What aptly named football player belongs to the hands seen in this image?
Was there ever a player – before or after – who seemed to epitomize being a football player more than Chicago Bears’ Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus?
Drafted by the Bears with the third pick in the first round out of the University of Illinois (one spot ahead of the Bears’ selecting University of Kansas All-American, Gale Sayers), Butkus (a Chicago native) spent his entire 9-year career with the Bears before a knee injury prematurely ended his time in the league.
Sports Illustrated annointed Dick Butkus as the “Most Feared Man in the Game.” He’s captured here by legendary SI photographer Neil Leifer in a 1969 game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
This image, framed perfectly with the official visible in the background, was taken by one of the most notable sports photographers in history, Neil Leifer, during a September 1969, 20-17 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Butkus died at 80 in October 2023. This video tribute comes courtesty of the Chicago Bears.
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.
I recalled a Conversation with Sports Fan Craig Pringle (S:2, E:39) about his growing up in the northeastern Ohio town of Massillon.
Craig, who attended Massillon Washington High School about the same time as former Ohio State and Detroit Lions’ linebacker Chris Spielman. He recollected about what football games were/are like in Massillon, how newborn boys used to have tiny football’s placed in their hospital cribs, and what the rivalry game against Canton McKinley High School was like.
It seemed a no-brainer, then, to ensure I checked out both McKinley and Washington’s football stadiums.
McKinley HS’s stadium is hard to miss.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH, is home to the McKinley HS Bulldogs. You’re able to see the top of the Pro Football Hall of Fame at left.
It’s the former Fawcett Field which sits adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has annually hosts the annual Hall of Fame Game, the Hall of Fame Enshrinement, and other events. It underwent renovations from 2015-21 and now known as Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (for the longtime owner of the New Orleans Saints). It seats a whopping 23,000.
This statue of Tom Benson stands at the west end of the stadium.
Fewer than eight miles to the west is Massillon Washington HS.
While McKinley sits adjacent to the Hall of Fame and Interstate 77, Massillon HS’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is situated in a more residential environment. It is no less impressive with a seating capacity of 16,600.
The sites from Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, clockwise from upper left, the Ohio Historical Marker outlining the significance of Paul Brown to Massillon, football, and all of Ohio; the stadium; boasting the state and national championships above the press box; there is an adjancent training facility that puts many small college facilities to shame; a statue of Brown stands sentry out front; and, of course, no media are allowed at practice.
To cap our visit to Massillon, I sought Pringle’s advice on any local food spots to hit up. He offered a couple, one of which was Jay’s Pizza, which (like Washington HS) sits in neighborhood. I picked up a pie, and some pepperoni rolls for my dad and I and we adjourned to nearby Wampler Park and it’s under-renovation pavilion to enjoy our repast.
Jay’s Pizza provided a tasty dinner after a day of touring the Pro Football Hall of Fame and checking out rival football stadiums at Canton McKinley HS and Massillon Washington HS. And great news for Massillon residents, Wampler park is getting a splash pad and new pickle ball courts when the renovations are completed.
The exterior of the original Pro Football Hall of Fame building.
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).
The author, at right, and his father at the entry of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.
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 Famestill 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
A look at one of the walls of the Hall of Fame 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.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 1985.
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
That fuzzy image at the front of the lockerroom is a holograph of Joe Namath.
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.
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 author and 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.
A look at the room where the Vince Lombardi Trophy is displayed.
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.
What Pro Football Hall of Famer is taking the ball to the rack in this image?
Before he was terrorizing opposing quarterbacks on Sundays for the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers, Julius Peppers was a 2-sport athlete at the University of North Carolina. In this image from 2001, Peppers drives against Duke’s Casey Sanders during the March 4 game at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Peppers learned during Super Bowl Week in Las Vegas that he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame following a 16-year NFL career during which he recorded 159.5 sacks. He’s the first-ever inductee to have played the majority of his career for the Carolina Panthers who selected him second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Casey Sanders of Duke (20) tries to stop North Carolina’s Julius Peppers at the Dean E. Smith Center. No. 2 Duke defeated No. 4 North Carolina, 95-81, on March 4, 2001. (Photo by Sports Illustrated’s Manny Millan)
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below 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.
(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.
