Committee Chairman

Who should be on our logo?

Dec 22, 2013

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are looking for your help! First off, we are starting to think that we might be a special charm in regards to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As you have noticed, we have a logo that represents a member of Rock and Roll, Hockey, Baseball and WWE genres that have yet to be honored in their respective Hall of Fame.

When we began this website, the representative for the Rock and Roll logo was Alice Cooper. In our eyes, it was a logical choice, as the golf aficionado had at that point never been nominated for the Hall of Fame, and was a recognizable face amongst even those who were not the most Rock savvy.

To our surprise, in the initial year of having Mr. Cooper on our logo, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was a nice revelation, as he had been eligible for Cleveland for more than fifteen years without a nomination. This necessitated a replacement in that grid, so we elected Rush, the Canadian Progressive Rock Band who also had failed for over fifteen years to garner a nomination.

They took over the Rock and Roll slot on the logo, and what happened? They were nominated for the first time ever and were subsequently selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

After that, we thought we would go to the most visually recognizable act on the list, KISS to get a spot on the official logo, and even when they were nominated for a second time, we did not think we would have to change it. Jan Wenner himself stated that he did not want them in the Hall, so we viewed this as just a token nomination, as critics hated KISS, and it is critics who essentially decide who get inducted. To our shock (and we are still stunned) we will have an acceptance speech from Gene Simmons next April.

That makes us three for three, but we are going to ask your help for “four for four” as we want your opinion on who the next act should be on the logo.

We are going to give you ten choices and a brief pro and con of each choice.

Deep Purple

Pros:

They have been nominated the last two years, after nearly twenty years of snubs. They are the highest rank act on our countdown, that are not yet in and if you are visiting this site and don’t know “Smoke on the Water”, then why the hell are you here?

Cons:

Remember this is a visual question here. Deep Purple may be a Classic Rock staple, but you might have walked by them without even knowing it.

Kraftwerk

Pros:

Like Deep Purple, they have also been nominated twice, but unlike DP, they have a very distinct look and might give a very unique look to the logo.

Cons:

Unlike DP, their fans could care less if they get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or not. Hell, we doubt if Kraftwerk themselves give a crap.

Roxy Music

Pros:

This is a top ten entry every year we had this site, and they certainly have a distinct look. This also satisfies a Brian Eno continuing oversight by the Hall.

Cons:

Everyone agrees that Roxy Music is an oversight by the Hall, but the passion to get them inducted isn’t there, like it was with Alice Cooper, Rush and KISS,

The Smiths

Pros:

A unique choice we think that would pay homage to the United Kingdom, Modern Rock and Roll and the 1980’s. We like that trifecta. Besides, Morrisey on a logo would be very interesting.

Cons:

We go back to Morrissey here; as there is much anti-Rock as there is Rock about him. We might also play the Kraftwerk card here, as we doubt he even cares if his band was selected or not.

New Order/Joy Division

Pros:

Like the possibility of a Smiths logo, we have a nod to the U.K., the 1980’s and the Modern Rock scene.

Cons:

We would then have to do a separate poll as to which one; with Ian Curtis or without?

MC5

Pros:

Any picture from this Proto-Punk band is pure Rock and Roll and would look great visually. They have also been nominated in the past.

Cons:

Unlike the Stooges, there is no real push from the masses to get them inducted.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Pros:

It would be a great image, he is climbing the ranks based on votes from all of you and though he is a “Blues” guy, the Rock and Roll set loves him.

Cons:

Is SRV really the biggest snub at this point?

N.W.A.

Pros:

This was a snub in our eyes last year, and their image shows a lot of the diversity that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tries (though not always successful) to convey.

Cons:

I am sure you can imagine how many times we read from people on this website that groups like this are not “Rock and Roll”.

T. Rex

Pros:

This is another former nominee, another iconic looking man to put on the logo (Bolan) and a legitimate snub to many music fans.

Cons:

The Glam music scene is not exactly one where people say “you need to put someone in”. Many feel that was taken care of by David Bowie’s selection.

Motorhead

Pros:

We could have said Iron Maiden or Judas Priest here, but who is more visually known more than Lemmy? Well, maybe Eddie.

Cons:

Is there really any belief that Motorhead can get in?

So here it is gang, let us know who you want of these ten to take KISS’s spot on the Notinhalloffame.com logo, or is there someone else you think would be more effective?

The ball is in your court!

London Fletcher to retire

Dec 19, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Today, the very popular Washington Redskins Linebacker, London Fletcher announced that he is unlikely to return to Pro Football next season. His success in the National Football League was not expected, as the undersized player (he is only five foot ten) played in tiny Division III, John Carroll University, where he was named the Division III Linebacker of the Year.

In 1998, he went undrafted, but was invited to the ST. Louis Rams training camp, where he made the opening day roster and played mostly in reserve capacity, though he did play in all in 16 games and was named the team’s Rookie of the Year. The following season, he became the Rams starting Middle Linebacker and would begin a career of incredible durability starting over 200 games and overall would become one of the true Iron Mans of the sport as he is one of only four players to appear in over 250 consecutive games, and the only Linebacker to achieve this mark. 1999 would prove to be the season where he would earn his sole Super Bowl Ring, helping St. Louis capture Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Rams were not known for their defence, but it was widely believed that Fletcher was a big part of keeping them respectable. They would appear in Super Bowl XXXVI, though this time in a losing effort.

