Thanks, Hall Of Fame,
for finally remembering Stefan Edberg!

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2004 BALLOT NEWPORT, RI - Tony Trabert, Chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee and President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, today announced that Sweden's Stefan Edberg, Germany's Steffi Graf and the USA's Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney have been named to the 2004 Hall of Fame Induction Ballot.

In 2002, the HOF announced German Boris Becker as its sole nominee for its 2003 inductee in the "recent players" category. Becker's retirement came after that of Stefan Edberg, and arguably he was not even eligible (as Boris had not yet retired for five years at the time of the announcement). This was considered a slight to Edberg, especially since in the sports world it is considered significant for a player of Edberg's stature to be inducted to the hall of fame as soon as he becomes eligible. Boris Becker was subsequently inducted into the HOF in July of this year in spite of much protest from Edberg fans.

Although I personally still hold a grudge against the HOF, I immediately sent a note to them to convey that Edberg fans are pleased that Stefan finally received the overdue nomination that he so deserved. I also urged other Edberg fans to write to them (http://www.tennisfame.com/) to acknowledge the nomination, if only to show that Edberg fans are keeping tab of the situation. Call me overly sensitive, but some of the articles announcing the nominations already make the co-nomination of Steffi Graf overshadow Edberg's. To wit, this is how the announcement was written up at a Fox Sports site:

From correspondents in New York September 4, 2003 STEFFI GRAF, the 22-time Grand Slam singles winner married to top-ranked Andre Agassi, joined Sweden's Stefan Edberg as nominees for induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame today. ...

I place no great stock in halls of fame in general and the tennis HOF in particular. But now that the deed is finally done, I think it is important that Edberg fans show support for the nomination and the presumable induction. Otherwise, I fear the low-key Edberg will be slighted yet again.

On my Edberg site, I have asked fans to write to let me know if they are interested in getting together at the ceremony to show our support, assuming that the induction will occur and that Stefan will make his appearance at the ceremony. Enough people have responded that I am in hope of looking into the possibility that as a group, Edberg fans will have a chance to meet Stefan in person before/after the ceremony. I am also entertaining the idea of making a banner, to be unfurled at the moment that Edberg's induction is announced at the ceremony, and held up by fans in the stands while the Swedish champ gives his speech.

At my urging, suggestions for the banner slogan have been sent in, including the following samples:

• Eddy, you are missed.
• Stefan, the prince of volleying.
• Stefan, elegance in motion.
• Stefan, the most elegant champion.
• God is a serve and volleyer.
• Stefan Edberg-Not just a champion tennis player but a great human being
• Stefan Edberg, Our Hero On and Off the Court
• Best Legs the game has seen!
• Congratulations from your fans around the world
• Talent and Sportsmanship Rewarded
• Thanks HOF for remembering Stefan Edberg (from Jo, who wrote that this line "should scream irony to those who know the full story"; I also took the liberty of borrowing the line for the title of this article.)

Soon after the HOF's announcement, a thread appeared on the tennis-warehouse pro-player discussion board entitled "Any thoughts on Edberg's nomination for the Hall of Fame?" Here are excerpts from some of the postings under that thread:

• Reading the merits listed on the Hall of Fame site, it is clear that he is one of the GREAT players. The decline of Edberg's game at the end of his career may have screwed up his head-to-head and tournament statistics, but there's no question about who dominated tennis in the early 90s. IMHO, he is underrated in most discussions about the "top ten" players etc, maybe because people tend to place too much emphasis on the end years of his career.
• This is a no-brainer, if Stefan Edberg does not make the Hall of Fame (then) there shouldn't even be a Hall of Fame. He embodies everything great about tennis, how else can someone have the sportsmanship award named after him. Six grandslam titles, achieved a #1 world ranking, and is still considered to be an all time fan favorite. Edberg is one of the few players that could be playing an American at the US Open and the majority of the overwhelming majority of American fans were pulling for him to win. Those of you who have attended his matches know this to be true. Stefan Edberg was well respected by his peers and competitors on tour, which only adds to his honor as one of the great players.
• Stefan Edberg had one of the most elegant games our sport has ever witnessed, and he was surely one of the classiest individuals *any* sport has ever known.

Is there a chance that the induction may not come to pass? Supposedly a nominee must receive at least 75% of the votes from the HOF's enshrinement committee to receive induction. I wouldn't put it pass the HOF to disappoint Edberg fans yet once more, but if that's the case then it would be a severe breach of sportsmanship. Still, if you have any spare time, it may not be a bad idea for you to write to newport@tennisfame.com to show some support.

2004 happens to be the HOF's 50th Anniversary. There was some speculation that the HOF was saving Stefan (deemed "less charismatic" than Boris Becker) for this year so that the fanfare of the event will not rest on Edberg's shoulders, supposedly. To add to the glitter, the HOF announced that it will host a gala weekend (July 9-11), a formal celebration that will be held in conjunction with the induction ceremony. The plan is for tennis legends including the likes of Chris Evert, Tony Trabert, John McEnroe to be paraded at the celebration.

So keep those banner slogans coming. My latest favorite is this from Peter Van Mierlo of http://www.tennis-ontheline.com/:

About bloody time, Hall of Fame!

A weekend of clinics, exhibitions, and one-on-ones with Stefan Edberg, winner of eight Grand Slam titles, and WTA star Meghann Shaughnessy with a guest appearance by former world No. 1 Martina Hingis.