Committee Chairman

RIP: Deacon Jones

Jun 06, 2013

Today is a sad day for Football fans as one of the greatest Defensive players of all-time has passed away. Legendary Defensive End, Deacon Jones passed away today at the age of 74 due to natural causes. Jones has been called by many fans and sports historians as the greatest Defensive End who ever lived, and by his list of accolades, it is easy to see why.

Jones was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 14^th Round in 1961, and three years after he made his first Pro Bowl. He would become part of the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome”, which was the most talented group of defensive players in the NFL in the 1960’s. Of the foursome (which also included Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier & Lamar Lundy), Jones was the most “feared” and the man who gave the world of sports, the Sack.

That is a bit of an ironic statement, as the Quarterback Sack was not an official stat until 1982, however it is widely accepted that Deacon Jones was the master of pass rushing of the 1960’s. Unofficially, Jones has 194 ½ sacks, which would put him at third in the all-time list. Also unofficially, he recorded 26 sacks in 1967 which would have remained a single season record.

From 1965 to 1969, Jones was named as a First Team All Pro, and was also named to the NFL 75^th Anniversary team. He was also selected to three Second Team All Pro squads; the 1960’s All-Decade Team and was named to eight Pro Bowls. Deacon Jones was also the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1967 and 1968.

Despite having one of the most impressive resumes in the NFL, many remember Jones for his television appearances on The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple and Bewitched. He also had a small role in the acclaimed football film, Heaven Can Wait.

We offer our condolences to the family and friends of Deacon Jones and are going to search out old film of his famed moments.

Jason Kidd Retires

Jun 04, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

This feels a bit like deja-vu. Only a few days ago, co-winner of the NBA Rookie of the 1995 Rookie of the Year, Grant Hill announced his retirement. His co-winner, Jason Kidd has just done the same.

Like Hill, we believe that a strong case can be made for the Point Guard to be an early entrant to the Basketball Hall of Fame. His on the court legacy can be summed up by turning around weak teams and making them better. Despite that reputation, he only had one NBA Championship, that being in Dallas two seasons ago, where he was still productive, though far from the player he was the decade before.

Kidd will probably be best known for his time with the New Jersey Nets, where he had his best seasons, and led that team to an NBA Finals. Kidd’s court vision and rapid play, made him difficult to defend; though attacking players struggled equally with Kidd, as he was also known for his defensive skills.

Overall, Jason Kidd was named to five First Team All NBA Teams and four First Team All Defensive squads. Those accolades are impossible to overlook, and we can’t imagine Jason Kidd not entering the Hall in his first year, and we expect that he and Hill will join together.

Kurt ANgle to the TNA HOF

Jun 03, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

Last night, at their annual Pay Per View, Slammiversary, TNA Wrestling announced their second inductee to their Hall of Fame. That man was Kurt Angle, who was a multi-time champion in TNA as well as the WWE where he achieved his biggest mainstream success.

Angle was a natural in the ring, transitioning effortlessly from the amateur ranks where he was the 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist, and is currently an outspoken advocate of saving the sport from being eliminated from the Olympics altogether.

The TNA Hall of Fame is not exactly a controversial establishment, but with only eleven years of history to draw from, its two members are still members of the active roster, and appearing on the upper end of the card. As such, don’t expect any time soon for us here at Notinhalloffame.com to rank those who should be considered for their Hall, and if we did, it would seriously come down to one: Jeff Jarrett.

Regardless, Kurt Angle appears very happy working for TNA, and we congratulate him on his latest accolade.

Grant Hill Retires

Jun 02, 2013

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

As you may have heard, Grant Hill has announced his retirement from professional Basketball at the age of 40. It is a funny statement to make, that injuries prevented him from having the career we thought he should have had, but Hill was able to play until the age of 40, which is a statement only a handful of players can make. With all of this being said, does Grant Hill have the makings of a Hall of Fame calibre player? We would say that he does.

First off the Basketball Hall of Fame encompasses the International and Collegiate accomplishments of a player. Prior to joining the NBA, Grant Hill was a top player for Duke, where he twice won the National Championship and took the Blue Devils to another finals appearance. Hill was voted the defensive player of the NCAA in 1993, and was a First Team Selection in 1994.

Upon turning pro, Hill was the co-rookie of the year (with Jason Kidd), and was one of the most popular players in the NBA in the late 1990’s. He actually led the NBA in All Star Votes in his first two years, an impressive fact considering in his first year he was a rookie, and in his second season, Michael Jordan had returned to the league. As a Detroit Piston, Hill posted his best numbers and showcasing his complete game. He was able to score, defend, steal, pass and rebound, and was essentially a “Point Forward”. In those six years in Detroit, Grant Hill was a First Team All NBA Selection once and a Second Team Selection four times; which is perhaps one of the best accolades that reward elite players in their respective positions. In that span, Hill was part of “Dream Team II” and brought the United States a Gold Medal in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.

With all of that on his resume, Grant Hill could be considered a Hall of Fame player, and those are the years that will be looked at to make his Hall of Fame case. He would be traded to the Orlando Magic, but injuries to his ankle reduced his effectiveness and caused him to miss a slew of games. He would return as a regular productive player eventually, but never to the level that made him one of the most dangerous players in the NBA, though considering how severe his ankle issues were, the fact that Hill made it to the age of 40 is nothing short of a minor miracle.

We would like to thank Grant Hill for a wonderful career, and we wish him the best in his post on court activities.