3 track Vols into TN State HOF

[BillVol]

http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-b ... 04abv.html

http://www.tennessean.com/sports/locals ... D=61538536

Three Tennessee greats -- Darwin Bond, Richmond Flowers, and Ed Murphey -- are to be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The HOF is located in Nashville, in the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Best I can tell, these are the first people into our state hall with U. of Tennessee track connections. What took so long? Already in are many of the great TSU Tigerbelles, including coach Ed Temple. Ralph Boston is also in. I didn't know he was from Tennessee.

There are several other track-related inductees in this year's class, who can been seen at the above link.

http://www.tshf.net/index.htm

[dj]

Re: 3 track Vols into TN State HOF

I read the nomination procedures and they say nothing about some percentage of the electees being natives of Tennessee. In which case, this is very peculiar that the first three U. Tennessee track people would be these. (It does say that you need to be retired three years, eliminating LoJo from consideration.)

If I were picking, Flowers would fit, but not yet. Same with Bond, and he and Murphey would have fit if they needed some people to have gone to high school in the state. Otherwise not, or at least not yet.

What other names can we come up with who are better than Flowers, Bond and Murphey? (Flowers had a 2nd and 3rd in NCAA 120H, Bond had a 2nd, 3rd and 4th in NCAA 440, Murphey was 6th in NCAA 1500 in '56).

Here are some off the top of my head, most or all having been NCAA champions):
Doug Brown
Reggie Jones
Willie Gault
Jose Parrilla
Sam Graddy
Terry Scott
Bill Skinner (they probably don't like him since Chuck Rohe threw him off the team for wearing his handlebar mustache)
Willie Thomas
Phil Olsen (maybe they don't like furrners)
David Patrick

Nice that they included Johnny Overton, certainly the most famous track athlete to die in WWI. But this statement, "Capable of becoming the world's first four-minute miler," is idiotic hype (or tripe).

[BillVol]

Re: 3 track Vols into TN State HOF

Agree 100% with your comments. Doug Brown should be in already. I don't think people understand how great he was. Also, why aren't Chuck Rohe and Stan Huntsman in? Or Terry Crawford or Benita Fitzgerald? I'm going to email this to Haywood Harris, our former SID and member of this class. He is a big track supporter and would have the clout to get some deserving people in. I just hope he doesn't recognize my screen name, which is also my email. I bug the living #### out of those people on various message boards. I'm sure Bill Webb and others would like a shot at me, too. ;-)

I did note that Tom Pappas was the HOF's "Pro athlete of the year" last year. I didn't click on the others. May be other track people there.

http://www.tshf.net/honorees/honorees.html

Justin Gatlin also was honored at a TSHOF banquet:

http://www.tshf.net/honorees/2003Gatlin.htm

Also, Flowers was NCAA indoor hurdles champ, as you all know better than me.

[BillVol]

Re: 3 track Vols into TN State HOF

http://utsports.collegesports.com/genrel/021705aab.html

Recent press release on the upcoming Tennessee HOF ceremony.