Fletcher moved on the Buffalo Bills in 2003 as a restricted Free Agent, and while there he saw his tackling numbers increase as he netted 495 over a five year period while assisting on another 234.

After Buffalo, he signed with the Washington Redskins and though he was already a well respected player, it was in Washington that he finally made his first Pro Bowl (and would be named to four in a row) and was named in 2011 and 2012 to the Associated Press Second Team All Pro squad.

Outside of Football, Fletcher was known as a community leader and has always been praised for his charitable work. In 2012, he won the Bart Starr Award exemplifying outstanding character in the home, the field and the community. He was also nominated many times for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award which honors a player’s charitable work as well as his on field leadership.

The question we always ask here once a player announces his retirement, is does he belong in their respective Hall of Fame, and with London Fletcher there are some very strong points to consider.

Generally, the Football Hall of Fame has players who were at least a First Team All Pro once, which Fletcher never achieved and essentially he was never considered at any time in his career to be the best player in his position, with the possible exception when he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in 2012.

You can argue that he “only” made four Pro Bowls, but he was an alternate so many times that while he may never been considered the top guy, he was in that lower tier of the top ten; a status he held for probably ten years. He is second All Time in Combined Tackles, and led the NFL in that category once in 2011. Fletcher is one of the few men to be a part of the 20/20 club (Sacks & Interceptions) and being the All Time leader in Games Played for a Linebacker has to be respected.

The case of London Fletcher is not one of a stat compiler, but that of a player who was very good for a long time in the most punishing sport in North America. Normally, a player in Canton has to be considered amongst the elite; but we think a very strong case can be made for someone who was so close for so long. We would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

2014 RRHOF Class Announced

Dec 17, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

We have to admit that we never thought we would see this day. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2014 and along with Nirvana who was expected to be a lock, KISS has finally received their long awaited nod to the Cleveland based institution.

Jan Wenner, who spearheaded the Hall of Fame years ago, was on record stating that KISS would never enter the Hall as long as he had something to say about it. The painted face gimmick got them attention, and their Rock and Roll anthems gave them a legion of fans, known as the KISS Army. We have no doubt that they are celebrating today.

Nirvana was the top act on our countdown and it was expected by everyone that they would be inducted on the first ballot. They were not the first Grunge band, but they were the first to really make it, and they kicked down the door that altered the musical landscape and changed radio stations forever.

Peter Gabriel was also selected and he joins an elite group that has two inductions. Gabriel was inducted a few years ago, where he was inducted as a member of Genesis. His solo career eclipsed the work he did with his previous band, and his foray into World Music gives this Class a very unique dimension.

Hall & Oates may not be an “urban act”, but the Blue Eyed Soul group channelled their sound from the Philly sound of the 70’s. The duo has been eligible for some time, but this was their first nomination which resulted in an immediate inclusion.

As the sole female nominee, many expected Linda Ronstadt to get selected, which she was. Ronstadt was arguably the top female solo act of the 1970’s, though the bulk of her songs were covers of other singers. She has been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, (she is no longer able to sing) which may have added a bit of sympathy to her Hall of Fame cause, though again as the lone female on the ballot, that may have played little part in her selection.

The final selection was a bit of surprise in our eyes in Cat Stevens. It is not that we did not think that he does not belong; if anything we feel that it is a bit overdue as he was one of the most beloved Singer/Songwriter of his day. However, his conversion to Islam and controversial statements likely made him someone that the “establishment” wanted to shy away from. The now named Yusuf Islam returned to music after a twenty year layoff, and perhaps his return generated the right time for an induction.

Overall, we are happy with this Class, though we are surprised that no African American act was selected, specifically N.W.A., which we thought were a certainty to enter this year. We were not surprised to see Chic fail to get in, as this is an annual occurrence.

It should also noted that the E. Street Band was selected to enter the Hall, receiving the Award for Musical Excellence. The man they support, Bruce Springsteen, was himself inducted in his first year of eligibility in 1999.

The Induction ceremony will take place on April 10, 2014 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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Roy Halladay Retires

Dec 10, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Returning to the Toronto Blue Jays for a one day contract, Roy Halladay officially announced his retirement today from the world of Baseball. “Doc” called it a career at the age of 36, where he won two Cy Young Awards, one with Toronto in 2003 and the second with Philadelphia in 2010.

Halladay finishes with a 203-105 record which may not be a huge win total, but over a sixteen year career in this era is very impressive. Seven times, he led the League in Complete Games, four times in Innings Pitched, once in WHIP, and was an All Star eight times. Halladay’s career WAR is 65.6, which puts him in line with other Hall of Fame Pitchers. In our opinion, Roy Halladay is a Hall of Fame entry and we would like to congratulate him on a wonderful career.