Committee Chairman

Paul Bearer to the WWE HOF

Mar 04, 2014

Tonight on WWE Monday Night RAW, it was announced that Paul Bearer would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Bearer passed away last year, a month before Wrestlemania XXIX and was factored into the storylines between CM Punk and the Undertaker.

Bearer was born William Moody, and first became known in World Class Championship Wrestling as Percy Pringle, but it was in early 1991, where he achieved his greatest notoriety.

Repacked as Paul Bearer, Moody’s real life past as a mortician was put to good use. He wore black suits, made up his face in pale make-up and changed his speech to a creepy, almost macabre tone. Bearer was now the manager of the Undertaker, and the two would become inseparable for six years. Bearer added mystique to the Undertaker, and gave him an added dimension that elevated him even further.

Bearer would turn on his protégé at Summer Slam 1996, and sided with Mankind. Many thought Bearer would not be useful without the Undertaker however that was proven untrue, as Bearer now had a more sinister appeal to him. He would unleash his “son”, Kane, the brother of the Undertaker, who was now seeking revenge against his older sibling. The Undertaker/Kane dynamic was a huge part of the WWE Attitude Era, and Bearer switching allegiance added a lot of spice to the feud.

He would be on and off WWE Television for years, and as he struggled with his weight, he was always welcomed back to the WWE family whenever he was up for it. By all accounts, Paul Bearer was considered one of the real good guys of the business, and many wrestlers, fans and reporters applaud his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame.

The ceremony will take place in New Orleans, the night before Wrestlemania XXX.

Lindsay Davenport headlines Int. Tennis HOF Class

Mar 04, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

The 2014 International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced their latest class, and it is headlined by American Lindsay Davenport, who was ranked number one in the female ranks multiple times, first hitting that mark in 1998. She would win 38 career tournaments, three of which were Grand Slams. These were the French (1996), Wimbledon (1999) and the U.S. Open (1997). Davenport also added the Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta in 1996 and the WTA Championship in 1999.

As good as Davenport was, she was often overlooked, even in her home country, as (ok, we’ll say it), smaller and prettier players received the spotlight. Fair or not, that is the reality of women’s tennis.

Davenport will be joined by five-time Paralympic medalist Chantal Vandierendonck of the Netherlands in the recent player category, coach Nick Bollettieri, executive Jane Brown Grimes and British broadcaster John Barrett in the contributor category.

The ceremony will take place in Newport, Rhode Island on July 12^th.

Priest Holmes to the KC Chiefs HOF

Mar 04, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that the 44^th Member of their Hall of Fame will be their former Running Back, Priest Holmes. Holmes was undrafted in 1997 coming out of the University of Texas, but was signed as a free agent by the Baltimore Ravens. He won the starting role in 1998 and hit the 1,000 Yard Rushing mark, but lost it to Jamal Lewis the following year. As the backup Running Back, Holmes won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV, though only had 12 Yards from scrimmage in the game. Priest Holmes would sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, and it was safe to say that not that much was expected of him. Their expectations were wrong!

In his first year at Arrowhead, Holmes would become the first undrafted player to become the NFL’s leading rusher finishing with 1,555 Yards. He would add another 614 Receiving Yards and would make his first Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro Selection. Holmes would repeat stellar performances the next two years again earning Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro honors though this time leading the NFL in Rushing Touchdowns.

He would remain in Kansas City until the end of his career in 2007, and is still the all-time leading Rusher in Chiefs history with a total of 6,070. We congratulate Priest Holmes on this accolade and congratulate the Kansas City Chiefs for having a classy Hall of Fame. As you would guess; we love that here!

Milan Hejduk Retires

Mar 01, 2014

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

We apologize, as this retirement slipped right by us. Perhaps we were still in a hangover over Canada’s win in Men’s Hockey in the Olympics. A few days ago, there was another retirement worth reporting on, this time in the world of Hockey.

Milan Hejduk, who did not play this year officially, announced his retirement from professional Hockey. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1994 and debuted in the NHL when the team relocated to Colorado in 1998. The Czech born player would play fourteen seasons in the NHL, all for the Avalanche where he would have 805 Points.

His best season was in the 2002-03 Season where he won the Maurice Richard Trophy for the most Goals in a Season and earned Second Team NHL All Star honours an also led the National Hockey League in Plus/Minus. He finishes his career with a respectable 805 career points and a Stanley Cup Ring earned with the Avalanche in 2001. Internationally, he was part of the Czech Republic team that won the Gold Medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and he won a Bronze in Turin in 2006.

We thank Milan Hejduk for his great career, and we look forward to see what he will be up to next!