* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:08]
          UH, MY NAME'S ALAN KLEIN. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE RONALD WILSON LUMAN HALL OF FAME AWARD CEREMONY AND DINNER. 
          I JUST WANT YOU TO LOOK AROUND AT ALL THESE HEALTHY PEOPLE YOU SEE HERE AND THE NOMINEES. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE CRAZY PEOPLE? WHAT ABOUT THE WHAT? CRAZY PEOPLE. 
          SO, UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS, FIRST THINGS I'M GOING TO DO IS ANNOUNCE WHO'S HERE. 
          I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE 2026 COACHES SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 
          CAN YOU STAND UP AS I CALL YOUR NAME? ELIZABETH INDY RUTHERFORD? OR YOU CAN WAVE. 
          OH, AND, AND PETE WESTO IS NOT HERE, IS HE? NO, THAT'S TOO BAD. 
          MIKE EVERMAN, IS HE EVEN HERE? WOW. 
          SO, BUT JOHN IS HERE. 
          JOHN. 
          I DIDN'T SEE. 
          ANDREW WENDELL. 
          YAY. 
          AND NOW I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS WHO ARE WITH US TONIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN, PLEASE STAND AS I CALL YOUR NAME. 
          NANCY MALESKA. 
          MARK BINGHAM. 
          GEORGE TITO. 
          MARYANNE YOUNG. 
          THERE SHE IS. 
          UH, JOHN, DON RUSSAK. 
          DAVID RIGGS. 
          JIM. 
          KAREN COBLAST-FLATTERY. 
          KELLY FLATTERY, UH, HANDARIAN. 
          DID I SAY IT RIGHT? CORRECT ME. 
          TARA FLAHERTY RYAN. 
          JAMES KENNEDY. 
          AND HALL OF FAME COACH JOHN. 
          NOW, JUST FOR A MOMENT, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE JUST TO THINK ABOUT THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS THAT WE'VE LOST AND ALSO TO PAY TRIBUTE TO, UH, BETSY WESTRULL WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. 
          OUR HEARTS ARE WITH HER AND WITH PETE WESTRO. 
          SO LET'S JUST GIVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. 
          ALL RIGHT, MORE INTRODUCTIONS. 
          THE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT ARE PRESIDENT STAN MADEA, VICE PRESIDENT ANTHONY CONSTANTINI, HALL OF FAME CHAIR, NANCY MELESKA, SECRETARY MARK CALLAHAN, HALL OF EXCELLENCE CHAIR L- LORRAINE JOHNSON-USHER. 
          CHRISTINE BENEDETTO. 
          NANCY GAGLIARDI. 
          PHIL KENNEDY. 
          JESS BLACK. 
          YOU KNOW, I SAY YOUR NAME PERSONALLY ALL THE TIME. 
          GARY WEINBERG AND ME, ALAN FUNK. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TO CELEBRATE FIVE REMARKABLE FORMER HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES AND ONE CHERISHED COACH. 
          UH, LET'S BEGIN WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE, SO EVERYBODY STAND UP. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. 
          UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
          I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BACK AT SCHOOL RIGHT THERE. 
          YEAH, THEY USED TO DO THAT EVERY MORNING. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO, UH, ORIGINALLY WE WERE GOING TO START THE PROGRAM OFF, AND WE STILL ARE, UH, HONORING, UH, COACH HOWARD. 
          UH, MARK BINGHAM HAS A 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION TONIGHT, 
          [00:05:01]
BUT HE SAID HE'S GONNA STAY. 
          YAY. 
          WHICH IS GREAT, EXCEPT I WAS GONNA SNEAK OUT WITH YOU. 
          UH, SO ANYWAY, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE, UM, MARK AND COACH COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RECORDING OF COACH HOWARD SAY, HAVE THE FINAL WORD. 
          SO GUYS, COME ON UP. 
          LEAN OVER A BIT HERE, ALAN. 
          YOU CAN PULL IT UP, PULL IT UP. 
          NANCY, THIS DOESN'T COUNT IN MY THREE MINUTES, DOES IT? NO, NO. 
          UM, UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. 
          I HAD A FREE AMBLE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WENT ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES TALKING ABOUT HOW I KNEW EVERYONE WHO WAS GOING IN TONIGHT AND, BUT NANCY SAID NO, SOMEBODY GET RIGHT TO IT. 
          UH, CHARLIE HOWARD TAUGHT PHYSICAL EDUCATION, UH, COACHED FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL, UH, FROM 1969 TO 1977. 
          1977, THE BUDGET WAS DEFEATED AND THUS HIS, UH, HIS FATHER WAS ELIMINATED AND IT LED TO HIS DEPARTURE AS WELL AS HIS, UH, BELOVED WIFE, UH, LEAN. 
          UM, AND, UH, SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO FROM THE BUDGET, BUT CHARLIE ONCE SAID TO ME, "WHEN I GO, I'M TAKING HER WITH ME." SO SHE, SHE ACTUALLY DID HAVE TO GO. 
          UM, SO WE HONOR HIM TODAY, WHILE HE DID A NUMBER OF THINGS AT HASTINGS, WE, WE HONOR HIM TODAY FOR HIS VARSITY BASEBALL, UH, CAREER. 
          UM, HE COACHED FOR EIGHT YEARS. 
          HIS RECORD WAS 90 AND 55 IN A SPORT. 
          THERE'S GUYS, THERE ARE GUYS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE HALL OF FAME HOME, UH, UH, COACHES, MANAGERS WHO HAVE A NEAR 500 RECORD. 
          HE'S 90 AND 55. 
          AND AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T RECRUIT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          YOU, YOU'VE SHAPED PEOPLE. 
          YOU DON'T RECRUIT THEM. 
          AFTER HIS FIRST TWO YEARS WHERE HE WENT LIKE 18 AND 18, HE ACTUALLY WENT SOMETHING LIKE, LITERALLY LIKE 75 AND 35 OR SOMETHING. 
          JUST AN EXTRAORDINARY RECORD. 
          HE HAD, UH, I THINK THREE WIC SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TWO TRIPS TO THE SECTIONAL FINALS. 
          HE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY BASEBALL COACH. 
          HE PLAYED BASEBALL. 
          UM, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR LEAGUER OTHER THAN HE SHATTERED HIS, HIS, HIS ANKLE IN A TRY TO YANKEE STADIUM WHERE HE HAD ALREADY HIT TWO HOME RUNS AND THEN HE DESTROYED HIS ANKLE. 
          SO, UM, IN HIS OWN VERNACULAR, HE USED TO, WHENEVER ANYONE GOT HURT HE'D SAY SHOOT HIM AND I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT SOMEONE SAID TO HIM THERE AND HE WENT ON TO A COACHING CAREER. 
          BUT HE PLAYED BASEBALL BETTER THAN ANYONE. 
          HE UNDERSTOOD BASEBALL BETTER THAN ANYONE. 
          HE TAUGHT IT AND COACHED IT BETTER THAN BASEBALL THAN ANYONE. 
          BUT IF YOU THINK THAT'S WHY HE WAS A GREAT COACH, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT? HE HAD THE EXACT SAME SUCCESS IN EVERY SPORT HE EVER COACHED. 
          UM, I DON'T, AM I ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT GORDON HIGH SCHOOL HERE? HE COACHED THE GORTON HIGH SCHOOL TRACK TEAM FOR FIVE YEARS. 
          THEY LOST TWO MATCHES IN FIVE YEARS. 
          HE RAN, RAN TRACK ONE YEAR IN HIS LIFE IN NINTH GRADE AND TOLD ME HE TRIPLE JUMPED. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE THAT'S HOW HE LEARNED HOW TO COACH A, A TRACK TEAM, BUT THAT'S WHAT HE DID. 
          HE WAS THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE BASKETBALL COACH IN HASTINGS. 
          UH, THE GOAL OF THAT TEAM WAS TO BUILD PLAYERS FOR THE VARSITY TEAM. 
          YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO CARE ABOUT WINNING. 
          HE WON 90% OF THE GAMES IN THE EIGHT YEARS HE COACHED THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH TEAM. 
          BUT HE DID DEVELOP PLAYERS. 
          HE DEVELOPED... 
          COACH COS FIRST GRADE YEAR WAS THE BERK YEAR, YEARS. 
          THE SECOND GRADE YEAR WAS 74 TO 80. 
          TWO, UH, COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS TRIPPED TO THE FINALS. 
          COACH HOWARD DEVELOPED WALTER BURKOWSKI, DON RUSICK, DON SOMEWHERE HERE, WICKY RUDD, DAVE RIGGS, UM, I MEAN, LITERALLY GEORGE TINO, GUY EVANS, UH, I MEAN, IT WAS A, A SLEW OF THE FLEMINGS. 
          ALL OF THESE PEOPLE CAME UP THROUGH COACH HOWARD AND DONNY SAID TO ME, NOT HAVING ANY IDEA WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY HERE TODAY, DONNY SAID TO ME, HE TAUGHT ME EVERY LESSON HE EVER TAUGHT ME WORKED FOR SPORTS AND WORKED FOR LIFE AS WELL. 
          AND THAT'S HOW COACH HOWARD WORKED. 
          SO IF YOU KNEW, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW COACH HOWARD, BUT YOU KNEW HIM FROM A DISTANCE, YOU SAW THIS GUY'S ARMS WERE BIGGER THAN MY LEGS, AND HE SENT ME A PICTURE OF WHEN HE WAS 75 YEARS OLD, THEY WERE STILL BIGGER THAN MY LEGS. 
           I MEAN, AND MY LEGS HAD GROWN AND, UH, AND SO HAD HIS ARMS. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. 
          BUT LITERALLY, IF YOU ONLY KNEW HIM FROM THAT, YOU JUST ASSUMED HE TAUGHT WITH IRON FISTS AND A LOT OF VOLUME AND HE SCREAMED AND YELLED BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE. 
          HE LOOKED LIKE A MARINE. 
          HE HAD POSTURE. 
          I, I ALWAYS SAID IF I COULD STAND LIKE HIM, PROBABLY HALF THE DISEASES OF MAN, YOU COULDN'T GET BECAUSE YOU JUST STOOD SO UPRIGHT. 
          HE WAS INCREDIBLE HOW HE CARRIED HIMSELF. 
          AND SO WHAT YOU ASSUMED IS THAT I HONESTLY DON'T THINK I EVER SAW HIM RAISE HIS VOICE. 
          AND, AND HE, HE SAW HIMSELF REALLY AS A TEACHER FIRST, AND THAT'S WHAT HE, HE, HE THOUGH OF HIMSELF AS. 
          [00:10:01]
AND YET I CAN HONESTLY SAY, AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM, I DON'T EVER REMEMBER HIM PROACTIVELY TRYING TO TEACH ME ANYTHING. 
          AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GREAT SAYING ABOUT MOVIES. 
          THE SIGN OF A GREAT MOVIE IS YOU CAN WATCH IT WITH THE SOUND DOWN AND YOU CAN STILL UNDERSTAND IT. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          YOU CAN GET THE MESSAGE, YOU CAN GET THE MEANING, YOU CAN GET THE NARRATIVE BECAUSE IT'S SO WELL PLAYED. 
          THAT'S WHAT COACH HOWARD DID. 
          HE LITERALLY, HE TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE. 
          YOU WATCHED HIM TALK TO OTHER COACHES. 
          HE HATED LOSING. 
          IF HE LOST TO A TEAM THAT KICKED OUR BUTT BECAUSE THEY WERE BETTER THAN US, HE ALMOST LOVED IT. 
          HE RESPECTED IT. 
          I'D SEE HIM TALKING TO THE PITCHER WHO JUST SHOVED US OUT. 
          HE RESPECTED GREATNESS, HE RESPECTED DEDICATION, AND IF YOU DID NOTHING BUT JUST WATCH HOW HE LIVED, YOU WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE AND IN ATHLETICS. 
          AND THEN WHEN YOU GOT DEEPER INTO WHAT THE MESSAGE WAS, IT WAS ALL ABOUT TENACITY AND FEROCITY AND FOCUS AND MOSTLY NO EXCUSES AND HONESTY. 
          HE WANTED YOU TO BE HONEST WITH HIM AND MOSTLY HE'D ALWAYS REFER TO THE MIRROR, BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. 
          JUST LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND JUST DON'T TELL ME THINGS. 
          SO IN THE RARE TIMES WHEN HE COULDN'T CONVEY HIS MESSAGE SO SIMPLY WITH, WITH ACTION, HE WOULD ALWAYS RESORT TO HUMOR AND BREVITY. 
          AND I TOLD NANCY, UM, WHO DOES RULE WITH AN IRON FIST. 
           NANCY DOES RULE WITH AN IRON FIST. 
          I TOLD NANCY, I SAID, NANCY, I'M REALLY THINKING. 
          I HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES OF COACH. 
          UM, I HAVE ABOUT 100 STORIES OF HOW HE USED HUMOR TO COMMUNICATE HIS, HIS INNER MESSAGE. 
          AND NANCY SAID, OH MY GOD, MARK, THAT'S WONDERFUL. 
          USE ONE. 
           SO, UM, I TOLD HER YES. 
          AND THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE EVIL NANCY IS SHE'S ALSO NAIVE. 
          SO WHEN I TOLD HER YES, SHE ACTUALLY BELIEVED I MEANT NANCY. 
          I WANT TO TELL TWO STORIES. 
          SO NANCY, I HAVE THE MIC. 
          I MEAN, I ASSUME YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SHOW THE MIC BOOK. 
          SO, SO ON THE NINTH GRADE I GET CALLED UP TO VARSITY AND I'M UP IN A CLUTCH SITUATION, 02 POUND, AND THE, UH, PITCHER THROWS A BALL THAT'S A FOOT AND A HALF OUTSIDE AND YUM CALLS IT STRIKE THREE. 
