A tale of two Halls of Fame

On Wednesday, the National Baseball Hall Of Fame, dedicated to presumably honor the greats in Major League Baseball and American Baseball at the highest levels, announced the results of the vote taken late last year by the BBWAA.  The BBWAA are the organization of sports writers devoted to covering MLB and making their slack-jawed opinions known whether we want them or not.  Every year, a select number of recently retired ballplayers who have been inactive for at least five years are voted by these writers to receive this prestigious honor.  And in most cases, ballplayers that deserve the honor are routinely denied the honor of having a day devoted to them and a permanent plaque in Cooperstown, NY.

For 2016, only 2 ballplayers will receive a plaque.  These players are Ken Griffey Jr., one of the better center fielders of the 1990s and early 2000s who totaled more than 620 home runs and a slew of personal records; and Mike Piazza, perhaps the best hitting catcher of his era with over 420 home runs and 2600 hits.  Being from New York, most of the attention is on Piazza getting in; more so now since he will go in as a Met.  By the way, Junior Griffey is going in as a Mariner, but that was a given.  It is all well and good, until you realize the amount of ballplayers and off-the-field leaders who are not in the Hall of Fame, either still alive or since passed away.

I was going to provide a list of these oversights, yet that will be for another time.  Suffice to say, these oversights, brought forth by a collection of sportswriters and self-proclaimed moralists who think only the purest of pure shall be granted induction, have greatly delineated most people's interest in the Hall of Fame beyond a regional level.  I will have more to say about this one day.  It might though be a multi-part examination of the Hall of Fame which I know few of you have interest in reading about now, so perhaps in the summer this will suffice.

Now, onto a more lively and exciting Hall of Fame discussion.  One day after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their inductees, the Pro Football Hall Of Fame announced the 18 finalists for their Class of 2016.  The 8 inductees will be revealed at the NFL Honors one day before Super Bowl 50, February 6, 2016.  Now right then and there, the reveal carries a lot more weight in the NFL than MLB cares to be involved with.  As well, the 18 finalists are of such great importance that any of these finalists could be inducted this year and no problems would be had for who went in and who did not.  The 18 finalists are:

Morten Andersen
Steve Atwater
Don Coryell (1924-2010)
Terrell Davis
Edward DeBartolo Jr.
Tony Dungy
Alan Faneca
Brett Favre
Kevin Greene
Marvin Harrison
Joe Jacoby
Edgerrin James
John Lynch
Terrell Owens
Orlando Pace
Ken Stabler (1945-2015)
Dick Stanfel (1927-2015)
Kurt Warner

With that in mind, discussion these next few weeks will turn to who gets inducted, when we are not following the playoffs and being armchair quarterbacks.  As I mentioned before, 8 of the 18 finalists are likely to be inducted.  4 of them are certain locks.  These would be Brett Favre, Ken Stabler, Dick Stanfel and Edward DeBartolo Jr.  Stabler and Stanfel made it to be Senior Committee nominees, and Debartolo Jr. is the Contributor nominee; that means three of the eight slots are to be reserved for these specialized candidates. I am certain all three will go in.  It also goes without saying that Brett Favre is a certain lock, and I need not explain why.

So that leaves 4 finalists to be inducted.  Here is how I see the direction this will go. From what I gather, the four I would choose to go along with the obvious locks are as follows:

Kurt Warner:  I do realize we are talking about inducting three quaterbacks getting in one year.  However, there have been no quatrerbacks inducted since 2006; so the Hall of Fame is in need of ending the quarterback drought.  Warner's backstory and accomplishments speak for themselves I believe.

Kevin Greene:  when Kevin Greene retired after 15 years following the 1999 season, Mr. Greene amassed 160 quarterback sacks.  Not only was it the third best total of that era; it was and still is the most sacks by a linebacker.  Only Lawrence Taylor came closest with 142 sacks.  Nine times during his career, Kevin Greene led his team in sacks, and had been a pivotal component in being a defensive leader for playoff teams.  It is often hard to pick which team Greene made the most impact for, though I think it was the LA Rams.  None the less, Kevin Greene was clearly one of the more consistent linebackers and defensive play makers of his time, and should finally get the long sought induction this year.

Tony Dungy:  starting as an effective assistant coach, and then becoming a most impressive head coach with the Bucs and Colts; Tony Dungy had an impressive track record in turning around piss-poor teams and making them playoff contenders.  The results are impressive: 148 wins, 10 seasons of 10 or more wins, only one losing season, only two seasons not making the playoffs, three conference championship games, and in 2007 winning Super Bowl 41.  With that, Dungy became the first African-American head coach of a Super-Bowl winning team.  Not only that, Tony Dungy was and still is an important mentor and role model to his players and active in numerous charitable activities; not to mention his impressive transition to NBC's football coverage and analysis.

