Latest news with #HOF
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU vs. Big Ten Matchup Set for HOF Series in Baltimore
Coppin State University, a proud HBCU located in Baltimore, will tip off its 2025–26 men's basketball season with a high-profile showdown against Big Ten contender, the University of Maryland. The game is set for November 3 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore as part of the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (HOF) Series, organizers announced Wednesday. This exciting matchup marks the Hall of Fame's return to Charm City after its successful debut in 2024. Hosted in partnership with Position Sports, the event showcases top-tier college basketball programs in premier non-conference games across the country. Maryland currently leads the all-time series 2–1. However, Coppin State fans still remember the Eagles' dominant 70–53 victory in the first meeting in 1989. That game featured none other than current Coppin State head coach Larry Stewart, who was a standout forward at the time. Since then, the Terrapins have claimed victories in 2022 and 2023. The upcoming contest offers Coppin State a chance to even the series and make a national statement. "It's a great opportunity for our program and institution to be part of the HOF Series in Baltimore to kick off the season," said Stewart. "We're excited to play a top-tier program like Maryland. I expect a packed house full of Eagle and Terrapin fans, plus the great sports fans of Baltimore." The 2025 Hall of Fame Series will feature a doubleheader of regional matchups. Alongside Coppin State vs. Maryland, Towson will face off against Loyola Maryland. Details on game times, tickets, and broadcast coverage will be released soon. Melissa Meacham-Grossman, President of Position Sports, emphasized the importance of the event. "Returning to Baltimore shows the growing excitement around the HOF Series and the region's deep love for college basketball," she said. For Coppin State and other HBCU programs, participating in events like the Hall of Fame Series is more than just a game-it's a chance to elevate their visibility and competitiveness on a national stage. Facing a Big Ten opponent in their home city adds to the significance. Fans can sign up now for presale access at with more updates to come. The post HBCU vs. Big Ten Matchup Set for HOF Series in Baltimore appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Associated Press
11-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
HALL OF FAME INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2025-- Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ('KSF') are investigating the proposed sale of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company ('HOF' or the 'Company') (NasdaqCM: HOFV) to affiliates of Industrial Realty Group, LLC. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of HOF will receive $0.90 in cash for each share of HOF that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ( [email protected] ) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit View source version on CONTACT: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA LOUISIANA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/10/2025 03:20 PM/DISC: 05/10/2025 03:19 PM
Business Wire
10-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
HALL OF FAME INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ('KSF') are investigating the proposed sale of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company ('HOF' or the 'Company') (NasdaqCM: HOFV) to affiliates of Industrial Realty Group, LLC. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of HOF will receive $0.90 in cash for each share of HOF that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ( toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Will Sergey Kovalev Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer?
After 16 years and 42 professional fights, Sergey Kovalev has retired from boxing after ending his career in style with a TKO of Artur Mann in his home country of Russia earlier this month. Kovalev was once one of the most feared fighters on the planet, and though he lost five of his last 11 bouts, observers have openly wondered in the past few days whether Kovalev will eventually be a Boxing Hall of Famer. In his prime, Kovalev was a ruthless power puncher, stopping 12 of 13 opponents (including a number of undefeated fighters who were at about the B-level) from 2011-2016. Kovalev has beaten champions and at least one Hall of Famer. He perhaps should have been awarded a victory over another. But the last few years of his career could also be a detriment to earning an induction into the HOF. As a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2016, I've been honored to have voted for the Hall of Fame for the past eight years. If Kovalev is done fighting for good, he'd have to wait three years before the HOF could put him on the ballot. When he makes the ballot, he would need to be among the top-three vote-getters from that year (or be selected on more than 80% of the ballots). Let's talk about Kovalev's chances of earning entry into the HOF. After winning 16 straight to start his career, he had a strange draw against a 5-4 opponent in 2011. But after that, Kovalev had quite a run, stopping Nathan Cleverly in 2013 for a light heavyweight title, knocking down and then shutting out Bernard Hopkins the next year to unify a pair of 175-pound belts, and beating Jean Pascal twice in 2015 and 2016. Is that run good enough for the HOF? No. But he did go on to beat the undefeated Eleider Alvarez in a 2019 rematch (Kovalev lost in the first meeting) and then knocked out the undefeated Anthony Yarde in his next fight. Kovalev's first defeat came against Andre Ward in 2016 (all three judges had it 114-113 for Ward), though many observers believed Kovalev, who knocked down Ward in the second round, deserved the win. Ward stopped Kovalev in the rematch with some nasty-looking body shots. From there, Kovalev was stopped by Eleider Alvarez and Canelo Alvarez in a high-profile matchup where Kovalev actually boxed on equal footing with Canelo before Kovalev got knocked out in the 11th round. Kovalev's final defeat came at the hands of the relatively unknown Robin Sirwan Safar in 2024. One of the big misses of Kovalev's career was the inability to land a mega-fight vs. Adonis Stevenson. The two fought on competing networks (Stevenson only wanted to fight on Showtime; Kovalev was an HBO fighter), and no deal could ever be made. If Kovalev