The Bright Football Complex in College Station, Texas, is a facility for Texas A&M football athletes
showcasing the history and athletic achievements of the elite football players known as the “Aggies.”
When the college announced it was kicking off a major renovation of the Complex in 2012, Nashville’s
1220 Exhibits was delighted to be among the participants for this prestigious project. 1220’s scope of
work would include a series of large-scale media presentations, fabrication of the Heisman Trophy case and Aggie icon, and Aggies in the NFL exhibits for the Bright Complex’s Entrance Atrium. According to Heather McKnight, Account Manager 1220 Exhibits, “We partnered with Silver Oaks Communications in Moline, Illinois, on this project because of their expertise with AV software and development. We have worked with Silver Oaks for a number of years on a variety of projects and we were confident this was a perfect fit for their talents.”

A kick-off meeting was held in College Station with Texas A&M representatives; Populous, a design firm
based in Kansas City, Missouri; and 1220’s core team. Goals, standards and time lines were established and all parties began mobilizing their team for the project. From the start, Texas A&M and Populous made clear that this facility was to be the best, brightest and most innovative facility for recruiting the top football players in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Implementing an aggressive schedule, the Bright Complex was renovated and the exhibits fabricated and installed within a 13-month period.

The centerpiece of the Bright Complex’s Atrium, fabricated by 1220 Exhibits, is a glass and metal
architectural element with the Aggie icon featured on the outside of the structure, and seven, 55” portrait oriented monitors on the inside. Controlled by a touchscreen kiosk, this immersive multimedia exhibit includes all original video footage shot on location by Silver Oaks. The dynamic footage gives an up-close look at the unique traditions and special experiences of being an Aggie football player – including videos of players running on the field, the famous “Midnight Yell,” and a fast-paced, energizing 2½-minute main feature highlighting the game-day experience.

With this in-depth look, recruits can imagine their football future at Texas A&M and the prowess of their
competition through the “SEC Experience,” where large back-lit graphics of SEC school stadiums are
displayed under their school banners and logos. Visitors can also learn about the University’s two
Heisman Trophy winners through display cases housing the actual Heisman Trophies, and large text
panels that include player profiles.

1220 and Silver Oaks showcased their collaborative AV skills through additional interactive stations and exhibits throughout the Atrium. Silver Oaks created the interactive content and 1220 wired and installed it, allowing visitors to learn more about Texas A&M’s athletic relationships.

Interactive stations and exhibits include the following:

“Design Your Own Uniform” where visitors can customize their own Aggie uniform. Working with
Adidas, Silver Oaks created a large touchscreen wall showing a life-size player in 3D. Visitors can mix
and match uniform elements while viewing the display in real-time 3D. Visitors also have the ability to
send the image to friends and family via email.

“Aggies in the NFL” is a database interactive designed to allow users to search all past and present Aggie coaches and players who have had NFL success. A useful recruiting tool, this interactive lays out a potential pathway to playing in the NFL. Mentors can draw from these success stories as they help young players achieve their ultimate goal of being part of an NFL team.

“Johnny Manziel: 2012 Heisman Trophy Winner” – is a looping :90 video highlighting Johnny Manziel’s
epic 2012 season. The intricate edit weaves together snippets of game footage, cutout action shots and season stats, along with dramatic music and announcer voice-over to showcase the pathway Manziel carved as the legendary #2.

Now complete, the Bright Football Complex is more than just impressive – it’s unlike any college
football athletic center. Texas A&M’s vision and willingness to push the boundaries, with the help of
partners like 1220 Exhibits, Populous and Silver Oaks, made the project a huge success.

Silver Oaks – www.silveroaks.com

1220 Exhibits – www.1220.com

Texas A&M news article – http://www.12thman.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&&&DB_OEM_ID=27300&ATCLID=209603262

The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon opened a new exhibit on August 22 that looks back at Kraft’s first 20 years owning the team he cheered for since its founding in 1960. The exhibit is titled New England Faithful: 20 Seasons with the Krafts and highlights the team’s and the owner’s amazing accomplishments over two decades.

“We are excited about this exhibit,” Hall executive director Bryan Morry said. “When you compare the pre-1994 Patriots to what has happened over the past 20 years, the turnaround is nothing short of spectacular. The Patriots were a pathetic 19-61 between 1989 and 1993. When Robert Kraft bought the team he said he would make the decisions necessary to bring a championship to New England. He lived up to that word three times over and it is quite appropriate for us to look back at those first 20 years and appreciate the success.

