The HALL of BAHL

Sports is and always has played a significant role in my life. I have found that most all of life's lessons are learned between the lines. Discipline, individual responsibility, teamwork and sportsmanship are among many opportunities presented within the games that offer guidance to prosper in life.

Over the years, there have been many individuals associated with sports that I have looked up to, been a fan of, owned a jersey of or just pulled for. These are my guys, and although it has not always been a road without bumps for many, these are my guys. In an effort to recognize these folks, I have formed The Hall of BAHL. Individuals making this list may or may not be the greatest ever players, coaches or ambassadors, but they are my favorites.

Each year, I will induct a new class members into The Hall of BAHL. In honor of my good buddy and sportsman Big Ole BudFeiser, who we lost in 2011 and who I grew up playing sports with, each class will annually be announced on his birthday, June 13.

The inductees for the 2022 Hall of BAHL class are listed in no particular order below:

JAMES WORTHY

In the early eighties, I followed the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program as one of my good friends was a big Carolina fan and went to school there. We enjoyed their national championship run, a stellar team with Michael Jordan and James Worthy, who both went on to Hall of Fame NBC careers, with Jordan most likely the greatest player of all time.

Worthy was eruptive in the paint, often exploding for a rapid and thunderous dunk. These skills were enhanced in the NBA with Worthy a member of The Los Angeles Lakes. Teaming with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabber (HALL of BAHL 2017) and the incomparable Earvin "Magic" Johnson (HALL of BAHL 2012) among others, Worthy and the gang went on to win several NBA championships. It was the glory days of the game! 

I found the Lakers such a joy to watch, with Johnson running their fast break offense, which often found a trailing Worthy from the flank to reach the rim.  Worthy could also shoot from the edges of the paint and he was also a good defender.  It was seemingly his quickness inside the pain that gave opponents the most trouble.

I truly enjoyed watching James Worthy throughout his hall of fame career, and now, James Worthy is a member of the HALL of BAHL!

JACK NICKLAUS

Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time!  I watched the PGA with my Grandmother, and annually went to The Florida Citrus Open PGA tournament stop in Orlando at Rio Pinar Country Club. I had a blast, and got to meet Jack and see him play through the years. 

Jack was not my favorite golfer; that was Lee Trevino (HALL of BAHL 2012). But boy howdy did I respect Jack and was in awe of his talent. Like everyone else who watched, his run at the 1986 Masters was just incredible.

Jack's son Steve ended up playing wide receiver for Florida State in the eighties, and in support of his son, Jack, grew to adopt Florida State as his second team behind his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. His grandson, Nick O'Leary, was a decorated tight end for FSU and was key contributor to the 2013 National Championship team. Jack has become a strong supporter of the entire Florida State athletic department, and recently spearheaded a revamp of the Florida State University golf campus, helping develop The Seminole Legacy Golf Club at Florida State University, which significantly enhances FSU's stellar golf program as well as the University and community.

Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear, is golf's greatest player and a tremendous ambassador for the game of golf and Florida State University. We welcome the great Jack Nicklaus to The Hall of BAHL.

MARVIN JONES

Shade Tree! Former Florida State linebacker Marvin Jones was one of the greatest defensive players ever to play for the Garnet & Gold. As a middle linebacker, the two time consensus All America player he terrorized opponents, winning the Lombardi Trophy and Butkus Award in 1992.

Jones was picked as the fourth pick in the first round, and after ten seasons with the New York Jets he retired. He entered the coaching profession rising to head coach of the Omaha Beef indoor league team, where he won a championship.

Marvin Jones struck fear in opponents, leading Mickey Andrews stellar defensive units while he played for the Seminoles. I always noted where Jones was on the field when watching live, because he was such a dominating player he often covered the entire field with a reckless abandon. The nation noted what I saw confirming his immense talent as Jones was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Shade Tree is one of my favorite 'Noles, and now he is a member of the HALL of BAHL!

The Hall of BAHL

Sports is and always has played a significant role in my life. I have found that most all of life's lessons are learned between the lines. Discipline, individual responsibility, teamwork and sportsmanship are among many opportunities presented within the games that offer guidance to prosper in life.

