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.
The exterior of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as seen from our room in the Hampton Inn.
Since it seemed a waste to fly to the northeast for one night and not try to sneak in two events, my traveling partner, Fran, and I made the hour trek north from Storrs, CT, to Springfield, MA, for the night with plans to tour the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame early the next day before flying back to Detroit in the evening.
But first … football!
Before the 2025 NCAA Football Season, the last time the Indiana Hoosiers played a meaningful college football game after New Year’s Eve was against the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1968 (when I was six months old!).
So, yeah, I was gonna figure out a way to watch Indiana University – yes, that Indiana University – play for the stinkin’ National Championship.
After securing our room in the Hampton Inn directly across I-91 from the Hall, we made a beeline for the Rumbleseat Bar & Grill in Chicopee, which promised us sustenance, cooling beverages, and televisions to watch the game.
Check, check, and check!
The pizza was delicious, as was the local cider I selected, and there were plenty of televisions to choose from, though we had to deal with Detroit Pistons-Boston Celtics for screen time.
We lasted at the Rumbleseat until close to halftime when we made our way back to the hotel for the second half.
Clockwise from upper top, this mural of basketball legends (and period baskets) greets visitors to the Court of Dreams; Hollywood’s Penny Marshall was one of the first fans honored in the SuperFan Gallery; a look to the top of the sphere; Marshall’s ring; my friend Fran showing off his form from the elbow; the namesake for the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery.
This may be unfair, but as this is the final of the four major North American sports halls of fame that I’ve visited, I couldn’t help but compare basketball to baseball, football, and hockey.
To be sure, all the halls have a tremendous number of artifacts and memorabilia on display, but it really seemed like basketball had more than the others. You couldn’t swing an elbow (appropriately, of course;-) without spotting something behind glass that was intriguing and warranted your attention. It may be recency bias, but the number of images on my phone tell adifferent story.
That said, this post will lean heavily into images, but before I get to them, two more things I really appreciated about Naismith:
First, there are occasional SuperFan inductees who are honored in the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery. This year’s honoree was Matt Asen who supports the Indiana Pacers as “The Pacer Guy.” They get their own ring and everything which, as someone who curates a website called The Sports Fan Project, is pretty cool.
Second, the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams is wonderful. It’s a full basketball court under the giant sphere seen in the exterior photo at the top and allows visitors to shoot, play some 1-on-1, or, if the mood struck and space was available, get a run in with nine of your friends. None of the other halls of fame have anything quite like it.
Some of my Favorite Finds
Clockwise from upper left, Julius Erving and Brittney Griner jerseys and shoes; a cap tip to my Indiana roots, this jacket commeorates the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won three straight World Professional Basketball Tournaments (1944-46); Pete Maravich’s LSU jersey; a piece of wood flooring from the original Springfield YMCA basketball floor (circa 1890s); Diana Taurasi’s UConn jersey; the list of Hall of Fame inductees by year; I get the concept, but this Jerry Lucas jersey seems, um, uncomfortable; jerseys from Bill Walton and Wilt Chamberlain, balls from Walt Bellamy, John Stockton, and Robert Parrish, and Shaquille O’Neal sneakers; a lifesize cutout of Mugsy Bogues; Fran and I joined the “Inside the NBA” team on a fishing charter; Nolan Richardson gear from his days coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks; Kobe Bryant celebrates a championship; and, as far as I know, the only player from my alma mater (Eastern Michigan University) enshrined in the Naismith Hall.
Bright Lights, Big City
I tried to earn my keep on the set of “Inside the NBA” with Kenny, Shaq, Charles, and Ernie.
Speaking of Lights
Our capper to the overnight trip to the northeast featured a breathtaking glimpes at the aurora borealis (aka Northern Lights) outside right side of the Jet Blue flight. Many thanks to the crew for pointing it out and for fellow passengers for letting some of us get to a window to snap a photo.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Vince Carter, participated in the NBA Dunk Contest exactly one time during his 22-year career: It was back in 2000 when the All-Start Game and its ancillary events were hosted by the Oakland Arena. It’s still one of those that’s talked about by NBA fans.
