Ray Tucker, executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, paid a visit to his native city Wednesday to note the impact that amateur and professional athletes with Arkansas ties have had on the sports world.
Tucker opened his presentation with a video featuring athletes from a wide spectrum of sports.
The musical sound track clearly came from “The Natural”, the popular mid-1980s film about a middle aged baseball player who found his niche in a fictional Major League setting.
The sound track was well crafted since Arkansas is known as The Natural State.
Among the athletes shown in clips from their most notable roles included Scotty Pippen, who has been named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be formally inducted today.
Pippen was overlooked by major colleges when he signed with the University of Central Arkansas. He went on to play with Michael “Air” Jordan and company as the Chicago Bulls won 6 National Basketball Association titles.
Pippen was chosen during the 1996-1997 NBA season as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.
Jerry Jones, a member of the national champion Arkansas Razorbacks football team in 1964 and long-time owner of the Dallas Cowboys, pointed to the relatively large number of athletes who came from one of the smallest states population-wise.
Another Arkansan, Jimmy Johnson led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl title after his collegiate coaching days.
The video traced hurredly Tommy Bolt, a noted PGA player; Kevin McReynolds, who excelled with the UA and went to a pro career with the San Diego Padres and New York Mets; Keith Jackson, who opted for Oklahoma and went on to play for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, and Ken Hatfield, who was an All-American at the UA and had a stellar college coaching career including two Southwest Conference titles with the Razorbacks.
A quote by Keith Jackson underscored the aim of sports when he said it was not about awards but the “lessons you learn.”
Others from many years ago were George Kell, a Hall of Famer and batting title winner with the Detroit Tigers and Brooks Robinson, a Hall of Fame player who was possibly the greatest third baseman in history.
Another lesser known individual who reached a personal height was Jermain Taylor who won pro boxing’s middleweight championship.
Tucker, who has been with the ASHofF for 13 years, said visitors frequent the shrine located at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.
KFFA owner Jim Howe introduced Tucker.
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Ray Tucker, executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, paid a visit to his native city Wednesday to note the impact that amateur and professional athletes with Arkansas ties have had on the sports world.
Tucker opened his presentation with a video featuring athletes from a wide spectrum of sports.
The musical sound track clearly came from “The Natural”, the popular mid-1980s film about a middle aged baseball player who found his niche in a fictional Major League setting.
The sound track was well crafted since Arkansas is known as The Natural State.
Among the athletes shown in clips from their most notable roles included Scotty Pippen, who has been named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be formally inducted today.
Pippen was overlooked by major colleges when he signed with the University of Central Arkansas. He went on to play with Michael “Air” Jordan and company as the Chicago Bulls won 6 National Basketball Association titles.
Pippen was chosen during the 1996-1997 NBA season as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.
Jerry Jones, a member of the national champion Arkansas Razorbacks football team in 1964 and long-time owner of the Dallas Cowboys, pointed to the relatively large number of athletes who came from one of the smallest states population-wise.
Another Arkansan, Jimmy Johnson led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl title after his collegiate coaching days.
The video traced hurredly Tommy Bolt, a noted PGA player; Kevin McReynolds, who excelled with the UA and went to a pro career with the San Diego Padres and New York Mets; Keith Jackson, who opted for Oklahoma and went on to play for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, and Ken Hatfield, who was an All-American at the UA and had a stellar college coaching career including two Southwest Conference titles with the Razorbacks.
A quote by Keith Jackson underscored the aim of sports when he said it was not about awards but the “lessons you learn.”
Others from many years ago were George Kell, a Hall of Famer and batting title winner with the Detroit Tigers and Brooks Robinson, a Hall of Fame player who was possibly the greatest third baseman in history.
Another lesser known individual who reached a personal height was Jermain Taylor who won pro boxing’s middleweight championship.
Tucker, who has been with the ASHofF for 13 years, said visitors frequent the shrine located at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.
KFFA owner Jim Howe introduced Tucker.
