Committee Chairman

Buffalo Sabres to retire Dominik Hasek's number

Mar 29, 2014

It was not all that long ago when the Buffalo Sabres announced that Dominik Hasek would be joining their Hall of Fame. The organization has now decreed that the Czech born Goalie will have his number 39 retired next season. He will become the seventh player to have this honor in Buffalo, as he joins Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert, Tim Horton, Danny Gare and Pat LaFontaine.

Hasek won two Hart Trophies and five Vezina Trophies as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and was the Goalie who carried the team to the Stanley Cup Finals, though they were unable to unseat the Dallas Stars.

Although Hasek’s departure from Buffalo was acrimonious, all fences have been mended and the greatest netminder in Sabres history will rightfully have his number raised to the rafters.

Hasek is eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame this year, and we have him ranked number one on our list of those to consider for enshrinement.

Joe Elliott talks about the RRHOF

Mar 29, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

In an interview with Billboard.com, a question was posed to Def Leppard frontman, Joe Elliott was asked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and if he was interested in being a part of it. His answer was something we thought was worth repeating:

“I haven’t thought about it until literally today because they’re asking us our opinion on the Kiss thing. I imagine the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame as this board table with six Mr. Roboto’s sitting around, faceless tuxedo-wearing prats. This is the way I look at it as there are two hats. They pull out the one, “Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Motley Crue, fuck that, no.” “Leonard Cohen, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, REM, the Pixies, we want all them in because they’re cool. We don’t want Ratt, we don’t want Poison.” I was really happy when I saw Johnny Rotten tell them to go f**k themselves. That’s what I would do… even if I did get talked out of it by the other guys in the band. But I don’t care. I don’t gain anything from it. If you get an Oscar, your next film you’re gonna be offered five times the money of your last film, and better scripts. When you get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the next day you wake up in the same bed. You don’t get tours thrown at you to open for Led Zeppelin or find out Paul McCartney wants to write a song with you. It’s rubbish. There’s no gain from it.”

Elliott describes the suspected rift in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thinking between the traditional Rock acts and the critically loved acts. He is correct, that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction does not equate to any financial gain, however the reality is that eligible acts are usually past their musical prime anyway and would not do much, other than satisfy their fan bases.

Still, we can’t help but be fascinated by the disdain that so many top Rock and Roll acts have for the Hall of Fame, and we are certain that there will be a lot more similar comments to come.

For what it is worth, Def Leppard currently holds the number 47 spot of those we think should be considered for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Shaq headlines the 2014 College Basketball HOF Class

Mar 28, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

In 2006, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame was created, designed to honor those who achieved a high standard of excellence in the College game. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the Hall is part of the College Basketball Experience, which was created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in the Sprint Center.

This Hall of Fame is not meant to compete with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, which honors those in all aspects of the game including Pro, College, Women’s and International. The Collegiate Hall of Fame views itself as a complimentary piece to the main Hall and is seeking a more active working relationship with the Naismith Hall.

180 people were selected to the first Class in 2006, and up to ten people were selected every year after. Although the American sporting word is focused on College Basketball with March Madness, the announcement of the 2014 Class received little attention, showing that the institution still has a long way to go to make a significant impact in the sporting consciousness. Still, we thought it would be prudent to take a brief look at the Collegiate Basketball Class of 2014.

Zelmo Beaty

Prairie View 1958-62

Dale Brown

LSU Head Coach, 1972-97. 2 Final Four Appearances.

Howard Garfinkle

Founder of the Five Star Basketball Camp.

Darrell Griffith:

Louisville 1976-80. All American First Team 1980. 1980 Wooden Award. 1980 Tournament Most Outstanding Player. 1x NCAA Champion.

Grant Hill:

Duke 1990-94. All American First Team 1994 & All American Second Team 1993. 14.9 Points per Game. 2x NCAA Champion

Shaquille O’Neal:

LSU 1989-92. All American First Team 1991 & 1992. Rupp Award Winner in 1991. 21.6 Points per Game. 13.6 Rebounds per Game.

Gary Williams

American Head Coach, 1978-82; Boston College Head Coach 1982-86; Ohio State Head Coach 1986-89; Maryland Head Coach 1989-2011. 1x NCAA Champion.

Glenn Wilkes Sr.

Author of seven books of Basketball and a collegiate coach of forty-one years.

We would like to congratulate this year’s class, and we are very curious as to whether the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame’s profile will rise in the future.

RIP: Ralph Wilson

Mar 26, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee, Ralph Wilson passed away today at the age of 95. Wilson was the only owner in the history of the Buffalo Bills, who were initially part of the upstart American Football League. He helped facilitate the merger of the AFL with the NFL, and was regarded as one of the most honourable owners in sports.

The death of Ralph Wilson raises a few questions as it is unknown at this time what the set plans are for the ownership of the Bills. The city of Buffalo has not economically viable in the last four decades, and seen a reduction of their population in half since 1955. Arguably, the NFL team is a huge part of keeping the city relevant, and Ralph Wilson was always committed to keeping the team in Western New York.

It has often been speculated what would happen to the Bills once Wilson passed away. For the sake of the city of Buffalo, here is hoping that the next owner has ten percent of the dedication of Ralph Wilson, who wanted more than anything to bring a Super Bowl to that city.

We offer our condolences to the friends and family of Ralph Wilson at this time.