Committee Chairman

Contributor Nominees Announced for the Football HOF

Oct 23, 2014

As you may be aware, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced a “Contributor” category that is now separate for the standard process, which included builders in the past. In the first year of this new category, the first two non-players who will be fast tracked to the Finalist category are former Raiders and Packers Executive, Ron Wolf and former Bills, Panthers and Colts, General Manager, Bill Polian.

Ron Wolf was a key executive with the Raiders organization and was part of the reason that the organization drafted so well in the 1970’s and built up a team that would win the Super Bowl in 1976, 1980 and 1983. Wolf would later join the Green Bay Packers in 1991 and build a team that won the Super Bowl in 1997, mostly through engineering a trade for Brett Favre and signing superstar Free Agent, Reggie White, proving to other NFL players that Green Bay was a place you wanted to play!

Bill Polian took over as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills in 1986 after a campaign where they went 2 and 14. Through Polian’s shrewd drafting, the Bills would become an AFC juggernaut and win the conference (though sadly no Super Bowls) in four consecutive seasons. He would later join the expansion Carolina Panthers and in the franchise’s second year of existence would compete in the NFC Championship Game.

It was leaked that the following non-players were also considered:

Gil Brandt, former Dallas Cowboys Scout.

Pat Bowlen, Owner of the Denver Broncos

Edward DeBartolo Jr., former Owner of the San Francisco 49ers

Art Modell, former Owner of the Baltimore Ravens

Steve Sabol, former President of NFL Films

Paul Tagliabue, former NFL Commissioner

It was also announced that the following year, only one Contributor candidate will be considered, and revert back to two the following year. The new process was designed to aid the glut of deserving non-players to potentially enter the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

It will be very interesting to see how the Football Hall will treat the Contributing Finalists this year, and the upcoming years to come.

Sabres to retire Hasek's number in January

Oct 23, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

It was not that long ago that the Buffalo Sabres announced their intention to retire the number of former Goalie, Dominik Hasek this season. The organization has now officially announced the date, as on January 13th, in their home game against the Detroit Red Wings, Hasek’s number 39 will be raised to the rafters at the First Niagara Center.

Hasek, who recently entered the Hockey Hall of Fame on the first ballot was a six time Vezina Trophy winner, a six time First Team All Star and more impressively a two time Hart Trophy winner as a Buffalo Sabre. In 1999, Hasek backstopped the Sabres to a Stanley Cup Final, where they came as closest in the organization’s history in hoisting the Cup. “The Dominator” would eventually win the Stanley Cup, but he had to join the Detroit Red Wings, where he would win the coveted trophy twice.

Hasek, who forced the trade out of Buffalo, did not leave Western New York on the best of circumstances, but as time often does, wounds have healed, and he is no longer a villain to the Sabres faithful, who frankly have had little to cheer for in years.

This is the 7th number retired by the Buffalo Sabres in their history.

RIP: Ox Baker

Oct 21, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

It was reported yesterday that former Professional Wrestler, Douglas “Ox” Baker died at the age of 80 due to congestive heart failure. Baker was not the best known or most talented professional wrestler that the industry had ever seen, but he certainly had one of the most unique and menacing looks in a business that has seen its fair share.

Ox Baker, with his clean shaven head, black bushy eyebrows, and menacing fu manchu, stood out from any crowd, regardless, of whether they were familiar with the game of wrestling or not. Baker, who stood six foot three and weighed in at over 300 pounds would become infamous when after a tag team match against Alberto Torres and Cowboy Bob Ellis, Torres died of a ruptured appendix, which he suffered during the match. Ox, and his famed heart punch were blamed and that was worked into what was already an infamous heel persona.

Baker, would go on to terrorize fans and brutalize opponents in territories across the United States and would win multiple regional championships in Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, New Zealand, Los Angeles, Georgia and Detroit, though would only have one brief stint in the WWF, which took place in 1980.

Most fans may remember Ox best for his role in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, and the wrestling film “I Like to Hurt People”, which coincidentally was Baker’s catch phrase. Ox also appeared in the Big Brawl with Jackie Chan and a favorite YouTube clip features Baker appearing as a contestant on the Price is Right.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Ox Baker.

Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) discusses RRHOF

Oct 20, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

It was not that long ago that we mentioned how ling time Deep Purple bass player, Roger Glover, mentioned that he was not certain that the band would accept a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. That was before this year’s nominations came out and Deep Purple, who was a nominee the past two years, failed to make the group of Finalists this year. Lead Singer, Ian Gillan was recently asked by Radio Futoro in Chile, what his thoughts were on the Rock Hall snub, and below is the meat of his interview regarding this topic.

“Whatever I say about that is gonna sound wrong. But who the hell wants to be in an institution? The Hall of Fame thing, it’s an American thing, We don’t have that in England or Germany or Australia or Russia or anywhere in the world apart from America. And it’s an institution. What’s that got to do with Rock and Roll? Also, it’s run by these old guys who thought that the Monkees were America’s answer to the Beatles. They called us one hit wonders. So I don’t know what they were talking about, whether it was ‘Hush’, or ‘Black Night’ or ‘Strange Kind of Woman’, ‘Smoke on the Water’, ‘Child in Time’, ‘Highway Star’ or one of those one-hit wonders that we were.”

Hmmmm.

Although the Hall is based in the United States, it does have a large amount of British acts inducted; though only those who did have commercial success in the U.S.. Incidentally, Deep Purple does fall into that category as they have sold millions of albums in North America. Glover’s comment as to his band being referred to as one hit wonders has been written often, but he is correct that the band is known for a lot more than “Smoke on the Water”, though let’s be honest; that will always be what they are known mostly for! Incidentally, the Monkees aren’t in the Hall either, and I don’t recall the builders of the Hall having history writing flattering pieces on the former television stars.

We can’t blame Glover for sounding agitated by talk of the Hall. They have been eligible since 1994, and did not receive their first nomination until two years ago. Current Hall of Fame inductees, Metallica, have been on record multiple times championing the cause for Deep Purple to enter the Hall of Fame.

Currently, Deep Purple holds the number one spot on our annual list of those to consider for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since our inception, they have never finished with a ranking lower than four.