Traveling Texas with Ann Harder: Texas Sports Hall of Fame

What started as an idea from a sports editor from the Beaumont Enterprise in 1949 has now become a staple for sports fans in the Lone Star State.

EDITOR OF THE"BEAUMONTENTERPRISE" WAY BACKIN 1949 ... HAS NOWBECOME A STAPLE HEREIN THE WACO AREA FORSPORTS FANS.IN THIS EDITION OFTRAVELING TEXAS --ANN HARDER TAKES USTO THE TEXAS SPORTSHALL OF FAME.INSIDE THE WALLS OFTHE TEXAS SPORTSHALL OF FAME ARESTORIES ANMEMORIES FROM YEARSPAST.BLACK -"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEREYOU'RE FROM.

IF YOU'REFROM EAST TEXAS, NORTHTEXAS, WEST TEXAS, YOU'REGOING TO KNOW SOMEONETHAT'S IN THE HALL OF FAMEAND MORE THAN LIKELYTHEY'RE GOING TO BE FROMYOUR HOMETOWN."THE HALL OF FAMEORIGINALLY BEGAN INGRAND PRAIRIE IN 1981AND WAS OPEN FORFIVE YEARS BEFORCLOSING DOWN... ITREOPENED HEREWACO IN 1993.

IT'S ANEVER-CHANGING LIVINGHISTORY OF SPORTS INTHE LONE STAR STATE.BLACK - "WE'VE GOTOVER 385 INDUCTEES,APPROXIMATELY.

WE'VEGOT OVER 15,000OBJECTS THAT ROTATEIN AND OUT OFEXHIBITS."THOSE OBJECTS RANGEFROM ONE OF THEFIRST HEISMANTROPHIES EVERAWARDED -- RACINGSILKS FROM WILLYSHOEMAKER -- ONE OFTOM LANDRYFEDORAS -- AND ABASEBALL FROM THE1920 WORLD SERIESASSOCIATED WITH THEINAUGURAL INDUCTEETRIS SPEAKERBLACK - "IT'S KIND OF ANEAT STORY HE WASPLAYING CENTERFIELD,HE WAS ALSO THEMANAGER AT THAT TIME.THE LAST OUT WAS ASECOND BASE HE'SRUNNING IN TOCELEBRATE WITH HISTEAMMATES.

THESECOND BASEMANFLIPS IT TO HIM, HEKEEPS IT, PRESENTS ITTO HIS MOTHER WHOHAD TRAVELED FROMHUBBARD TOCLEVELAND TO WATTHE GAME OF THEWORLD SERIES HEPRESENTS IT TO HER,SHE BRINGS IT HOME.STAYS AS A FAMILYHEIRLOOM, A LOT OF HISCOLLECTION HADBURNED IN A FIRE BFORTUNATELY THATPIECE HAD BEENDONATED TO THEMUSEUM WHENFIRST OPENED IN THEEARLY 80S."ALONG WITH THEMUSEUM DISPLAYS, THE35,000 SQUARE FOOTBUILDING HOUSES ASPORTS SIMULATOR,THE TEXAS TENNMUSEUM AND HALL OFFAME -- AS WELL AS THETEXAS HIGH SCHOOLFOOTBALL HALL OFFAME.STANDUP - 11 YEARSAGO THE MUSEUMEXPANDED TO PAYTRIBUTE TO THESOUTHWESTCONFERENCE, ANATIONAL POWERCONFERENCE UNTIL ITBROKE UP IN 1996.HERE THE SOUTHWESTCONFERENCE EXHIBITFEATURES THE GRANDHISTORY OF TEXAS COLLEGEATHLETICS.BLACK - "IF YOU THINABOUT IT THERE'S NOBIG TEN MUSEUMCERTAINLY NOT A BIG 12MUSEUM, THERE'S NOTA PAC-10 OR 12 MUSEUMSO WE'RE ALSO KIND OPROUD THAT WE CANBE THE HOME OF THAEXHIBIT AS WELL."EVERY YEAR THE HALLOF FAME WELCOMES INNEW MEMBERSCRITERIA IS SIMPLE --BLACK - "HAS THIPERSON BROUGHTLASTING FAME ANDHONOR TO TEXAS?"DURING THE FIRSTWEEK OF JUNESPORTSWRITERS ANPERSONALITIES FROMTHE STATE GATHER TODETERMINE THE NEWCLASS, AND ONCEINDUCTED, NEWMEMBERS ATTEND ABANQUET TO ACCEPTTHE HONOR.

FOR ONEYOUNG WACOAN WHOMADE IT BIG, THE IDEAOF BEING IN THE TEXASSPORTS HALL OF FAMECAME AT AN EARLY AGE.LADANIAN TOMLINSON,TX SPORTS HALL OFFAME INDUCTEE - "I REMEMBER I USED TO SEETHE TEXAS SPORTS HALL OFFAME ALL THE TIME AND I'NEVER BEEN IN THEREBEFORE, NEVER BEEN INTHAT MUSEUM, BUT ALWAYSWONDERED WHAT IT WOULDBE LIKE BEING THERE.

I SMY GOALS TO ONE DAY BETHERE AND ACTUALLY IT WAA GOAL OF MINE EARLY ONTO BE A PART OF THIS CLUBAND I'M HAPPY TO FINALLY BEHERE."SO WHETHER YOU'RE ALIFELONG FAN, OR ANEW ONE -- THE TEXASSPORTS HALL OF FAMEIS THE PLACE TO SEETHE SHINING STARS OFTHE LONE STAR STATE.THIS YEAR'S TEXASSPORTS HALL OF FAMEINDUCTION BANQUETWILL BE AUGUST 28THIN WACO.9 SPORTS LEGENDSFROM TEXAS WILL BEHONORED.