The image from this week’s Fan Teaser was captured just after Carter received a bounce pass from teammate, cousin – and fellow Dunk Contest participant! – Tracy McGrady. Carter went through his legs before throwing down a tomahawk jam.
Vince Carter soared above the competition during the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest. (Photo NBA Media)
As the Dunk Contest had begun to lose some of its luster (much the same way it has these days) it was uncertain whether Carter would even participate. There’s a terrific oral history that ESPN put together about how it came to pass. You’re able to read that piece here.
Always known as a high-flyer, Carter went onto to play a remarkable 22 seasons and 1,541 regular-season games through his age 43 season before retiring following a 60-game campaign with the Atlanta Hawks in 2019-20. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in October 2024 and had, shortly thereafter, his jersey No. 15 retired by both the Toronto Raptors (his original team) and the New Jersey Nets (his second team) early in the 2024-25 season. (Additional viewing: His Raptors jersey retirement ceremony and his Nets jersey retirement ceremony.)
All of Vince Carter’s dunks during the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of 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.
(This is the fourth and final installment in a series about Detroit Public School League basketball legend, Spencer Haywood. Please find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, andPart 3 here.)
Haywood’s New York Knicks’ trading card.
Spencer Haywood spent the next four seasons with Seattle and was an All-Star in each of them. He was a first-team All-NBA performer the first two seasons and a second-teamer the next two. His scoring, however, dwindled from a high in 1972-73 of 29.2 points per game to 22.4 in 1974-75. His rebounding fell off too, from a high of 13.4 in 1973-74 to 9.3 in 1974-75. Haywood grew increasingly discontented with the Seattle organization and eventually demanded a trade. His choice for a destination was New York and the Knicks. Seattle obliged with an October 24, 1975, deal for a draft pick – which wound up being Eugene Short – and $2 million in cash.
Haywood’s career would never again reach the heights he had reached in his first six seasons as a professional. Sure, while in New York he lived the jet-set life and married supermodel Iman. But the high life also led him to his first dalliance with cocaine. In his autobiography he claims it was merely recreational, but it was – as the future soon told – a dangerous first step.
Much like there had been in Seattle four seasons prior; there was a falling out in New York, though this one came primarily from the Knicks’ perspective. So, on January 5, 1979, Haywood headed from the Big Apple to the Big Easy for journeyman center Joe C. Meriweather and was immediately revived – averaging 24 points per game for the Jazz as opposed to the 17.8 in New York. He also averaged 9.6 rebounds compared with 6.1.
New Orleans announced that off-season the franchise was relocating to Salt Lake City, UT. Haywood insisted he couldn’t exist in Utah and forced another trade, this one to the Los Angeles Lakers for Adrian Dantley. At age 30 he was to be the missing piece to a Lakers’ puzzle that included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the pivot and rookie Earvin “Magic” Johnson at the point. What Haywood wound up becoming was a 3D player: disruptive, distracted, drug addict.
Haywood shoots a free throw while with the Los Angeles Lakers (Getty Images Photo).
Once in Los Angeles it didn’t take Haywood long to discover freebasing cocaine and he smoked crack every chance he could. His troubles are well-chronicled in his autobiography. As his crack intake increased his minutes per game decreased. He went from the starting power forward on an NBA title contender at the beginning of the season to a reserve that rarely saw his season average of 20 minutes per game by the end of it. He finished the season with career lows in points (9.7 ppg) and rebounds (4.6 ppg). His drug problem became so severe that he actually passed out stretching before practice in preparation of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. The former Olympic hero and college All-American was eventually suspended for the remainder of the series for “Disruptive Actions” after he came forward with his drug problem to Lakers’ officials following a locker room scuffle after Game 2.
Paranoid and in a tailspin, Haywood called in a favor from an old Detroit buddy who flew out to Los Angeles to begin plotting the assassination of Lakers’ coach Paul Westhead – the man Haywood felt was to blame for his troubles. Fortunately Haywood’s friends and family intervened and Westhead lived to be ousted by Magic Johnson the next season.
