The Pro Football HOF enshrinement ceremony on Saturday night drew "a crowd of about 20,000 at Canton's Fawcett Stadium," according to Mark Gaughan of the BUFFALO NEWS. There was a "sea of Bills jerseys," as "roughly half the crowd was Buffalo fans." Of the seven men who entered the HOF as its Class of '14, former Bills WR Andre Reed "received the biggest cheer from the crowd." Also, one of the "biggest cheers of the night" came when HOFer Jim Kelly, who is "battling cancer, was introduced." The crowd "gave Kelly a 60-second standing ovation, and Kelly’s fellow Hall of Famers, numbering about 100 on the stage, also stood and applauded." At the "end of Reed’s 36-minute speech, Kelly threw a pass to Reed onstage, with the crowd on its feet, cheering." Joining Reed in the HOF’s Class of '14 were Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams (BUFFALO NEWS, 8/3). In Canton, Todd Porter wrote Saturday night "belonged to the Buffalo Bills," and the stadium "was a sea of Buffalo blue" (CANTON REPOSITORY, 8/3).
GIANT AMONG GIANTS: In N.Y., Ebenezer Samuel notes Strahan's 34-minute speech closed the ceremony, and he "dished out wisdom, delivered thank-yous in rapid-fire bunches, and shared just a few little secrets from his playing days." Strahan was "equal parts charismatic TV host and retired gridder who couldn't stop talking about a magical career" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/3). Also in N.Y., Paul Schwartz noted the Giants "were well-represented." Team President & CEO John Mara and Chair & Exec VP Steve Tisch "made the trip." Coach Tom Coughlin, QB Eli Manning, LB Mathias Kiwanuka and long snapper Zak DeOssie also were in attendance (N.Y. POST, 8/3).
RETURN ON INVESTMENT: In N.Y., Ken Belson notes the HOF museum last year completed a $28M renovation that "enhanced its archives, reconfigured displays and expanded its event space and gift shop." The museum also "started taking part of its collection on the road." The improvements in Canton and the traveling exhibits "helped the Hall reach more fans, including 700,000 on the road." In '13, 208,191 people visited the Hall, an increase of 11.6% compared with '12 and "the highest total" since '96. This in turn has "increased the Hall’s revenue." The HOF generated $13M in '12, the "last year figures were reported," compared with $8.3M in revenue at the Baseball HOF. Baker "expects revenue this year to jump as high" as $20M, about "five times that of a decade ago." The HOF has "benefited significantly from a renewed interest by the NFL, its largest donor." The league in recent years has "worked closely with the Hall to put on the induction ceremony and the Hall of Fame Game." The league also "moved its rookie symposium to Ohio in part so every incoming player could visit the Hall." The HOF ultimately "would like to get into the business of curating team collections." The HOF also has "increased the sale of its branded merchandise online, and in sporting goods and department stores" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/3). Pro Football HOF President & Exec Dir David Baker on Friday said, "What we talked about with the Hall of Famers and we're about to break to the board of trustees is a whole lot of vision for the future, and stuff we hope to roll out shortly after the enshrinement. Not only about what the campus can be, but how we can take our mission to the rest of the country" (CANTON REPOSITORY, 8/3).
CONTRIBUTORS' DAY COMING? The HOF on Friday announced a "proposed change to its selection process that would take the selection of contributors out of the hands of its 46-member selection committee made up of media members and put that in the hands of a contributors committee in the future" (CANTON REPOSITORY, 8/2). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Michael David Smith writes this is "good news for the Hall of Fame hopes of contributors who have been voted down recently," including former 49ers Owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., late Browns and Ravens Owner Art Modell and former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 8/1).