Over the years, there have been many individuals associated with sports that I have looked up to, been a fan of, owned a jersey of or just pulled for. These are my guys, and although it has not always been a road without bumps for many, these are my guys. In an effort to recognize these folks, I have formed The Hall of BAHL.

Individuals making this list may or may not be the greatest ever players, coaches or ambassadors, but they are my favorites. Each year, I will induct five members into The Hall of BAHL. In honor of my good buddy and Sportsman Big Ole BudFeiser, who we lost in 2011 and who I grew up playing sports with, each class will annually be announced on his birthday, June 13.

The inductees for the 2017 Hall of BAHL class are listed in no particular order below:

TREV ALBERTS


Trev Alberts came to Nebraska from Cedar Rapids, IA to play football for the Cornhuskers.

Alberts became an All-American at defensive end for the 'Huskers, winning the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker in 1993.

In perhaps his top performance for the Big Red, Alberts, playing with an injured elbow, had three sacks of Florida State Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward in the Orange Bowl, a game I attended (somewhat in turmoil given my heartfelt allegiance to both Universities).

Alberts went on to be the sixth pick in the NFL Draft, selected by the Indianapolis Colts.  Although he played three season, that arm injury lingered and Alberts never quite materialized to be the NFL player many hope he would become.

No worries; Alberts was a consensus Academic All American, earning an NCAA Top Six Award.















After football, Alberts turned up working at CNN/SI as a college football analyst. In 2002, ESPN hired Alberts and he became part of top analyst team. Alberts often argued with co-host Mark May, and while the fans enjoyed it, it became too heavy for ESPN and Alberts was let go in 2005.

Now, Trev Alberts is Athletic Director at The University of Nebraska-Omaha.  The Mavericks athletic program has been making great strides under the leadership of Alberts, who just may find himself back in Lincoln performing that duty at a late date.

While Florida State was in New Orleans waiting to play Virginia Tech for the National Championship in New Orleans, we ran into Alberts, who was in town covering the game for CNN. Before being called away late in the game to do a Sugar Bowl preview, Alberts joined our group to watch Nebraska bury Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl.

We really enjoyed that experience, loved Albert as a Husker and welcome him as a 2017 inductee to the Hall of BAHL

MIKE MARTIN

Ole #11

That is how Mike Martin, who has been manager of FSU Baseball since 1978, likes to be referred to as.

Martin took over for Dick Howser, who left to manage the New York Yankees and later managed the Kansas City Royals to a World Series championship in 1985.


Florida State under Martin has had tremendous success, and leading the Seminoles to 38 consecutive regional tournament appearances and 16 trips to the College World Series, winning at least 40 games for the 38th consecutive seasons. That is some resume.

Only a championship could top of Martin's career, which includes playing in the College World Series for the Seminoles. Yes, Martin has always been a Seminole.

Beyond his coaching attributes, Martin is a complete class act.  He has warmed the hearts of fans talking baseball across the nation at Seminole Booster events, and I have had many an occasion to visit with him, as pictured above some years back.

Eleven is among the most beloved figures in Florida State history, nothing would be nicer to than for the Seminoles to win the College World Series in 2017. They are one of eight going to Omaha!

Florida State baseball's Mike Martin joins the Hall of BAHL

ERIC HOSMER

When we arrived at Tropicana Field in St. Pete to watch our Kansas City Royals take on the home Tampa Bay Rays, we had no idea what the day would hold.

While watching the Royals take batting practice, just off the dugout, rising Royal Eric Hosmer tossed a ball to my daughter, and life has not been quite the same. From that moment, our family have been huge Eric Hosmer fans.

Whether we have watched at The K in Kansas City or over at the Trop, we have always cheered on theReal305, who happens to be a fellow Floridian.  He has not disappointed either, always smiling and waving to us, and knocking some home runs along the way.

Hosmer has become one of the premier players in the league, earning All Star honors and winning a truck last year of the MVP of the game. Hosmer played an integral role helping Kansas City to back to back World Series, with the Royals winning the 2015 title.  Forever Royal!