Haywood spent a season convalescing and playing basketball in Venice, Italy. He returned to the NBA for a season-and-a-half in Washington, but again succumbed to the lure of cocaine.
*********
A lot can be discovered about a person by looking at his obituary or reading the epitaph on his gravestone. Haywood’s will no doubt include husband, father, All-American, Olympic gold medalist, and NBA champion. But what will one of the most talented players ever to come from the city of Detroit be most-remembered for?
That’s right, taking on the NBA and NCAA in court – and winning.
But did he? Win that is.
Perhaps feeling guilty for begetting the current system that sees middle schoolers featured on the pages of Sports Illustrated, finds college coaches courting seventh-graders, and NBA scouts not only visiting college campuses on Saturday afternoons but also high school gymnasiums on Friday nights, Haywood has come out in recent years sounding an awful lot like someone who’s siding with present NBA commissioner David Stern’s suggestion of a 20-year age minimum for draft eligible players.
“You got the kids that say, ‘Screw college, when I’m 18, I’m going to the NBA,’ ” Haywood told the Akron Beacon-Journal in May 2003. “Almost none of these kids are ready.”
He’s right, of course. For every LeBron James there’s a Korleone Young – a player who overestimated his potential, wasn’t drafted in the first round (where the guaranteed money is), and has never been seen around the NBA again. In a candid moment you might even get Haywood to admit that he wasn’t ready either. Sure, he could hang on the court, but emotionally it might have been too much too soon.
In a September 2003 interview with the East Carolinian Haywood notes: “I was going to schools talking about substance abuse and they were looking at me, saying, ‘I’m going to be the first one to make it in the 11th grade, and then the 10th grade.’ They had dropped the idea of education and were starting to just play ball.
“I thought, ‘Oh God, what have I done?’ I created a monster.”
*So, the one Detroit player coaches Will Robinson and Henry Iba called the best ever, will likely never get beyond the front door of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame without purchasing a ticket. Many might call that fitting and just punishment for the man who enacted the single greatest change on the game of basketball – at every level. Others might call it a shame.
Perhaps, as Haywood considers his epitaph, he should borrow the words of the legendary and late Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray who once wrote: “If you measure an athlete by his effect on the game he plays, (Haywood) goes directly to the Hall of Fame. … He called a technical foul on the whole game. There should be a statue of him in the home of every athlete who ever pried a multimillion-dollar contract and the indisputable rights to his own services out of sports management. …”
*-Post Script: At the time this piece was originally written (circa 2008), the chances of Haywood becoming enshrined in the Hall of Fame seemed remote. Then, in 2015, the Hall call arrived. Haywood was enshrined along with 10 others. His acceptance speech is found below.
Spencer Haywood’s 2015 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech.
(About the Series: Based upon my Conversation with guest Derek Meinecke, I’m going back in time to be in the stands at 10 sporting events. This week, it’s #8. You’re able to find links to the previous installments below.)
Before beginning I should note, this is my wayback machine and that means my rules. So for today’s “Back in Time” we’re we’re returning not to a sporting event, but rather to a sports-centric trip I took with my father, Jerry, during April 2007.
If one Hall of Fame visit was fun, I figured, four would be spectacular! So I got to work mapping a route for my father and I to visit the four major sports halls of fame (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey), all of which were drivable from our home in southeast lower Michigan.
And, if the sports gods looked favorably upon us, we could also see a ballgame at Boston’s famed Fenway Park; a venue neither my father nor I had visited at that point.
As the calendar flipped to 2007 and it became apparent we were going to make this roadtrip, I began chunking out our travel days, booking hotel accommodations, reserved a rental car for the week because neither of us had the type of vehicle that should take on this roadie, and – most importantly – secured tickets to the Thursday, April 12, Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox game. Yep, they were obstructed view (darn support posts!) but the seats were inside Fenway Park and that’s all that really mattered.
My biggest regret with this trip – and, likely, the reason I’d welcome the ability to go back in time – is that I didn’t keep a journal of our daily experiences to better reflect upon the significance of each day. That said, what follows is my best recollections of our seven days together.