          SO I'M IN 9TH GRADE. 
          I DON'T WANT COACH HOWARD TO THINK I FAILED. 
          I WANT HIM TO THINK THE UMP IS TERRIBLE. 
          SO AS I WALK OFF THE FIELD, I'M LITERALLY COACH IS COACH IN THIRD BASE. 
          I'M WALKING TO DUGOUT. 
          IT'S A BENCH THAT WE WOULD CARRY DOWN FROM THE SCHOOL IF YOU REMEMBER LARRY. 
           AND I'M LITERALLY GOING LIKE THIS. 
          I'M, I'M HOW FAR OUTSIDE AND WHATEVER. 
          AND I FINALLY MOUTHED TO HIM IT WAS A FOOT OUTSIDE. 
          HE DOESN'T PLAY. 
          HE GOES LIKE THIS. 
          HE SAYS, "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE HIT THE SECOND STRIKE." THAT'S ALL I SAID. 
          AND THEN HE WENT RIGHT TO THE NEXT HITTER AND SAID, "THERE YOU GO." SO WHAT DID HE USE FIVE WORDS, "NO EXCUSES, NO BS. 
          I DON'T NEED PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO EVALUATE HIM. 
          I NEED PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO OVERCOME BAD OPENING." AND THAT'S ALL HE DID. 
          SO BASKETBALL, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE BASKETBALL. 
          I WAS FORCED TO PLAY BASKETBALL BECAUSE OF MY HEIGHT. 
          SO I NEVER PLAYED ORGANIZED BASKETBALL. 
          SEVENTH GRADE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. 
          SO HE CALLS ME OVER AND AS I COME TO HIM, WE'RE IN THE GIRLS' GYM, AND AS I COME TO HIM, HE SEEMS TO REACT LIKE AN EPIPHANY THAT HOW TALL I AM. 
          SO AS IF HE WAS CALLING ME FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE. 
          SO HE SAYS, "BOY, YOU'RE TALL." AND I SAID, AND I'M SEVENTH GRADE, I BARELY KNOW HIM. 
          AND, UM, I SAID, "YEAH." AND, UM, SO CONTINUING WITH THIS REVELATION THAT, OH MY GOD, THIS GUY'S SO TALL, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I NEED TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT. 
          HE SAYS, "I BET WHEN YOU GO TO THE A&P, YOU GET A LOT OF OLD, OLD LADIES WHO ASK YOU TO GET THINGS HIGH. 
          "  SO I SAID, "SURE." AND I SAID, "YEAH, I GUESS SO." AND THEN THIS WHOLE DEMEANOR CHANGES FROM THIS EPIPHANY OF, I, I JUST REALIZED THIS YOUNG KID'S TALL. 
          HE SAYS, "VERY SERIOUSLY, DO YOU GIVE THEM WHAT THEY ASK FOR?"  HORRIBLE DUDE. 
          LIKE WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON YOU? SO I SAID, "OF COURSE I GIVE IT TO HIM." AND HE GOES, "WELL, THAT EXPLAINS IT." AND HE WALKS AWAY. 
           SO I SAID, "EXPLAINS WHAT?" AND HE SAID, "WHY YOU GET REBOUNDS AND HAND THEM TO PEOPLE HALF YOUR HEIGHT?"  I GO BACK INTO THE GAME. 
          SO THE REST OF MY LIFE, ANY REBOUND I EVER GOT, I KICKED, I ELBOWED, I MEAN, ALL THE GUYS WHO PLAYED BASKETBALL WITH ME PROBABLY RIGSY, IF I EVER HIT YOU IN THE HEAD, IT'S COACH HOWARD'S FAULT, NOT MINE. 
           I NEVER, EVER GOT A REBOUND. 
          ONE GAME WE WERE PLAYING RYANCK ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND I HAD ONE OF THESE GAMES WHERE EVERY REBOUND FELL IN MY HANDS. 
          I HAD A LOT OF THEM. 
          AND COACH HAD NEVER MENTIONED THAT COMMENT TO ME AGAIN. 
          NEVER MENTIONED THE COMMENT. 
          THREE MINUTES. 
          THREE MOMENTS. 
          NO, THAT'S THE THIRD STORY. 
          NO, NO, NO. 
          WE'RE NOT BEING SCHOOL. 
          THIS IS A CODA. 
          THIS IS A CODA TO THE SECOND, TO THE SECOND STORY. 
          SO I GOT A LOT OF REBOUNDS IN THE GAME AND I'M WALKING OUT. 
          COACH HOWARD USED TO ALWAYS WATCH THE GAMES FROM THE, UH, ENTRY TO THE COACH'S OFFICE. 
          HE'D SIT THERE AND LEAN AGAINST THE THING. 
          SO I HAD A LOT OF REBOUNDS. 
          AND AS I WALK OUT, WE SLAUGHTERED RYANECK AND WE'RE WALKING OUT. 
          HE LITERALLY MADE A COMMENT. 
          I HADN'T HEARD THIS STORY FOR FIVE YEARS. 
          HE SAID, "I BET THE OLD LADIES ARE STARVING TONIGHT."  THAT'S, THAT'S ALL HE SAID. 
          NEVER SAID WHY. 
          EVERYONE ELSE GEORGE TINO WAS LIKE, "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?". 
          SO HE LOVED PLAYERS WHO COULD HEAR THESE LITTLE MESSAGES. 
          AND I DID WANT TO REFERENCE, I KNOW ALAN REFERENCED US 
          [00:15:01]
OUR 53 UNION TONIGHT. 
          THERE'S A TABLE OVER THERE, A COUPLE OF GUYS THAT DON'T BELONG THERE, BUT THE BASEBALL GUYS FROM THE CLASS OF 76, IF THEY ALL STOOD UP, YOU'D SEE HOW MOTTLY THEY LOOK AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO... 
          IN OUR DAY, WE WERE GREAT BASEBALL PLAYERS AND WE LITERALLY CAME WITHIN ONE RUN WINNING THE 76, UH, SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP. 
          AND IT WAS THAT TEAM THERE. 
          AND WHEN WE FOUND OUT IT WAS THE SAME NIGHT OF OUR REUNION TO A MAN, WE ALL WANTED TO BE HERE. 
          AND, AND, AND REALLY, WE SHOULD ALL, EVERYONE HERE SHOULD BE SO LUCKY. 
          COACH HOWARD LEFT LITERALLY 50 YEARS AGO AND WE SIT HERE SAYING, "I DON'T WANT TO BE AT MY REUNION," WHICH BY THE WAY IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW AT HARVEST. 
          I WANT TO BE HERE TO HONOR HIM. 
          AND WE SHOULD ALL, WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LUCKY TO BE REMEMBERED. 
          I WON'T LET MY WIFE AND I MOVE MORE THAN THREE TOWNS AWAY BECAUSE I KNOW I'LL BE FORGOTTEN THE NEXT DAY. 
          COACH HAS BEEN GONE FOR 50 YEARS AND WE'RE STILL REMEMBERING HIM. 
          SO I DID HAVE THIS. 
          SO THIS BUTTON IS 49 YEARS OLD AND FOR PEOPLE IN THE BACK IT SAYS, "SAVE COACH HOWARD." YEAH. 
          AND IT FORMED THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CAMPAIGN TO KEEP HIM AFTER THE BUDGET WENT DOWN. 
          AND I NEVER SENT IT TO COACH. 
          HE ALWAYS WANTED TO LOOK FORWARD TO IT. 
          I NEVER TOLD HIM I HAD IT. 
          AND ONE DAY, ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT AND I SENT IT TO HIM. 
          NO COMMENT, NO ANYTHING. 
          HE RESPONDED. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW MY INTERNET WORKED THIS WELL. 
          AND HE LITERALLY CALLED ME SO QUICKLY, HE SAID, "WHERE'D YOU GET THAT?" AND HE'S IN A GOOD MOOD, BOISTEROUS OR WHATEVER, AND HE HAD NO IDEA I WAS GONNA LAY SOME EMOTION ON HIM. 
          SO I SAID TO HIM, I SAID, UH, "I'VE HAD IT ALL THE TIME. 
          IT HANGS IN MY, UH, OFFICE AND IT REMINDS ME EVERY DAY OF HOW MUCH YOU'VE DONE FOR ME. 
          LETTERS, UH, CALLS, HOW MANY THINGS IN MY LIFE NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF NOT FOR YOU." WE WEREN'T READY FOR THAT. 
          SO DEAD SILENCE. 
          AND, UM, I SAID, "IN FACT, IF I THINK ABOUT IT, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE'S HAD A GREATER IMPACT ON MY LIFE THAN YOU, EXCEPT FOR MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY." STILL SILENCE. 
          TRYING TO BREAK THIS UNCOMFORTABLE VIBE. 
          AND I SAID TO HIM, "I ONLY WISH THE CAMPAIGN HAD WORKED." UM, AND YOU KNOW, WITH LITERALLY THE TIMING OF THE COMEDIAN, HE SAID, "WELL, YOU HAD THE WRONG SLOGAN." AND I SAID, "OH, REALLY?"HE SAID, "YEAH, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SAVE HELENE. 
          THE TOWN MIGHT HAVE CARED ABOUT."  HE SAID, WHO CARES ABOUT YOU LEAVING? WITH THAT, I, I LITERALLY WALKED AWAY AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? HE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 
          HE, HE, HE LITERALLY, HE NEED NO SAVING. 
          I MEAN, HE WAS, UH, THE MOST SELF-RELIANT MAN IN THE WORLD. 
          AND I REALLY, I THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR RESTORING HIM BACK INTO THIS TOWN, WHICH IS WHERE HE BELONGS. 
          SO I REALLY THANK. 
          WELL DONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HELLO, EVERYBODY. 
          I'M GONNA KIND OF MAKE IT LIGHT AND, UH, AND IT'S, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, OTHER RECIPIENTS THAT HONOR, THAT WE HAVE HONORED TONIGHT, BUT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, CHARLIE HOWE WAS BORN IN 1939 AND THAT WAS PRE-WORLD WAR II. 
           AND, UH, HIS FATHER BUILT COCKPITS, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE PLANES AND HIS, HIS MOTHER WAS A, A, UM, A RIVETER. 
          SO LOOK, THINK BACK AT HOW HE GREW UP. 
          AND HE WAS ONE OF THESE CRAZY, CRAZY, ENERGETIC KIDS. 
          HE TOLD ME THESE STORIES. 
          HE COULDN'T STAY SEATED. 
          HE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A, YOU KNOW, A WILD PERSONALITY WHEN, WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP. 
          AND RIGHT, UH, THIS PAST THREE, FOUR YEARS, HE'S BEEN, UM, HELPING AND TAKING CARE OF HIS, HIS GREAT-GRANDSON, KENDRICK, WHO IS HIS DEAF. 
          AND HE'S UP IN ST. 
          AUGUSTINE, AND HE'S THE SAME WAY. 
          HE'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. 
          HE GOT KICKED OUT OF PRESCHOOL. 
          CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? SO HE, HE'S GOT THAT HEART WHERE HE WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF HIS FAMILY THAT HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SO WONDERFUL WITH, WHETHER IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT HE COACHED, UH, HIS OWN FAMILY. 
          THEY STILL HOLD HANDS. 
          AT 87 YEARS OLD, THEY SIT TOGETHER AND THEY WATCH BEAUTIFUL THINGS. 
          HE'S STILL AS ROMANTIC AND LOVING AS HE ALWAYS WAS. 
          WE TAKE CARE OF GEORGE AND I TALK TO HIM WEEKLY AND HE'S AN INSPIRATION TO ME AND WE, WE, WE REALLY LOVE EACH OTHER. 
          UM, DID YOU KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN HE LEFT HASTINGS, HE, UM, UM, WAS SECOND INTO, UH, BEING THE WEST POINT COACH? SO HE WAS, HE'S VERY, VERY HONORED THAT, UH, HE WAS AT THAT POINT. 
          WHEN HE WAS, WHEN HE WAS PLAYING BALL, UH, RIGHT AFTER THE WAR, HE'S SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OLD. 
          THERE USED TO BE, UH, FIELDS AROUND THERE AND, AND A LOT OF THE VETS USED TO HAVE BATTING PRACTICE AND THEY GOT TO REALLY LIKE HIM. 
          HE'S SIX YEARS OLD. 
          AND THEY HIT BATTING PRACTICE, HE USED TO GET OUT THERE AND GET THE, GET THE BALLS IN. 
          AND THEN WHEN HE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, THEY LET HIM CATCH LIVE BALLS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN BATTING PRACTICE. 
          HE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. 
          AND AT 14 YEARS OLD, HE WAS, HE WAS PLAYING, 
          [00:20:01]
UH, SOME PRETTY GOOD BASEBALL. 
          AND HE, UH, HE BATTED AGAINST A PRO- PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER. 
          HIS NAME WAS STEVE RIDZIK. 
          HE IS THE, UH, UH, HE WAS 10 YEARS, UH, IN, IN THE PROS. 
          HE, HE WAS REALLY A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER. 
          AND AT 14 YEARS OLD, HE'S, HE'S GOING AGAINST RIDZIK AND HE GETS A HIT. 
          AND THEN THE NEXT TIME HE'S UP, RIDZIK DIDN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL. 
           SO HE, HE THROWS THE BALL AND SKINS HIS NOSE JUST, "I FELT THE AIR COMING ACROSS MY NOSE."  SO HE, HE REALLY HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME AWESOME THINGS ABOUT THAT. 
          AND ALSO HIS FATHER BROUGHT UP THE YANKEE STADIUM AND HE TELLS THE STORIES THAT THEY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET, GET ONTO THE FIELD AND HE FOUND THIS LITTLE ROCK AND HE PUT IT IN HIS POCKET. 
