We have our first significant retirement in this NFL post-season as Indianapolis Colts’ Left Tackle, Anthony Castonzo, has announced his departure from pro football.

A First Round Pick from Boston College, Castonzo began his rookie season as a starter, and he never appeared in an of his 144 Games with Indianapolis without beginning the game. Castonzo was never chosen for a Pro Bowl but he did have three years where he scored a double-digit in Approximate Value according to Pro Football Reference.

Injuries began to compile, as he missed nine Games in the past three years.  Castonzo flirted with retirement before this season, but it is official now.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Anthony Castonzo, the best in his post-playing career.

The Boston Bruins announced today that they will be inducting the number 22 of Willie O’Ree, who made history over six decades ago as the first black player in the NHL.  O’Ree, 85, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder’s Category in 2018.

The event will take place on February 18, during their home game against the New Jersey Devils.

O’Ree made history when he was called up for two Games in 1958 for the Bruins, and he came back for 43 Games in the 1960-61 campaign.  He scored 15 Points over his NHL career, but played pro hockey for 21 years.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Willie O’Ree for earning this honor.  

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Cleveland Indians.

The origin of the Cleveland Indians begins in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1894, where they played in the Western League.  The franchise relocated in 1900, becoming the Cleveland Lake Shores, and eventually were an inaugural team of the American League, going through multiple name changes (Bluebirds, Broncos, Naps) before becoming the Indians for over a decade.

Cleveland would become a great sports town, but the baseball team has not given them very much to cheer for over the years.  The Indians have only won the World Series twice (1920 and 1948), with three other appearances.  

The team has announced that they will soon drop the Indians nickname, though as of this writing, it is not sure what they will change it to and when precisely it will take place.

Our Top 50 lists in baseball look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2019 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Bob Feller

2. Nap Lajoie

3. Tris Speaker

4. Lou Boudreau

5. Stan Coveleski

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.

The College Football Hall of Fame announced their Class of 2021, which include 11 former players and two coaches.

The Class of 2021 is:

Harris Barton -- Offensive Tackle, North Carolina, 1983-86:  Barton was an immediate starter at UNC, playing mostly at Left Tackle.  The All-American was named the ACC Outstanding Offensive Lineman as a senior and he was also an academic All-American. Barton would later win three Super Bowl Rings with the San Francisco 49ers.

David Fulcher – Defensive Back, Arizona State, 1983-85:  Fulcher was a two-time All-American who recorded 12 Interceptions.  He earned the nickname of “Fo-Rock” for his punishing hits, as he hit like a rock, and the “Fo” was in reference to the start of his last name.

Rudy Hubbard – Head Coach, Florida A&M, 1974-85:  A former Running Back at Ohio State (1865-67), Hubbard was an Assistant Coach for the Buckeyes before taking over the reins of the Rattlers in 1974.  Hubbard had a career record of 83-48-3 and won two Black College National Championships and a Division I-AA Title.

Dan Morgan – Linebacker, Miami (FL), 1997-2000:  Originally a Fullback, Morgan became one of the best Linebackers in the country.  In 2000, Morgan made college football history becoming the first player to win the Butkus Award, Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award.  Morgan also won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.  At the time of his graduation, Morgan was the all-time school leader in Tackles (532).  He would later play seven years with the Carolina Panthers.

Carson Palmer – Quarterback, USC, 1998-2002:  One of the best Quarterbacks in Trojans history, Palmer won the Heisman Trophy in 2002, and also was the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.  Statistically, Palmer threw for 11,818 Yards and 72 Touchdowns.  Palmer would play in the NFL for 15 years after being taken number one by the Cincinnati Bengals, and he went to three Pro Bowls.

Tony Romo – Quarterback, Eastern Illinois, 2000-02:  Romo took Eastern Illinois to two OVC Championships and was a three-time OVC Player of the Year.  Winning the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the Division I Subdivision, Romo threw for 7,816 Yards and 82 Touchdowns in college.  He moved on to the pros, playing for the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years and earning four Pro Bowls.

Kenneth Sims – Defensive Tackle, Texas, 1978-81:  Sims became a starter as a Junior and in his senior year, he became the first Longhorn to win the Lombardi Trophy.  Also named the UPI Lineman of the Year, Sims went on to play seven seasons with the New England Patriots.

C.J. Spiller – Running Back & Kick Returner, 2006-09:  One of the most exciting players in Clemson history, Spiller accumulated 7,483 All-Purpose Yards with 51 Touchdowns.  In 2009, Spiller was the ACC player of the Year, and he later played eight seasons in the NFL with time spent in Buffalo, New Orleans, Seattle, New York (Jets) and Kansas City.

Darren Sproles – Running Back, Kansas State, 2001-04:  Sproles was a machine for the Wildcats, totalling 6,812 All-Purpose Yards with 48 Touchdowns.  Sproles would later have a long career with San Diego, New Orleans and Philadelphia, winning a Super Bowl win the Eagles.

Bob Stoops – Head Coach, Oklahoma, 1999-2016:  Stoops became the Head Coach at Oklahoma in 1999, and he posted a 190-48 record. Stoops took the Sooners to ten Big 12 Championships and a National Championship in 2000.  He is also a former AP Coach of the Year and two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year.

Aaron Taylor – Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame, 1990-93:  Taylor was a two-time All-American and won the Lombardi Award in 1994.  He won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

Andre Tippett – Defensive End, Iowa, 1979-81:  Tippett helped lead Iowa win their first Rose Bowl in decades and is one of the best defensive players in school history. Tippett played his entire pro career with the New England Patriots, is a member of the 100-Sack club, and would later enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Al Wilson – Linebacker, Tennessee, 1995-98:  Wilson was a key defensive figure in the Volunteers National Championship in 1998, and was a two-time All-SEC Selection.  Wilson had 272 Tackles, 27 Tackles for Loss and 11 Sacks over his college career. Professionally, he played eight years with the Denver Broncos.

The Class of 2021 will be joined by the Class of 2020, whose enshrinement ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the College Football Hall of Fame.