Consideration was given to wait another year to induct Eric, as he is a free agent and may not re-sign with Kansas City. The Royals desperately want to keep him, as he is not only an All Star player and a team leader, but has gained favor in the greater Kansas City community for his charitable activities.

Hosmer was Raised Royal, and I certainly hope the Royals can find a way to keep hin Kansas City.

However, we are great fans of Eric will support him in all future endeavors as he has given us plenty of Royal Roar and smiles along the way. Here's hoping one of our all time favorites, Eric Hosmer, stays Forever Royal as he is welcomed as a 2017 inductee into the Hall of BAHL


JEFF GORDON

Jeff Gordon, The Wonder Boy, was a California kid who entered NASCAR just as Richard Petty retired and took the sport by storm, becoming a four time champion driving for the famed Rick Hendrick stable of Chevrolet's.

Jeff Gordon's Hendrick Racing Chevy SS

Gordon, who was hated by the fans of rival Dale Earnhardt, earned the respect of the garage area and his fellow drivers, by not only winning races, but by carrying himself in sportsmanship and humility.

If fact, him and Earnhardt became quite good friends, even engaging in some avenues of business together.

Jeff Gordon is third all time in wins, with 93, trailing only David Pearson and the King, Richard Petty.

While Gordon was not my favorite out there, it always seemed he was my second favorite.  My wife and I got the experience of a lifetime watching live in person Gordon winning the 2005 Daytona 500.

Gordon retired, only to be called back to substitute for an injured Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2016. But Gordon seems officially out now, having settled in to a new career, doing an outstanding job as an analyst joining Mike Joy and famed drive Darrell Waltrip in the booth for NASCAR coverage for FOX Sports.

Jeff Gordon becomes the fourth NASCAR drive to become a member of the Hall of BAHL.

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

As a young boy, when I first became aware of NBA basketball, I became a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks. Maybe it was the red and green uniforms, but more likely, it was the players on the team. There was the famed Big O, Oscar Robertson, and Bobby Dandridge along with two UCLA guys, guard Lucious Allen and center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.













Almost immediately after I became a fan, Allen and Jabbar went to join the Los Angeles Lakers. I went along with them.

Abdul-Jabbar, formerly Lew Alcindor, was a towering figure, both figuratively and literally, within the game. Kareem, known as The Captain for the Lakers, had developed his own unstoppable shot; the sky hook. Jabbar could probably make a living in the league to this day with that shot!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will without question always be one of the greatest basketball players of all time, a mellow individual who was a fierce competitor who embraced discipline and commitment.

Abdul-Jabbar is also a noted author and an outspoken individual off the court, who more often than not seems to approach topics with thoughtfulness and respect.  I am rarely in agreement with Kareem on the issues of the day, but I do respect him as an individual and appreciate the greatness he exhibited on the hardwood.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Captain, is now a member of the Hall of BAHL.

Free Market Capitalism an Economic Sky Hook

Like many, I was very saddened by the recent goings on in Baltimore, from concern over the possibility that the suspect Freddie Gray was mistreated, to the horrendous and unlawful actions  of violence and lawlessness of by hundreds of thugs and the despicable leadership just about all of the political leadership in this once proud town.  Although I have not been to the city in decades, as a direct descendant of Lord Baltimore, it was somewhat personal.

Among the destruction, the fact that we again have lost the rule of law in a major US city is of grave concern. The lawlessness led to the unthinkable; forcing the Baltimore Orioles to cancel a game, then play a home game in front of nobody because the police were unable to protect fans, and then move a home series with the Tampa Bay Rays down to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, again, for safety purposes.

How about arresting those who fail to follow the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by engaging in looting, violence and the destruction of private and public property? Well, in Baltimore, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake doesn't think much of private property, and ironically, she is not related to the Rawlings Co. that makes baseballs.

One could argue the current leaders of the federal government are not unhappy about since it gives them the opportunity gain even more control over the citizenry.  Al Sharpton, a proxy mouthpiece for President Barack Obama, quipped that due to the events of Baltimore, and the previously orchestrated protests in Ferguson, MO outside of St. Louis, it is now time to federalize the nations police departments.