          AND HE SAID, "SOMEDAY, I'M GONNA COME BACK AND I'M GONNA PUT THIS, I'M GONNA PLAY FOR THE YANKEES. 
          I'M GONNA PUT THIS LITTLE PEBBLE RIGHT BACK." SO HE REALLY BELIEVED THAT HE WAS GONNA BE A PRO PLAYER. 
          AND THAT'S REALLY HOW HIS ENERGY WAS INSPIRED BY ALL. 
          AND HE WAS, HE WAS, HE WAS A WINNER ALL THE WAY, DEFINITE WINNER. 
          SO HE WENT TO, UH, HERE FROM, UH, YONKERS UP TO HASTINGS AND, AND, UH, HE, UH, HE HAD HIS THREE CHILDREN HE, HE, HE RAISED HIMSELF AND HE, UH, DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH MONEY, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO GET ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A HOUSE IN PLEASANTVILLE. 
          AND, UH, I, MYSELF AND MY COUSIN WERE, UH, HE ASKED US TO PAINT THAT, PAINT HIS HOUSE. 
          SO I WAS PRETTY GOOD AT PAINTING, AND I USED TO SPRAY. 
          AND I, I WAS MIXING THIS PRIMER COLOR AND I, I PRIMED HIS HOUSE IN THIS TURQUOISE PINK AND ALL OVER THE PLACE. 
          AND THEN IN HIS, IN HIS GARAGE, I WROTE IN BLUE, "GOLD GIANTS." SO I CAN IMAGINE, I CAN IMAGINE WHAT HIS, WHAT HIS NEIGHBORS THOUGHT AT THAT TIME. 
          WE HAD, WE USED TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN. 
          UH, WE WERE A FAMILY OF FRIENDS AND IT WAS, IT WAS SUCH A, A LOVELY TIME. 
          HE WANTED TO, TO, UH, ME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF HIS, HIS FOOTBALL GAMES THAT WERE, THAT WERE HIGHLY, UH, THAT HE HUNTED THE MOST. 
          AND, UM, ONE OF THEM WAS, UH, WITH DALLAS FERRY AND IT WAS A NOTHING, NOTHING DOG FIGHT. 
          BOBBY RUSSACK WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THIS GAME. 
          IT WAS, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. 
          JUST BANGING HEADS, NOTHING, NOTHING BECAUSE THE END OF THE GAME. 
          AND, UH, SCOTT MARTIN WAS THE QUARTERBACK AND, UH, THEY CALLED THE HALFBACK OPTION PASS TO JACK MCKINNON. 
          SO THEY THREW THE BALL AT JACK MCKINNON AND JACK MCKINNON WAS SUPPOSED TO THROW THE BALL DOWN FIELD, BUT HE TOLD BOBBY, "BOBBY, GO BACK AND GIVE BACK A THROWBACK." SO HE THREW THE BALL BACK AND THEY SCORED A TOUCH ON A 50 YARD TOUCHDOWN AND THEY, THEY BEAT DOUG BERRY 6-0. 
          AND, UH, HE ALSO SAID, "TELL THEM ABOUT THE SECOND GAME ABOUT TUCKO." TUCKO WAS A TREMENDOUS GAME WITH GREAT RUNNING BACKS, A VERY POWERFUL TEAM, AND THEY WERE REALLY FAVORED HEAVILY. 
          AND, UH, HASTINGS EASILY DEFEATED HIM AND SCORED 36 POINTS AND BOBBY HAD A 95 YARD TOUCHDOWN. 
          SO I HOPE THAT, UH, I, I SAID A FEW WORDS FOR HIM AND I'M GONNA SAY GOODBYE. 
          I'M SO SORRY. 
          BYE-BYE. 
          AS MUCH AS I REALLY DO LOVE THESE TWO MEN, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE GUESTS OF HONOR. 
          AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A VIDEO WHERE COACH HOWARD IS OVER THERE. 
          THE PROBLEM IS THAT AUDIO IS NOT ABLE TO COME THROUGH THIS SYSTEM. 
          SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU PLEASE TO BE VERY, VERY QUIET WITH HUNTING COACHES. 
           ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          THANK YOU, DEAR FRIENDS, JOHNNY MORBITT AND MARK BINGHAM FOR NOMINATING ME TO THE HASTINGS HALL OF FAME. 
          MANY THANKS TO NANCY MILESKA FOR COMPLETING THE PROCESS AND FOR THE SOUTHSIDERS FOR ALWAYS HOSTING THESE MEMORABLE EVENTS. 
          WHEN A PERSON AGES INTO OVERTIME, YOU FREQUENTLY LOOK BACK AND WONDER IF THE LIFE YOU'VE LIVED HAS BEEN MEANINGFUL. 
          GETTING THIS WONDERFUL AWARD AFTER 50 YEARS, HOPEFULLY YOU REALIZE THAT I DID PRETTY WELL. 
          I WHISTLED MY WAY TO WORK EVERY DAY AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH THE STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. 
          I ENJOYED THE YOUNG MEN I WORK WITH WHO WERE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY PREPARED TO COMPETE AND DID SO WITH SKILL, JOY, AND SPORTSMANSHIP. 
          I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY TO BE YOUR COACH IN THE GREAT COMMUNITY OF HASTINGS. 
          [00:25:01]
IT WAS TRULY AN HONOR. 
          I'M SORRY I CANNOT BE WITH YOU TONIGHT AT 87 YEARS OLD. 
          MY BODY WON'T LET ME. 
          I HAD WAY TOO MUCH FUN GROWING UP AND EVENTUALLY I PAID THE PRICE. 
          I'M SORRY THAT MANY OF MY BALL PLAYERS HAVE ALREADY PASSED ON BEFORE ME. 
          I ONLY HOPE THEY WILL GET ME IN THE BACK DOOR TO HEAVEN AND ONCE AGAIN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PLAY BALL TOGETHER. 
          I'M NOT SAYING GOODBYE, RATHER, SINCE IT MUST BE SO. 
          I ALSO HOPE THAT YOU ALL HAVE MANY FOUR YEARS TO ENJOY YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 
          MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY. 
          I THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES. 
          MY BEST ALWAYS COACH. 
          MARK, GET YOUR TABLE UP HERE. 
          TAKE, GET UP HERE. 
          OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE WE EAT. 
          BLESS THIS FOOD THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED TO NOURISH OUR BODIES. 
          WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THESE SIX WONDERFUL ATHLETES WHO ARE NOW JOINING OUR HALL OF FAME FAMILY. 
          MAY EVERYONE THIS EVENING ENJOY THEMSELVES. 
          AMEN. 
          AMEN. 
          LET'S START WITH TABLE EIGHT BECAUSE, UH, TABLE EIGHT WILL MAYBE NEED A LITTLE TIME. 
          TABLE EIGHT, CAN YOU GO? OKAY. 
          HOW ABOUT THIRDS? WHO WANTS THIRDS? UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SORT OF GET US INTO THE ROOM TO GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION. 
          WE ARE HAVING A SILENT AUCTION OF BRENT, UH, PESCI'S JERSEY WHO PLAYS FOR THE DEVILS. 
          HE'S STEW COHEN'S NEPHEW. 
          THE SILENT AUCTION IS, UH, THE DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 10TH. 
          WE ALSO HAVE TWO ART PRINTS BY JOHN DISTILLER. 
          SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO BID OR SEE THESE THINGS THAT ARE AUCTIONABLE, GET READY FOR THIS WEB ADDRESS. 
          ALUM - HOHALUMNI.ORG IS OUR URL. 
          IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THESE THREE WORDS, PUT A SLASH ALUMNI WEEKEND AUCTION. 
          SO HOHALUMNI.ORG/ALUMNIWEEKENDAUCTION FOR, UM, THE PESHI JERSEY AND SOME ART PRINTS. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S THE ONLY BUSINESS WE HAVE. 
          LET'S GET BACK TO THE FESTIVITIES. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO THE PODIUM. 
          THE NEXT HONOREE WILL BE BOB RUSAK. 
          AND COMING UP HERE WITH HIM IS HIS BROTHER DON, A FELLOW HALL OF FAMER. 
          WHERE'S BOB? HE'S COMING. 
          HE'S HIDING. 
          . 
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. 
          I HAVE A GREAT HONOR TO, UH, INTRODUCE MY BROTHER THIS EVENING'S FESTIVITIES, BUT BEFORE I DO, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I DO HAVE A CONNECTION WITH A FEW OF THE OTHER INDUCTEES. 
          WICKI, WICKY AND I PLAYED A LITTLE BASKETBALL FOR COACH COS BACK IN THE DAY. 
          CONGRATULATIONS, WICKY. 
          AND THEN, UH, CHARLIE HOWARD, UM, SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE BASKETBALL, BASEBALL COACH, NONE BETTER ALONG WITH MOOSE, UH, NONE BETTER. 
          UH, TAUGHT ME VERY WELL FUNDAMENTALS. 
          FUNDAMENTALS AND FUNDAMENTALS. 
          HE MASTERED THE FUNDAMENTALS AND THE REST WILL SUCCESSFUL FOLLOW. 
          THAT WAS TRUE IN BASKETBALL IS TRUE. 
          BASEBALL FOUND OUT LATER WAS TRUE IN LIFE. 
          SO CHARLIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. 
          IT'S A GREAT LESSON LEARNED, GREAT MENTOR. 
          UM, SO TONIGHT, THE FESTIVITIES HERE ON, UH, T... 
          INTRODUCED MY BROTHER. 
          [00:30:01]
BOB, UH, IS FOUR YEARS MY SENIOR, SO WE NEVER REALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY ON THE SAME TEAM, TO SHARE THE SAME LOCKER ROOM. 
          BUT BEING GOOD BROTHERS, IT, IT DIDN'T PREVENT US FROM COMPETING A LITTLE BIT. 
          WE WOULD ARGUE ABOUT WHO WAS A BETTER FOOTBALL PLAYER, WHO COULD RUN FASTER, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          UM, LATER ON WHEN WE STEPPED AWAY FROM THE ATHLETIC FIELD, WE GOT ONTO MORE IMPORTANT ARGUMENTS LIKE WHO'S THE BETTER COOK? WHO MAKES THE BETTER POT OF CHILI? WHOM DID MOM REALLY LOVE BEST? BUT ONE, ONE THING I HAVE TO SAY THAT I CAN'T HOLD THE CANDLE TO BOB IS ON COMMUNITY SERVICE. 
          MY BROTHER HAS BEEN A FIXTURE IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR, DID I TELL HIM HOW LONG? SEVEN DECADES OR MORE. 
          UM, WITH THE POLICE FORCE, OVER 50 YEARS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING CHIEF, CHIEF EMERITUS I GUESS IS PROBABLY THE APPROPRIATE TITLE. 
          UM, THE AMERICAN LEGION AND ANY OF ANNE'S FUNCTIONS WITH THE SENIORS, HE'S ALWAYS IN THE KITCHEN CHASING ALL THE PEOPLE OUT. 
          YOU GET AWAY FROM ME, I DON'T NEED ANY HELP. 
          YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TASTE BEFORE. 
          SO IT GETS A LITTLE CRANKY AT THAT, BUT THAT'S, UH, BUT ALL, ALL THESE THINGS ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT BOB HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COMMUNITY AND, UH, WELL DESERVED, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A, APPLAUSE FOR HIM AS WELL FOR THAT. 
          BUT TONIGHT WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO HONOR HIS ATHLETIC PROWESS. 
          UM, HE STARTED IN NINTH GRADE, UH, RUNNING TRACK FOR RONNIE FEASTER. 
          UM, AS A FRESHMAN, HE WAS ALL LEAGUE. 
          AS A SOPHOMORE ALL LEAGUE, UH, ALL COUNTY HONORABLE MENTION. 
          AS A JUNIOR, ALL COUNTY. 
          AND THEN HE GOT A LITTLE TIRED OF THAT AND WANTED TO FOLLOW CHARLIE HOWARD TO, UH, BASEBALL. 
          NOW, MY BROTHER'S BASEBALL PROWESS ISN'T QUITE UP, UP THERE. 
          I, HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF SWINGING THE BAT AND HITTING THE BALL. 
          THE, THE PITCH HIT HIM MORE THAN HE HIT THE PITCH. 
           BUT HE, BUT HE, BUT HE MANAGED TO, UH, GET ON BASE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, STEAL A FEW BASES AND SCORE A LOT OF RUNS AND DID A NICE JOB, UH, FOR, FOR THE YELLOW JACKETS TEAM. 
          BUT HIS, HIS, HIS LOVE AND PASSION, OF COURSE, IS FOOTBALL. 
          THREE YEARS STARTING VARSITY FOR DICK BUBB. 
          UM, HE, UM, WAS ALL LEAGUE, ALL COUNTY HONORABLE MENTION. 
          AND, UM, THAT, THAT WAS JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THAT SIX NOTHING THAT SORT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST OF DOBS FERRY'S FOUR YEAR LOSING STREAK. 
          WOW. 
          THE, THE, THE LAST ONE WAS A 30-NOTHING WIN WHEN I WAS PLAYING, BUT THAT'S, I, I KNOW MY, MY CLOCK IS RUNNING HERE, SO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH,  THE, UM, AFTER LEAVING HASTINGS, HE WENT ON TO, UH, DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY, A DIVISION THREE SCHOOL, UH, AS A WALK ON AND PLAYED FOOTBALL THERE FOR THREE YEARS. 
          UM, SET ALL SORTS OF SCHOOL RECORDS FOR TACKLES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, KICKOFFS AND WAS SPECIAL TEAMS CAPTAIN AND THE BIG FEATHER IN THE CAP FOR ALL OF THEM WAS, UH, WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN, UM, IN, IN HIS SENIOR YEAR WHILE HE WAS AT DUQUESNE. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, QUITE AN HONOR FOR - YEAH. 