could have fought and beat Stevenson, who held a 175-pound title from 2013-2018, his HOF candidacy could look a little different. As he told Boxing News, 'I'm very disappointed that we never fought Adonis Stevenson. It killed my dream to be absolute [undisputed] world champion.' Still, Kovalev was considered for a time to be a top-5 pound-for-pound fighter – which is an important qualification for me when I turn in my ballot. In fact, The Ring magazine ranked him as the No. 2 fighter in the world in parts of 2015 and 2016, only behind Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez. He's also had some low moments outside of the ring, including a 2018 arrest for allegedly punching a woman in the face. He was charged with felony assault, and more than two years later, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Will that factor into a voter's decision on whether he should enter the HOF? Only time will tell. The amount of money you make doesn't make or break you as a Hall of Famer. But let's talk about it anyway, because Kovalev had some nice paydays. His first seven-figure check came against Bernard Hopkins, where Kovalev earned a $1 million payday. He then made a $2 million base for the first Ward matchup (but probably ended up earning much more). Interestingly, Kovalev didn't have a base purse for the rematch (he was only guaranteed a percentage of the PPV and ticket sales money). But all of that was an appetizer to the reported $12 million he made for the Canelo Alvarez bout. If we're making an educated guess, we can say that Kovalev likely made somewhere in the $20 million-$22 million range during his career. As I've written many times in the past, one voter's criteria can be much different from another's. Here's what I value as a voter: Dominance in a division and inclusion on the mythical pound-for-pound list; a sustained reign as one of the top fighters in their weight division; and victories against the top-notch boxers of his era. Some voters don't believe a fighter's popularity or money-making abilities should factor into the equation. I disagree (I'll always believe Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton deserve their places in the HOF because of the sheer excitement they brought to the sport). Kovalev was one of the best fighters in the sport for a solid period of time. He was feared (until he got knocked out by Ward), and the early part of his career was certainly leading him on the path to the HOF. To me, Kovalev is a borderline candidate. If he'd beaten Ward the first time, he'd be a definite yes. Without that victory, it's a more difficult slog. On a down year, where there's no surefire HOF candidate, I could see myself potentially voting for Kovalev and him potentially getting his induction. But I also wouldn't bet my mortgage that he'll one day be enshrined. He's perhaps just missing that one massive victory. More Hall of Fame predictions: Will Deontay Wilder Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer? Will Regis Prograis Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer?
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hall of Fame voting change makes it harder for Fred Taylor, Tom Coughlin to gain entry
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the holy grail for the legacies of NFL players. It delivers unquantified immortality, not to mention puts a lot of residual income in the pockets of gold jacket members who can deliver at corporate speaking engagements. It explains why results of the annual HOF vote, especially for players/coaches/contributors not regarded as automatic first-ballot selections, is such a high anxiety moment. Every voter understands the massive responsibility of trying to fairly judge the resumes of finalists vying to get into Canton. That's why the recent change to the HOF voting bylaws could negatively impact the legacies of multiple candidates, including former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor and head coach Tom Coughlin. After only four players were elected to the Class of 2025 — the smallest group in 20 years — many people blamed voters for the diminished class instead of putting the blame where it rightfully belonged: the HOF Board of Directors that foolishly altered the voting process. Youth movement: Jacksonville Jaguars going with younger leadership in organizational reset Speaking with a half-dozen voters, all of whom preferred to talk anonymously, there's a feeling of overwhelming disappointment, and certainly some anger, about the changes in voting protocol that made it look like they were shortchanging the careers of HOF finalists. "This year, we had so much ammunition that should have gotten more people in the Hall of Fame,' said one voter, who has been part of the 49-member electorate for over a decade. 'I was shocked that [coach nominee] Mike Holmgren and [wide receiver] Torry Holt didn't get in. "I'd say the majority of voters are very disappointed how this went down and we're going to have a call about it.' Another voter was livid about deliberating on a Zoom call for eight-plus hours, discussing the 15 modern-era finalists and five senior players/coach/contributor finalists, yet resulting in only three and one, respectively, getting into Canton. 'What makes me upset is it makes us look as voters that we didn't think more than three modern era candidates were worthy of election,' he said. 'That's not the case.' It'll be interesting to see whether the voter pushback results in the HOF Board of Directors calling an audible when it comes time to vote on the Class of 2026. It's undeniable that the HOF changing the voter protocol for this year's class — which elected Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen and senior candidate Sterling Sharpe — led to only half of the maximum class being elected. Here's why: it used to be voters reduced the 15 modern-era finalists to 10, then 5, and voted yes or no on the final five (80 percent, or 40 of 49 approval required for entry), which is almost guaranteed election because voters are highly reluctant to turn down a candidate advancing that far. This year, the HOF decided to have voters choose five candidates out of seven finalists, which reduces the odds of the maximum five players gaining entry. Under the new voting procedure, a minimum three modern-era players and maximum five get into Canton. But with seven players to choose from instead of five, the vote was obviously more divided and increased the likelihood of more players not hitting the 80 percent threshold. If only two players