Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
In 1958, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame was opened. There were various meetings about the possibility of opening a Hall of Fame for the state, and the first came in 1950. There were talks of what this Hall would become. Would it honor amateurs and professionals? Men and women? Well, those questions were answered when in 1958, the Hall announced it would honor all of the state's finest athletes. Today, dozens of categories make of this Hall of Fame, and it has proven to be one of the most inclusive Halls of Fame in the United States.
Images
An outside view of the Hall of Fame and museum.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Perhaps the most noteworthy addition to the football section of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame was Quarterback Terry Bradshaw. His induction in 1988 was well earned. His beginnings were at Louisiana Tech University, where he was a top draft pick for Pittsburgh His rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers was one to forget, as he threw four times more interceptions than touchdowns. He quickly rebounded from his slump in the early seventies, and he possibly created the Super Bowl era's first dynasty. With then help of the famed steel curtain defense and a couple Hall of Fame receivers, Bradshaw helped the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories by the end of the 1970s [1].
The basketball portion of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is rich in talent with the likes of Joe Dumars and "Pistol" Pete Maravich. However, Shaquille O'Neal made it in with a big gameplan and personality. The 7-foot-1 center played his college basketball at Louisiana State University. He exploded on the scene and was the early draft choice of the Orlando Magic in 1992. He left Orlando in 1996 to form one of the most lethal one-two punches in NBA history with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He won three NBA championships for the team and left for Miami in 2004. He won his fourth and final title in 2006. He was a journeyman at the end of his career, but he entertained multiple cities with his big play and personality[2].
Lou Brock was one of the greatest baseball players of his time. As a result, he is one of the best baseball players to be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He passed up his senior year of high school to play for the Chicago Cubs from 1961 to 1964. After the Cubs performed a questionable trade involving Brock, he went to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. His career with the Cardinals lasted 15 years. He was later inducted in that team's Hall of Fame, and the Cardinals retired his #20 jersey. His career ended with over 3,000 hits and 900 RBIs[3].
The basketball portion of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is rich in talent with the likes of Joe Dumars and "Pistol" Pete Maravich. However, Shaquille O'Neal made it in with a big gameplan and personality. The 7-foot-1 center played his college basketball at Louisiana State University. He exploded on the scene and was the early draft choice of the Orlando Magic in 1992. He left Orlando in 1996 to form one of the most lethal one-two punches in NBA history with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He won three NBA championships for the team and left for Miami in 2004. He won his fourth and final title in 2006. He was a journeyman at the end of his career, but he entertained multiple cities with his big play and personality[2].
Lou Brock was one of the greatest baseball players of his time. As a result, he is one of the best baseball players to be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He passed up his senior year of high school to play for the Chicago Cubs from 1961 to 1964. After the Cubs performed a questionable trade involving Brock, he went to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. His career with the Cardinals lasted 15 years. He was later inducted in that team's Hall of Fame, and the Cardinals retired his #20 jersey. His career ended with over 3,000 hits and 900 RBIs[3].
Sources
1. http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/football/terry-bradshaw/?query=category.eq.Football&xsearch_id=inductee_search2&xsearch[0]=Football&back=inductee
2. http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/basketball/shaquille-shaq-o-neal/?query=category.eq.Basketball&xsearch_id=inductee_search2&xsearch[0]=Basketball&back=inductee
3. http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/baseball/louis-lou-brock/?query=category.eq.Baseball&xsearch_id=inductee_search2&xsearch[0]=Baseball&back=inductee