          FOR HIM AND, AND AS WELL. 
          UM, YEARS LATER, BOB COMES BACK AND VOLUNTEERS FOR, UH, THE ASSISTANT COACH AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, YELLOW JACKETS FOOTBALL TEAM, UH, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR WITH, UH, UNDER JOE VACCARO. 
          SO ALL IN ALL, A WELL-ROUNDED, UH, CAREER ATHLETICALLY AS WELL AS, UH, WITH, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO WITH GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE MY BROTHER, BOB RUSSELL. 
          SHORTER, SHORTER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, MOM DID LOVE HIM BEST. 
           I ALSO HAVE TO THANK MY SISTER-IN-LAW, ROSEANNE. 
          I EXPECTED HER TO ROAST THE DEVIL OUT OF ME TONIGHT, AND SHE GAVE HIM THE WORD TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH IF YOU DO. 
          THAT'S TRUE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS HONOR. 
          I'M, I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE FOR THIS. 
          AND IT NEVER REALLY DAWNED ON ME UNTIL I STARTED COACHING HOW COACHES CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOU. 
          AND, UH, SO I'D LIKE TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THEM AND THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY GAVE ME TO MAKE ME THE PERSON I AM TODAY. 
          AND THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE MY FIRST FOOTBALL COACH, JIM HARMON, WHO TAUGHT 
          [00:35:01]
ME, EXCUSE ME, WHO TAUGHT ME, UH, SPORTSMANSHIP, FAIR PLAY, THEN COACH BUB, WHO UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AT THE TIME I PLAYED HIM WAS A MARINE CORPS VETERAN, TAUGHT ME TO NEVER QUIT, NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER LEAVE A MAN BEHIND, TO COACH HOWARD, WHO TAUGHT ME TO BE TOUGHER THAN I WAS, BUT WITH DISCIPLINE AND WITH FUNDAMENTALS. 
          ALSO COACH COSTELLO, WHO TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE- PREPARATION AND CONDITIONING. 
          AND FINALLY TO, UH, COACH, UH, UH, DUQUESNE, UH, DUQUESNE, UH, VERBATIC IS MY DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND LINEBACKERS COACH WHO SHOWED ME THAT HUMOR AND SARCASM ARE A MUCH BETTER COACHING TOOL THAN SCREAMING AT A PLAYER. 
          YEAH. 
           WRITERS? AND ONE OTHER PERSON I'D LIKE TO THANK IS JOE MCCARROLL WHO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COACH. 
          AND AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR. 
          I SAID, "I'D LOVE TO DO IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THE, UH, CHANGE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FORMAT ON OUR FOOTBALL DEFENSE." HE GOES, "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?" AND I'LL NEVER FORGET HIS RESPONSE WHEN I TOLD HIM. 
          I SAID, "I'D LIKE TO RUN THE THREE, FOUR ZONE BLITZ." AND HIS RESPONSE WAS CLASSIC. 
          "YOU CAN'T DO THAT. 
          WON'T BE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THOSE THREE, FOUR. 
          "IT TOOK A LOT OF CONVINCING, BUT  WE GOT IT DONE. 
          YEAH. 
          LINEBACKERS BLITZES WERE EASY. 
          WHEN I STARTED GETTING A LITTLE EXOTIC, HE STARTED GETTING A LITTLE NUTS. 
           AND IT TOOK A, TOOK A LITTLE CONVINCING. 
          SAFETY BLITZES, QUARTER BLITZES, DROPPING DEFENSIVE LINE INTO COVERAGE. 
          IT TOOK A LITTLE, LITTLE, UH, TRICKERY THERE. 
          BUT, UH, AS DON MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE, MY BASEBALL PROWESS WASN'T GREAT. 
          I WAS VERY GOOD AT TRACK. 
          CAME IN FIRST MOST EVERY RACE, BUT BECAUSE OF MY RELATIONSHIP AND CLOSE TIME WITH COACH HOWARD, UH, HE CONVINCED ME TO COME OUT TO PLAY BASEBALL, WHICH HE LEARNED VERY QUICKLY WAS A BIG MISTAKE. 
           I COULD NOT HIT A BASEBALL TO SAVE MY LIFE. 
          HE STUCK ME IN THE OUTFIELD, FIGURED THAT WAS THE SAFEST PLACE TO PUT ME. 
          EVERY ROUTINE FLY BALL LOOKED LIKE A HIGHLIGHT REEL. 
          I LOOKED LIKE CHARLIE CHAPLIN OUT THERE. 
          SO, UH, HE, KNOWING THAT, UH, MY FAMILY'S HERITAGE ARE RUSSIAN COSAX, HE ACTED, UH, PROPERLY NAMED ME IVAN THE TERRIBLE. 
           BUT IN SPITE OF THAT, I, I DID HAVE A FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR. 
          UH, I WAS ABLE TO STEAL 27 BASES IN 27 ATTEMPTS, NEVER GOT THROWN OUT, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING BECAUSE I ONLY HAD ONE BASE IN. 
           NOW, SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND A WHILE, NOT EVEN THREE YEARS WITH MS. BARNES MA- MATH, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT?  BUT THE TRICK WAS... 
          I NEED A MINUTE. 
          ONE MINUTE. 
          UH, THE TRICK THERE WAS, UH, HE WENT BACK TO HIS OLD YANKEE AND BROOKLYN DODGER DAYS AND TAUGHT ME THE OLD PEEWEE REESE TRICK. 
          SO I WOULD CROWD THE PLANE, CROUCH, DO A LOT OF WALKS. 
          AND SINCE I CROWDED THE PLANE, I GOT HIT BY THE PITCH ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES, WHICH TURNED ME BLACK AND BLUE. 
          AND I, HE LOVED IT BECAUSE IF I MADE IT THE FIRST BASE, FOUR PITCHES LATER, I'M ON, UH, THIRD BASE. 
          AND APPARENTLY CAUGHT THE EYE OF A PHILADELPHIA PHILLY SCOUT IN OUR FINAL GAME. 
          HE WAS THERE LOOKING AT SOMEBODY FROM THE OTHER TEAM. 
          AND I HAD A REAL GOOD GAME THAT GAME. 
          I THREW OUT TWO RUNNERS, TRIED TO GO FIRST TO THIRD, THREW OUT ANOTHER RUN AND TRY AND GO SECOND TO HOLD. 
          AND THE, THE HOOP THE GROUND WAS, THEIR FASTEST RUNNER WAS ON THIRD. 
          THERE WAS A FLY BALL ON THE RIGHT FIELD. 
          AND ME BEING THE LOUSY OUTFIELD IT WAS, I STARTED RUNNING BACK. 
          AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I REALIZED, OH HELL, THAT BALL'S GONNA DROP IN FRONT OF ME. 
          SO I COME FLYING IN, CATCH THE BALL, THROW A LASER TO THE CATCHER WHO CATCHES IT ON THE LINE, WAIST HIGH, TAKES THE GUY OUT. 
          AFTER THE GAME, THE GUY COMES UP TO ME, SAYS, UH, "I'M FROM THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. 
          YOU GOT A GREAT ARM AND GREAT SPEED." I MEAN, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAD GOING FOR ME. 
          I MEAN, AT DUQUESNE, THEY CLOCKED ME AT A 4.4740 AND, UH, AND EVEN TODAY, UM, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS AND MORE OF A WEIGHT GAIN THAT I CARRY TO ADMIT TO, I CAN STILL RUN A 4.4740. 
          THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS BACK THEN THEY TIED TO THE SECONDS. 
          NOW THEY TIED TO THE MINUTES. 
          SO HE CAME TO ME AND HE SAID, "WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY FOR PHILADELPHIA?" I'M LIKE, "YEAH." HE SAID, "I'LL TALK TO YOUR COACH." GOES OVER TO COACH HOWARD IN ABOUT FIVE SECONDS AND LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY. 
          HE WALKS OVER, "YOU AIN'T GOING TO PHILADELPHIA."  SO AGAIN, TO THE COMMITTEE, THANK YOU. 
          IT'S, IT'S A VERY HONOR AND WHAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE SPECIAL, I'M GOING IN WITH COACH HOWARD. 
          [00:40:14]
 THERE YOU GO. 
          TAKE IT OUT. 
          NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT AWARD OF THE NIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE MY CLASSMATES, CLASS OF 75, UH, OUR NEXT HONOREE IS WICKY RUDD AND IT'S BEING PRESENTED TO HIM BY ANOTHER ONE OF OUR CLASSMATES, A HALL OF FAMER, DAVE BRIGGS. 
          CAN YOU BOTH GUYS BOTH COME UP HERE? IT'S FUNNY, EVERYONE'S KNOWN FOR SPEED, BUT LOOK AT THIS. 
          UH, I'M TIMING YOU. 
           I'LL BE QUICK. 
          I'M JUST KIDDING. 
          I'LL BE CONCISE. 
          IT'S ALL OVER IT. 
          IF I'M TOO SHORT, I'M BRINGING IN A PICTURE. 
          SO I'M DAVE RIGGS AND, UH, AND I, UM, AM HERE TO PRESENT WICK RUDD. 
          UM, AND, UH, AND I'M A CLASS OF 75, UH, GRADUATE. 
          I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN ON THE SAME, UH, TEAM AS WICK RUDD IN 1975 WHEN THE BASKETBALL TEAM WON THE CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP. 
          SO, UH, I'VE KNOWN WICK SINCE, UH, WE WERE IN THIRD GRADE. 
          I REMEMBER WE WERE AT THE, UH, HILLSIDE SCHOOL WAITING TO GET INTO THE, UH, THE, THE, THE BUILDING AFTER RECE - AFTER RECESS. 
          AND I LOOKED OVER AND WICK WAS LOOKING AT ME AND HE, HE, HE SMILED AND, AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, THAT GIRL OVER THERE, SHE LIKES ME." AND I LOOKED AND THERE WAS JULIE BLASBERG AND SHE WAS BEAMING AND, AND I THOUGH, YEAH, SHE, SHE DOES. 
          I THOUGH, WELL, THAT, THIS IS A VERY CONFIDENT YOUNG MAN. 
          SO, UM, SO YEARS LATER, I WAS, I WAS THINKING HOW, HOW, UM, WE, UH, WE WERE ON THE SAME TEAM AND, AND HOW, UH, UH, WE, WE'RE, WE'RE TAUGHT AS, AS TEAM MEMBERS TO, UH, TO, UM, DO A LOT OF THINGS. 
          WE, WE, UH, WE'RE TAUGHT, UH, OVERCOMING ADVERSITY. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE TAUGHT, UH, UM, UH, WORKING HARD. 
          WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE, WE'RE TAUGHT, TAUGHT TO, UH, TO, UM, WORK TOGETHER, LEADERSHIP, UH, CAMARADERIE AND, AND, UH, AND SOME OF THE COACHES THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT WERE, WERE, WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, COACH ADOVICH IS HERE. 
          WE, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          OF COURSE, COACH HOWARD, COACH MORBITT, COACH COSTELLO. 
          SO, UH, SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT WE, WE ALL HAVE IS, IS, IS THAT, THAT TEAM CONCEPT THAT WE, WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT. 
          AND, AND WICK, UH, HE EXHIBITED ALL THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. 
          HE WAS A GREAT TEAMMATE. 
          UM, HE, UH, HE WAS FUN TO BE AROUND. 
          HE, HE WAS AN INSPIRATIONAL... 
          ONE TIME BEFORE ONE OF OUR GAMES IN THE COUNTY CENTER, HE CAME UP TO ME AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, DAVE, YOU INSPIRE ME." AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "NO, NO, IT'S, IT'S YOU WHO INSPIRE ME." UH, AND, AND THAT'S HOW, HOW, HOW HE WAS. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND SO AS GOOD A TEAMMATE AS WICK WAS, HE, HE WAS, UH, AS, AS A SKILLED PLAYER WAS EVEN, HE EXCEEDED HIS, HIS, HIS, UH, HIS PROGRESS AS A, AS A TEAM MEMBER. 
          HE WAS IN, IN BASKETBALL. 
          WELL, HE PLAYED THREE SPORTS. 
          HE PLAYED BASKETBALL, HE PLAYED SOCCER, AND I THINK YOU WERE A GOLF PLAYER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THAT'S NOT WHY I'M IN THE HALL OF FAME. 
           TRACK AND FIELD. 
          TRACK AND FIELD, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          SO, SO, SO, BUT YOU'RE IN THE HALL OF FAME BECAUSE OF BASKETBALL AND SOCCER IN MY MIND. 
          RIGHT. 
          IN ANY CASE, UM, UH, WITH, WITH BASKETBALL, UH, IN, IN OFFENSE, UH, THERE WAS NOTHING WICK COULDN'T DO. 
          HE COULD GO TO THE RIGHT, HE COULD GO TO THE LEFT, HE COULD GO TO THE BASKET, HE COULD SHOOT, SHOOT THE MID, MID-RANGE JUMP SHOT. 
          HE COULD SHOOT THE LONG JUMP SHOT. 
          IN FACT, JUST LAST YEAR, I THINK HE WAS IN A, A COMPETITION AT THE BOSTON GARDEN AND, AND HE WON THE THREE POINT COMPETITION. 
          I THINK HE BEAT KEVIN MCHALE AND, AND, UH, BIRD AND THOSE GUYS. 
          SO HE, HE STILL GOT IT. 
          AND, UH, AND WE APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT, WICK. 
          UM, BUT ON DEFENSE, UH, HE WAS BETTER THAN HE WAS ON, ON, ON OFFENSE. 
