|
BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
-----
|
From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
By Brian Bailey |
 |
Check one off
"Bucket List"
Journey to Canton an
immersion in NFL history
|
 |
| |
| The shoes and gloves of
record-setting Tennessee Titans running back and former East
Carolina star Chris Johnson on display at the Pro Football Hall
of Fame in Canton, Ohio. (Image courtesy of the Pro Football
Hall of Fame) |
By
Brian Bailey
©2010 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
Many of us have one.
Some write it down,
while others just keep
it in their heads.
Jack Nicholson and
Morgan Freeman gave the
idea publicity in the
2007 movie by the same
name.
It’s the bucket list.
It’s the things you
would like to do before
you kick, the, uh,
“bucket.”
My personal list is
rather long and I don’t
know if I have enough
years to accomplish the
entire list. Still, I’m
going to give it a try.
Some items on the list
are dependent on others.
I want to go to Omaha
for the College Baseball
World Series, but I only
want to go there if I am
covering East Carolina.
For that matter, I want
to cover the press
conference announcing
East Carolina’s entrance
into a BCS conference.
Again, some of that is
out of my hands.
Most of my list involves
the world of sports.
Last week, I checked off
one of the first items
on my list, a trip to
Canton, Ohio, and the
Professional Football
Hall of Fame.
If you are a football
fan, you have to make
the trip. The history of
the game is captured in
a variety of displays
and presentations. It is
truly breathtaking, and
the facility is much
bigger than it looks
from the outside.
From the earliest
football uniforms and
helmets to the modern
day NFL, the Hall of
Fame is a Who’s Who of
football.
Former Pirate Chris
Johnson and his
Tennessee Titans
teammates got a private
tour of the Hall last
summer before taking on
the Bills in the Hall of
Fame Game that kicks off
the NFL’s preseason.
C.J. then went to work,
and by season’s end his
shoes and gloves had
found a home in Canton.
Johnson became just the
sixth player in NFL
history to rush for
2,000 yards in a single
season. He also set the
NFL’s single-season mark
for total yards from
scrimmage.
The Hall of Fame Gallery
was incredible. Each
bust was created with
amazing detail. It was
the highlight of the
experience for sure.
I was really surprised
that there were very few
touring the Hall of Fame
on my trip. It was a
sparse crowd, which
allowed me to take in
everything at my own
pace.
One of the workers said
I picked a great time to
come. She said that
“Induction Weekend” is
slam-packed and really
not a good time to visit
the Hall of Fame. There
are just too many people
that come to Canton that
weekend.
This year will be one of
the biggest Induction
Weekends ever. The Class
of 2010 includes
arguably the greatest
wide receiver in the
game in Jerry Rice, and
the greatest running
back to ever play in the
NFL in Emmitt Smith.
Article continues below
pictures.
|
 |
 |
| |
|
| Brian Bailey in front of
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Image courtesy of Brian
Bailey.) |
|
| The Gallery at the Pro
Football Hall of Fame. (Image courtesy of Brian Bailey.) |
|
Chris Johnson is off to
a great start in his
quest for Canton. C.J.
needs to get that
contract worked out and
then put together
several more
statistics-busting
seasons to possibly find
his bust in the Hall of
Fame Gallery.
It’s well worth the trip
to Canton, especially if
it knocks one off of the
ole Bucket List!
BB
E-mail
Brian Bailey.
Brian Bailey Archives
08/06/2010 01:56 AM |
