Size doesn't matter for Buffalo's Hall of Fame
Commentary
MATT KRUEGER Sports Reporter

This is the fifth, and last, in a series of commentaries about sports Halls of Fame. The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame is just that - a hallway. It doesn't have its own building constructed to highlight its history, it doesn't have rooms of memorabilia kept fresh behind glass cases, and it doesn't have any tour guides retelling stories of great accomplishments.

What it does have is a finger on the pulse of Western New York sports and the athletes, coaches and contributors who have made the greatest impact on the Queen City.

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, located just outside the Sabres Store in HSBC Arena, showcases the best and brightest of athletes and coaches who cemented their legacy in Western New York or Buffalo natives who did their hometown proud elsewhere.

Where else can legends like Warren Spahn, Gilbert Perreault and Jim Kelly share the spotlight with local heroes like Bob Barrows, Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer and Dorothy Sowers?

This isn't just about representing one sport or one league. It's about honoring the people who have made their mark in the sports world and giving it a little Buffalo flavor.

The Class of 1991 was the first inducted into the Hall. Its diverse collection, which spanned baseball, football, hockey, basketball, bowling and badminton, was a signal of things to come. This isn't just a token send up to the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres and those Western New York natives talented enough to play in one of the four major professional sports. It truly honors all sports at all levels. The Class of 1991 puts famed baseball manager Joe McCarthy (Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees) next to longtime Depew High School football coach Frank Constantino. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone outside Western New York who is familiar with Constantino's legacy, while McCarthy is considered the greatest Major League Baseball manager ever. Yet at the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, they're considered equals.

Want to get obscure? Check out the class of 1992's Ruth Hangen. She was inducted for her championship horseshoe pitching. Or check out 1995's Dick Cortright, who was an Olympic cyclist in 1952, 1956 and 1960.

Of course, a large supply of the Hall members come from the Bills and Sabres alumni. You have Bills like Jack Kemp, Thurman Thomas and Fred Smerlas and Sabres like Rick Martin, Mike Ramsey and Pat LaFontaine.

The membership will reach 212 next month when the Class of 2007 is inducted. This year's class will also add something different. Along with the usual 11 members, two former athletes, boxer Rocky Kansas and track and field standout Charles Reidpath, will receive the Pride of Western New York Award. The rest of the class is: Tovie Asarese, Dick Ciprich, Joe Foyle, Phil Housley, Patty Jordan, Christian Laettner, Tony Masiello, Jim May, the Muscato family, Bill Polian and Darryl Talley.

So the next time you go see the Sabres play or file through the entrance to buy the latest Sabres merchandise, stop and check out the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Get acquainted with the men and women who have meant the most to Buffalo sports fans. You might learn something.

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com