The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the
names of its eight inductees for 2014. Those that will be inducted
into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 31,
during the twenty-fifth annual ceremonies in Knoxville, Iowa, are:

 
Drivers: Dave Blaney, Bobby Davis (Jr.), Mark Kinser
Owners-Mechanics-Builders-Manufacturers-Car Sponsors: Chuck
Merrill, George Nesler
Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors: Dave
Argabright, William “Windy” McDonald
Pre-1945: Larry Beckett

 
According to National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation
executive director Bob Baker, “We are very proud of the work done by our
72-member National Induction Committee each and every year, and this
year is no exception. I think modern sprint car fans will be very pleased
with this year’s line-up of inductees. We look forward to our very special
twenty-fifth induction banquet on the Marion County Fairgrounds in
Knoxville, Iowa, on May 31.”

FAR HILLS, N.J. – Pamela Green, the president of Wake-Robin Golf Club near Washington, D.C., the oldest African-American women’s golf club in the country, summed up the struggle to achieve equality in terms any golfer could appreciate: “We’ve played a mighty long par five.”

Green was one of many speakers who talked about overcoming adversity to play the game she loves during the African-American Golf History Symposium on Feb. 22. The event took place in conjunction with the opening of the USGA Museum’s newest exhibit, “More Than a Game,” which celebrates the historical importance of African-American golf clubs and their contributions to the expansion and development of golf in the United States. Through presentations by representatives of these pioneer clubs as well as a panel discussion with former players, the symposium demonstrated how these clubs helped break down racial barriers through golf.

The event began with presentations by Renee and Larry Powell, the children of the late William “Bill” Powell, the visionary behind Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Clearview, founded by Powell in 1946, is the only public golf course in the United States designed, built, owned and managed by an African American, and his children continue Powell’s legacy of leadership by sharing the gift of golf with everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity. A short film by Moxie Pictures, which is also featured in the exhibit, illuminates the courage and dedication displayed by Powell and his family.

Larry, now Clearview’s superintendent, grew up working on the golf course alongside his father and discussed the challenges of keeping a golf course in impeccable condition. Renee, a longtime LPGA Tour player who is now the head professional at Clearview, stressed the symposium’s role in ensuring that “everybody knows what the history of all golf is about, not just one color of golf.”

Individuals representing other trailblazing clubs echoed Renee’s words in their presentations. Author and historian Dr. Larry Hogan, an authority on the former Shady Rest Golf and Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., along with a trio of people affiliated with Langston Golf Course in Washington, D.C. – PGA professional and general manager Louis Tate; Green of the Wake-Robin Golf Club; and David Ross of Royal Golf Club – described the emergence of courses specifically for African Americans as “a place for us.”

As with many elements of desegregation, the challenges black golfers faced were not overcome simply by a change in law. At Langston, although blacks were allowed to play beginning in 1946, the club could not afford the security needed to protect them from potential violence.

Drawing 200 attendees, including a large contingent of students from the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, the only historically black college in the United States to offer a PGA golf management program, the question-and-answer segment provided lively interaction between the speakers and audience. Humorous anecdotes about the role golf played in their early lives, such as stories told by Madelyn Turner, an accomplished junior player in the 1960s, were coupled with more somber reflections on the discrimination players faced at hotels, restaurants and country clubs when they traveled to tournaments. Renee Powell, the second African American to compete on the LPGA Tour after Althea Gibson, recounted that she was often assumed to be an employee rather than a competitor. She was sometimes asked, “Are you here to work?” to which she responded, “I said yes, I’m here to play golf.” However, a sentiment echoed by all was that their love of the game was never affected by the bitterness they encountered.

Former PGA Tour players Bill Bishop and Calvin Peete stressed the importance of getting the next generation involved in golf. Finding golf at age 23, Peete’s relentless practice on a local softball field, sometimes in the middle of the night, allowed him to become an outstanding ball-striker who later finished first in the PGA Tour’s driving-accuracy category every year from 1981 to 1990. Peete recalled the night that a neighbor called the police during one of his 2 a.m. practice sessions. They showed up and watched him, occasionally calling out, “Nice shot, Calvin!”

Bishop, who was initially prevented from turning pro due to The PGA of America’s Caucasian-only clause, emphasized giving back to the next generation: “Once you reach your goal, try and help someone reach their goal.” His work with aspiring young players at Freeway Golf Course in Sicklerville, N.J., the first predominantly black-owned and operated 18-hole championship course in the country, furthers the panel’s shared goal of exposing youngsters to the game that changed their lives.