Day 1 – St. Clair Shores, MI to Canton, OH
Following an Easter Brunch at my parents’ place, my dad and I loaded up our rental sedan and headed out bound for Canton, OH, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As it was a holiday Sunday, traffic was light and we were in Canton by the early afternoon and had large portions of the Hall to ourselves.
Maybe it was because neither of us were ever football players and our native Indiana was a pro football desert for the entirety of our time living there, but we didn’t feel much in the way of disappointment when the announcement that the museum would be closing came over the public address system leading up to the 5 o’clock hour.
Documentation that I have been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Sure, I recall lingering at the bronzed busts of Bob Griese and Dan Marino (my favorite Miami Dolphin quarterbacks) and Gale Sayers (hey, I’m a sucker for “Brian’s Song,” what can I say) in the Hall of Fame Gallery, but I walked out feeling as though the 3-4 hours we had in the museum were enough. I’m sure that’s sacrilegious to some, but I’m happy I saw it with my dad and would welcome a revisit someday.
Day 2 – Canton, OH to Williamsport, PA (via Punxsutawney & State College, PA)
A day was going to be needed to get to Cooperstown because, quite frankly, it’s about a day’s drive from everywhere. As we looked at possible routes from Canton we decided to take the leisurely one that afforded us the most opportunities to visit some places we’d always wanted to see so we decided to split the trip into two days.
That route took us to Punxsutawney, PA, which is home not only to the Western Hemisphere’s most famous groundhog, but also to Detroit Pistons and 1992 Olympic Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly‘s first coaching gig. We spotted the lovely townsquare where so much of the 1993 film, Groundhog Day, was to have been filmed (it wasn’t, that was Woodstock, IL) and we even made our way to the famous Gobbler’s Knob where Punxsutawney Phil is awaken each February 2 at daybreak to predict the weather.
We also took advantage of the scenic route to drive by State College, home of Penn State University and did a driveby of Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lions. It is a monster of a stadium and, not unlike Cooperstown, seems to be located in the middle of nowhere.
The highlight for both of us, however, was our Day 2 destination: Williamsport, PA.
Sports fans will no doubt know that South Williamsport is home to the annual Little Baseball World Series. There were, of course, no games being played at the complex in early April, but we still found it be accessible and were able to see both Howard J. Lamade and Volunteer stadiums.
The author standing atop the famed hill at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, PA.
Day 3 – Williamsport, PA to Cooperstown, NY
Northbound and down early on Tuesday morning with Cooperstown as our destination, but first, what’s this sign outside Oneonta, NY? The U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum? Of course we’ll stop! We did not pay the admission, but it was a hall of fame and was certainly on brand for this trip. We checked out the entrance and the gift shop and snapped a couple of photos that looked no unlike the one below. Alas, financial challenges ultimately caught up with the Soccer Hall and it closed in 2009 before reopening in Frisco, TX, in 2015.
The exterior of the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY.
We arrived at the Baseball Hall of Fame shortly after its opening and committed to staying through the mid-afternoon. I also had scheduled a visit to the Giamatti Research Center to review files for former Detroit high school athletes Don Lund and Dave DeBusschere.
It’s always an enjoyable visit to the Baseball Hall, but it’s always special to visit it as father and son. We found ourselves lingering near exhibits that featured artifacts from dad’s favorite, Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, my beloved Big Red Machine, and the 1984 Detroit Tigers. And, as I always have done, I watched the entirety of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” bit.
And, of course, the Plaque Gallery is almost a religious experience for longtime baseball fans. It’s reverent, quiet, and spiritual in nature.
The author and his father at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Day 4 – Cooperstown, NY to Springfield, MA
Another early wakeup for us as we hit the road heading east bound for Springfield, MA.
Upon arrival we proceeded directly to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and were, if I recall correctly, fairly unimpressed. Perhaps it was because we’d just visited baseball’s shrine with all its history and prestige. Or maybe it was the bronzed busts found in the Pro Football Hall. Whatever the reason, of the four halls we toured on this trip, this one fell short. And one would think for a pair of native Hoosiers this place would be hallowed ground for us. But it didn’t really live up to what we had hoped it would. Sure, there were artifacts and items that piqued our interest and were memorable (though for the life of me, I can’t remember them 16 years later). I believe the piece that was most frustrating was way inductees were presented. Unlike at football and baseball, visitors were unable to get close to the images of the enshrined that lined the upper walls of the dome that is the centerpiece of the museum.
