Before I get into the highlights of Event (Venue) 5 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project I need to confess something: I am not a big pro football fan.
My theory on this case is, actually, twofold.
First, I grew up in smalltown Indiana during the time before the Colts’ midnight move from Baltimore to Indianapolis. That meant the teams geographically nearest to me during my formative fan years were the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions. If you check the records of these teams during the 1970s you’ll have a pretty good idea what I was subjected to (cumulative record of 278-292-6 with eight total playoff appearances).
Second, when my family moved in the late 1970s, it was to suburban Detroit. A city where, until a year ago, pro football dreams went to die an agonizingly slow, painful, and – usually – a creative death.
So, I’d suggest, my longtime apathetic feelings toward pro football are justified.
Having confessed that, the Pro Football Hall of Fame still made my list of 80 iconic events or venues to visit.
With good reason. My love of sport, history, and culture all converge in places such as this.
The Bust Gallery
Much like it’s baseball hall cousin in Cooperstown, the Pro Football Hall seemingly saves the best for last.
There is plenty to see and experience with the exhibits on the first and second floors, but the allure of any hall of fame is how the curators showcase the honored. If your time in Canton is limited, you’re able to proceed directly to the Hall of Fame Gallery to find your favorite great. But if you follow the designed touring plan, you’ll wind up in the Gallery near the conclusion of your visit.
It is worth the wait.
While most halls utilize plaques of some sort, the fine folks in Canton zigged when the others zagged. They utilize sculpted bronze busts of the inductees’ likeness, places them in a reverent room with dim lights and some mirrors, and creates a truly memorable experience for visitors.
There really were not many players’ busts I wanted to see. In fact, the majority that I had interest in lingering at a bit were coaches.
The busts of Hall of Fame coaches Tony Dungy, John Madden, and Don Shula.
- Tony Dungy never coached a team I pulled for, but I always appreciated his style and the way his team’s played. The fact that he was a Michigan native might have helped some as well. And, if I’m being honest, my Hoosier roots nudged me to root for his Indianapolis Colts team that won Super Bowl XLI.
- If you’ve been a fan of pro football for even a modicum of time from the mid-1970s through present day, you’re acquainted with the work of John Madden (coaching, broadcasting, or video game). I’m no different, so seeing his bust was pretty cool to see.
- With the lack of a decent local NFL team to root for during my formative years, I naturally gravitated to a team that was successful. In this case it was the Miami Dolphins and their coach was Don Shula.
Of the players busts I wanted to see, there were two I made a point of seeking out.
Bob Griese, at left, and Barry Sanders were two of the author’s favorite NFL players.
- One was Bob Griese, the quarterback of the aforementioned Dolphins. I enjoyed watching him because, well, the Dolphins won – a lot – during this era. The other reason was because he became one of the first quarterbacks to wear eyeglasses. As a glasses wearing from the age of two myself, it was wonderful to see an NFL player donning spectacles.
- The other player was Detroit Lions’ running back, Barry Sanders. As someone who was subjected to what seemed an weekly dose of Lions’ mediocrity every Sunday, Sanders was often the entire Lions’ highlight reel each week.
There was one Hall of Fame Class oddity I noticed in reviewing the Gallery. It was the Class of 1985 that included Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach who is widely regarded as one of the most sincere and classiest players in the game’s history. His bronze bust sits just below HoF classmate, O.J. Simpson. Hmmm?
Enhanced Interactivity
My father and I had visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame some 16 years ago and I’m pleased to report it seems to have modernized itself.
From basic things like audio and video included to enhance exhibits, QR codes to allow for further exploration, to a hologram of Joe Namath providing a lockerroom discussion, the Hall has certainly fully embraced the 21st Century.
Namath is your host in the “A Game for Life” lockerroom theater. His holograph introduces attendees to fellow Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Jim Kelly, Steve Largent, Curtis Martin, Warren Moon, and Alan Page who share the lessons they learned while playing and being part of a team.
Another series of interactive exhibits really makes the size and strength of the game’s players tangible for visitors.
These exhibits allow visitors to measure themselves against various professional football players as it relates to arm strength, hand size, and lower body physique. The author was unable to get his ankle into Gilbert Brown’s (6-foot-2, 340-pound) mold seen at the far right of the Lower Body Strength; the mold was too narrow.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy
The previous time I’d visited the Hall, the Vince Lombardi Trophy sat under glass in a fairly basic display. Today, it is the culmination of an entire exhibit know as the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery that includes artifacts from each decade’s Super Bowls. The trophy itself, is in its own glass-enclosed room under glass.
While I’ll never consider the Vince Lombardi Trophy to be on par with NHL’s Stanley Cup, the Hall treats its top trophy with the reverence it deserves.
Other Artifacts
I devoted much of my time to the more modern day exhibits and artifacts. Rather than prattle on about them, I’ll include some photos to give you a feel for what’s currently on display.
Clockwise from upper left, a chart of every team to have played U.S. prof football with their season-by-season records; Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s helmet; the jerseys of Eric Dickerson and Drew Brees; the jersey of running back Jim Brown; some of the artifacts from the 1972 unbeaten Miami Dolphins’ team; the five Lombardi Trophies won by defensive lineman Charles Haley; quarterback Jim Kelly’s custom built Harley Davidson chopper; the full display dedicated to the last unbeaten and untied Super Bowl champion team; the puppets from the “Bring Down the House” NFL commericial; Patrick Tillman’s jersey; looking up at the Jim Thorpe statue; jerseys of Super Bowl quarterback stars; some artifacts from the most-recent Super Bowl; the author with his namesake do-everything star Taysom Hill’s artifacts; Tony Dorsett’s cleats from his 99-yard touchdown run, a record that can never be broken.
- Next Time: Checking out a couple of rival high school football stadiums.