Someday, I'm going to have a Wall of Fame in my house. It's going to need some space, so I've resigned myself to the fact that it probably won't happen until the kids are gone, since I'll need one of their bedrooms to do it. I'm going to feature sports figures that I've seen in my lifetime who have epitomized what I consider to be the best side of athletic competition. I could list the criteria, but I think the reputation of the subjects will do it for me. I'll simply say this-Winners with class. And in the unfortunate circumstance that they did lose, still exuded class. At this time, I'm limiting it to figures I've seen in my lifetime, as I mentioned, since obviously I am more familiar with those figures. More than likely, by the time the kids leave home and I can have more space, I'll also have added a few names.

When I get to embark on the assembly of that Wall of Fame, here are my "charter members:"

Dean Smith-North Carolina basketball coach for 36 years. Career record: 879-256. A winning percentage of .776. Eleven Final Four appearances. Twenty-three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, a record. His list of star players is far too long to list here. But that's not the best part. This is--Ninety-six percent of his players received their undergraduate degree. And of those, one in three received their graduate degrees. A former Tar Heel once said, "Coach Smith doesn't prepare you for the next game or the next season. He prepares you for life." One of the many basketball traditions Smith started was starting all his seniors in the last home game, which has become known over the years as 'Senior Day.' One year, when Smith had six seniors on the squad, he started them all, rather than sit one out. To him, the ensuing technical foul was a small price to pay.

 James Worthy -Although he was a Tar Heel, this was not an easy one for me, since he went on to play for the enemy-the Los Angeles Lakers. I was a Celtic fan in the '80s, but anyone in their right mind would take "Big Game James" any day. To borrow an overused phrase, he was the consummate pro. Consistent, humble, productive, and a great teammate. And yes, a North Carolina grad under Coach Smith. The only reason Worthy isn't thought of more highly is because of what I call the "Jim Rice Syndrome." So incredibly consistent that you never noticed him until he was injured or in a slump. Which usually didn't last long, due to his focus on fundamentals. Fundamentals will almost always pull you out of a slump. Just ask Dean Smith. 

Larry Bird-No one ever did more with less, so to speak. Other than being 6'9", which helped, no doubt, he was as fundamentally sound as they come. He had to be. His attributes? Quickness, speed, and leaping ability were not among them. He had one thing going for him. A work ethic unmatched. Free throw percentage, three-point percentage, rebounding, passing, steals, big plays, etc. All came from sweat and desire, and what is now referred to as 'reps.' Nothing else. In my mind, the greatest player ever, because he instantly made everyone on his team better.

Walter Payton-The backbone of the Chicago Bears for a lot of years. During the years when the Bears weren't very good, and there were a lot of them, they had very little alternatives offensively. And Payton still produced, and produced big time, even though the defense knew what was coming. Until Emmitt Smith, Payton was the NFL's all-time leading rusher. And he did so playing for a much poorer team most of his career. Payton would be the first player I would pick in a playground game. He did everything that was asked of him and more. Rest in peace, Sweetness.

Nolan Ryan-Throwing a fastball by major leaguers when you're well into your 40s is a pretty good credential, for starters. But taking into consideration the fact that Ryan pitched seven no-hitters, two of them after his 40th birthday, is hard to believe. He had two in '73 alone. Think about that for a minute. Ryan was an employee that any major league team would love to have today. Talk about a workhorse. In 1987, he led the NL in ERA (2.76), and had a record of 8-16. Guess he was keeping his team close in a lot of 2-1 and 1-0 losses. Ponder these numbers-and this is just scratching the surface: Nine seasons with 10 or more complete games. Roger Clemens, by comparison, has had five. Twelve complete game one-hitters. A record 383 strikeouts in that '73 season, during which he started 41 games and completed 26 of them. Two hundred and twenty-two lifetime complete games. He averaged just under seven innings per start in his 773 career starts. He struck out more than 300 batters in a season six times. By comparison, Clemens' high for a season is 292 in 1997.

Chris Evert/Jimmy Connors-I grouped these two together because of the similarities of their careers. Both had multiple rivals; Evert had Evonne Goolagong, Virginia Wade, Margaret Smith-Court and later Martina Navratilova to deal with. Connors had rivals like Stan Smith and John Newcombe early in his career, followed by Guillermo Vilas, Bjorn Borg and later John McEnroe. This signifies that both Evert and Connors were top-notch for a long time. Both won a lot of championships, and against many different opponents. Both won early in their careers and late. They were the biggest rivals of several different players at any given time in their careers. Always hunted, they still produced big time. And both always won graciously and faced the music when they lost. We could use a few more like them today.

Eddie Robinson-Grambling's head football coach for 56 years. Not a misprint. Fifty-six years. Lifetime coaching record: 408-165-15, A .694 winning percentage. He produced over 200 future NFL players. He had to recruit against the bigger, more well known schools, which was just about everybody else, during his whole tenure at Grambling. As a result, he often had to take kids who were perhaps second tier talents and make them realize their full potential. Obviously, judging by his success, he was able to do that. Granted, he didn't play against the biggest name opponents either, but if you measure one by how he fares against his peers, his legacy stands on its own merit. Incidentally, one of his former players, Doug Williams, succeeded him as coach in 1998. Williams was the MVP of Super Bowl XXII with the Washington Redskins.

Rod Carew-The sweetest ballplayer I knew growing up, when all of us are the most impressionable. As a kid, I only dreamed of being as cool as Rod. Sweet swing, speed enough to steal a base or regularly bunt for hits, and a very underrated fielder at second base. The best all-around second baseman in baseball for about 10 years running if you look at consistency. He was one of those players you had to watch to get the full appreciation. He seemed to move effortlessly on the base paths, yet got there in a hurry. Every time I see a player wearing number 29, I think of Rodney Cline Carew.

And there you have it. My version of first-ballot Wall of Famers. Thanks for taking the time to read.