“I think we get caught up sometimes in the result of the last game or the last season and we often commit our emotions to each game as if it is its own little Super Bowl. But 20 years is a perfect time to not only take a step back and reflect on how far the Patriots have come but also allow a smile at the success under the Kraft family’s ownership,” Morry added.

That on-field success is evident in the numbers. Since Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, no NFL team has won more games (238), more division titles (13), more conference titles (6) or more Super Bowl championships (3) than the New England Patriots. Additionally, the team and its fans have established a bond mostly unseen between 1960 and 1993. That bond is why every home game during the Kraft era has been sold out and why there is a lengthy waiting list for season tickets.

The exhibit touches on Robert Kraft’s purchase of the team and its rise to prominence in the NFL and all of sports. Of all teams in major American professional sports since 1994, only the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs have a higher winning percentage than the Patriots.

Back in 1994, the Patriots played their home games in a dilapidated stadium that lacked fan and player amenities. Today, they play in majestic Gillette Stadium, which was privately financed by the Kraft family without charging fans personal seat license fees. The new stadium was built with the fans in mind and also added necessary, modern player amenities while creating a new revenue stream to help the Patriots better compete in free agency.

The Krafts also have had a major influence in league matters over the last 20 years whether negotiating lucrative television contracts or driving technology innovation on a league level. But Robert’s influence was never more prominent than in 2011 when he stepped in to help resolve a lockout that threatened the season.

The family’s community philanthropy has always been a major component of its ownership tenure as has professional soccer. The Patriots Charitable Foundation has donated millions of dollars to local charities since 1994.  Foxborough has also been home to Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution as well as host to World Cup soccer.

The exhibit also features a video highlighting Robert Kraft as the Patriots owner.

 The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon inducted former cornerback Ty Law as its 22^nd member of the Patriots Hall of Fame in an August 1 induction ceremony held on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall. Additionally. Law will be honored during a halftime ceremony at the Patriots Thursday night game on Oct. 16 against the New York Jets.

Law joins Tedy Bruschi (2013), Troy Brown (2012) and Drew Bledsoe (2011) as the only players to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

“Ty Law was one of the greatest players in franchise history and one of the premier corners in the NFL during his Patriots career,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “The fans have helped validate that with this year’s hall of fame selection. We have had an incredible run of success and the building blocks started with players like Ty. He was an important part of three Super Bowl championship teams. It will be an honor to bring Ty back to celebrate his career as he takes his rightful place in our team’s hall of fame. I am sure he will deliver another memorable moment during his hall of fame ceremony, too.”

In April, a 20-person nomination committee, comprised of media, alumni and staff, selected three candidates for consideration for the Patriots Hall of Fame. The three finalists were Law, Raymond Clayborn and head coach Bill Parcells. Fans had a month to vote on Patriots.com for the candidate they believed was most deserving of hall of fame consideration.

Law spent 10 seasons with the Patriots (1995-2004) after joining the team as a first-round (23^rd overall) draft pick out of Michigan in 1995. Law was a three-time Super Bowl Champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX), a four-time Pro Bowl player (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003) and a two-time All-Pro (1998, 2003) during his tenure with the Patriots. Law tied RaymondClayborn’s career franchise-record with 36 interceptions and finished with the most interception-return yards in team history with 583. His six interceptions returned for touchdowns are also a franchise best. Law had nine interceptions in 1998 to become the first Patriots player to lead the NFL in that category. He was a playmaker who played some of his best games in the postseason. He helped lead the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in 2001 when he intercepted a Kurt Warner pass against the Rams and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown for the first points of the game. In the 2003 AFC Championship Game, Law intercepted three Peyton Manning passes while leading the Patriots to a 24-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Law was part of a record-breaking Patriots defense in 2003 that led the NFL in five key categories: opponents points per game (14.9), interceptions (29), fewest touchdown receptions allowed (11), opponent’s passer rating (56.2) and pass deflections (121) as the team captured its second Super Bowl title in a win over the Carolina Panthers. Law is a member of the NFL’s all-decade team for the 2000s as well as the Patriots’ all-1990s and all-2000s decade teams. He was also selected to the Patriots’ 50^th Anniversary Team.

        Beginning in 2007, the Patriots started a new hall of fame tradition, inducting one player or head coach to The Hall each year. The process for induction now involves a panel of media, alumni and staff, who collectively nominate the players or head coaches most deserving of induction. After the nominations are made, the committee votes and the top three tallies become that year’s finalists. The Patriots then give their fans the opportunity to vote online to select each year’s winner.

