We had a bit of fun with some Hall of Fame Smiths in this week’s #FanTeaser. The clue inquiring if any of these fellas made it to Washington was a nod to the 1939 Frank Capra-directed film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Jimmy Stewart starred as Jefferson Smith, a gubernatorial appointee to the U.S. Senate.
Here, in alphabetical order, are the Smith athletes whose images were used this week.
New York Islander goalie Billy Smith played 17 seasons and 675 games for the Isles. He amassed over 300 career victories in net and four straight Stanley Cup Championships. He was a 1993 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. (New York Islanders photo)
Longtime Buffalo Bill Bruce Smith still owns the NFL career record with 200 sacks over his 19 seasons. He was twice named the Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year and an integral part of the Bills’ four consecutive Super Bowl appearances during the early 1990s. He was a 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. (Buffalo Bills photo)
The man has an arena named after him in Chapel Hill, NC. Yeah, Dean Smith was a fair college basketball coach, retiring with a then-record 879 career victories. He was a 1983 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. (Richard Carson/Associated Press Photo)
Horton Smith carries the distinction of being the first winner of The Masters, which was known as the Augusta National Invitational when he won it in 1934. He won it again two years later and totaled 29 other PGA Tour victories. He’s a 1990 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee. (Photo from Getty Images)
Known as “The Wizard,” Ozzie Smith made a career out of making spectacular defensive plays at shortstop. He won Gold Gloves in 13 of his 19 MLB seasons and was a 2002 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. (Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery Photo)
Most tennis fans these days are probably only familiar with Stan Smith thanks to his eponymous shoes. He was, in fact, an accomplished tennis player as well, winning a singles title at both Wimbledon (1972) and the U.S. Open (1972), but was even more accomplished as a doubles player, winning five additional Grand Slam titles. He was a 1987 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee. (Ed Lacey/Popperoto via Getty Images photo)
For more information (and plenty of links) about the various sports’ halls of fame, check out our Halls of Fame Directory here.
To review, the Fan Teaser was created by former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning, with the reveal coming to you Sunday.