #8 and 10 less Assists and regardless of what number he wore, he was regarded as one of the best.

Out of respect, the Golden State Warriors stayed out for the ceremony.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Kobe Bryant on this latest honor and we will see him soon as a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

It was reported today that former Professional Wrestling star, Tom Zenk passed away at the age of 59.

From Robbindale, Minnesota, Zenk was part of crew of athletes from Robbinsdale High School who would go onto a career in Pro Wrestling. This included Nikita Koloff, Curt Hennig, John Nord, Barry Darsow and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. Zenk would graduate in 1976 and would debut in 1984. Zenk would compete in the AWA, the Pacific Northwest and would then join IWA in Montreal as the tag team partner of Rick Martel. Through the latter, he would join the World Wrestling Federation in early 1987 as one half of the Can-Am Connection.

For a while it looked like the team would be WWF World Tag Team Title bound. They would score win after win, including victories over The Magnificent Muraco & Cowboy Bob Orton at Wretlemania III and on Saturday Night’s Main Event against Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik. They began a feud with the Islanders but Zenk would leave abruptly citing in later interviews that a discrepancy in pay between himself and Martel caused the departure. He would buried on television by Martel as a coward who could not handle the feud with the Islanders and Martel would team with Tito Santana as the rechristened Strike Force to win the Tag Titles.

Zenk would resurface back in the AWA in their dying days as a top contender for the AWA Title but he would debut in World Championship Wrestling in the Fall of 1989. From that time frame until 1994, Zenk would perform for the company and was a mid-card babyface for the duration. In 1990, Zenk would win his first title with the company as he and Brian Pillman would win the United States Tag Team Title. 1991 would see him win his first and only major singles title as he would win the Television Title by pinning Arn Anderson. He would also win the Six Man Tag Team Titles with Dustin Rhodes and Big Josh.

After a stint in All-Japan in 1994 and the AWF in 1996, Zenk would retire from the business.

Zenk did not pass away today rather he perished on the 9th. Following a series of entertaining shoot interviews, Zenk went silent and appeared to deliberately go out of not only the public eye but away from his wrestling peers as well. It is not known at this time how he passed away.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Tom Zenk.

When you are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it is naturally disappointing when you don’t get the call.

It was no exception for Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford who saw his band nominated for the first time though they were eligible since 1999.

In an interview with 100.7 KSLX in Phoenix, Halford read and shared the rejection letter that the band received:

Thank you for embracing your nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While you didn’t garner enough votes for induction this year, you were part of a very select group of Hall of Fame nominees. Artists are frequently on the ballot multiple times before they are inducted. For example, Black Sabbath were nominated eight times before their induction, Patti Smith seven times, Solomon Burke nine times, and both the Beastie Boys and The Yardbirds were on the ballot three times before their respective inductions.

If you are touring or simply traveling nearby, please visit our museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our six floors of exhibitions tell the remarkable history of rock and roll and how it changed the world. You’re part of that story and we’d love to share it with you. Again, congratulations on your nomination.

My best,

Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 

Fascinating, right?

While we could easily be wrong on this, we don’t recall a time where a band shared this letter publically.

In the interview, Halford was not bitter but did stress that he felt that the band deserved to be inducted:

“We’ve put our 10,000 hours in and more. Beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on shelves at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

We were thrilled and honoured to be even nominated, so it’s kind of bittersweet. We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you’ve done, but we didn’t quite get in this time, but I’m hopeful that eventually we’ll get some more metal.”

We here at Notinhalloffame.com think that they will be nominated again.

As you know Alan Trammell and Jack Morris will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We now have a third inductee.

Bob Costas was named the 2018 Ford C. Frick Award Winner, which is given annually to the candidate who displays “excellence in broadcasting”.

Costas is not just known for Baseball as he has done work for NBC for the NBA, NFL and has hosted the Olympics for the network on 11 occasions.

In Baseball, Costas has worked for NBC as both an Analyst and a Host and has also worked for the MLB Network since 2009.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Bob Costas for this latest honor. We know there will be more for him to come!