Let that one sink in for a moment.  Sharpton, and make no mistake, Obama, want the power in Washington and not locally in our communities, cities and states.  This directly contradicts the wishes of our Founding Fathers, but Obama and his teammates view our founding documents as charter of negative liberties, limiting what the federal government can and should do.  The Founders, of course, sought to limit government.

Those that have weighed in on these events include anybody and everybody. I was interested in the thoughts of two individuals; Dr. Alveda King and Dr. Ben Carson.

Dr. Alveda King, is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, who so eloquently and effectively championed the civil rights movement.  She knew both her father and her uncle would strongly disapprove of the protests in Baltimore, and said so in an editorial, although the political leadership of the city did not want to hear of it. You see, to the progressive leadership in this county, King's message is considered weak, failing to include the grievances and reparations this group feels they are owed.

As the chief neurosurgeon at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Carson, who has announced his candidacy as a republican for president in 2016, could offer informative commentary given his longtime residency in the city.  Carson did an interview printed in GQ, noting "Obviously I'm sad to see what's going on there."

Jesse Lee Patterson had a brilliant piece over at World Net Daily, pontificating if white America just said no!

One of my all time favorite NBS stars, legendary NBA Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers. Although I am not sure if it is deserved, Abdul-Jabbar is getting hammered over his written comments about the unrest in Baltimore.

“I suggest we all pay attention to what’s happening in Baltimore, because it’s very likely that unless the economic and injustice issues raised there are addressed in a meaningful way across the country, we will be seeing many more Baltimores throughout the election season.”

Maybe Abdul-Jabbar sees thing differently than I do.

I blame much of the inner city issues in Baltimore and other major cities on the failed experiment of The Great Society, where government has infiltrated, and help break up, the family by introducing incentive killing entitlements. Marriage rates have tanked, leaving many youngsters to be raised without a Dad, or in many cases, without parents.

Entitlements from the government have placed many low income inner-city individuals and families in a box, with decreasing avenues of escape; just as it has been planned. School choice, ended by President Obama who frowns upon folks leaving the inner city for the suburbs, has reduced opportunities for those who seek to advance their education beyond the capabilities of the inner-city schools.

Government has established a permanent voting base in these cities, for those who are in regular receipt of the entitlements will likely never vote to have them taken away.  Of course, they fail to recognize they have become a slave to the state.  Do they even know the are rioting against the Man while voting to become a continuous slave to the Man in supporting the progressive Democrats.

There is no easy answer here. However, I have a few simple ideas:

*Faith needs to regain its rightful place as the centerpiece ones spirit.
*The family needs to re-established as paramount.
*The election of city leaders who inspire greatness; not race hustlers who claim the residents are victims. As noted in Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
*Firmly establish the rule of law.  If the city is lawless, commerce and brotherhood is lost.
*Educational opportunities need to be expanded, not squelched.
*Mentoring is a vehicle which can provide a vision for youngsters to find avenues of success
*Freedom; the removal of shackling governmental regulations and taxation, assisting in the establishment of the entrepreneurial spirit and individual discipline required to achieve gainful employment.  Freedom to try, buy, sell and fail.
*Elimination of the grievance industry.  No reparations, no social justice; just free market capitalism.

Why not give it a try?  Free market capitalism is the equivalent of basketballs' unstoppable sky hook shot, a staple of Abdul-Jabbar's game.  After all, how's the progressive big government Great Society working for the inner city folks?  It is where dreams go up in flames; literally and figuratively.

I Believe In Magic

Congratulations to the Orlando Magic in defeating both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA referees in winning the Eastern Conference Championship. Now, it is off to the NBA finals to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

I used to love the NBA when I was a kid back in the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson and the early Magic days, but I have not been following the league that much in recent years. I have gotten involved and taken in this entire playoff run.

With a new arena on the way, it is great for the community for the Magic to be challenging for a championship. Although they are hurting for sure in providing adequate HD television coverage, the Wingshack Conway was slammed for the game Saturday night, as likely were several sports bars across town. This is fantastic news and a huge assist to the bottom line for these small businesses during these economically contracting times, which as a former owner of a small Orlando sports bar, I am quite familiar with.

I'll be cheering the Magic on during the finals, and I think they have a great chance to win the title. Go Magic!