The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced the nominees for the Class of 2021, and it consists of five former players, and two contributors.

The five player nominees are:

Jonas Bjorkman:  Bjorkman won six singles titles, but his real strength was on the doubles circuit where he won 54 championships including three Australian Opens (1998, 1999 & 2001), two French Opens (2005 & 2006), three Wimbledons (2002, 2003 & 2004) and one U.S. Open (2003).  Internationally, Bjorkman helped lead Sweden to three Davis Cup wins

Sergei Bruguera:  Bruguera won the French Open in 1993 and 1934 and he won the 1996 Silver Medal representing Spain in 1996.  Bruguera won 14 singles titles.

Juan Carlos Ferraro:  From Spain, Ferraro won the French Open in 2003 and was in the Finals in the U.S. Open the same year.  Ferraro won 16 Singles Titles and led Spain to three Davis Cups (2000, 2004 & 2009).

Lleyton Hewitt:  After winning the 2001 U.S. Open, 20-year-old Lleyton Hewitt made history as the youngest tennis player to be ranked #1.  He would later win the 2002 Wimbledon, and he captured 30 ATP Championships.  The Australian would also lead his country to two Davis Cup Championships (1999 & 2002).

Lisa Raymond:  Raymond was a doubles specialist who won the Australian Open (2000), French Open (2006), Wimbledon (2001) and U.S. Open (2001, 2005 & 2011).  She also won in Mixed Doubles at the French Open (2003), Wimbledon (1999 & 2012) and U.S. Open (1996 & 2002).  Representing the United States, Raymond was a Bronze Medalist at the 2012 London Games.

The Contributor Nominees are:

The Original 9 – Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casais, Judy Tegart Dalton, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Kerry Melville Reid, Nancy Richey & Valerie Ziegenfuss:  50 years ago, they created their own non-sanctioned event, which was a costly risk considering they would be no longer eligible for rankings, Grand Slams or playing on their national team.  It led to the Virginia Slims Tournament and pay equity in the sport.

Dennis Van der Meer: Van der Meer was a junior player who became a very successful coach.  He would standardize teaching methods and create his own Tennis University.

To be elected into the Hall, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75%.  The Class of 2021 will be announced in early 2021, with the Induction Ceremony scheduled for July 17.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Nominees for making it to this stage.  

It is a sad day in the world of pro wrestling as it was announced this morning that Joe Laurinaitis, who performed as Road Warrior Animal passed away at the age of 60.  It was not revealed at this time how he died.

From Minnesota, Laurinaitis was trained to wrestle by Eddie Sharkey, who also mentored Rick Rude, Barry Darsow and Mike Hegstrand, who would later become Laurinaitis’ tag team partner.  Laurinaitis originally competed as the “Road Warrior” but he would paired with Hegstrand, where they would compete forever more as Animal and Hawk.

With their jacked-up bodies, studded leather outfits, and face paint, no other tandem looked like them.  

In 2011, along with the Hawk (posthumously) and Paul Ellering, Animal was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  They cut their teeth in Georgia as the Road Warriors, destroying every team in sight.  They won the NWA National Tag Team Titles, and would later win the NWA World and AWA World Tag Team Titles in the 1980s. 

As phenomenal as they were, they often were not in tag title pictures, as they were a draw without the belts.  They main evented everywhere in the United States, and also in Japan, where they were just as popular.

The Road Warriors finally entered the WWF in 1990, and would win the Tag Team Titles, but they were no longer presented as the dominant team of old.  The 90s were turbulent for the team, as Hawk left Animal in 1992, and he sat out for a few years recovering his back.  The team reunited in WCW in 1996, but went back to the WWF, winning the belts again in 1997.  Hawk suffered from drug addiction (which was used in a tasteless angle) and the team only made sporadic appearances after.  

Hawk died in 2003, and Animal would return to the WWE as part of a new Legion of Doom with Heidenreich.

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

2020 continues to take our heroes away.

This morning, Hall of Fame Running Back, Gale Sayers passed away at the age of 77.

A two-time All-American at Kansas, the Chicago Bears chose him with the 4^thOverall Pick in 1965.  Sayers wasted no time proving that he belonged at football’s elite level.  He won the Rookie of the Year and was a First Team All-Pro who had a career-high 20 Touchdowns.  Sayers won the Rushing Title the following season (1,231 Yards) and also was first in Yards From Scrimmage (1,678).  As expected, he was again a First Team All-Pro.

Sayers was a First Team All-Pro again in 1967, but in 1968, he injured his right knee in Chicago’s ninth game of the season. He was still awarded a First Team All-Pro, but this was a harbinger of things to come.

Sayers rebounded in 1969, and he was the only 1,000 Yard Rusher for the season.  He won his second Rushing Title and his fifth straight First Team All-Pro.  Sayers was named the Comeback Player of the Year.  That would be the last great year of Sayers’ career. His left knee was injured in training camp, and he was only able to play two Games in 1970, as was the case in 1971. After a poor training camp in 1972, he retired.

While Sayers retired with only 6,263 Yards From Scrimmage, he was without question the best Running Back in the last half of the 1960s, and any player who is considered that is a legend in the game of football.  Many fans who saw him play maintain that he was the fastest player they ever saw.

Sayers was inducted the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he was chosen for the 50^th, 75^thand 100^thNFL Anniversary Team.  When Sayers was inducted into Canton in 1977, he did so as the youngest man (34) ever to receive that honor.

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

Tommy DeVito, former member of the legendary singing group, the Four Seasons, passes away today at the age of 92.  He had been hospitalized recently after contracting COVID-19.

DeVito began singing with Frankie Valli in 1954 and along with Bob Gaudio and Nick Messi, the Four Seasons were officially formed in 1960.  They were signed to a major label and they would become one of the most successful American groups in the 1960s.  The lead guitarist and backup singer was part of #1 Hits like “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and Walk Like a Man”.  He left the group in 1970.

As a member of the Four Seasons, DeVito was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Hall of Fame in 1999.

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