Marvin Harrison:  never the flashiest player, Marvin Harrison went on to become one of the better wide receivers in the game.  Along with perhaps the best wide receiver in Colts history.  To this day, Harrison holds the record for the most receptions in one season, set in 2002 with 143.  He also had nine seasons of 10 or more touchdowns and 1000 receiving yards, 4 seasons of 100 receptions, only one season in playing less than 10 games, 188 starts out of 190 games played, 1,102 receptions, 128 touchdowns and 14,580 yards.  Harrison is also part of the most accomplished quarterback to wide receiver tandem in NFL history along side Peyton Manning.  And yes, he did win a Super Bowl as well.

Once again, I presume these will be the eight inductees announced next month.  I do think there will be five finalists that could also get selected this year which would not surprise me.

Terrell Owens:  though having never won a Super Bowl, and not as consistent in his later years than his 49ers tenure; Terrell Owens was quite the good wide receiver.  Owens was also one of the best characters in the game as well, complimenting his 153 touchdowns and numerous records of importance.

Terrell Davis:  he only played 7 seasons, and then only the first four were fantastic.  Yet I keep mentioning this opinion:  the Denver Broncos do not win back to back Super Bowls without Terrell Davis, who came and went as if he were a bright comet.  Very comparable to the shortened career of Gale Sayers, whom by the way went in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot though never appearing in the playoffs.  If Sayers is in, Davis should go in one day.

Alan Faneca:  a great Steelers offensive lineman similar to Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson.  Faneca also had 11 fumble recoveries and started 201 out of 206 games played.  As well, for a retired player, Alan Faneca looks much better today than in his playing years.

Orlando Pace:  Pace was the leading fulcrum in guiding the greatest show on turf during the halcyon era of the Rams.  He started 165 out of 169 games played and recovered 9 fumbles along the way.

Morten Andersen:  the all time leader in games played, points, field goals, points after touchdowns, field goals of at least 50 yards, and holds the team records for kicking in both the Saints and the Falcons.  Andersen became the prototype for the idea of the kicker to be the deciding factor in not only a win for a team, but also an identity.

I think Steve Atwater may be waiting at least another year.  Don Coryell might get a posthumous induction, though Coryell not having been to a Super Bowl is a bit of a damper.  John Lynch will get inducted one day, though it may take a few years.  Edgerrin James will likely go in one or two years from now.  And Joe Jacoby is a candidate that could be a surprise inductee, though I am just not seeing it this year.

Well, those are my thoughts on the two different Halls of Fame.  Truthfully it is really only the Pro Football Hall of Fame that my focus was on; not a surprise since I am more interested in football than baseball.

I have also been informed that this marks one year since I started this weblog page.  To all that are continuing on this journey with me; I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation.  2016 is promising to be a very intriguing year and one full of newer possibilities and avenues to show my opinions.  I hope you will like what is coming next.

More coming; stay tuned,

Robert

Short yet necessary

Are the rumors true?  Is this the restart after 6 years that we have waited for?  Let us hope so!

It has been a long time coming.  One of my next posts will be a look back at Homestar Runner, I would think the most important non-political website that has influenced myself and many others. 

Do you remember 13 years ago

Robert

An Idea for revisiting an old favorite

Nickelodeon used to have a very good lineup of animated programs that were entertaining and told an engaging story.  This was especially true in their Nick Toons era of 1991-1998.  One of their greatest accomplishments was initially distributing an animated series created and co-written by Jim Jenkins named Doug. 

Doug began in 1991, and ended in 1999 after six seasons, one movie, and Doug being shown on ABC and distributed by The Walt Disney Company; this occurred after Jenkins' company, Jumbo Pictures (now Cartoon Pizza), was acquired by Disney in 1996.  Both eras of Doug were quite good; although the earlier Nickelodeon/Viacom era of Doug (better known as the Billy West era) were more acclaimed and liked by many.  I had always wondered what would be like to revisit Doug after some 16 years when it ended.  I remember it ended when the father of Patty Mayonnaise got married to Doug's English teacher in BeBe Bluff Junior High; along with Doug Funnie's older sister, Judy, going to university.  Of course, the shows were presented in a journal entry format.  So what would happen if we revisit the town of Bluffington and its inhabitants today?  Here is what I think would occur.

