It happens once a year. And has been happening since the year Bobby Jones, Ty Cobb, Bobby Dodd and idols of sport opened the gate. Ofttimes, halls of fame create as much bickering and ill will as adulation. In fact, the very location of the physical site of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame itself has been the center of an ongoing hassle. You'll find it in Macon, located there through the influence of state politicians who felt their part of the state needed to share in some of its attractions.

So the facility was built, at a cost of something around $8 million. An endowment is required to keep the doors open and the place operative. It's an attractive facility, begging more advanced curator treatment, but the vision of speeding motorists from Ohio, Connecticut and points north veering off I-75 to view the historic sports figures of Georgia has never materialized.

This year there has been change. Due to the vigorous efforts of Loran Smith, Wendell Couch, D.L. Claiborne and other Georgians, the induction ceremony was moved from Macon to the Cobb Galleria. Indications were, the place would be sold out, some 1,200 patrons at last count. There were nine inductees, and out of loyalty, Macon was not shut out. The honored nine were transported to the capital of Bibb and inducted there, then serenaded at the festive hall in Cobb.

Just how this will affect future inductions is yet to be determined. For certain, not much can be done about the present location of the Hall. Too much has been invested in it —- unless some insurance company is searching for new headquarters. So, the Hall busied itself with its annual mission Saturday night. You've read, of course, voluminous essays on two inductees, the great Southern voice of baseball, Ernie Harwell, and the booming golfer from Augusta, Jim Dent. This was just another of many inductions for Ernie, including one in his hometown, Washington, Ga., Friday. Jim has been a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame for several years. Their feats have been registered.

There are the others: Herb St. John, an All-America guard at Georgia on Wally Butts' mid-'40s teams; Earnest Byner and Richard Dent of NFL football; Tree Rollins of NBA basketball; Elmore Smith of Macon and NBA basketball; Norman Carter of high school basketball and L.C. Baker of coaching, at Booker T. Washington High School.

L.C. Baker relates to an age when "coach" referred to the person who was the whole staff, and usually every sport. His football teams won 222 games and were unbeaten for 17 of the 37 seasons he was at Washington. The major star of his tour was Donn "Big Train" Clendenon, later the Mets' hero of the World Series in 1969. He passed away ahead of his time a few years ago.

The other Dent, Richard, came out of high school in Atlanta, then via Tennessee State, became a Chicago Bear, five times All-Pro and MVP in Super Bowl XX, when the Bears emasculated the Patriots. Known as "Sack Man," for that was his specialty.

In Rollins, the Hall reaches new heights. Tree becomes the tallest member of the Hall, achieved the altitude of 7 feet, 1 inch growing up in Cordele. And from there, navigated his way through Clemson, to the Hawks.

That brings me around to Earnest Byner, who grew up in Milledgeville, played at East Carolina, then moved on into the NFL for 13 seasons between the Browns, Redskins and Colts. For all the 7,948 yards he gained, 56 touchdowns he scored and telling blocks he leveled, he is cruelly remembered most in Cleveland for a fumble. The Browns were on the goal line in Denver, threatening to put the game away, when Byner fumbled, the Broncos recovered and a date in the Super Bowl for the Browns was lost. It was a crushing blow for Bud Carson, the Browns coach, and he never got that close again. A few seasons later, the Browns took Byner back, and the short and sturdy ball-carrier retired in good graces. Sorry, but that was the story. Far as Georgia is concerned, all is forgiven.

furman@ajc.com