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Taking Names and Keeping Score
With March Madness upon us and one of the primary focuses of the sports world now on the NCAA Basketball Tournament the article used the same basic format like that of the NCAA Tournament. In the initial article, 64 of the most famous sports figures in the history of Alabama sports were chosen to emulate the 64 teams who make up the initial NCAA bracket. Included in that group are many famous sports figures who are natives of Alabama and some who because of their outstanding performance at one of the state's universities were included. In the initial group 23 come from the sport of football, 16 from baseball, five from basketball, and three each from the fields of golf, stock car racing, swimming and diving, and track. The other eight include one representative from archery, bobsledding, boxing, broadcasting, gymnastics, harness racing, soccer and water skiing. As I began to read the short biographical sketches of each of the original nominees, I think the thing I found most interesting is the number of different locations across the state that can lay claim to one or more of these sports greats as a native son or daughter. I guess the second most intriguing thing was number of different areas of sport that were represented. Of course all of those included on the list from the sports of baseball, basketball, and football were very familiar to me as were many of the representatives from some of the other fields. I guess the three I was least familiar with were Vonetta Flowers, Howard Hill and Sanders Russell. Flowers, a native of Birmingham and a bobsledder, became the first black woman to win a gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics having captured the top prize in the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Hill, who hails from Wilsonville and was recognized as the "World's Greatest Archer" won 196 straight archery tournaments and worked with the famous actor Errol Flynn in the making of the movie "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Sanderson, who is from Stevenson was a champion harness racer who amassed 1,116 career victories including his celebrated Hambletonian win in 1962 when he was the young age of 62. Just as the NCAA tournament field is narrowed by games played in various venues across the United States over the next three weeks until an eventual National Champion is crowned, it is my understanding that votes on the internet by readers will help to narrow the field of the 64 original nominees in the same fashion until Alabama's Greatest Sports Legend is determined. By the time you read this the field will have already been narrowed to 32 and possibly lower. I am not certain of the exact dates beyond the first voting time line since the timetable for the complete narrowing process was not included in the article. If you are computer savvy and have an interest in voting or commenting on those nominated the address given in the article for voting or commenting was blog.al.com/bn/madness. As for myself I don't know if I will vote or make comments about the nominees or the process, but I will most definitely be interested in the outcome of the exercise. Already the information I gained just from reading the bios on the original nominees has made me proud of those in the world of sports who have represented the state of Alabama so well and appreciative of Michael Pope for thinking of me and taking the time to bring the article to me. Until next time……be safe!
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