In 2015, Doug Funnie is now a noted writer, web personality, and comic book creator.  In this world, some years after high school or college graduation, Doug finally is able to get published his super hero alter ego, Quail Man.  Quail Man becomes a big part of the Marvel Universe; and by extension gets talked about over the web, in the trades, and becomes a part of the popular culture.  The notoriety and importance of Doug Funnie and Quail Man has only been expanded when it is announced that Quail Man is getting his own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

All should be okay for Doug, right?  Well, there are some concerns about the timing of releasing the movie; it plans to come out only a week or so after the new Man O Steel Man movie is released.  Also, Doug jotted down a screenplay which is constantly being tweaked to fit the needs of a movie-going public; particularly of concern is how to address Quail Man's origins.  Another thing; Marvel/Disney are interested in shooting some on location scenes in Bluffington. 

The latter concern is more problematic for Doug; he has not been back home for at least a year plus after getting his own home out of state.  What will it be like to return to where it all began?  Did leaving create a void in some respects in the Funnie household?  Does Patty Mayonnaise still have feelings for Doug?  How do the townsfolk fel about exaggerated versions of themselves being portrayed in Quail Man? Is Roger Klotz still kind of a prick? And are the rumors true that the creature at Lucky Duck Lake has returned? 

I seem to have an idea of where this may be going.  Yet, like all ideas, it takes some time and refine to make it presentable.  Every so often, I will reveal an idea or section of a proposed new Doug movie that will detail more on the Doug universe and how I see it playing out.  Perhaps as this comes along others will join in the creative process.  Maybe people from Disney or Cartoon Pizza or even Viacom/CBS.  I will say; if a new Doug movie ever gets made, Billy West has to return as Doug and Roger.  The other guy, Thomas McHugh, was mediocre at best. 

So I will have more as time goes on.  And there will be more to come on so many other matters and different ideas of social media to come.  Do feel free to join me in this conversation by commenting on this and other posts.  I end this with a montage of every time in old school Doug Fred Newman would use the Beeyou sound.  This happened when embarrassing stuff went down.

Talk to you all later,

Robert

Something to share with others

I must apologize for not bringing forth the rest of my Oscar predictions for tonight.  The laptop needed software to be updated.  I did however do something in my next step in becoming more involved with social media.  Yes, it is true: I made a photo meme. 

And it is taken from a photo of Brian Williams.  I do know this is going against the grain in what I might find humorous.  However, I thought of something both funny and different to generate this idea.  I already posted this on my Facebook account.  I thus now share it with others on this blog.

I mentioned before that the only true judges Brian Williams will face is his family.  Perhaps with their standing by him, a corner will be turned.  That is A corner, not The corner.  If it must be done, I will explain the punch line later.

More Oscar predictions tomorrow, fingers crossed,

Robert

Hello Everyone.

I am Robert Kelly.  And welcome to another blog!  Yes, any one can post a blog these days; but perhaps you will find something interesting.  And just maybe, it will matter to many that read it.

I had wondered were I could start.  Well yesterday, I found a story on WABC Channel 7 in New York that I felt rather attached to.  You see, I am an alumni of the Farmingdale School District.  When I graduated High School in 2001, a lot of issues were different for us Dalers.  I can remember when the worst incident that occurred was a week before graduation when some seniors paint bombed then Principal Robert E. Lewis' office.  It as cleaned the next day, as if it never happened!

Now, how times have changed.  Last year, 4 students were killed in a drag race down on Conklin Street.  Just yesterday, something I think more shocking has occurred. 

A high school student had been mercilessly bullied for numerous reasons.  It had gotten so bad that he even attempted to kill himself.  Gratefully, he is alive today.  Yet, this young man and his family are now suing the Farmingdale School District.  Perhaps the video and report in the link below will explain more on this very troubling issue.


http://7online.com/education/bullied-teen-wins-settlement-against-farmingdale-school-district/485018/


My thoughts on this are rather sobering.  Like Austin, I had been accustomed throughout grade school, middle school (Weldon E. Howitt) and high school with getting picked on and chewed up by numerous other pupils.  They were mostly annoying people that at the time did not take their education seriously.  Of course at the ten year reunion we had at Mulcahy's after Thanksgiving 2011, Everyone acted nicer and more mature.

It is completely different today.  Perhaps it is due to a greater social media presence, and the ability to become more vicarious and short sighted has been enhanced greatly.  The problem then also lies with a school system that might not be willing to address these issues until it is too late. 

For Farmingdale Schools to have reached a settlement on these matters does, I think, admit culpability on their part.  Bullying should not be tolerated, from this point forward.  In later posts, I will mention what I think needs to happen to end this rather vicious cycle of bullying and its consequences.  Fortunately, I am not a puritan by any means, so do not think it involves attacking the outside world of pop culture. 

Also, I plan on discussing other topics, such as movies, politics, my life, and whatever else crosses my mind.  Feel free to comment and add some suggestions.  Also, I am thinking of doing some form of video or audio programs.  Do any of you think it would be a good idea?

Talk to you soon,

Robert

PS.  I should get better at linking and uploading files.  More to come in the days ahead!