About the Patriots Hall of Fame
The Patriots Hall of Fame was officially formed in 1991 after John Hannah became the first Patriots player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With the hall of fame, the Patriots created a new way of honoring their greatest players. It wasn’t until 2008, with the opening of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, that Patriots players, past and present, truly had a place to call home that they could share with their fans. Now, enshrinement into The Hall is an honor befitting of the franchise’s greatest players, with 30-foot video pylons displaying each enshrinee. Beginning in 2007, fans became part of the hall of fame tradition and active participants in the selection process.

This year’s inductee will join 21 other Patriot greats and two contributors as a member of the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame (listed in alphabetical order below with year of induction):

Bruce Armstrong (2001)
Drew Bledsoe (2011)
Troy Brown (2012)
Tedy Bruschi (2013)
Nick Buoniconti (1992)
Gino Cappelletti (1992)
Ben Coates (2008)
Sam Cunningham (2010)
Bob Dee (1993)
Steve Grogan (1995)
John Hannah (1991)
Mike Haynes (1994)
Jim Lee Hunt (1993)
Stanley Morgan (2007
Jon Morris (2011)
Jim Nance (2009)

On Sunday, August 10, 2014, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum inducted three of Cincinnati’s own in Ken Griffey, Jr., Ron Oester and Dave Parker, as well as inducting the late Jake Beckley. The sold-out gala capped off an exciting weekend of events, including meet and greet sessions with Reds Hall of Famers, on-field ceremonies, and a silent auction. The 2014 Hall of Fame class was joined at these events by more than 20 previous inductees to the Reds Hall of Fame, creating a memorable weekend for everyone involved.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There was a recurring theme in the speeches at the 35^th annual ProRodeo Hall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 9, connected to heritage, history and the long road traveled to reach the sport’s pantheon. Everybody had a great road story to tell; nobody’s stretched longer or had more air miles than Glen O’Neill’s. From Down Under to Top of the World.

O’Neill, the 2002 saddle bronc riding world champion, became the first cowboy from outside North America to be inducted into the Hall Saturday, the Australian joining fellow world champions Wayne Herman, Byron Walker and the late Pete Grubb, along with champion bullfighter Miles Hare, legendary bucking horse Spring Fling and four elite committees, from the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo, Snake River Stampede (Nampa, Idaho), Rowell Ranch Rodeo (Hayward, Calif.) and Greeley (Colo.) Stampede.

“When you’re retired,” O’Neil said, “you think back to where you came from. I think back to when I started rodeoing as a country kid in the Outback riding bucking horses. I was lucky enough to have the right attitude to make the right decisions I did in my career. I kept moving forward, and once I got to the top in Australia, I came to Canada and America and wanted to keep climbing. It’s been a hell of a ride.”

Apart from his many honors in the arena – the gold buckle, 11 qualifications for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and career earnings of $1.6 million – O’Neill may have set a record of sorts Saturday, for the longest distance traveled by a family to witness their kin’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

His parents, brother and aunt and uncle were on hand from New South Wales, Australia (8,325 miles away). He also had in-laws from Canada here, as well as his wife, Jennifer, and kids from their home in Didsbury, Alberta.

“This is pretty exciting,” said O’Neill, 41, “and I’m at a loss for words a little bit, because it’s a big deal and there are a lot of people here. To come here and be inducted, see all the history that’s in the Hall of Fame and to now be a part of it, is something special.”

Herman, the 1992 world champion bareback rider and also an 11-time Wrangler NFR qualifier, was no less awestruck by the path that had taken him from the tiny North Dakota community of Golden Valley to his plaque in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

“I told my wife, Connie, when we walked into the (Cowboy Ball Aug. 8) that this was almost surreal,” said Herman, 50. “It was a quite a journey to get here and I’m honored and quite humbled to be standing in (the ProRodeo Hall of Fame) with the names that we were pretending to be to win the world when we were kids riding the bucking machine. To be one of them (a ProRodeo Hall of Famer) is unbelievable and hard for me to imagine.”

For Walker, who won his gold buckle as a steer wrestler in 1981 and whose 16 WNFR qualifications are equal to the second-highest total in the history of his event, this was a day that felt forever in coming.

“I’m thankful to get up and give this speech and not be dead,” said Walker, 56, with a chuckle.

