Claude Humphrey, Pillar of N.F.L. Falcons’ ‘Grits Blitz,’ Dies at 77

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports He was belatedly inducted into the Hall of Fame, having played before sacks were an official statistic. He ended his career with a Super Bowl team, the Eagles.https://nyti.ms/3Du6v4W

O’Neil, Hodges and Miñoso Are Among Six New Hall of Famers

By BY BENJAMIN HOFFMAN from NYT Sports A pair of committees asked to review candidates from previous eras elected Buck O’Neil, Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat and Bud Fowler.https://nyti.ms/3Dra3EU

Curley Culp, Defensive Anchor of Two Football Teams, Dies at 75

By BY RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT Sports A bruising Hall of Famer, Culp helped lead the Kansas City Chiefs to an upset victory in Super Bowl IV. With the Houston Oilers, he revolutionized the role of nose tackle.https://nyti.ms/2ZMtR80

A New Hall of Fame Ballot Is a Chance to Remember

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports A great deal of ink will be spilled on the candidacies of Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. For a moment, stop to consider the 11 other new candidates instead.https://nyti.ms/2Zg05IG

Sam Huff, Fearsome Hall of Fame Linebacker, Dies at 87

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports Huff, who became the epitome of the rough-and-tough football star with the Giants, was remembered for his head-on duels with two of the game’s greatest fullbacks.https://nyti.ms/3c7MmGy

A Hall of Fame Shortstop, Through and Through

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Over the years, Derek Jeter took plenty of criticism for his fielding. But his spot at the center of a Yankees dynasty was far from coincidental.https://nyti.ms/3BNSQoL

A Flood of New Hall of Famers, Followed by a Grinding Halt

By BY ANDREA WILLIAMS from NYT Sports Fifteen years ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted 17 people from the Negro leagues. The election came with some controversy and has been followed by silence.https://nyti.ms/2X10kpC

Vanessa Bryant Delivers Emotional Hall of Fame Speech for Kobe

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Kobe Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers star who was killed in a helicopter crash last year, was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.https://nyti.ms/3ydkBpY

‘No Smile, No Trash Talk’: Behind Tim Duncan’s Quiet Excellence

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports A bank shot carried Duncan from St. Croix to Wake Forest, five championships with the Spurs and now the Hall of Fame.https://nyti.ms/3y944TP

Kevin Garnett’s Prep-to-Pros Jump Changed the N.B.A.

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Garnett was widely doubted before he was drafted, but over more than 20 years in the league he reset the limits for N.B.A. big men and made a case for the Hall of Fame.https://nyti.ms/3bi6GVN

What Rudy Tomjanovich Learned by Coaching the Greats

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports Tomjanovich led the Houston Rockets to two championships (Hakeem Olajuwon), briefly coached the Lakers (Kobe Bryant) and oversaw an Olympic team (Kevin Garnett).https://nyti.ms/3o9XMyD

Tamika Catchings Is Taking Her ‘Superpower’ to the Hall of Fame

By BY GORDON JONES from NYT Sports Catchings, a 10-time W.N.B.A. All-Star, said her hearing loss helped her have greater court awareness and better anticipate her opponents’ moves.https://nyti.ms/3tx2U0R

Bat Used by Lou Gehrig in 1938 Sells at Auction for $715,120

By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT Sports The 34-inch, 36-ounce Bill Dickey model Louisville Slugger had been owned by the family of Earle Combs, a onetime teammate of Gehrig’s and coach with the New York Yankees, auctioneers said.https://nyti.ms/3fGX9KJ

Peyton Manning Selected for Pro Football Hall of Fame

By BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports The selections of Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson for the Hall of Fame were also announced at the N.F.L. Honors on Saturday. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the most valuable player.https://nyti.ms/3776mar

What More Do Voters Want? A History of Hall of Fame Snubs

By BY BENJAMIN HOFFMAN from NYT Sports For the ninth time since 1936, baseball writers failed to elect any Hall of Famers. The jilted players are in good company.https://nyti.ms/2YgdJHH

Hall of Fame Says No to Schilling, Bonds and Clemens — Again

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Baseball writers failed to elect a player to the Hall of Fame for the ninth time. History suggests several of this year’s finalists will eventually be inducted.https://nyti.ms/3po48Ky

They Played the Game: Hall of Fame Poll Lets Players Decide

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Results of an annual poll suggest players largely agree with writers on Baseball Hall of Fame voting. They differ on Curt Schilling, Todd Helton and performance-enhancing drugs.https://nyti.ms/3oqMODL

There Are Hall of Famers, and Then There’s Hank Aaron

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The Braves slugger occupied the rarefied space of a player who stands out in every crowd — even one full of Hall of Famers.https://nyti.ms/2LQ0Npo

Kevin Greene, Master of Sacking the Quarterback, Dies at 58

By BY RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT Sports A charismatic player with seemingly inexhaustible energy, he recorded the third-most sacks in N.F.L. history and the most by a linebacker.https://nyti.ms/37Iqgt2

A ‘Perfect’ Pitcher, a Home Run Stealer and Two-Thirds of a Big 3

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Mark Buehrle, Torii Hunter, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito headline this year’s list of first-time finalists for the Baseball Hall of Fame.https://nyti.ms/2IKQqRv