AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > June > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHappy to be in this hall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
There are halls of fame, and there are halls of fame, but my question here refers to the Hall of What? Halls of fame generally celebrate guys who scored the winning touchdown, hit a World Series home run, won the U.S. Open or were in Secretariat’s saddle. Henry Aaron belongs. Bobby Jones belongs. Tommy Nobis, Dominique Wilkins, and two more Bobbies, Dodd and Cox, are in the inaugural class of the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
But some guy who makes his living using two fingers? Who looks at the world through bifocals? Who looks at golf from the left-handed side — and was doing so before Phil Mickelson was born? Who has been watching stock car races since before drivers started crawling through the window to get to the steering wheel? Who still can’t recognize a balk when he sees one? And has yet to actually see a hockey goal? And can split an infinitive with the best of ‘em.
That guy?
A few weeks ago, a man named Larry Winter called and told me I had been elected to the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame. “Me?” was my response. “You must be scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
“Oh, no,” he said, “this is just our second group, and you were a unanimous choice.”
Larry must have a lot of time on his hands, but I don’t see how. He’s in the real estate business and real estate is booming in Atlanta. I know, because I’ve started checking the stock quotations before the sports section — or did. You could have bowled me over with a bowling ball, for I’ve never been so sure that Jesus’ close friend, Matthew, wasn’t right when he wrote, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country.”
Now my picture will be hanging at the airport, but I know some who’d prefer that it be the body itself. Practicing sports writing in this territory all these years, there was no way to establish neutrality. Georgia Bulldogs insisted that I was in bed with Georgia Tech, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets insisted I was sleeping with their enemy. When in truth, I really preferred Agnes Scott.
Nevertheless, the electorate must have dismissed my flaws and here I stood, at the pearly gates of recognition by the folks who knew me best. They have high regard for my sense of barbecue, understand that I don’t cheat at golf, have never really mastered the art of homerism, but they overlook the most important thing that I’ve done in life — that is, raise three sons from the ages of 9, 8 and 4 as a single parent, and that they responded with honor. That’s something that doesn’t figure into the sports equation.
I’ve just gone on from one column to the next, about 15,000 of them by this time, trying to tell it as I see it. Baseball was what triggered all this, from hick town back lots to World Series — what a book title — but in addition to the balk, I still have trouble identifying the infield fly rule. There is a lot of stuff in life that are still mysteries to me, like inflation, high post and low post, why we must have Democrats and Republicans, all those Stallone repeats, and the Einstein theory. I do know Charlie Einstein from Albert. Albert could never have written a sports column.
Well, just think of it, walking onto the stage with a man who won 318 baseball games throwing with his knuckles, another man who has been the heavyweight champion four times, the coach who resuscitated basketball at Georgia Tech, a woman who won Olympic gold medals with her feet, a baseball player who played when only the ball was white (a purloined line), and this old dude who got here in 1950 and still won’t go away. Phil Niekro, Evander Holyfield, Bobby Cremins, Wyomia Tyus, James “Red” Moore and the guy who has made a career of semicolons, prepositions, adverbs and the worst foe any in newspapering ever had to face, a deadline with 15 minutes to write.
That’s it. Nothing like honor in your own precinct. I’m just relieved that I wasn’t required to draft some old pal to be my inductor. You see, most of my vintage have departed this earth, or are now living in a second home somewhere on a beach or on a mountain. I’m just happy to have been invited to the party.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By BirdDawg
June 10, 2006 02:00 AM | Link to this
If anyone deserves it, Mr. Bisher, it’s most definately you.
You are a Georgian Treasure, much like the much - missed Lewis Grizzard.
By jim in Pine Mountain
June 10, 2006 05:56 AM | Link to this
One of the internet’s greatest blessings is that people all over the world get to read Mr Bisher’s column. Certainly the greatest sports writer of all time.
By Phil in Sharpsburg
June 10, 2006 09:35 AM | Link to this
A well deserved honor. You are the only sportswriter any where who could induce me to read a column on horse racing.
By Don
June 10, 2006 09:49 AM | Link to this
You shoulda been a unanimous choice in the 1st group! You are a star among stars.
By dave
June 10, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this
a national treasure. being from st paul. mn. along with dick young in new york and joe falls of detroit mr bisher sits in the top three fof all time. thanks
By olddawg55
June 10, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this
Mr Bisher, I grew up with you..reading your column thru high school and whenever I could over the years..returning to the South where you were available full-time. I cryed with you over the loss of your son, rejoiced with your wit and intelligence in your analyses of sports and sportsmen/women. You deserve this honor and much more. If there were a Father’s Hall of Fame you’d be a first round choice. Again, congrats for all the columns over the years, and a Happy Father’s Day in advance!
By War Eagle
June 10, 2006 08:58 PM | Link to this
I remember meeting you for the first time at the Sunset Hills Country Club LPGA tourament featuring Lousie Suggs, Patty Berg and the great Babe Zarharis in Carrollton.Johnny Suggs, Louise Daddy, told you that this 12 year old wanted to play football at Georgia Tech, well I changed and played for your friend Shug Jordan at Auburn. The next meeting was OlePonce De leon Park, where my Dad and Earl Mann were talking about Country Brown, the Summerville, Ga flash. Mr Mann told my Dad you were going to be a great sportswriter, hope you dont journey back to North Carolina.We talk several times about the Carrollton Hornets in the old Ga-Ala League. My last conversation was at UGA-Auburn game in 2001 after Loren Smith interview, we spoke again on the Carrollton Hornets.Quite a time span. Furman, you are the legend of all Sportswriters including your late buddy Blackie Sherill,Dallas Morning News and Jesse Outlaw OF AJC CONGRATULATIONS
By Ken Stallings
June 10, 2006 11:38 PM | Link to this
Furman,
I know your dear mother taught you to remain humble and modest. But you earned this selection.
And your mother and father are both proud of you!
Cheers,
Ken Stallings
By Jim Harberson
June 11, 2006 12:15 AM | Link to this
I think that I read every one of Furman Bisher’s columns during my six years at Tech. If I has studied as hard I would have graduated sooner but I doubt that I would have learned as much. Congratulations on your selection! Jim Harberson