Committee Chairman

Oscar De La Hoya to the International Boxing HOF

Jun 10, 2014

The International Boxing Hall of Fame has announced their 25^th Class and the headliner in the eyes of many is Oscar De La Hoya. Arguably the most popular fighter in his generation, the “Golden Boy” won ten different World Championships in six different weight classes and currently holds the record for the most revenue generated on pay per view. He finished his career with a 39 and 6 record with 30 Knockouts and was named Ring Magazine’s top rated Pound for Pound Fighter of the Year in 1997 and 1998. While still boxing, he created his own promotional company (Golden Boy Promotions), which has proven to be successful.

De La Hoya is joined by one of his past nemesis, Felix Trinidad. The Puerto Rican went 45 and 3 with 35 Knockouts and held the Welterweight Championship over six years making fifteen title defences. Trinidad is often regarded as one of the best pugilists ever to come out of Puerto Rico.

The United Kingdom is represented in this class by way of Joe Calzeghe who retired undefeated with a record of 46 and 0 with 32 Knockouts. Calzeghe was the Super Middleweight Champion for over ten years and moved up to become a champion in the Light Heavyweight division. He is one of the few boxers to retire undefeated and as a World Champion.

De La Hoya, Trinidad and Calzeghe enter as part of the Modern Boxer category. The International Boxing Hall of Fame also inducts boxers who competed from 1893 to 1943 in the “Old Timers” category. This year’s group includes George Chaney (137-36-4, 76 KO) who was a top Featherweight contender in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s, Charles Ledoux (99-22-6, 81 KO) a French Bantamweight who starred in the 1910’s and Mike O’Dowd who won the Middleweight Title in 1917. British Heavyweight, Tom Allen, who was the Heavyweight Champion in 1873 to 1876, who enters via the “Pioneer” category, joins them.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame also inducts Non Participants and Observers annually. This year, this includes promoter, Barry Hearn, referees, Richard Steele and Eugene Corri, journalist, Graham Houston and photographer, Neil Leifer.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this year’s class.

Derek Fisher done playing in the NBA

Jun 10, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

With the hiring of Derek Fisher as the new Head Coach of the New York Knicks, it is evident that his playing career has come to an end. Statistically speaking, the former Point Guard had done enough in the NBA to really be considered a Hall of Fame entry, and with this announcement, there has not been any media outlet petitioning for his inclusion. However, as we often do here at Notinhalloffame.com we ask the Hall of Fame question: Is Derek Fisher closer to Springfield than we think?

Drafted as the 24^th pick in the 1996 draft from Arkansas-Little Rock where he was the Sun Belt Player of the Year, Derek Fisher would be a part of five NBA Championships, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fisher would compete in 1,287 regular season games (18^th overall) and this year set the all-time mark for playoff games with 259. In regards to his stats, Fisher retires with a career average 11.8 Points per Game and a Hollinger PER Average of 11.7, which are not numbers that will likely not get him a serious look at the Hall of Fame, despite the five titles. Still, should other intangibles play a factor here?

Derek Fisher has often been described as a locker room leader and a keen student of the game. Does not the fact that Fisher was coveted as a Head Coach before he retired illustrate that fact? He was also chosen as the National Basketball Player’s Union President in 2006, and though some in that role had criticized him, his ascension to that post shows the respect that he had within the league. Should Fisher absorb half of the magic that made Phil Jackson such a dynamic leader, could we be having this conversation decades later when he ceased being a coach in the NBA.

Either way, we have a feeling that the Derek Fisher to the Basketball Hall of Fame debate could be just starting up, and we are very curious to see what else he will add to his resume.

Pat Foley and Kevin Allen enter the Hockey HOF

Jun 06, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

We have new members of the Hockey Hall of Fame! USA Today Hockey Reporter, Kevin Allen and Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play announcer, Pat Foley have been chosen today to enter the Toronto based institution.

Allen is this year’s recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, which is given to the newspaper writer who has brought honor to the sport of Hockey. The Award was first created in 1984 and the honorees automatically receive enshrinement to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is in his thirtieth year covering the sport and last December he received the Lester Patrick Award from the National Hockey League, which celebrated those who contributed to the growth of Hockey in the United States.

Pat Foley is this year’s Foster Hewitt Memorial Award recipient, which again was created in 1984. Foley has spent the last thirty-one years as the primary play-by-play announcer of the Chicago Blackhawks and was also used by FOX as an announcer for them in the late 1990’s.

We would like to congratulate both Kevin Allen and Pat Foley for receiving this accolade, which should be considered the pinnacle of both of their careers.

Shane Battier to wrap up his career

Jun 06, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

With the knowledge that Miami Heat player, Shane Battier will be calling it a career and joining ESPN after the NBA Finals, we thought it might be worth a look at his career to see what chance he might have for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

You might be thinking that his professional career doesn’t measure up, and though he did make a Second Team All NBA Defensive selection and two NBA Titles (and perhaps a third), he has a Points per Game Career Average under 10, and a Career PER under 15. Battier may be a respected teammate and a major locker room asset, but those are not numbers that can earn you a trip to Springfield.

Still, this Hall of Fame is not just about professional accomplishments and what a player does in College counts here. Shane Battier was a major star at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to the NCAA Championship in 2001, and took them to the Final Four two years earlier. He won every major NCAA Player of the Year Award in 2001, including the Final Four MVP and was a three time Defensive Player of the Year in College.

That type of performance still may not earn him a trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame (though it should make him a lock for the College Hall), but is it enough to make our top one hundred? We will await your input on that one.