The symposium and exhibit are part of the USGA’s ongoing commitment to making golf more accessible while providing a platform for stories that are critical to the development of the game and the preservation of a more complete history of golf.  Following the symposium, attendees mingled with the speakers in the USGA Museum as they viewed the new exhibit.

“More Than a Game” will be on display for two years, and the public is invited to visit the USGA Museum between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.usgamuseum.com.

When Nike awarded Nuance International the contract to work on the creation of the Nike Running store in Bucktown, near downtown Chicago, we were excited and ready for a challenging project. The store is in an old brick building that was formerly a neighborhood pub, surrounded by small, unique restaurants and shops. As with many projects in older buildings, there are often “surprises” that show-up as the timeline unfolds. Our team dealt with each surprise with strong teamwork, utilization of contingency plans, and thinking on their feet.

The greatest challenge for Nike and its partners in the installation of the components designed for this store was the timing of the roll-out. It’s like a beautiful dance – and the Nike Project Manager in charge is the choreographer. Our role included painting an intricate mural on the walls and ceiling, producing a moveable message board to be viewed from the window facing the street, fabricating and outfitting several museum-quality cases to display the newest types of shoes, artistic painting on a column, and other assorted tasks.

Our installation and mural-painting team performed in an outstanding way to complete our parts of the project as scheduled, working weekends as needed. The Nike Designer and Project Manager were very pleased with our project management process, as well as the final results. The local store manager and his crew are also delighted with their new neighborhood store! We are looking forward to future projects with Nike! Our team knows that, “Just Do It” can apply to Nuance International as well as to Nike!

Beginning in February 2014 the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame began admitting youth 18 and under free. This is in an effort to allow as many kids as possible to have access to the educational and interactive exhibits which the museum provides. This offer is valid for three free youth admissions per paid adult admission.

In the spring we look forward to inducting Steve Cook of Granite Bay, California; Doug Kent of Newark, N.Y.; John Gaines of Orlando, Florida; Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wisconsin;  and Raymond “Woody” Woodruff of Long Island, New York  into the Hall of Fame. Cook and Kent were elected into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in the Superior Performance category. Gaines and Traber were elected in the Outstanding USBC Performance category. Woodroof of was elected posthumously for Meritorious Service. Their contributions to the sport of bowling are the part of the legacy which we hope to preserve at the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.

Kings of the Queen City features a dynamic graphic timeline that emphasizes the biggest moments and biggest names in Reds history.  Visitors will encounter a wide range of artifacts displayed in themed cases, each of which includes items that represent the span of Reds history from the 19^th century to today.  Highlights include the first public display of Chris Sabo’s Rookie of the Year trophy, the presentation of the last out balls from the Reds first and most recent World Series championships, game used equipment from the 1930s to the present day, Joey Votto’s 2010 National League Most Valuable Player plaque and much more.

TORONTO (December 14, 2013) – Hockey Hall of Fame Curator Phil Pritchard added a 2013 Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup ring to the Stanley Cup Championship display today at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The ring, donated by the Chicago Blackhawks organization, is featured in a display celebrating the current and past Stanley Cup champions. The ring was designed to tell the story of the Blackhawks memorable season of achieving the “One Goal” of becoming the NHL 2013 Stanley Cup Champions.

The ruby and diamond encrusted ring features the iconic Blackhawks logo and the words “Stanley Cup Champions” across the top and bottom.  The ring is made of 14-karat white gold and is the first Stanley Cup ring since 2003 (NJ) to move the Stanley Cup off the face of the ring.

“We are very grateful to the Blackhawks organization, especially, Rocky Wirtz, John McDonough, Jay Blunk, Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac and Norm Maciver,” said Pritchard.  “The 2013 Championship ring makes a great addition to the Stanley Cup Championship display.  Our guests, who visit us from around the world, will be thrilled to be able to view it.”

Details about the donated 2013 Stanley Cup Championship Ring

On the right side are five diamond-studded Stanley Cup trophies representing the 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010 and 2013 championships.  On the left side features seven baguette-cut rubies and two pear-shaped emeralds set in the shape of the Blackhawks’ secondary logo.  This emblem is set against the background of a “C” formed in yellow gold and yellow diamonds.   Inside are the words, “One Goal”, which is the team’s motto along with the playoff series scores.  The total weight of the championship ring is 93.0 grams and includes 260 diamonds and gemstones totaling approximately 14.68 karats.

