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The Hall of Fame Conundrum: Represent the Sport or Only Its Professional Manifestation

22-02-2011
Last week I wrote about controversy in the Pro Football Hall of Fame elections. Well, this week it's about the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame election process. Can't we just let the Halls of Fame do their elections like they want and let it go at that? Simple answer: "Sorry, NO!!!"

(February 22, 2010) That’s the conundrum facing the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Or, at least that’s what a blizzard of columnists and commentators think they should be evaluating. They believe that the failure to include Indiana Pacer guard Reggie Miller among the finalists on the 2011 Hall of Fame Ballot indicate there is a need for the NBA to form its own Hall of Fame.

Here’s a sampling of stories:

Reggie Miller: Not a Hall of Fame Finalist

Dear Hall of Fame Voters: Here’s What You Can Do With Your First Ballot Exclusion

THE HALL OF FAME PRIMER 
The Basketball Hall of Fame turns its back on Reggie Miller

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes teams, players, coaches, administrators, and owners from all strata of the game; international, women’s, college, and more in addition to the NBA. Does that distract from honoring the greats of the professional game? Last year’s induction class included four NBA stars, a high school coach, an NBA owner, a women’s pro player, and more. Is the effort for inclusivity bad? Or good?

That’s something each Hall of Fame must decide. Think about the mission you have set forth for the organization. Does it invite a smaller or larger pool from the population? Is that a plus or a minus? For the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the inclusion of NBA stars is, perhaps, critical to the business proposition. Should an NBA Hall of Fame be formed, it would undoubtedly take away income and memorabilia resources from the Springfield shrine.  For the Halls of Fame that maintain a museum and associated facilities, such as research libraries and photo archives, business is an important element of survival. Maintaining the historical museum requires significant staffing and resources, both contributed and business income, including the gift shop operation. An NBA Hall of Fame, with its own museum, would cut into virtually every form of resources available.

So the follow-on questions arise: Should the Naismith change how it elects? Should your organization make changes when faced with similar issues? Worth a discussion at the least!

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Visit http://jrhuckel.com/blog/ for the latest commentary by Jack.
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