“Waiting all this time (since the April 1 announcement) before going into the Hall of Fame was kind of like waiting to go into the principal’s office. I knew it was happening, and I was anxious to get it over with. Being here has been really nice, and walking around the Hall you realize that this is real.”

Grubb was the second ProRodeo cowboy – following Clay Carr – to win world championships at both ends of the arena. The Salmon, Idaho, native won the bareback riding title in 1938 and the team roping (as a heeler) in 1940. Grubb, who died in 1969 the age of 56, was represented at the induction by his son, Pete Jr.

For 33 years, beginning in 1975, Hare’s full-time job was protecting bull riders in arenas all across North America from 2,000-pound farm animals. He was a bullfighter at the National Finals Rodeo six times (1977, 1985, 1988-91) – making his first appearance when he was just 22 years old – and twice more as an alternate (1984, 1992).

He was the inaugural Wrangler World Champion Bullfighter in 1981 and shared that honor with fellow Hall of Famer and lifelong friend Rob Smets in 1988, developing a style based on careful study and his memory of the bulls’ moves.

“The people who are in the Hall are people who I idolized and are the gods of the game, and it’s just an honor to be in here with them,” said Hare, 58. “It’s no accident that I’m here. I’m a product of my environment. My father (Dean) had bucking bulls and fighting bulls in my backyard when I was born. I just had to step out the door and do it. I didn’t have me a basketball hoop out there. I had rodeo stock. It is all I have ever known. I get along much better with things with four legs than things with two legs.”

Along with Kingsway Skoal and Lonesome Me, Big Bend Rodeo’s legendary mare Spring Fling is the only horse to be honored as both a Bareback and Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. Spring Fling started out on the bareback side and received the PRCA’s top honor in that category in 1997, then came back to twice claim the saddle bronc award, winning it outright in 1999 and sharing it with Surprise Party Skoal, of Sankey Rodeo, a year later. Spring Fling was also voted the top saddle bronc horse at the 2001 Wrangler NFR and three times was voted the top saddle bronc horse at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho.

“Whenever Spring Fling was up, I would go out the arena to watch her – no matter what I was doing in the office – and I got goose bumps every time,” said rodeo secretary Crystal Longfellow, who accepted the award on behalf of Big Bend’s Sonny Riley and Don Hutsell. “(Six-time World Champion) Dan Mortensen knew how good Spring Fling was; it was the only horse he ever drew five times and never rode.”

“She really deserves it,” Hutsell said. “She’s the best bronc ever, I think. She just flat bucked, and she had the power to get guys off.”

The PRCA committees selected for enshrinement this year are among the PRCA’s longest-standing and most respected rodeos. Clovis, part of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, celebrated its 100^th anniversary in April. Nampa will have its centenary rodeo next year, while Hayward just wrapped up its 93^rd year and Greeley its 92^nd.

“It’s a bit overwhelming, and to have this line up with our 100-year anniversary next year is more than we could’ve asked for,” said Snake River Stampede chairman Jeff Agenbroad. “It’s a great way to send us off on our second 100 years.”

ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees are selected by a committee of former contestants and rodeo experts. More than 150 individuals are nominated each year and selection is based on contributions to the sport of professional rodeo in any one of seven categories: contestant, stock contractor, contract personnel, rodeo committees, livestock, media and notables/lifetime achievement.

Including this year’s inductees, 236 people, 28 animals and 22 rodeo committees have been selected for enshrinement in Colorado Springs since the Hall opened in 1979.

Visit www.prorodeo.com to view video clips featuring each member of this year’s ProRodeo Hall of Fame induction class.

The Sixth Annual St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Enshrinement dinner is coming Wednesday, September 24 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis.  Ticket sales are very strong, and over 1,000 will be in attendance.

The pro athlete headliners are:  the Cardinals’ Orlando Cepeda from the ’60’s, Aeneus Williams of the NFL Rams just inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and a pair of legendary St. Louis Blues hockey players, Brian Sutter and Bob Plager.

Tickets are $150 person, $1,250 per table of 10 plus there is a beautiful 80 page program of stories, pictures and congratulatory ads for every attendee.  A new event being added is the “MVP Breakfast” which is a $5,000 event, very exclusive, with the inductees and just 12 tables permitted.  A great way to meet the stars up close, get autographs and hear an interview at your table with each athlete.

The Enshrinement is video taped so that each inductee and sponsor receive a permanent record of the evening.  There will be plenty of television and radio coverage.