Committee Chairman

RIP: Phil Everly

Jan 04, 2014

We have lost another musical legend as Phil Everly passed away at the age of 74 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Everly was a heavy smoker in his life which attributed to his severe emphysema and bronchitis. He was one half of the Everly Brothers, who were one of the most popular acts of the 1950’s and one of the most unique at the time.

The duo mastered two part harmonies and perhaps better than anyone else did at the time combined the Country Sound with the new Rock and Roll style. This gave them a broader appeal than most of their contemporaries and they racked up hit after hit in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Their sweet sounding voices masked an edge that their lyrics had, which again, helped them increase their fan base.

Chart wise, the Everly Brothers had 35 top 40 Hits, including three number one songs (Wake Up, Little Susie, All I Have to Do Is Dream and Cathy’s Clown) with four going number one on the Country Charts and three hitting the top on the R&B Chart. The Everlys were one of the ten acts to go into the inaugural Class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and they became one of the rare cases where they also entered the Country Music Hall of Fame which occurred in 2005.

The Everly Brothers left behind a strong legacy which has labelled them one of the most influential acts of the 1950’s. This includes the Beatles, who launched the British Invasion and have openly stated that the harmonies of the Everlys had a huge impact on their music. There is a reason that John and Paul said that one of the names they toyed around with was “The Foreverly Brothers”. Ironically, they may have helped inspire the Invasion, but they were not able to succeed during that time, as along with most of the other acts from the 1950’s they were quickly replaced in the musical world of pop culture.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com offer our condolences to the friends and family of Phil Everly at this time. Now we are going to listen to some of their greatest hits.

Mats Sundin: HOF Hat Trick

Dec 31, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Normally we don’t report on the happenings of the Swedish Hockey Hall of Fame, but we thought that the 59^th entry was worth noting.

Yesterday, at the World Junior Hockey Championships prior to a game in which the host nation, Sweden routed Norway, Mats Sundin was honored as the next member. The Swedish Hockey Hall of Fame is barely three years old, but they have moved quickly to build a Hall of Fame list worth looking at.

This marks the “hat trick” for Sundin in regards to Hall of Fame institutions. Sundin was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012, and this past May, the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. In the past thirty years, Sweden has emerged as a major powerhouse in International Hockey, and Sundin led his country to the Olympic Gold Medal in a win over Finland at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

We would like to congratulate Mats Sundin on his latest post career accolade.

Tony Gonzalez: Next Stop Canton

Dec 29, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Tony Gonzalez played his final game today in the National Football League today, ending what should be a Hall of Fame career. Gonzalez joined the Atlanta Falcons four seasons ago in hopes of playing for a Super Bowl winner, but unfortunately, the Falcons failed to get there, and in his last year the team was decimated injuries and finished with a losing record.

Gonzalez played both Football and Basketball at the University of California. He elected to focus on the gridiron and forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, where he was taken in the First Round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997.

Two years later, he would be named to his first of thirteen Pro Bowls which would be the most ever by a Tight End. Gonzalez was also selected to be a First Team All Pro six times. Statistically speaking Tony Gonzalez retires holding the record for the most receptions and yards by a Tight End by a wide margin. He was the first at his position to ever hit the 1,000 mark in receptions and he holds a plethora of receiving records.

By all accounts, there is little reason to think that Tony Gonzalez will not go into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He will be eligible in 2019. We would like to thank Tony Gonzalez for all the memories and we wish him well in his post NFL life.

RIP: Paul Blair

Dec 27, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer, Paul Blair died yesterday at the age of 69. Blair was considered one of the finest defensive Centerfielders ever, capturing eight Gold Gloves (all with Baltimore) and recording a very good defensive Career WAR of 18.6.

Blair had his best seasons with the Orioles where he was an All Star twice and helped them win two World Series titles. Late in his career he would win two more World Series with the New York Yankees. His overall numbers in his seventeen year career saw him get 1,513 Hits, with 134 Home Runs and 171 Stolen Bases.

Blair was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1984. We here at Notinhalloffame.com offer our condolences to the friends of family of Paul Blair at this time.