It's Hall of Fame Season

As a baseball fan, the beginning of every new year brings the anticipation of the announcement of a new Hall of Fame class. For the past few years, I have yearned for that moment when Mike Piazza's name is called. Since 2013, yours truly, along with other Mets fans, have cried foul as rumors and innuendo have kept Piazza from his rightful place amongst the game's immortals.

It appears that, finally, the haters have been swayed by a lack of proof and an infusion of common sense. As reported via social media, Piazza has about 90% of the support of all writers on Twitter. There's a good chance that, at this time tomorrow, he will be among the newest inductees at Cooperstown. I will be amongst the many basking in the glory as the first ever Mets position player is enshrined. I will watch from my home, avoiding the annual apocalypse that overtakes Otsego County. I shall bide my time until my wife and I travel to upstate New York a few weeks later to prostrate in front of Mr. Piazza's plaque. 

Okay, that last sentence only applies to me!

As a wrestling fan, this is also a glorious time of the year. The Royal Rumble takes place in late January. WrestleMania is just around the corner. The night before WrestleMania is the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Announcements are spaced out over a period of a few weeks leading up to the big day, but the main inductee is sure to be announced at any time now. 

I have purposely avoided any such rumors and innuendo regarding this year's class of superstars. I want to be surprised. The main guy this year could be The Rock. It could be Sting. It could very well be The Undertaker. Unlike baseball, there's no true voting system. Unfortunately, politics can play an important role in deciding who goes in and who doesn't. For decades, no-brainers such as Bruno Sammartino and "Macho Man" Randy Savage were denied inclusion because of disagreements with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the subsequent grudges that McMahon held against them. 

This brings me to the next key Hall of Fame ceremony of 2016- The Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Yes, seriously. Follow me on this one.

Earlier today, my friend Shellie Blum shared a link on Facebook concerning this year's Water Ski Hall of Fame Ceremony which takes place on April 16th at the Walt Disney Yacht Club Resort. Truthfully, I wouldn't know any of the honorees if they slapped me in the face. I've heard of a few names via Shellie. I'm sure they're all worthy of being recognized for their waterskiing prowess, more so than Barry Larkin and Koko B. Ware were for their supposed Hall of Fame careers in their respective sports. 

Unfortunately, just like the WWE has yet to honor such legendary figures as Stan Hansen and Demolition, there is one glaring omission from the Water Ski Hall of Fame.... Shellie Blum. 

Yes, that Shellie Blum. The first female freestyle waterski ramp jumper in the world. The first female to land a front flip. The first female to do pretty much everything who can think of. 

Being the first to do something generally garners you the utmost admiration amongst your current and future peers. Jackie Robinson, the first African-American in the majors, is a Hall of Famer with his #42 retired league-wide. Sammartino was the first-ever world champion for WWE's predecessor, the WWWF. He finally made peace with the McMahons and got his big moment in 2013. All those years of skiing regularly at Cypress Gardens (yes, that Cypress Gardens), performing for the King and Queen of Jordan and becoming the best at her craft have earned Shellie Blum... nothing? 

Why is that? Well, tragedy and politics got in the way. Sometimes being first doesn't matter if you're the wrong gender. As she likes to say, it's in the book!

Jeff Pearlman's book, The Rocket Who Fell To  Earth, is what gave Piazza three post-retirement years in limbo. What was intended to be a scathing look at one of his biggest rivals, Roger Clemens, contained an accusatory side piece about the former Mets catcher and his alleged steroid use. Almost all of the quotes came from anonymous sources, except for one player. Reggie Jefferson, who never played with Piazza, nor shared a locker room with him at any time throughout his career, labeled him a cheater. That's like me saying I have first-hand knowledge that Jefferson rode a pogo stick every Friday at 6:15pm before a game. It makes no sense to me. I didn't buy it then and I still don't buy it.

Thankfully, the majority of baseball writers don't buy it either. Common sense may finally win out tomorrow night. The WWE has come to their senses for the most part in recent years. I'm sure they'll knock it out of the park again this year in Dallas. I remain hopeful that next year's Hall of Fame season will feature the induction of another world-class athlete, the Waterski Girl Wonder. 

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