          IN FACT, UH, WICK WOULD DRAW THE, THE, UM, THE, THE, THE MOST DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT, WHETHER IT WAS A SMALL POINT GUARD OR, OR, OR A, UH, A, A TALL FORWARD. 
          WICK WAS ABLE TO, TO GUARD THESE GUYS BECAUSE HE WAS QUICK, HE WAS STRONG, HE WAS FAST, HE HAD A GOOD BASKETBALL IQ. 
          KIND OF 
          [00:45:01]
LIKE DON RUSSACK, BUT A LITTLE TALLER. 
           YEAH. 
          SO, SO, UM, SO, SO YEAH, SO, SO WICK WAS, UH, NOT ONLY A GOOD OFFENSIVE PLAYER AND A GOOD DEFENSIVE PLAYER, UH, AND A GREAT TEAMMATE, UH, HE, HE JUST DID THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, WEREN'T REALLY RECORDED IN THE STAT BOOK. 
          HE, HE SAID GREAT PICKS, HE WAS A GREAT REBOUNDER. 
          UM, BUT AS GOOD A BASKETBALL PLAYER AS WICK WAS, HE WAS A BETTER SOCCER PLAYER. 
          UM, HE, UH, PLAYED... 
          OKAY, I'M ALMOST DONE. 
          SO DON, YOU NEED TO COME BACK. 
          I HATE DOING IT. 
          SO, SO, SO IT'S LIKE THE SHOW. 
          SO, SO WICK, UM, WICK WAS, UH, SO GOOD THAT, THAT COACHES USED TO SAY, UM, HE, WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE FIELD, HE WAS A DOMINANT PLAYER AND, AND THE BODIES WOULD GO THIS WAY AND GO THAT WAY. 
          AND, AND, AND, BUT WICK WAS ALWAYS STANDING AND, AND, AND GETTING THE JOB DONE. 
          AND, AND THANK YOU LARRY KAISER FOR, FOR THAT, THAT, UH, QUOTE THAT YOU GAVE ME. 
          UH, SO WICK PLAYED THREE YEARS AT, AT COLUMBIA. 
          HE WAS, UH, HE, HE WAS ON SCHOLARSHIP THERE. 
          AND AFTER THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, BEING THE KINDA, KINDA GUY THAT DID AS HE PLEASED, UH, WICK DECIDED HE WAS, HE WAS DONE WITH SOCCER AND HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO PLAY RUGBY. 
          SO HE REINVENTED HIMSELF. 
          HE BECAME A, A RUGBY STAR. 
          AND, AND, AND THEREAFTER HE WENT TO NEWPORT AND BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEWPORT RUGBY CLUB AND, AND THEY LOVED HIM UP THERE AND THEY STILL DO. 
          AND HE'S HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON THAT COMMUNITY UP THERE THROUGH RUGBY, THROUGH HIS CHURCH. 
          AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE WICK AS OUR, AS OUR INDUCTEE. 
          AND, AND WITH THAT, UH, CONDUCT WITH. 
          SO I'M GONNA TAKE IT OUT OF THIS THING. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE SING FOR US NOW. 
          THAT'S 10 SECONDS. 
          LET'S GO. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO THE CLOCK IS TICKING. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO QUICKLY, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, RIGSY. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE ALL CALL HIM RIGSY. 
          UM, INDUCTED, UH, I DON'T KNOW, 10, 11 YEARS AGO, UM, BALL STATE BASKETBALL PLAYER, UH, FOR OUR, OUR, UH, SECTION ONE, UH, D- DIVI - UH, SECTION OF DIVISION B CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1975. 
          IT WAS GOOD STUFF. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THAT. 
          SO I DON'T HAVE ANY NOTES, BUT, UH, I WANTED TO HEAR A COUPLE THINGS. 
          UM, CHARLIE HOWARD, FIRST OF ALL, UM, WHAT A GREAT COACH. 
          UH, AND IT WAS NOTED TONIGHT, UM, I THINK BY, BY OTTO, UM, AND ALSO BY THE SPEAKERS THAT HE COACHED, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL. 
          AND, UH, HE DID COACH ME, COACHED BILLY. 
          AND IT WAS REMARKABLE BECAUSE HE DID THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT JUST ONE QUICK STORY THAT BILLY RELATED TO ME THAT I REMEMBERED. 
          HE USED TO HAVE INDEX CARDS THAT HE WOULD PUT DOWN YOUR STRENGTHS AND YOUR WEAKNESSES ON, YOU KNOW, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOOD ON DEFENSE, YOU GOT A GOOD JUMP SHOT, BUT YOU NEED WORK ON, YOU KNOW, ON, ON MOVING SIDEWAYS, YOU KNOW, ON, ON DEFENSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND THEN, AND THEN AS I SAID WITH JOHN, WE GOT ON THE PHONE WITH CHARLIE ABOUT, UH, THREE WEEKS AGO. 
          I WAS AT THIS CHRIS HOUSE WITH GEORGE WAS THERE. 
          AND WE GOT JOHN ON THE PHONE, HE GOT CHARLIE ON THE PHONE. 
          AND I RELATED THIS STORY BECAUSE I HAD THE INDEX CARD, AND, AND ON THE BACK OF THE INDEX CARD, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH BOLD, UH, UH, UH, EXCLAMATION POINTS, THERE WERE THREE WORDS, GET A HAIRCUT. 
           AND YOU CAN SEE MY PICTURE, SO YOU CAN GO, I DID. 
          I ULTIMATELY DID. 
          I GOT A HAIRCUT. 
          I SEE THAT. 
          YES, IT DID. 
          IT WORKED. 
          IT WORKED. 
          SO, UM, COUPLE THINGS THE GUYS, JUST TO RIFF ON POINTS THAT GUYS WERE ALREADY SAYING ABOUT WHAT SPORTS MEANS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, CUTTING SPORTS I THINK IS A BIG MISTAKE IN ANY HIGH SCHOOL OR IN ANY, IN, IN ANY, IN ANY SCHOOL, UM, BECAUSE IT'S SO INFORMATIVE. 
          IT'S SO, IT'S SUCH A GREAT LESSON THAT EVERYBODY LEARNS. 
          AND SO, UH, TO RIFF ON WHAT DON, UH, BOB SAID AND SOME OTHER GUYS, UM, THREE THINGS, RIGHT? SO, UH, RIGSON, YOU REMEMBER, UM, BASKETBALL, UH, WE USED TO PLAY EVERY DAY. 
          UM, UH, LUNCHTIME BASKETBALL, SAM THE MAILMAN, HENRY TRAUMA, RIGHT? THESE ARE NAMES YOU MAY REMEMBER. 
          UM, WE USED TO PLAY AFTER SCHOOL. 
          HIM AND ME, WE PLAYED FULL COURT FOR HOURS AT A TIME, UP AND DOWN THE COURT, UP AND DOWN THE COURT. 
          SO YOU HEARD THAT THING, 10,000 HOURS, YOU GET EXPERTISE, THIS AND THAT AND WHATEVER IT IS. 
          WE DID MORE THAN THAT OVER THE YEARS. 
          NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. 
          AND, UH, SO, SO THAT LEADS TO WHEN YOU GAIN EXPERTISE, IT LEADS TO A LITTLE BIT OF CONFIDENCE, OKAY? AND THEN THE CONFIDENCE BUILDS YOU GET OUT THERE, AND THEN IT LEADS TO WHAT MICHAEL JORDAN SAID, WHERE YOU'RE IN THE MOMENT, OKAY? YOU'RE ACTUALLY OUT THERE. 
          IT'S, YOU EITHER MAKE THE PLAY OR YOU DON'T. 
          YOU'RE NOT THINKING WHAT, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED A NANOSECOND BEFORE OR A NANOSECOND AFTER. 
          YOU'RE RIGHT THERE. 
          AND I KNOW ALL YOU GUYS, I CAN SEE YOU GUYS NODDING OUT THERE. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW IT GOES. 
          AND SO 
          [00:50:01]
WHEN YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU GO, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU GO BACK TO, UH, THEN YOU GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SPORTS, BUT THEN YOU GET INTO LIFE. 
          AND SO IT HELPS WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS. 
          IT HELPS WITH, WITH BUSINESS. 
          WHEN YOU GET IN THOSE PRESSURE MOMENTS, WHEN I GET IN THOSE PRESSURE MOMENTS IN BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST RIGHT THERE, RIGHT IN THE MOMENT. 
          AND SO BEING IN THE MOMENT, I THINK TO ME IS SO IMPORTANT AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SPORTS TAUGHT ME, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF HOW TO, HOW TO DEAL WITH THINGS. 
          AND, UM, SO, UH, LASTLY, ALL THE COACHES, RIGHT? THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU, BOB, BECAUSE I DO WANNA SAY THAT. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD COACH HOOD, WE HAD COACH, UH, UH, SHELLY GOLDEN. 
          I'M GOING WAY BACK. 
          THEN WE HAD CHARLIE HOW- HOWARD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. 
          HE ALSO TAPED MY ANKLES, BY THE WAY. 
          UM, HE WAS, YOU KNOW, A GREAT TRAINER. 
          HE LEARNED FROM ONE OF THE BEST FROM THE NEW YORK JETS, RIGHT, ACCORDING TO JOHN. 
          SO HE WAS AWESOME AS FAR AS THAT WENT. 
          WE HAD HIM. 
          THEN THAT LED INTO, UH, UH, UH, POPS PRESLEY, JIM PRESLEY. 
          LET'S NOT FORGET HIM. 
          PROBABLY THE BEST POST-GAME, UH, COACH, UH, HORSE PLAYER IN, UH, IN HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY. 
           HE WOULD TAKE ON THE KIDS AND HE WOULD WIN. 
          AND HE HAD THIS LITTLE LOOK AWAY SHOT. 
          YOU REMEMBER THAT LITTLE LOOK AWAY HE HAD? YOU KNOW, BOOM, PUT IT RIGHT IN ON YOU. 
          SO POPS PRESLEY, JIM PRESLEY, COACH COURSE CO- COACH COSTELLO, UH, VERY FORMATIVE FOR ME. 
          I WILL SAY THIS ABOUT COACH COSS. 
          UM, HE BROUGHT ME UP, UH, FOR THE PLAYOFFS AT COUNTY CENTER WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN, AT THE END OF FRESHMAN YEAR. 
          I WAS THE ONLY ONE, THE ONLY FRESHMAN THAT CAME UP. 
          SOPHOMORE YEAR I PLAYED ALL YEAR LONG. 
          I STARTED MOST OF THE YEAR, RIGHT RIGSY, YOU WERE THERE WITH US. 
          UM, JUNIOR YEAR, OF COURSE, WE WERE NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE, SMALL SCHOOLS, NO ONE REMEMBERS THIS, UH, IN, IN BASKETBALL WITH WALTER AND SMITTY. 
          AND, UM, UH, AND THEN WE LOST TO, UH, TO IRMINGTON. 
          UH, RIGHT OUT OF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT EARLIER. 
          MR. VAL'S BASKETBALL. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
           HE SAYS I'M A YELLOW JACKET THROUGH THROUGH. 
          I SAID, WELL, YOU WANNA WIN IF YOU COACH AMERICAN. 
          UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, SENIOR YEAR WE CAME BACK, WE HAD THE EXPERIENCE AND WE, AND WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING IN ONE. 
          SO I KNOW. 
          SO I HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING HELLO. 
          I, I HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING HELLO IN THIS THREE MINUTES, YOU KNOW?  SO, UM, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU NANCY AND EVERYBODY ELSE. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. 
          GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS, UH, THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE. 
          IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          DAVE, YOU GOTTA COME AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH ME. 
          DAVID, GET A PICTURE. 
          COME ON RIXIE. 
          COME UP HERE AND GET IT THOUGH. 
           ALL RIGHT, BUDDY. 
          YOU GOT IT, JESS? OKAY. 
          NEXT, I'M GONNA SING MILARI. 
          NO, I'M NOT. 
           ALL RIGHT. 
          CAN WE CALL UP, UH, PLEASE, MELISSA WENDELL, PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HI EVERYONE. 
          DREW WENDELL. 
          I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A HASTINGS GRAD, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE AT THE SCHOOL FOR 27 YEARS, SO I FEEL LIKE I'M, I SHOULD GET SOME HASTINGS RIGHTS RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, DON'T WORRY, I WON'T GO OVER THREE MINUTES BECAUSE YOU GUYS ALL KNOW MELISSA SHOULD KICK MY ASS IF I GO ANY OVER IT. 
          SO WE'LL KEEP THIS NICE. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          IT IS AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF HASTINGS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE MELISSA ARTEMIS, CLASS OF 1995. 
          NOT ONLY HAVE MELISSA AND I BEEN COLLEAGUES FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, I CONSIDER HER A GREAT FRIEND AND ACTUALLY MORE OF A SISTER I NEVER HAD. 
          WITH MELISSA, YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET. 
          SHE WEARS HER HEART ON HER SLEEVES, SPEAKS HER MIND AND TRULY CARES ABOUT THE HASTINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          SHE IS TREMENDOUSLY HARDWORKING, DEDICATED, HONEST, MAYBE TO A FAULT, CARING AND LOYAL. 
          THOSE ARE ALL THE TRAITS THAT ANY PARENT WOULD WANT THEIR CHILD TO, TO LEARN AND DISPLAY THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. 
          AS A HASTINGS ALUM, MELISSA WAS A STANDOUT STUDENT ATHLETE. 
          SHE WAS A THREE TIME, THREE SPORT VARSITY ATHLETE LETTERING IN VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL AND SOFTBALL, EARNING ALL LEAGUE HONORS TWICE IN EACH SPORT. 
          BUT SHE WAS A VOLLEYBALL TEAM CAPTAIN AND WAS NAMED ALL TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL TEAM TWICE. 
