HOF Week

Some great memories will glow this week, along with some tears, looking back at the times Son Brad and I attended the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony up in Canton, Ohio. We go way back to the day it was not the "spectacular" that it is today, more of an intimate little affair.

The ceremony took place in front of the building, people were sitting all around on anything they could find, we milled through the building, rubbed elbows with the "greats" ... "There is Ditka, having lunch, right there." 

So many from my era were there, names I had only heard on the radio, or read about in the magazines, or read of in the newspaper. We would walk through and see all the displays, THERE .... Mack Hummon, his shirt and  shoes ... "My teacher in school."  The greatest part of the whole thing, sharing it with Brad.

After the ceremony we would walk down to the stadium and watch the game. One regret. I think the last time we were there, the game was over and we were walking around, and down by the buses, which were loading some of the teams, there stood a man, all alone,  ready to get into his car or something. Brad and I saw him, we almost went over to talk with him, and shake his hand, which I am sure he most graciously would have done, but we didn't, but we had a chance to say hello to a legend, Eddie Robinson, who was still coaching at Grambling.

I think this was in the lat 80's and a whole passel of Pittsburgh Steelers were going in HOF, the crowd was a sea of black and gold, not that far of a drive from Pennsylvania, so they really turned out. Ham and Lambert, I forget the others, but for a couple of years .... and we saw most of them.

Great memories, I will shed a few tears this week .... thankful we made those memories when we did ..

Hard to come up with an answer

FOOTBALL

Anyone know why, when and how it became so popular? I remember when it was just a game. Many years ago, and I vaguely remember on Sundays, my Dad, the Doctor, would head out for somewhere, a local team was playing, and he would be there to "patch up" the players. Herb Harris, who later became one of the leading Orthopedic men in the country, would go. I think Herb stayed at our house for a while during his Residency at Miami Valley.

Dayton, Ohio was somewhat the home of football, they had early teams. But, what is it about football that made it what it is today? In an early Nancy Drew mystery, they travelled to the "big game," the stands were filled with a cheering crowd, probably in the 20's. It has always been popular, but why?

It must be the physical contact, the hitting, the tackling. Boxing used to be much bigger than it is today. Baseball, still about the same, basketball also, but nothing like football. The football coach at Ohio State makes more than the president of the university. That says something. Florida A&M, prostituted themselves to play OSU for $900,000.00. 60 point underdogs, and they lost by more than that.

I guess, anyone can throw a baseball, shoot a basket, but not everyone wants that ...... "contact" .... that is involved in football. Football players get in bar brawls, regularly, not other sports.

Years ago, my brother worked on his Masters Degree. His "Theses," that ultimately became reality concerned the premise that high school students attended many sport events, but knew little about what they were watching, his suggestion, teach a course in high school entitled "Sports Appreciation" or something to that effect. He sent out questionnaires to many sports figures, getting their opinion.

Students knew the least about football, but attended the games more.

Maybe it is the time of year, Fall. It is outside, more comfortable than watching baseball in the hot sun. Basketball in a hot smelly gym. Football has more going for it. Tailgating before the game, to some, almost as big as the game itself. There are some at OSU that tailgate and never go to the game, the "partying" is the main part. Not much "finesse" in football. You take the ball from here to here. Simple.

"Touch" football has never been popular, never will, NO CONTACT. Same game, NO CONTACT. So, football is popular because of the hitting, the tackling, the physical aspects of the game. Yet, I think, "the pass" is the most popular play. Or the run back on the kickoff. Watch a game on TV, the HARDEST hits tet the most OOOS and AAWS.

Why is football so popular, it just "is," that's why.

This jersey is in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. It was worn my Mack Hummon who played with the Triangles. Mack was a family friend for many years, a teacher of mine in high school, and the Oakwood High School athletic field is named after him. Mack was a good friend of legendary coach Woody Hayes.