The heat of summer is building to a crescendo. The national boredom with the meaningless middle-portion of the Major League Baseball season has reached it's peak. The smell of professional football training camps is in the air. This can only mean one thing, the Pro Football Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony is soon to arrive! -FUPPETS- is always ecstatic about this august event. Between the football history on display, the small-town celebrations in Canton Ohio, the always long, but always heartfelt and meaningful acceptance speeches, and the official start of the new season with the Hall Of Fame Game which ends the ceremonies, it is truly a wonderful weekend for the football fanatic.
While all the major and even minor sports have their own Halls of Fame, with their own respective ceremony and pomp, the Pro Football Hall Of Fame (HOF from now on) is in a class all it's own. -FUPPETS- has thought long and hard about why this is so for the Football HOF, as opposed to the boring presentations for the baseball hall in Cooperstown, or the basketball ceremonies which seem more like a press conference. The answer may lie in that everything, and -FUPPETS- means EVERYTHING, about the Football HOF weekend is run by the good people of Canton Ohio, a small town on the periphery of Akron.
These volunteers plan so many events, and run them with a love and efficiency that shames the corporate circle jerk of the basketball and baseball HOF ceremonies. The event last for an entire week. So many of the enshrined players from years past come back to support the new entrants into their exclusive fraternity. They all bring their families and are treated with the type of thoughtful and loving care that only family can provide, for the people of Canton do their utmost every year to make certain that the Hall of Famers never forget their moment in the sun. There are events for the kids of HOF members. Volunteers prepare events for the wives of the Hall Of Famers. There is a morning parade which effectively shuts down Canton, for over 100,000 people (in a town of around 78,000) line the Main Street of Canton. At the actual site of the HOF there is a midway and carnival and food stands set up for visitors to enjoy. There is the official Member's Only dinner where the new entrants are presented their gold jackets, and everyone shares stories of their lives in football, going back to some of the oldest HOF members describing the way professional football was when they played, 50, 60, or in rare cases 70 years ago.
Visiting the HOF Ceremonies is a treat that no football fan should miss. Wandering the exhibits of the HOF alone is magnificent, and then you reach THE ROOM. The very heart of the HOF is the room where all the busts of every enshrinee are arranged in the chronological order in which the individuals were inducted. Arranged throughout the room are video monitors where one can watch highlights of every member, as well as learn their history and backgrounds. It is overwhelmingly fantastic. (click images to enlarge)
One other fabulous thing about a trip to the HOF Induction Ceremony is that you never know who you will see, or run into, for football players from all the NFL's history come by to visit, support teammates or coaches who are being honored, etc. -FUPPETS- was flabbergasted to eat breakfast at the Cracker Barrell one table away from Packers legend Bart Starr and his wife.
Super Bowl rings are EVERYWHERE! If you are a football fanatic, and I know there are many out there, you owe it to yourself, and your family, to take the trip to Canton Ohio at least once in your life. -FUPPETS- was there to support the induction of Warren Moon, as well as the inductions of John Madden, Troy Aikman, Reggie White, and others. It will never be forgotten.
-FUPPETS- will be watching the ceremony this weekend on ESPN. A post containing bios of every 2010 inductee is coming shortly.
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