          BUT REALLY WHAT STANDS OUT ABOUT MELISSA IS HER DEDICATION TO THE HASTINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          MELISSA HAS TAUGHT PHYSICAL EDUCATION 
          [00:55:01]
AND HEALTH AND COACHED HERE AT HASTINGS FOR 24 YEARS, WHICH IS WEIRD BECAUSE I THOUGH SHE JUST TURNED 35. 
           BUT AS YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A MATHEMATICIAN, SO. 
           UM, OVER THE YEARS SHE HAS COACHED A VARIETY OF SPORTS, INCLUDING BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, TENNIS, INDOOR TRACK, AND AT, ALMOST AT EVERY LEVEL. 
          SHE IS ALSO ACTIVE IN OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM AND IS ALWAYS WILLING TO LET DOWN A HELPING HAND AS A CHAPERONE FOR ATHLETIC EVENTS, SCHOOL PLAYS, CLUBS, AND ALL THE OTHER COUNTLESS ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE HASTINGS SUCH A GREAT SPECIAL PLACE. 
          ONE OF HER MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF HER COACHING CAREER, AS WELL AS OUR DISTRICT, WAS LEADING OUR GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL TEAM WHERE SHE HAS OVER 100 WINS TO THE FIRST EVER GIRLS VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN HASTINGS HISTORY. 
          THAT'S HUGE. 
          WE JUST, WE JUST HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT JUST JOINED US IN SOFTBALL LAST YEAR. 
          SO THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS ALSO EARNED HER THE HONOR OF BEING NAMED SECTION ONE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL COACH OF THE YEAR. 
          BUT AS IMPRESSIVE AS ALL THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE, I THINK WHAT REALLY MAKES MELISSA DESERVING OF THIS HONOR IS THE IMPACT THAT SHE HAS ON THE STUDENTS AND, AND ON THIS COMMUNITY. 
          MELISSA IS A HUGE ASSET AND A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL FOR THE HASTINGS ON HUDSON SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. 
          SHE CA - SHE CARES MORE THAN SHE PROBABLY LIKES THE SHOW AND SHE TAKES TREMENDOUS PRIDE IN BEING IN OLD SCHOOL HASTINGS COUNTY AND A YELLOW JACKET THROWN THROUGH. 
          MELISSA NEVER SEES THIS THROUGH AMAZING. 
          SHE HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO THE SCHOOL, OUR STUDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE OF HER FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS AND EVEN MORE FORTUNATE TO CALL HER MY FRIEND. 
          MELISSA, YOU'RE MORE THAN DESERVING OF THIS TREMENDOUS HONOR. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          LET'S HEAR FROM MELISSA. 
          WOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE HAVE TIME. 
          ALREADY KEPT IT UNDER. 
          GOOD JOB. 
          SIX SECONDS LEFT. 
           UH, FIRST THANK YOU TO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MY FELLOW INDUCTEES. 
          THANK YOU, DREW, OF COURSE, WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR ME, AS HE MENTIONED, 24 YEARS. 
          DREW, YOU'VE ALWAYS KEPT IT REAL WITH ME. 
          SOMETIMES THAT MEANT SUPPORT. 
          SOMETIMES IT MEANT TOUGH LOVE. 
          AND SOMETIMES IT MEANT REMINDING ME TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF WHEN I NEEDED TO HEAR IT. 
          WHEN I WAS HIRED IN 2003, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS JOURNEY WAS GONNA LOOK LIKE. 
          I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO SO MANY FRIENDSHIPS, MEMORIES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT WOULD LAST A LIFETIME. 
          AND HONESTLY, IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME BACK THEN THAT I'D STILL BE HERE 23 LA - YEARS LATER, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE ASKED, "ARE YOU SURE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA?" ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL THINGS ABOUT COACHING IN HASTINGS HAS BEEN THE BONDS THAT HAVE CONTINUED LONG AFTER SEASONS ENDED. 
          FORMER PLAYERS HAVE COME BACK TO COACH AND SOME OF MY, ARE MY CLOSEST FRIENDS TODAY WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT. 
          MARY PUTHIAMADAN SPENT MANY HOURS TALKING STRATEGY AND KEEPING ME LEVEL-HEADED. 
          SHE RECEIVED THE COACHES AWARD AND IS A TRUE EPITOME OF WHAT A TEAM PLAYER IS AND WHAT HASTINGS IS ALL ABOUT. 
          ANOTHER BEING BRITTANY STAMPLE, WHO JOINED THE VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY NINE YEARS AGO AND T - CONTINUES TO HELP KEEP THE YOUNGER PLAYERS ENGAGED, MOTIVATED, AND EXCITED WHILE DEVELOPING A LOVE FOR THE GAME. 
          I HAVE A FEELING THERE MAY BE ANOTHER SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND TONIGHT MY NIECE IS HERE. 
          SHE'S CURRENTLY COACHING THE GIRLS' MODIFIED FIELD HOCKEY TEAM UNDER HER FORMER HEAD COACH, CHRISTINA GAGLIARDI, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND A WONDERFUL PERSON. 
          IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW THE CONNECTIONS YOU BUILD THROUGH COACHING OFTEN COME FOR, FULL CIRCLE, ESPECIALLY IN A SMALL COMMUNITY. 
          I ALSO WANNA THANK STEVE YURIK, A RETIRED HASTINGS TEACHER AND COACH WHO I'M PROUD TO CALL A FRIEND. 
          I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT HE MADE THE TRIP TO WATCH THE SECTIONAL FINAL. 
          WINNING THAT GAME WAS MY BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AS A COACH. 
          TO THIS DAY, I'M NOT SURE YOU REALIZE WHAT THAT MEANT TO ME. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALWAYS BEING IN MY CORNER. 
          I HAD SOME GREAT ROLE MODELS AS COACHES. 
          FIRST, HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT BUT KEN GETBARRIOS, MY JV COACH. 
          I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HIM FOR SEVEN YEARS. 
          HE DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY CRAZINESS AS EVERY, EVERYONE WHO COACHED AFTER HIM ONLY LASTED A YEAR. 
          VICKY KELTER BEING ONE OF THOSE, ALTHOUGH SHE GETS A PASS, SHE CONTINUED IN PT AND EDUCATION, BUT HAS NOW RETURNED AS A FELLOW PE TEACHER AND FRIEND. 
          SUJI WAS ASPIRING ROLE MODEL. 
          SHE SHOWED ME THAT YOU COULD DEMAND HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT WHILE STILL MAKING IT FUN. 
          AND THAT COM - THAT COMBINATION STAYED WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY COACHING CAREER. 
          I MUST MENTION THAT THE 2011 
          [01:00:01]
WAS INCREDIBLY SPECIAL. 
          THEY WERE SELFLESS, DEDICATED, COMMITTED, NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEIR STATS WERE. 
          THE PARENTS TRUSTED ME, THE PLAYERS TRUSTED ME, THAT MEANT EVERYTHING. 
          WHEN I LOOK BACK, I REALIZED COACHING WAS NEVER JUST ABOUT WINS AND LOSSES. 
          IT WAS ABOUT WATCHING YOUNG PEOPLE GROW, LEARNING FROM THEM, CHALLENGING THEM, SUPPORTING THEM, AND HOPEFULLY HELPING THEM BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES. 
          AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY. 
          YOU'VE LISTENED TO ME, YOU'VE SUPPORTED ME, GUIDED ME, GIVEN ADVICE EVEN WHEN IT WASN'T NECESSARILY WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. 
          IMAGINE COACH ADOVICH TRYING TO GIVE YOU ADVICE. 
          I WAS NEVER PERFECT. 
           YOU CELEBRATED THE GOOD MOMENTS WITH ME, HELPED ME THROUGH THE DIFFICULT, AND ALWAYS GIVE ME A PLACE TO TURN WHEN I NEEDED TO TALK OR VENT. 
          I'M PROUD TO BE A YELLOW JACKET THROUGH AND THROUGH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT. 
          FUNDAMENTALS, COACH ADA WOULD SAY, "GET IT IN IN THREE MINUTES, LET'S GO." NOW, UM, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BREAK FOR, BUT IT'S NOT OUT, DESSERT. 
          OH, ASK THE FATHER. 
          SO WHAT I THINK WE'LL DO IS WE'LL KEEP GOING AND HAVE DESSERT AFTER, RIGHT? FLEXIBILITY. 
          YOU'RE A GENIUS. 
          SURVIVE AND ADVANCE. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. 
          WE'RE GONNA CALL KEVIN KENNEDY AND HIS BROTHER JAMES. 
          HOW MANY ARE THERE? HOW MANY ARE THERE? WE GOT A FEW. 
           JUST ASK HOW MANY ARE THERE? THERE'S FIVE. 
          FIVE? FOUR BOYS AND ONE GIRL. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO WHEN I FOUND OUT KEVIN WAS GONNA BE NOMINATED, HE ASKED ONE OF US WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR HIM. 
          AND I SAID, WITHOUT HESITATION, I'D LOVE TO DO IT. 
          SO I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN, YOU KNOW, COMBING THROUGH THE OLD MEMORIES AND GROWING UP WITH HIM, LOOKING UP TO MY THREE ATHLETIC BROTHERS. 
          I HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES, SO MANY, BUT I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN TONIGHT. 
           WHEN I THINK OF KEVIN GROWING UP, SO MANY MEMORIES INVOLVED FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL. 
          KEVIN WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ATHLETES I'VE EVER KNOWN. 
          I REMEMBER ONE FOOTBALL GAME IN PARTICULAR, KEVIN TOOK A HIT SO HARD THAT HE HAD TO COME OUT OF THE GAME. 
          IT WAS ON THE SIDELINE WITH THE BALL BOYS. 
          CLEARLY IT WAS A CONCUSSION, BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS BACK THEN. 
          UM, HE WASN'T QUITE SURE WHERE HE WAS OR EVEN WHO WE WERE PLAYING. 
          I REMEMBER TALKING TO HIM SAYING, "WHERE ARE WE?" SO LIKE SO MANY ATHLETES OF THAT GENERATION, I THINK HE JUST THOUGH, "LET'S JUST SIMPLY SHAKE IT OFF, GET RIGHT BACK IN THE GAME." BUT I THINK TOM STANLEY SAW HIS HELMET, SO HE COULDN'T GET BACK IN. 
          THEN SPRING WOULD COME AND THAT MEANT BASEBALL SEASON. 
          ALL THREE OF MY BROTHERS PLAYED ON THE SAME VARSITY TEAM AT ONE TIME. 
          AND OF COURSE NOBODY CAN FORGET KEVIN BATTING 528, UH, FOR HIS SENIOR SEASON AND EARNING ALL SECTION HONORS. 
          UH, THERE WERE PLENTY OF GREAT MOMENTS ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND THE BASEBALL FIELD, BUT STRANGELY ENOUGH, THE MEMORIES I CHERISH MOST ARE THE ONES JUST PLAYING AROUND THE HOME, PLAYING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          AND I HAVE TO MENTION FRANK TOLD ME I HAD TO MENTION THIS. 
           KEVIN USED TO CLIMB UP ON A ROOF AND DO SOMERSAULTS OFF THE ROOF. 
          OH MY GOD. 
          YES, HE WAS CRAZY. 
          'CAUSE THE BALL, THE BALL WOULD GET STUCK ON THE ROOF SO HE'D HAVE TO CLIMB UP THE BASKETBALL POLE, GRAB THE BALL AND COULDN'T JUST CLIMB BACK DOWN. 
          NO. 
          GARAGE ROOF. 
          JOAN DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. 
           SHE DIDN'T KNOW. 
          SHE WOULD JUST SAY, "OH, KEVIN." BUT THERE, UM, BUT THE ONE MEMORY THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST TO ME GROWING UP WAS WE USED TO PLAY IN THE AMERICAN LEGION. 
          THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD PLAY BASEBALL ALL THE TIME. 
          AND KEVIN WAS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO EVER HIT A SOFTBALL DEFENSE AT THE AMERICAN LEGION. 
          HE WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND HE BEAT FRANK ROBERTI'S RECORD WHEN HE WAS 11. 
           THAT WAS KEVIN, COMPETITIVE, TOUGH, ATHLETIC, AND ALWAYS READY TO PROVE, UH, WHAT HE COULD DO. 
          SO BEFORE I HAND OVER THE MIC TO KEVIN, I JUST WANT TO READ A FEW WORDS FROM HIS OLD FOOTBALL COACH, TOM STANLEY. 
          SO PRETEND I'M TOM STANLEY. 
          HE'S A LITTLE SMALLER THAN I AM. 
           THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN I HEAR THE NAME KEVIN KENNEDY IS BOY, WHAT A HARD HITTER. 
          NOT THE BASEBALL KIND, THAT'S LOOSE'S JOB. 
          BUT THE FOOTBALL KIND. 
          I COULD NOT FIND MY LIST OF ALL STATISTICS FOR MY COACHING DAYS. 
          THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT KEVIN THAT I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY. 
          KEVIN TOOK GREAT PLEASURE IN KNOCKING DOWN AN OPPONENT, OPPONENT. 
          IT'S THREE MINUTES ALREADY? I KNOW. 
          UM, HE TOOK GREAT 
          [01:05:01]
PLEASURE KNOCKING DOWN AN OPPONENT, SMILING AT HIM WHILE HE HELPED HIM BACK UP. 
          HE WAS A PLAYER WHO NEVER LEFT THE FIELD, WHETHER HE WAS PLAYING OFFENSE, DEFENSE OR SPECIAL TEAMS. AND HE LEFT HIS ENERGY ON THE FIELD AND GAVE ALL ON EVERY SINGLE PLAY. 
          HE SCORED TOUCHDOWNS RUSHING, RECEIVING AND ALSO RETURNED KICKS AND PUNTS. 
