Author: Bill Lyon
There was John Chaney, the lovably grouchy old Owl, now in his 70s and newly taken to golf, the sport, he was told, that produces extended conversations with the Lord. "And with the devil, too," he replied in that rasping laugh.
There was Jay Sigel, who makes his living playing that damnably humbling game on the Champions Tour, and who is one of the most decorated amateur golfers of all time, already starting rehab before they scope his knee today. There was Tommy McDonald, the onetime Eagles receiver who, it was said, could catch lightning bolts and rainbows, resplendent in his canary yellow NFL Hall of Fame coat, and, as always, effervescent as freshly popped champagne.
There was Bob Levy, whose name is connected to just about every civic, sporting, humanitarian and charitable endeavor of note in Philadelphia.
There was Bill Campbell, who has been connected to a microphone in this town for more than 60 years, and on whose voice generations of Eagles, Phillies and 76ers fans were weaned.
And there was Harvey Pollack, Super Stat, the original numbers man, the only man (along with Red Auerbach) with the NBA since its very beginning, about to don a black Marines T-shirt with this on the front: "Pain Is Weakness Leaving The Body."
They were the ones in attendance yesterday at the introduction of the second class of the fledgling Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, a concept long past due and most welcome. The induction banquet will be held April 8.
Hard to believe that a city with as rich and varied a sporting history as Philadelphia had no place honoring that legacy - until last year. The roll call of athletes who have played here is long and illustrious, and now it will be preserved.
Not until the Hall of Fame was proposed did it strike you that, for whatever reason, this city - a city with the Palestra and Boathouse Row, with Franklin Field and two new pleasure palaces for the Eagles and Phillies, with the Big Five and the Penn Relays, the city where Wilt dunked and Concrete Charlie tackled, where the Doctor sky-walked and Moving Van ran - this city was missing a place of memories and mementos.
The calendar flips over long enough, and the names and the deeds fade. A Hall of Fame keeps the candles lit.
So then, maybe you never heard of Joe Verdeur. He was a swimmer and he went to La Salle, and surely he must have had gills and fins because he set 19 - nineteen - world records from 1940 to 1950. He was anointed the greatest swimmer of the first 50 years of the 20th century. Now, in the Hall, he will be forever churning through the water.
Verdeur is in the class announced yesterday. These are some of his classmates:
Grover Cleveland Alexander, the Phillies pitcher who won 30 - thirty - or more games in three consecutive seasons. How rubber-armed Old Pete must chuckle listening to today's baseball geniuses keeping track of pitch counts - he pitched more than 300 innings seven years in a row, and had at least 23 complete games each season in that run.
Carl Lewis, who left the ground and didn't come down until a sizable chunk of ground was swallowed, won gold medals in track and field at four Olympics, and who once went almost 12 straight years without losing a long-jump competition.
Guy Rodgers. The Great Server. The quintessential set-up guard. A Philly native, he led Temple to three third-place finishes in postseason play, led the NBA in assists twice, and in Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, he fed 20 assists.
Lefty Grove. Once upon a time there was an American League baseball team in this town. And the A's had a southpaw named Lefty Grove, who had seven straight seasons with at least 20 wins, and who had 112 wins in the minor leagues before they finally called him up. Despite all that, once he did arrive, he proceeded to go 300-141, and straight to Cooperstown.
Pete Pihos. One of the 60-Minute Men. He played both ways for the Eagles' teams that won the championship back in '48 and '49. That's nineteen-forty-eight and forty-nine.
There are others, whose names will make you smile and nod, or perhaps frown at the unfamiliarity. That, of course, is part of what a Hall of Fame does - it makes the unfamiliar familiar.
There are ambitious plans for a Hall of Fame and museum, but there is no actual home at the moment. A couple of possible hatching venues seem obvious - the concourse of the Wachovia Center, in which the introduction of this year's class was held, or the Wachovia Spectrum.
Either could serve as the incubator. As the legs are grown, other sites can be explored.
There already are 13 sports represented by the first two classes. What is remarkable is that the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is all-volunteer. That means the work is done by those who have an abiding respect for our games and those who have played them with such uncommon skill and grace.
Labors of love deserve to succeed.
Contact columnist Bill Lyon at 215-854-5508 or blyon@phillynews.com.
Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/lyon.