hit that standard, the next-highest vote-getter would make the HOF. For the other category, with three senior players, one coach nominee and one contributor nominee going up against each other, voters were asked to pick three and that same math meant less of a chance for a maximum three finalists to get into the HOF. For Taylor and Coughlin, who has yet to be the coach nominee in two years of eligibility, this voting change makes it a lot more difficult to be fitted for a gold jacket. With the HOF decreeing that whoever among the seven modern-era finalists doesn't get in is automatically a finalist next year, that means four of the 15 spots for 2026 are reserved for tackle Willie Anderson, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and Holt. As one voter pointed out, since quarterback Drew Brees, running back Frank Gore and receiver Larry Fitzgerald (all expected to get in) become eligible next year, that essentially leaves only eight slots available for Taylor to be among the 15 finalists for a third straight year. Given that seven other finalists, among them Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Wayne and Darren Woodson, and other first-time eligible players will be in the same predicament, it's almost guaranteed that at least a couple finalists from 2025 won't get that far next year. As one voter put it: 'This [voting change] they're doing makes it very difficult for players who either played in small markets, didn't play a glamor position or never won a Super Bowl to get in the Hall.' Translation: Taylor's chances of getting into Canton are significantly reduced. Coughlin's situation is a different complication. Holmgren and 2024 coach nominee Buddy Parker not getting in the HOF only clutters the coaching pool. This year, a blue-ribbon committee deliberated over Coughlin, Holmgren and seven other finalists to be the one coach nominee. It chose Holmgren, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, finished runner-up with the Seattle Seahawks, and has an overall record of 161-111 (.592). Holmgren not getting the required 80 percent — a difficult standard when the coach nominee is thrown into the mixing bowl with three senior finalists and one contributor — means he goes back into consideration next year. Well, not only must Coughlin compete with other worthy candidates like two-time Super Bowl champions Mike Shanahan and George Seifert, but Bill Belichick, who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy six times as a head coach, is also eligible after the HOF reduced the waiting time for coaches after leaving the NFL from five years to one year. 'It's problematic, no question,' said one voter. 'We had one of the best meetings because the presentations were so good for so many people. Holmgren not getting in just stunned me.' That wasn't good news for supporters of Coughlin, inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars in 2024. He has an overall record of 170-150 (.531), which lags behind his competition in terms of win percentage. Still, winning two Super Bowls over Belichick's Patriots and taking an expansion Jaguars team to two AFC title games in its first five years is plenty Hall of Fame-worthy. 'For one coach to emerge by a committee out of pretty stiff competition, a lot of thought went into this to bring a coach or contributor to the voters,' said one voting member. 'So he should be subjected to a simple yes or no vote [to get into the Hall].' 'I've always felt my job is always to listen to all the presentations and to put people in the Hall, not keep them out.' At 78-years-old, Coughlin's brilliant career deserves a bust in Canton. It'd be nice to see him get it while he's still around to enjoy the honor. One voter highly critical of the voting change says it's almost a guarantee that future HOF classes will not reach the maximum number because there's too many qualified candidates. Another reason this change is misguided is football, by virtue of 22 starting positions, has more HOF-worthy candidates than other sports. It should be putting a greater number of players in Canton, not less. 'We've got so many guys backed up that are worthy of getting in and it's only going to get worse now,' the voter said. 'I would be curious to find out who thought this would be a good idea. This rule change doesn't make any sense to me. 'I could have predicted this [reduced class] would happen because when you get good candidates, the vote is going to get split. We were agonizing every year just trying to get it down to five [finalists].' Many voters I've known for decades have expressed how gut-wrenching it is for them just to whittle 15 finalists to 10, then 5. Now the change in voting for five of seven finalists — and not knowing how many or who gets in because the HOF doesn't tell them — makes it even more agonizing. 'They didn't need to change anything,' said one voter. 'Just give it to the top five vote-getters. There's never going to be a shortage where you don't have five deserving candidates. 'Smaller classes are absolutely going to happen because more deserving guys are going to be backlogged. If 80 percent is the standard, less guys will get in every year.' Some have speculated the HOF is concerned about voting results, which voters are supposed to keep secret, getting out and that's why this new format was adopted. Others believe current HOF members influenced the Board of Directors to make entry more exclusive, but HOF spokesman Rich Desrosiers denied that was the reason for the voting change. 'There were certainly some [Hall of Famers] that expressed those views, but it was not pervasive,' said Desrosiers. 'The bylaws are reviewed every year, so change is always possible. 'But you're right about the smaller class this year. It's a reflection of the number of people worthy of being in the Hall that you get that vote fragmentation.' So the question becomes this: will the HOF revert back to the old voting protocol that practically ensures a maximum five modern era candidates are elected, or will the current bylaws stay in place for the foreseeable future? 'With this change and having only one year to look at how the results transpired, it's more likely this system will stay in place for one more year,' Desrosiers said. For Jaguars' legends Fred Taylor and Tom Coughlin, it means the privilege of Canton immortality is likely going to take a lot longer. Sadly, maybe way too long. Gfrenette@ (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Change in HOF voting make it harder entry for Fred Taylor, Tom Coughlin
