GETTING A FRESH SET OF DOWNS
Hall of Fame moving down the street
— It has been a good morning for Mark DeNobile. Sitting in his corner office, the beeping sound is reasonably constant — meaning that people are entering the Canadian Football Hall of Fame with frequent regularity. And so it should be. Later that day, the Tiger-Cats will host the Alouettes at Tim Hortons Field.
And it has been a good summer for DeNobile, a 56-year-old Hamilton native and the hall’s executive director since 2008. Last July, Hamilton city council ratified a plan that will see the Ticats’ new venue become the hall’s permanent home, starting as early as 2016.
One key feature of the proposed plan will see the hall’s centrepiece artifacts — the 278 busts of members — featured in a high-tech studio on the grounds of Tim Hortons Field. The historic trophies, photos, plaques and artifacts from the hall’s collection would be placed in fan-accessible locations throughout the stadium, with the Canadian Football League assuming responsibility for its future operation, including member selection, expenses and capital expenditures.
“In general, people don’t like change — but this change is good, I think,” DeNobile said. “It’s like the chicken-and-egg thing. We don’t have the funds for proper delivery of artifacts or the displays.
“It’s a whole new blackboard. There will be new minds and fresh ideas. It has been a vicious circle. You can’t get sponsors without feet coming through the door. And that meant companies have been reluctant to jump on board. When the room gets built at Tim Hortons Field, you’re going to have more people at one game seeing the busts than the last seven years. That’s a good thing.”
Located since 1972 in the heart of downtown Hamilton, but set in from the street, the 10,000-squarefoot museum is one of the sport’s dark secrets. Aging and ignored, other than a small sign and arrow on Main Street, the hall is easily overlooked. And despite the thousands of vehicles driving past it daily and the ample available parking, it remains virtually empty on many days. The average daily attendance, DeNobile said, can be counted on the fingers of both hands — with several fingers remaining. Attendance on Tiger-Cats game days, in general, is better, but there’s a guarantee of only 10 home games per season.
The hall, which operates as a non-profit corporation, has survived in recent years thanks to several benefactors, and the city of Hamilton allows it to operate rent- and tax-free. Since 2009, the induction ceremony has rotated throughout the league, with interested cities making a pitch to stage the fundraising event along with the accompanying alumni golf tournament.
The league’s events staff will assume control of the hall, with the CFL utilizing some of its existing sponsors while seeking out new companies, as well. DeNobile’s responsibilities are expected to change, but he has been assured his job is safe. He previously worked for the Ticats organization on game-day operations and his father, Geno, a guard, played nine years and 102 games with the team — so the hall remains close to DeNobile’s heart.
“The way it’s run isn’t fair to the Hall of Famers. I’d be the first to admit it. They should be out in the spotlight,” said DeNobile, who oversees a two-person staff that includes Andrea Lane, manager (marketing and events), and curator Christopher Alfred. “This is the new dawn of the hall and I’m ecstatic. There will be challenges, but there’s now interest in it — from the CFL. I’m not saying there wasn’t before, but the league had other issues. That’s their core business. We were just on the outside, and I’m good with that.”
The beauty of the Hall of Fame, and the CFL for that matter, is that fans can rub shoulders with league personnel — and some potential future hall members — for a nominal admission price: $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. On this day, Alouettes general manager and head coach Jim Popp dropped by. He was soon followed by quarterback legend Anthony Calvillo, who coaches Montreal’s pivots, and defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe.
Calvillo spent 20 years playing in the league, including three seasons in Hamilton, yet sheepishly admitted this was his first trip through the doors. DeNobile said he’s certain many of the city’s residents — among the league’s most vociferous and loyal fans — are unaware the facility exists.
“I just thought I’d get to the Hall of Fame another time ... before they close the doors here,” Popp said. “It’s nice to reminisce, come back through the facility and see all the people I’ve either worked with, players I’ve brought in or been a part of our teams. There are some great memories, and you see all the aspects and history of the league. You can never lose touch with that.”
In the months ahead, DeNobile will begin the onerous task of packing the busts, storing other team artifacts and deciding what to do with the rest of the memorabilia. Not everything on the main floor will make the short trip to the stadium. Everything in the basement — photos, equipment, stats, game sheets, team records and the Grey Cup film room — will remain in the current location.
“I’m looking forward to the new change. It’s going to be a lot better and where it should be. There will be some pain with moving and storing stuff,” DeNobile admitted. “A lot of the display areas are outdated. We’ll put stuff in a box and seal it up for retail sale. They’re not buying it anyways, so let’s just put it away. Or we just have a big garage sale.”