The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.
We noticed another museum resided in Springfield, one that was of more interest to me than my dad, but we did a drive by anyway to check out the Dr. Seuss Museum and Sculpture Garden. As my hazy memory recollects, we didn’t pay to enter the museum but did check out the lobby, gift shop, and the public sculpture garden. For a parent of two younger children and an elementary school teacher, it was fascinating to see the homage to Dr. Seuss. Like many, my view on the man born Theodore Geisel in Springfield in 1904, has evolved over time, but this surprise find was certainly a highlight of this trip.
Day 5 – Springfield to Boston
Today was the day, Mariners at Red Sox!
And it was raining buckets!
As we headed into Boston the plan was to see some of the sights before heading to Fenway for the mid-afternoon game. But after attempting to explore Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and their surroundings we quickly realized it was far too wet to spend any appreciable time outside. (But dagnabit we would at Fenway!)
I noticed an advertisement on our way into the city at a Borders Bookstore about Cal Ripken Jr. appearing for a book signing. I pitched it to my dad who figured he could kill some time in a store filled with books. So off we went and into the queue I got. It was clearly going to be a bit, but at least we were warm and dry and I was about to meet a future Hall of Famer.
I remember two things about my time in line. One, was the kindly lady behind me in line who was a big Red Sox fan who agreed to buy my rainchecks off of me should the game be washed out (which I was nearly certain it would be). Second, was meeting Ripken who noticed my Tigers’ fleece. “That Verlander kid is going to be a good one,” he noted. Sixteen years later who opened Game 1 of the American League Championship Series for the Houston Astros? Justin Verlander making his 36th post-season start. Maybe Cal knew something?
We made it to Fenway and, inexplicably, the gates were open and fans were able to come in and spend money on parking, concessions, and souvenirs (at capitalism grand!). It was clear, however, there was no way baseball was going to be played. And sure enough, about an hour after we entered, the public address notified us of the cancellation and subsequent rescheduled date of May 3.
The author’s soggy debut at Fenway Park.
Day 6 – Springfield to Buffalo
Nothing special about today, just a whole lot of driving.
We attempted to see the New York State Capitol but, embarassingly, couldn’t be sure we found it because unlike so many other capitol buildings it didn’t have a dome.
My dad remembered another hall of fame that we’d pass en route, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY. As we clipped along it became apparent we’d be close in arriving before the museum closed. As it turned out we missed closing time by 10 minutes, but saw where it was and promised to return (which we did a decade later).
Day 7 – Buffalo to Toronto/Toronto to St. Clair Shores
The Hockey Hall of Fame is situated in downtown Toronto, a large portion of which inhabits an old bank.
Of the four halls we visited, this one might have treated its honorees and its awards with the most reverence. To be sure, it was a special place and my dad and I were in agreement that had we grown up as hockey fans rather than baseball fans we could have spent multiple days exploring every nook and cranny.
Alas, we didn’t and we didn’t, and by the time we exited shortly after noon, the siren sound of baseball was calling us again. Rained out two days earlier in Boston, the Toronto Blue Jays were readying to play in the domed Rogers Centre just a few blocks away against the Detroit Tigers. We walked up to check out the CN Tower and how much tickets would cost. The outer reaches were pretty inexpensive so we went for it. And just like that we were watching the defending AL Champion Tigers take on the Blue Jays. (Detroit scored four in the top of the ninth to earn a 10-7 come-from-behind win that we heard on the radio because we were gone by the fifth inning.)
The upper reaches of the Rogers Centre.
Nonetheless, it was a terrific exclamation point on an epic seven days spent on the road with my father. Sure there were plenty of long silences because Hill men are not known to fill the gaps, but there was also plenty of discussion about sports and life.
My desire to go back to this trip, as noted earlier, is not only to better document it but also to spend more time talking about life.