          HIS HELMET WAS FULL OF DECALS EARNED AFTER GAMES FOR TACKLES AND PERCEPTIONS, HARDEST HITS OF THE GAME AND OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 
          HE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY OTHER COACHES WITHIN THE LEAGUE AND RECEIVED ALL LEAGUE AND ALL CONFIDENCE RECOGNITION. 
          BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS OUT MOST TO ME HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE LAST HIGH SCHOOL GAME. 
          HIS TOUGHNESS WAS ON FULL DISPLAY AS HE DISPLAYED THROUGH SEVERAL STITCHES IN ONE OF HIS LEGS. 
           THE FUNNY THING IS KEVIN NEVER MENTIONED TO HIM. 
          OH, I ONLY FOUND OUT ON THE BUS RIDE HOME. 
          WELL, WATCHING A COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME RECENTLY WITH MY 11 YEAR OLD GRANDSON, HE ASKED, "HOW CAN A PLAYER NOT VERY BIG IN SIZE PLAY AGAINST ALL THOSE HUGE PLAYERS?" AND MY RESPONSE WAS, "THE TOUGHEST PLAYER I EVER COACHED WAS NOT REAL BIG, BUT HIS HEART WAS AS BIG AS THEY COME." HE ASKED BACK, "WHAT WAS HIS NAME?" AND MY RESPONSE WAS, "KEVIN KENNEDY." KEVIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME. 
          IT IS WELL DESERVED. 
          I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE THE OTHER INDUCTEES BEING HONORED THIS YEAR. 
          ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. 
          SO TONIGHT IT GIVES ME A GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE NOT JUST AN INCREDIBLE ATHLETE, BUT MY BROTHER AND SOMEONE I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HOOK UP TO MY ENTIRE LIFE. 
          LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, KEVIN. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA DO THIS. 
           DEEP BREATH. 
          UH, FIRST I HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THANK EVERYONE FOR INDUCTION AND EVERYTHING. 
          UM, I GOTTA THANK MY PARENTS FOR SUPPORTING ME. 
          UM, SO MY MOTHER, SHE WAS THE ONE THAT DEALT WITH THE STITCHES, THE CONCUSSIONS, THE BROKEN BONES, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE WAS ALSO A VERY CONCERNED MOTHER. 
          UM, AS JAMES MENTIONED, I HAD A CONCUSSION TRYING TO GO BACK INTO THE GAME. 
          UH, AT ONE POINT I, I THINK I THREW UP, SO I HAD TO TAKE OFF MY SHOULDER PADS. 
           AND SHE WAS A, SHE WAS A POLE. 
          "OH, KAREN, DID YOU HAVE TO WEAR THAT OLD RIPPED T-SHIRT? "  UM, SO THAT WAS EVERY, EVERY TIME. 
          BILL GOT, SAME THING, HE GOT CUT IN THE SIDELINE, CUT HIS FINGERS OPEN. 
          OH, BILL. 
          UH, AND MY FATHER, HE TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BASEBALL. 
          UH, EVEN, EVEN, UH, MOOSE, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE, BUT I'M ONLY HITTING SINGLES, MY SENIOR YEAR, SINGLES AND DOUBLES. 
          I SAID TO MY FATHER," YOU GOTTA HELP ME OUT, BUT AM I DOING WRONG? "SO I SAID," MOOSE, COULD YOU COME AND HELP OUT? "HE GOES," YEAH, OF COURSE. 
          "SO HE DID SOMETHING, TOLD ME WHAT I WAS DOING WRONG AND, YOU KNOW, I STARTED HITTING A COUPLE RUNS, DOUBLES AGAIN, TRIPLES. 
          UM, THEN, UH, I HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH MY BROTHERS, BOBBY. 
          UM, FOR SOME REASON HE WENT UP FOR FOOTBALL ONE YEAR, A LINEMAN. 
          BIG BOBBY PLAYED LINEMAN. 
           HE WASN'T THAT BIG. 
          HE WAS A LITTLE... 
          I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE BIGGER THAN ME. 
          UM, AND BASEBALL. 
          I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH HIM ONE YEAR IN BASEBALL. 
          UH, I PLAYED WITH BILL TWO YEARS OF FOOTBALL AND THREE YEARS BASEBALL. 
          UM, I HAD A GREAT TIME PLAYING WITH BILL BECAUSE WE BOTH PLAYED SAFETY, UH, MY SENIOR YEAR. 
          AND, UM, YEAH, WE, IT WAS LIKE WE WERE PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD. 
          THERE WAS ONE POINT, I THINK IT WAS BILL OR ME, ONE OF US GOT, I THINK WE CAUGHT A, UM, A PUNT AND BILL'S RUNNING AND HE'S GETTING TACKLED. 
          I GO, BILL. 
          THEN THE COACH, THEN THE COACH GOES, LARRY "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? I THINK YOU LIKED IT, BUT IT WASN'T MY IDEA." SO, UM, AND I DIDN'T GET TO PLAY WITH JAMES 
          [01:10:01]
OR KAREN, BUT THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE ON THE SIDELINES. 
           UM, OKAY. 
          UM, I GOTTA THANK MY WIFE FOR COMING UP HERE WITH ME FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
          WE HAD A BUSY YEAR. 
          I TURNED 60. 
          WE HAD THREE WEDDINGS. 
          BOBBY'S DAUGHTER IN JULY. 
          BILL'S DAUGHTER IN SEPTEMBER AND JACK'S NIECE LAST SATURDAY. 
          AND, UH, WE JUST HAD OUR, UM, 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST WEDNESDAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I GOTTA DO A QUICK BASEBALL. 
          I STARTED WITH VITO DOBELS. 
          HE WAS A TEACHER BY DAY, MADISON SQUARE GUARD AND CONCIERGE BY NIGHT. 
           HE COULD GET YOU TO ANY CONCERT YOU WANT TO. 
          DIDN'T MATTER. 
          UM, HE LIKED ME. 
          I THOUGH HE WAS A GOOD PLAYER, BUT HE THREATENED TO SEND ME. 
          HE USED TO CALL ME EMMET THE CLOWN. 
          I'M LIKE, "WHO THE HELL IS EMMET THE CLOWN? I KNEW BOZO THE CLOWN." KENNEDY WENT TO THE CIRCLE CATCHERS. 
          "COACH, I'M TRYING. 
          "I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL HIM I COULDN'T JUDGE THE BALL, BUT I COULD GET TO IT. 
          SO THEN MOOSE SAVED ME. 
          HE MOVED ME UP IN 10TH GRADE. 
          UH, FIRST GAME, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE BASE FOOTBALL UNTIL YOU GET THAT FIRST STICK. 
          SO THE GUY WALKED ME. 
          I'M LIKE," ALL RIGHT, THAT'S EASY TO GET ON FIRST BASE, STEAL THE BASES. 
          "NEXT TIME I GOT UP, PRESSURE WAS OFF BECAUSE I WAS UP THERE ALREADY. 
          NOW THE BASE IS UNLOADED, HIT, YOU KNOW, I FIGURED I'M WALKING IN, THREW A PITCH, STRIKE. 
          OH, I GOT A SWING NOW. 
          GRAND SLAM. 
          FIRST TIME UP. 
          SO I GUESS MOOSE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. 
          I'LL END IT THERE. 
          I GOT, I GOTTA SAY TOM STANLEY WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND COACH. 
          AND THEN LARRY FRECKEN, IF ANYONE KNOWS LARRY FRECKEN, HE WAS A CHARACTER. 
           AND THEN TOM STANLEY, HE WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME BECAUSE HE GAVE HIS WATER BREAKS. 
           THANKS AGAIN, EVERYBODY. 
          SORRY FOR THE EMOTIONS. 
          OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE MORE AWARD THEN DESSERT. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, CALL UP KEVIN FLAHERTY. 
          I BELIEVE HE'S THE LAST WOMAN IN THIS FAMILY TO BE INDUCTED. 
          HIS ENTIRE FAMILY WILL BE NOMINATED. 
          WE HAVE COACH JOE VACCARO PRESENTING TO HIM TONIGHT. 
          ALL RIGHT, GREAT. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          VERY HONORED AND EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO INDULGE KEVIN FLATTERY IN THE CLASS OF 2026 HASTINGS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME. 
          IT'S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY OLD FRIENDS, COACHES, PLAYERS AND FAMILIES THAT MAKE UP OUR HASTINGS COMMUNITY THAT I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING PART OF. 
          UM, I, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW HALF, UH, I KNOW SOMEBODY AT EVERY TABLE, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE TONIGHT. 
          UM, I HAVE A LOT OF STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH MANY OF THE INDUCTEES. 
          UM, BOB RUSSACK, UH, WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR, OUR COACHING STAFF FOR MANY YEARS. 
          HAD GREAT COACH, GREAT STORIES. 
          AND COACH, LAST NIGHT I DID CALL HIS OWN BLITZ. 
           I, I, I'VE COME TO THE DARK SIDE ON THAT. 
           UH, KEVIN KENNEDY HAS BEEN A FRIEND OF MINE FOR OVER 40 YEARS. 
          UM, I COACHED, UM, BILLY MY FIRST YEAR COACHING, I COACHED JAMES AND I COACHED KAREN. 
          UM, PROBABLY THE BEST OF THEM. 
           UH, COACH HOWARD, UH, HE NEVER COACHED ME IN A SPORT, BUT I HAVEN'T IN PHYS ED, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE GAVE ME MY LIFELONG HIGH SCHOOL NICKNAME, SLURPEE. 
           SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. 
          IT'S STILL IN USE TODAY. 
          AND THEN MELISSA, UM, IS A COLLEAGUE NOW. 
          I GUESS SHE'S BEEN A COLLEAGUE FOR 23 YEARS. 
          WE CALL PEOPLE AT HASTINGS 23 YEARS OLD. 
          TO ME, THOSE ARE ROOKIES. 
           I'VE BEEN THERE 39 YEARS. 
          UH, BUT SHE'S ALSO PLAYED SOFTBALL, SO- SOFTBALL FOR ME, PART OF HER LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
          UM, AND IT'S JUST AWESOME THAT SHE'S IN THE HALL OF FAME. 
          SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE, UH, INDUCTEES TONIGHT. 
          [01:15:02]
SO KEVIN NOT ONLY PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR ME FOR FOUR YEARS, BUT HE ACTUALLY GREW UP ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME ON MARIANA DRIVE. 
          TO MY RECOLLECTION, IT'S THE STREET WITH THE MOST HALL OF FAMERS WITH NINE. 
           SO IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. 
          AND KEVIN, RIGHT, WE HAVE MARIANA PRIDE. 
          MARIANA PRIDE, BABY. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          SO KEVIN IS THE YOUNGEST OF THE FOUR FLATTERY SIBLINGS AND NOW FOLLOWS HIS OLDER SIBLINGS IN ENTERING THE HALL OF FAME. 
          UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF COACHING JOE AND, AND TARA. 
          I DID NOT GET TO COACH KELLY. 
          UM, BUT KEV- KEVIN SHARED THE SAME POSITIVES AS HIS OLDER SIBLINGS, TALENTED, HARDWORKING, RESPECT TO THE GAME. 
          ACCORDING TO, UH, HIS TEAMMATE AND HASTINGS HALL OF FAMER, LUKA KIBUCHI, KEVIN'S QUARTERBACK, KEVIN WAS A GREAT TEAMMATE. 
          HE DID IT ALL. 
          HE PLAYED OFFENSE, PLAYED DEFENSE, RETURN KICKS, WHATEVER YOU NEEDED, HE WOULD DO. 
          UM, ALSO, ACCORDING TO LUCA, AND I CONFIRMED THIS WITH KEVIN, UM, HE THREW UP RIGHT BEFORE EVERY GAME. 
           SO TO ME, THAT'S CAMERON. 
          THAT'S KAREN. 
          UH, BEING A GREAT, BEING A GREAT TEAMMATE IS A RECURRING, UM, THEME FOR KEVIN. 
          IN HIS SENIOR YEAR, HE WAS AWARDED THE YELLOW JACKET AWARD IN BOTH BASKETBALL AND LACROSSE, EMBLEMATIC OF A GREAT TEAMMATE. 
          IN ADDITION, KEVIN WON THE GRACE HARLOW AWARD, WHICH WAS GIVEN TO, UH, A SENIOR MALE AND FEMALE AT THE, UH, GRADUATION CEREMONY, AND THE RECIPIENT SHOWS GREAT ABILITY AS GREAT AS WELL AS SPORTSMANSHIP. 
          AS A JUNIOR, KEVIN WAS AN ALL LEAGUE PLAYER FOR US, BUT, AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT, FOR A WIDE RECEIVER, HE HAD TROUBLE HANGING ON TO PASSES. 
          DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST HANDS. 
          SO I GOT THIS STORY FROM TWO SOURCES. 
          IT'S WELL SOURCED. 
          UH, SO OVER THE SUMMER, HE WENT TO REYNOLDS FIELD WITH HIS DAD EVERY DAY, WORKED ON HIS RECEIVING ABILITY AND THE HARD WORK PAID OFF. 
          BY THE END OF HIS SENIOR YEAR, HE WAS LAUGHED WITH MANY HONORS. 
          HE WAS ALL LEAGUE, ALL SECTION. 
          SECTION ONE, TIGHT END OF THE YEAR, ALL STATE. 
          AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE RIVERTOWNS ENTERPRISE, HE WAS THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. 
          AND HE SET, SET A SINGLE SEASON RECORD WITH 47 RECEPTIONS AND GRADUATED AS THE SCHOOL LEADER IN RECEPTIONS AT THE TIME. 
          BEING, DECIDED TO BE A GREAT TEAMMATE ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM, KEVIN SHOWED HIS ATHLETIC VERSATILITY OVER THE SCHOOL YEAR. 