About the Hockey Hall of Fame

Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s (“HHOF”) mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of players, builders and officials who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect, preserve, research and exhibit objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world.  As a non-profit corporation and a registered charity under the Income Tax Act, HHOF owns and operates a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational programming from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada.

Every year, a new class is inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame and the brotherhood of coaches, players and umpires grows. With the 2014 class, that sense of brotherhood will be even more prominent as the Hall of Fame will now feature siblings.

Gene Stephenson, who has more Division I-level wins than any other coach, will join his brother Phil in the Hall of Fame. Phil Stephenson was inducted in 2007.

“It’s great to unite the Stephenson brothers as inductees,” said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. “Once Gene went on the ballot, there was little doubt the voters would make him a part of this year’s class.”

In building the Wichita State program, Gene Stephenson went 1,837-673-3 in 36 seasons. He took teams to 28 regionals, seven College World Series and won a national title in 1989. He stands as the third-winningest coach at any level, beyond College Baseball Hall of Famer Gordie Gillespie and Augie Garrido. He also joins four of his former players in the Hall of Fame.

Joining Stephenson in the 2014 class are Bill Bordley, pitcher, USC; Alex Fernandez, pitcher, Miami and Miami-Dade South Community College; Mike Fiore, outfielder, Miami; Demie Mainieri, Miami-Dade North Community College; Mickey Sullivan, outfielder and coach, Baylor; and William C. Matthews, Tuskegee Institute and Harvard.

“This is a really well-rounded class,” Gustafson said. “Once again, we have a small-school inductee in Demie Mainieri and a representative from an HBCU in William Clarence Matthews. They both have excellent credentials and I’m excited that they’re in part of this class.”

Matthews was selected by the Black College Legends and Pioneers Committee, which selects inductees who played or coached at Historically Black Colleges and Universities prior to 1975. He joins Ralph Garr, Lou Brock, Danny Goodwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones as previous honorees in this category.

Matthews was at Tuskegee from 1893 to 1897 and captained the 1897 team. He also helped organize the school’s first football team. Following his career at Tuskegee, he went on to play at Harvard from 1901 to 1905 as an infielder. During his time with the Crimson, he was part of teams that went 75-18. In his senior season, he hit .400 and stole 22 bases, all while continuing to deal with boycotts and tension on and off the field.

Sullivan was an outfielder at Baylor from 1952 to 1954 and was the school’s first two-time All-American. He batted .519 in 1954, still a school record. He returned to Baylor as a coach in 1974 and led the Bears to a school-record 649 wins in 21 seasons, including four NCAA tournament appearances and the school’s first two College World Series appearances in 1977 and 1978.

Bordley was a two-time All-American at USC from 1977 to 1978. He posted a 26-2 career record with the Trojans and his .929 winning percentage is still a school record. He posted a career ERA of 2.58 with 10 complete games. Bordley won his first 20 straight decisions and remains the only Trojans pitcher to be a two-time, first-team All-American.

Fernandez was named Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-American at Miami, where he won 15 games with a 2.01 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 147 innings as a freshman. He played his sophomore at Miami-Dade South CC and was named a first-team all NJCAA after leading the nation with 154 strikeouts in 121 innings and finished his sophomore season with a 12-2 record with a 1.19 ERA. He won the 1990 Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award.

Fiore was a star outfielder at Miami from 1985 to 1988, where he set 12 school batting records, including hits (341), doubles (63) and runs batted in (235). He was named a Freshman All-American, won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1987 and was a consensus All-American in 1988. He also played on the 1988 gold-medal winning USA Olympic team.

Mainieri was the first junior college coach to win at least 1,000 games. He finished his career with 1,012 wins in 30 seasons at Miami-Dade North CC.  More than 100 of his former players were drafted or signed by professional teams and 30 of them have made it to the major leagues. His 1964 team won the NJCAA National Championship and he had three teams finish second and another finished third. He has been inducted into six halls of fame and was named to the NJCAA All-Century team.

“This is another exceptional class,” Gustafson said. “This group is immensely respected within the game and is a very deserving class. I can’t wait to get these guys here this summer and hear their stories firsthand.”

The 2014 class will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the annual Night of Champions event on June 28 in Lubbock, Texas. For more information, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.