Future Bright For Hall

It was a grand weekend once at again at Nationals. And while the tournament numbers were low, and attendance at the Hall celebration was small, the aura of Nationals was still in the air. And the addition of the Hall of Fame Banquet seemed to be the perfect addition to an already stellar weekend.

It was too bad however, that there weren't more ballers in attendance to partake in the history, the fellowshipping, the camaraderie and the celebration of two of the great competitors in the history of Madden. Nevertheless, it didn't spoil a great night for the MWS, and it also planted the seed for greater Hall celebrations to come.

MWS veteran 3rd & Long said it best when he set the tone for the evening by saying "we may be small in numbers, but we are large in spirit." That statement alone seemed to uplift the room. Prior to 3rd's opening remarks the 25 attendees seemed to be somewhat lukewarm in spirit for the event. But afterwards, the rest of the evening was a night to remember.

The Beast took over after 3rd's charge, and proceeded to do a masterful job entertaining the room with his charm, wit, and humor. The former M. C. of the Madden Challenge tour, took command of the room as though he was in Las Vegas getting the ballers ready to do battle. So, thanks to 3rd & The Beast, the evening was a total success.

The highlight of the evening of course came when the two honorees made their acceptance speeches. 3rd & Long eloquently introduced Winky White, while Big Smooth comically countered the BFL brothers with a short and to the point introduction of Lou Tillery. It was the perfect blend of comedy and emotion. While 3rd exhibited the passion, pride and love he has for his brother Wink and the BFL, Big Smooth kept the room laughing by making comparisons to the BFL and NOMB. Both men told fascinating stories about the inductees, revealing little known facts about the two marquee ballers.

Once White took the podium, he took us on a journey through time that stretched back as far as his early days in the BFL, up to the first Nationals, while touching on current concerns that the MWS community faces today. White was loquacious, as he always is, but passionate about how this game, and this community has effected so many by bringing ballers together resulting in positive relationships and events. His trek through history was one that all of the younger ballers in the MWS community should hear and heed.

As I listened to White's speech, I was somewhat disappointed as I looked around the room. Everyone there was a veteran of the community of at least 4 or more years. The one person there under the age of 25 may have been Vinominon, who was accompanied by his mother.

There seems to be a growing discontent among the ranks. A division between the younger players and the older MWS vets that have been around the community for the past 4 or more years. I just thought to myself, that if the younger players could hear the passion in White's voice, if they could be a part of this celebration, be present in the room, maybe they would understand why the older vets are so passionate about the sanctity game, and about the community. Maybe a gap could be bridged between the younger generation of ballers and the older generation. But that would only be wishful thinking.

And while White was almost preaching to choir, it was a message everyone in the room enjoyed hearing, even if they already knew and felt where he was coming from. That's probably why he was greeted with a standing ovation when he stepped down from the podium by those in attendance; The ultimate in respect and humility, considering those in the room were truly his peers.

Once Tillery took the stage, he made it clear he would not be as "loquacious" as White. Nevertheless, as Lou proceeded through his acceptance speech, the audience was treated to classic L. T. humor, that in all honesty many were surprised to see coming from the mild mannered Tillery. "The Dominator" as he was once referred to as, had the room in stitches during his acceptance speech. It was a type of comedy many didn't realize Tillery possessed as he talked about his treks across the nation during his dominant days, sharing stories about his days at the KOTC tourneys or in Baltimore of Philly.

Perhaps the most moving moment of Tillery's speech was when he spoke about what the MWS has meant to him as a person. He even spoke about how he and the BFL got off on the wrong foot at Nationals III and started out as rivals, but quickly became the best of friends. He also paid tribute to D.C. of the BFL, saying that if (Tillery) is in the Hall, D.C. deserves to be there also, because he considers D.C. the brightest mind in the game today.

Oh, it was a great night. And just a glimmer of what is to come in the future. I can't wait until next year to see who the nominees will be, who will get voted in, and who will be there to accept their awards and put on the Gold Jacket.

Did I say Gold Jacket? That's right! If things go as planned, by next year, all of our inductees should be able to sport the Madden Players Hall Of Fame Gold Jacket. Just one of the many things we hope to add to the event to make better and better each year.