          HE WAS A CAPTAIN ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM AND WON THE YELLOW JACKET AWARD. 
          IN THE SPRING, HE PLAYED LACROSSE AND AGAIN, EARNED THE YELLOW JACKET AWARD. 
          OVER HIS TIME IN HASTINGS, KEVIN MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE TEAMS HE PLAYED ON AS A TALENTED ATHLETE AND AS A LEADER AND GREAT TEAMMATE. 
          IT WAS AN HONOR TO COACH KEVIN FOR FOUR YEARS ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND TO SEE HIM SUCCEED POST HIGH SCHOOL. 
          CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE HALL OF FAME, KEVIN. 
          THANK YOU, COACH. 
          THOSE WERE WONDERFUL WORDS. 
          AND TO SUM UP TONIGHT FOR ME IS MARIANNA PRIDE. 
          I THINK THAT'S BEEN DESCRIBED. 
          UH, THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN HAVING YOUR COACH AS WELL AS YOUR EARTH SCIENCE TEACHER LIVING ACROSS THE STREET FROM YOU. 
           AS YOU HEARD, MY OLDER BROTHER ALSO PLAYED, UM, UNDER COACH VACCARO AND THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER THAN YOU, WHEN I WAS EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OLD AND MY PARENTS WOULD SAY, "HEY, GO WITH YOUR BROTHER ACROSS THE STREET. 
          YOU'RE GONNA WATCH YOUR BROTHER'S GAME FILM FROM THE DAY BEFORE."  NOW THESE WERE THE OLD TVS WHERE THE BACK WAS BIGGER THAN THE FRONT. 
           ON VHS'S AND THE PIXELS, I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYBODY COULD ACTUALLY TELL WHO ANYBODY WAS. 
          TRUE. 
          BUT IT, UH, I, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE GAME. 
          UM, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT VERY MUCH. 
          AND TO FAST FORWARD, YOU KNOW, I STARTED OUT WITH PEEWEE PLAYING FOOTBALL, MODIFIED MY FRESHMAN YEAR. 
          I THINK IT'S GOOD. 
          I THINK I GET, I GET, I GET 15 SECONDS GET ANOTHER HALF HOUR. 
          I, I THINK I GET THE TIME BACK. 
          BUT BY MY... 
          ARE WE GOOD BACK THERE? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          BY MY FRESHMAN YEAR, THEY HAD DECIDED TO, UH, ALLOW THE FRESHMEN TO PLAY VARSITY AND HOW IT WORKED BACK THEN, SENIORS PLAYED, JUNIORS PLAYED, SOPHOMORES HAD NO CHANCE, FRESHMEN DEFINITELY HAD NO CHANCE. 
          BUT BY THE END OF THE SEASON, THEY WERE STARTING TO LET A FEW FRESHMEN MAYBE DO SPECIAL TEAMS. AND GOING INTO THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON, I THINK THEY WERE PLAYING IRVINGTON AT PUTNAM VALLEY. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I GOT THE DISTINCT HONOR OF BEING BACKUP KICKOFF, WHICH WAS A BIG DEAL FOR ME. 
          ABOUT SOMETIME SECOND HALF IN THE GAME, I HEAR COACH VACCARO SAY, "FLARETY, YOU'RE GOING IN." NOW 
          [01:20:01]
THIS WAS MY FIRST PLAY EVER AS A YELLOW JACKET. 
          I WAS EXCITED. 
          I WAS READY TO GO. 
          I'M STANDING THERE. 
          THEY'RE READY FOR THE KICKOFF. 
          AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, BEFORE THEY DO IT, ALL YOU HEAR FROM THE SIDELINES IS MARIANNA PRIDE. 
           KICKS THE BALL OFF. 
          I RUN AS FAST AS I CAN. 
          THEY MAKE THE TACKLE AND ALL YOU HEAR FROM THE SIDELINES IS, "WHERE WAS FLAHERTY ON THE PLAY? WHAT WAS HE DOING?" 20 YEARS LATER, COACH, I DID NOT MAKE THE TACKLE. 
           I WAS NOT IN THE P - I WASN'T EVEN CLOSE. 
           BUT IT WAS THE, THE BEGINNING OF, UH, A GREAT CAREER. 
          I REMEMBER MY FIRST PLAY. 
          I REMEMBER MY LAST PLAY. 
          I REMEMBER SO MANY PLAYS IN BETWEEN. 
          I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT IT, BUT THEY, WE'D ALL GET TIRED OF IT AND THEY'D TIME ME OUT. 
          UM, AND IT WAS JUST, UH, A FANTASTIC, UH, PLACE TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL AS WELL AS LACROSSE. 
          SO THERE'S A COUPLE PEOPLE I DO HAVE TO THANK. 
          UH, MY DAD AND MY BROTHER, AS YOU HEARD FROM COACH VACCARO, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CAPABILITY OF CATCHING. 
          UM, AND MY DAD, WHO HAD JUST COME OFF HIS SURGERY, WE WENT DOWN TO REYNOLDS FIELD, HE WOULD THROW THE BALL DESPITE THE DOCTOR'S ORDER. 
          I WOULD GO UP AGAINST MY BROTHER WHO AT THE TIME WAS A 225 POUND OUTSIDE DIVISION THREE LINEBACKER. 
          AND IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN HANDLE THAT, YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING IN HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AND IT REALLY, UM, ENABLED MY ABILITIES, UH, AS YOU SEE IN THE BROCHURE TO HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL CAREER. 
          I HAVE TO THANK MY MOM WHO WAS ALWAYS IN MY CORNER, UM, AND ALWAYS AT MY GAMES. 
          UH, THERE'S A, A, A HASTINGS ALUMNI, DICK MILLER, WHO USED TO WRITE FOR THE ENTERPRISE NEWSPAPERS. 
          AND MY MOM USED TO SIT NEXT TO DICK MILLER, AND I THINK DICK MILLER USED TO ALWAYS MISS A PLAY OR TWO. 
          AND I ALWAYS USED TO READ THE NEXT DAY IN THE NEWSPAPER. 
          I ALWAYS GOT CREDIT FOR LIKE A TACKLE OR TWO MORE THAN I DID. 
           SO THANK YOU MOM FOR THAT. 
          I KNOW YOU WERE PROBABLY INVOLVED IN THAT ONE. 
          UH, I GOTTA THANK MY OTHER SISTERS, KELLY, UM, WHO'S ALWAYS BEEN IN MY QUARTER AS WELL AS MY SISTER TARA. 
          YOU JUST HAD TO WAIT FIVE SECONDS. 
          WE WERE GETTING A SHOUT OUT. 
          AND MY NEPHEW, JACK, WHO'S ALSO HERE WATCHING SOMETHING. 
          UH, THANK YOU, BUDDY. 
          I GOTTA THANK MY COACHES, OBVIOUSLY. 
          JOE VACCARO, STEVE URICK, BOB RUSACK, UH, EZRA ELLIOT, DAN HURLEY FOR BASKETBALL, DREW WENDELL FOR LACROSSE, UM, ALSO MY TEAMMATES. 
          I WOULD NOT BE UP HERE MAKING A SPEECH TONIGHT IF IT WASN'T FOR MY TEAMMATES. 
          UM, THEY WERE THE ABSOLUTE BEST. 
          I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. 
          AND SPORTS WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET YOUR CLIPS IN HIGH SCHOOL, UM, AND MAYBE THERE WAS A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU WEREN'T HANGING OUT WITH, BUT THEY PLAYED ON THE SPORT WITH YOU AND YOU WERE BEST FRIENDS. 
          AND IT, IT GREW A COMMUNITY TOGETHER. 
          IT GREW THE SCHOOL TOGETHER AND IT GREW ALL OF US TOGETHER. 
          AND, UM, A- AND I JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S SPORTS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIAL, UM, I THINK TO EVERYBODY HERE. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY WIFE, ALEXIS, WHO ALTHOUGH WAS NOT A HASTINGS ALUM, SHE'S MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER TODAY. 
          AND WHEN SHE HEARD THE NEWS THAT WE WERE GONNA TRAVEL FOUR HOURS TODAY TO GO BACK TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL AND REMINISCE, SHE WAS ENTHUSED, LET ME TELL YOU. 
           I WAS CIRCLING AROUND AND ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TOUR SHE SAID, "I'M GETTING CAR SICK." SO WE HAD. 
           UH, AND AS WELL AS, UH, OUR WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL 13 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER, JULIA, WHO WAS WITH HER OTHER GRANDPARENTS TONIGHT AND, UH, I'M SURE WILL GIVE US AN EARLY WAKE UP CALL, UH, NEXT MORNING. 
          I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK ALL THE INDUCTEES AS WELL, UM, FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. 
          I'D ALSO LASTLY LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE. 
          I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE AS YOU HEARD, I'M LIKE THE LAST OF THE FLAHERTY, KOBLASH, DORTONS TO GET IN HERE. 
          SO WHENEVER I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT AND I WAS WINNING THE ARGUMENT WITH ONE OF THEM, THEY WOULD SAY, "WELL, YOU'RE NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME."  NOT ANYMORE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          SO WHILE THEY MOP UP THE COFFEE IN THE BACK, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENT. 
          FIVE MORE MINUTES. 
          OH, GOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          FIVE MORE MINUTES, HE ONLY GETS THREE. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, STAN RUDINO. 
          WELL, AGAIN, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE INDUCTEES AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY, UH, ATTENDING TONIGHT. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AT, UH, THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. 
          UH, THIS 
          [01:25:01]
PAST YEAR WAS A REALLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR US. 
          UM, AFTER LAST YEAR'S HALL OF EXCELLENCE, WE CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE GALA, UH, AT, UH, THE NEWINGTON CROSSING MUSEUM. 
          WE NETTED ABOUT $9,000 FROM THAT, PLUS ONE OF THE ATTENDEES GAVE US A $5,000 DONATION TOWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          UM, IN APRIL, UH, ALUMNUS, UH, BOB ARTHURS PUT ON A BE- BENEFIT JAZZ CONCERT, WHICH HELPED US, UH, RAISE ANOTHER THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          AND, UH, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO, UH, RICHARD TOM, I THINK CLASS OF 1953. 
          54. 
          54. 
          UM, RICHARD, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, HAS DONATED, UH, FOR A RAFFLE HIS SEASON TICKETS TO THE GIANTS. 
          AND THIS YEAR WE RAISED ABOUT $3,700 TO THAT. 
          UH, ALL THIS GOES TO SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          UM, THIS PAST JUNE, WE GAVE OUT OVER $37,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          NICE. 
          THERE ARE A LOT OF DESERVING, UM, STUDENTS THAT, UH, WE, WE REVIEW. 
          IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS TO TRY TO NARROW DOWN THAT FIELD. 
          UM, SO A LITTLE COMMERCIAL. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T, UH, ALREADY JOINED THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, DUES ARE $25 A YEAR, AND OF COURSE THAT ALL GOES TO, UH, SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          SO WE APPRECIATE, UH, ANY NEW MEMBERSHIPS. 
          UM, BEFORE WE BREAK FOR DESSERT, UH, JUST WANNA THANK, UH, THE PEOPLE AT THE SOUTHSIDE CLUB FOR, AGAIN, UH, UH, A GREAT VENUE, WORKS SO WELL FOR US. 
          UM, BISTRO HOUSE FOR THE CATERING, AND, UH, THE TWO PEOPLE THAT REALLY PUT, UH, PUT THIS, UH, TOGETHER. 
          UM, IF, IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN THE, UM, IN THE EARLY 1970S, WORLDWIDE WRESTLING FEDERATION, UM, ALWAYS HAD MATCHES ON TV AND THEY, BEGINNING, THEY, THEY WOULD ALWAYS ANNOUNCE THE REFEREES AND THEY WOULD ALSO ANNOUNCE THE TIMEKEEPER AT THE BELL. 
           OUR HALL OF FAME CHAIRPERSON. 
          HOW AM I DOING ON TIME? YEAH, YOU'RE GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, ASSISTING NANCY ON THE WHOLE PROCESS, UH, LORRAINE USHER. 
          THEY'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE AND THE HALL OF FAME AND BRINGING THIS TO YOU TONIGHT. 
          SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING. 
          UM, I GUESS DESSERT'S READY, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT COFFEE. 
          UH - WHOEVER EATS. 
          I GOT SOMETHING. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          UM, JUICE. 
          WHAT IS IT? DUDE. 
          DUDE. 
          I DID, YEAH. 
          THEY DID DO. 
          YEAH. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE JERSEYS? OH, YEAH. 
          WE HAVE TO MENTION ABOUT THE JERSEYS. 
          UM, THANKS TO, UH, CHRIS DIBENEDETTO AND DREW WENDELL. 
          UM, THEY WERE GETTING RID OF A LOT OF, UH, JERSEYS, UM, FROM PAST YEARS. 
          WE NOW HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR SALE. 
          CHRIS PULLED THEM OUT, UH, OF THE BIN THAT THEY WERE IN, HAD THEM LAUNDERED AND EVERYTHING, AND, UH, WE'RE SELLING THEM FOR $35. 
          SO IF THERE'S AN OLD JERSEY THAT YOU WORE, UM, PLAYING SPORTS, IT'S A GOOD CHANCE WE HAVE... 
          IF IT'S NOT THE SAME JERSEY, IT'S THE NUMBER. 
          SO... 
          STAN, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PUT ON THE WEBSITE. 
          OKAY, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE. 
          YEAH. 
          BASKETBALL IS 35, BASEBALL'S 50. 
          OKAY. 
          BASEBALL 50 AND BASKETBALL 35. 
          THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING. 
          UM, WE'RE HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, SO ENJOY SOME DESSERT AND.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.