New Jersey punches above its weight in Hall of Fame heroes. But wait ‘til you see who they counted

There was a new study that came out by The Sports Geek highlighting the number of sports Hall of Famers in each state. How did New Jersey fare?

The methodology for this study

The Sports Geek used official Hall of Fame lists to identify every athlete who has been inducted. They researched the birthplace of each Hall of Famer to determine which state they originated from.

The study made a full comparison between states, calculating the number of Hall of Famers per one million residents using the latest population data for each state.

Pro wrestling is not a sport

The biggest problem I have with The Sports Geek study is that they included pro-wrestling Hall of Famers into the mix. That is a glaring problem with me, as pro-wrestling was established as an entertainment entity and not a sport. The matches are scripted, and the winner is predetermined before they get into the ring.

Pro-wrestling deserves its Hall of Fame; it just does not belong in the computation of Hall of Famers in the NFL, Major League Baseball, tennis, NBA, soccer, the NHL, and golf, to name a few. So, for these results, I am extrapolating pro wrestling Hall of Famers from New Jersey, which is eight pro wrestlers, and New Jersey ranked 14th in the country.

Where does New Jersey rank?

Overall, New Jersey ranks 16th with 47 Hall of Famers. New Jersey ranks 13th with 12 NFL Hall of Famers, 11th with 10 NBA Hall of Famers, 2nd in soccer, 7th in Tennis, 19th in boxing, 40th in Major League Baseball with 2 Hall of Famers, and zero NHL Hall of Famers.

While the study celebrates those who were born here in New Jersey, there are so many more Hall of Famers in all sports that have spent “quality” time here in New Jersey that were not included in the study. They have either gone to grade school, high school, or lived in New Jersey for a significant part of their life.

For a “small” state, New Jersey is filled with those who work hard and succeed. That is one more reason to be Proud of New Jersey!

For the complete study, please go to www.thesportsgeek.com