Grover Cleveland Alexander
At the time of his retirement, Alexander, now a member of the baseball Hall of Fame, held the No. 1 Phillies ranking in wins, ERA, strikeouts, games pitched, innings pitched, shutouts, complete games and winning percentage. . . . Posted a 190-91 record with the Phillies.
Eddie Gottlieb
A highly acclaimed basketball innovator and pioneer, Gottlieb organized and coached a team representing the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association. . . . Served as chairman of the NBA Rules Committee for 25 years. . . . Was owner of the Negro League baseball Philadelphia Stars.
Lefty Grove
Grove, a member of the baseball Hall of Fame, had 20 or more wins in seven consecutive seasons (1927-33) en route to a career record of 300-141. He also posted a 3.06 ERA.
Pete Pihos
Pihos caught the winning touchdown pass for the Eagles in the 1949 NFL championship game . . . . Led the NFL in receiving for three straight years (1953-1955) and played in six Pro Bowls. . . . Finished his career with 373 catches for 5,619 yards.
Vic Seixas
Seixas, a tennis player, played in the U.S. Championships a record 28 times between 1940 and 1969, winning the singles title in 1954. . . . Played more Davis Cup matches than any other American until John McEnroe, winning 38 of 55 singles and doubles matches during his seven years on the team (1951-1957).
Joe Verdeur
From 1940 to 1950, Verdeur set 19 world records and 21 American records in swimming, and participated on world-record medley and freestyle relay teams. . . . Won 20 AAU national individual championships and four NCAA individual championships, and was part of an AAU national championship team in 1944.
Charles Barkley
Barkley, who was named the NBA's most valuable player in 1993, was voted one of the league's 50 greatest players. He is one of only four players in NBA history with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. Barkley, the 76ers' first-round draft pick in 1984, was an 11-time all-star.
John Chaney
Before becoming the highly successful men's basketball coach at Temple, Chaney was the Public League's most valuable player at Ben Franklin High in 1951 and coached Cheyney State to an NCAA Division II title in 1978. . . . Was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
James "Jumbo" Elliott
During his tenure as track and field coach at Villanova, the Wildcats won eight national titles, three national AAU championships, and 39 IC4A indoor, outdoor and cross-country championships. . . . Athletes he coached won 316 IC4A titles, 82 NCAA crowns, 62 national AAU championships, and five Olympic gold medals.
Carl Lewis
Lewis, a track and field standout who attended Willingboro (N.J.) High, was named world athlete of the year in 1982, 1983 and 1984, and was world athlete for the decade of the 1980s. He won four gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games, two more in 1988 and 1992, and another in 1996.
Tommy McDonald
McDonald, a former Eagle, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. . . . After winning the Maxwell Award as the college football player of the year in 1956, McDonald went on to make the Pro Bowl six times. . . . Led the NFL in receiving yards (1,144) and touchdowns (13) in 1961.
Guy Rodgers
The former Temple guard averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 12 professional seasons, four of them as an all-star.
Cathy Rush
A member of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, she is perhaps best known as head coach of the Immaculata team that won three straight national AIAW championships (1972-74). . . . Finished with a career coaching record of 149-15.
Jay Sigel
Sigel won two U.S. Amateur Golf Championships (1982, 1983) and a British Amateur championship (1979). Since turning professional in 1993, he has won eight tournaments on the Senior Tour.
Team Category
The 1954 La Salle men's basketball team will be honored for winning the NCAA championship.
Harvey Pollack
Pollack, who currently serves as the 76ers' director of statistical information, introduced statistical categories (rebounds and blocks) that today are considered commonplace in basketball. The graduate of Temple will be honored for a legacy of excellence.
Bill Campbell
A member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Campbell has enjoyed a long, distinguished career in broadcasting. He was named broadcaster of the year by the National Sports Broadcasters Association in 1961, 1962 and 1963. He is now a sports analyst and commentator for KYW radio. He will be honored for a legacy of excellence.
Bob Levy
Levy, who will be honored for lifetime commitment, was named in 2003 as the 24th recipient of the John B. Kelly Award , which is presented to an individual who "contributed his time directly for the purpose of extending the future of our youth through sports." He owns the Robert P. Levy Stable, a successful thoroughbred racing and breeding operation.
Ed Snider
Snider, who will receive the Philadelphia Medal, was the driving force helping to bring an NHL franchise, the Flyers, to Philadelphia. Snider, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential owners in sports, oversees the operations of both the Flyers and 76ers.
