Determining Wolf's HOF Eligibility

[LWPD]

Determining Wolf's Eligibility for the CotG HOF

A situation has emerged that needs to be addressed and will help to set a precedent going forward. During the balloting process to determine the first class of the CotG HOF...Wolf was included on the slate. He had met the five year mandatory retirement period and was deemed an eligible candidate. He went on to achieve Final Ballot status but failed to obtain Induction (he garnered 68.3% of the vote).

Since that time Wolf has been reintroduced as an active part of the 2122 GWF roster. This means he is no longer 'retired'. This is the first time someone who met the 5 year retirement rule...no longer does. Induction itself is final and cannot be addressed retroactively. The problem is that Wolf was not inducted and is slated to appear on the Final Ballot come next May. I need a guideline established that addresses how to deal with this.

Should a wrestler who remains inactive for a period of five years automatically be eligible for CotG HOF candidacy regardless of a return _AFTER_ said period?

or

Should a return to the active roster (being re-introduced with a new card for a given game edition) void eligibility until another five year retirement period is met?

As always majority vote decides direction. The decision will set a precedent for how to deal with any similar scenario going forward. Poll closes Monday December 24th.

[JMello]

He's back, therefore I say his tenure has restarted and he should not be elligible until he has sat out another 5 years.

[stephenvegas]

jmello said:

He's back, therefore I say his tenure has restarted and he should not be elligible until he has sat out another 5 years.

I agree with JMello.

Although professional hockey's hall of fame induction period is much shorter, there has actually been a somewhat similar precedent for this situation regarding the NHL and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, and Gordie Howe all returned to the ice as active players once again after they were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and (as LWPD noted would have been the case for Wolf if he had inducted last year) their Hall of Fame status wasn't revoked. But Ted Lindsay returned to playing once again before he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and he had to wait until he retired a second time before getting inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

[tystates]

I say Wolf now must wait five years after he retires once again. Now say he becomes eligible again, is voted into the HOF, and after that comes back another time, he remains a hall of famer once actually in.

[steefposton]

agree with Jmello

[Mike M]

I'm undecided about this, but I would offer 1 suggestion. If Wolf's eligibility for selection to the HOF is revoked, it should be immediately reinstated when he leaves the GWF again.

To me, the point in the 5-year waiting period is to give 'perspective' to the career of the athlete. We already have plenty of perspective on Wolf's career.

If Wolf regained his eligibility immediately after leaving the GWF, then I'd vote to temporarily remove him from the list of candidates. If not, then I'd vote to keep him eligible because I am confident that he would not garner the necessary votes for election while he is an active competitor.

In my mind, the system 'works' under both scenarios.

[rawhide]

your setting a precedent mike.if you do this for wolf will you do it for other wrestlers ?

[Pete Beck]

i say he needs to Wait 5 years...but knowing Wolf he'll be back in the fed again before he is eligible...probably do this a few times before all is said and done.

I bet Wolf would rather wrestle then give a care about the HoF.

HE would look at the induction and then jump right back in the fed to go after whoever is on top...just the way i see him.

[Mike M]

rawhide said:

your setting a precedent mike.if you do this for wolf will you do it for other wrestlers ?

Yes, I would. I don't know how many cases like this we'll see, but I believe that the voters are intelligent enough to vote responsibly.

[mikefortune]

If he is in leave him in, you can't just play yo-yo with people and the HOF. What if Thantos pulled a Terry Funk and unretired would you pull Thantos from the Hall no you shouldn't. If he was eligible and didn't make the cut for the first year and then he unretired before he was in then I say his clock should start all over again.

And on another note good job Mr Vegas I was going to use hockey as a point of reference for my argument. Mario was usher in because of the cancer he had and they skipped the 3 year waiting list. Wayne Gretzky also skipped the waiting period and after he was inducted the hall eliminated the fast track policy.

[Aquinas]

I think he should have to wait 5 years from the time he re-retires.

[LWPD]

Just a reminder. This poll will close Monday December 24th (Pacific Time).

[The Doctor]

There is no reason to wait.
WWE should induct Flair soon, whether he retires or not.

Unlike the WWE, a character like Wolf could live 100 years at the whim of a creator, and never actually retire, or need to.

Plus... it's Wolf.

[LWPD]

By majority vote if has been determined that a five year period of inactivity constitutes a substantial amount of retirement to qualify for candidacy into the CotG HOF. This stands regardless of any amount of activity following said five year period.

This precedent will apply equally to all going forward and in the immediate term allows Wolf to remain as a qualified candidate on next year's CotG HOF Induction Phase ballot.

Thank you to all who participated in the process.