After 25 days of heartfelt stories of fandom received from around the country, ESPN has identified the ten finalists for the 2014 Fan Hall of Fame, an institution dedicated to discovering, elevating and celebrating greatness in sports fandom. Currently in its third year, the program conducts a nationwide search and integrated campaign across ESPN’s platforms to discover and to recognize three remarkable and inspiring sports fans each year.
The finalists, selected by the initiative’s diverse panel of judges, have until Dec. 10 to campaign for votes on FanHallofFame.com. The three inductees with the most votes will be announced on Dec. 17 and honored at an induction ceremony in 2015, where they will have their names engraved above three stadium chairs on the lawn of ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., campus.
ESPN created 15-second spots for each of the final contenders showcasing their personal stories of fandom. The videos, airing on ESPN until Dec. 10, are also available on the program’s website.
This year, ESPN received thousands of applications spanning the four major sports leagues as well as the Premier League, MLS, La Liga, Bundesliga, high school sports and over 100 universities.
The finalists, along with their beloved teams and respective 15-second videos, include:
- John Chubb, Ohio State (Profile & Spot)
- Ron Crachiola, Detroit Lions (Profile & Spot)
- Mary Mollerberg, Boston Red Sox (Profile& Spot)
- Daniel Ragsdale, Army Black Knights (Profile & Spot)
- Bruce Reznick, Brooklyn Nets (Profile & Spot)
- Romeo Santos, Baltimore Orioles (Profile & Spot)
- Kevin Schroeder, Columbus Blue Jackets (Profile & Spot)
- Mary Slokovitz, New York Yankees (Profile & Spot)
- Stephanie Stradley, Houston Texans (Profile & Spot)
- The Basketball Mavens, March Madness (Profile & Spot)
Last year’s inductees included Sacramento Kings’ fan Barbara Rust, famously known as “The Sign Lady,” Arkansas Razorbacks’ fan Canaan Sandy and University of Georgia’s “Georgia Joker” Pierce Wallace.
The program’s first inductees were Vancouver Canucks fans and legendary Green Men “Sully” and “Force,” Baltimore Ravens icon “Captain Dee-Fense” and the University of Alabama softball team’s Emily Pitek.
Fans can vote for their finalists on FanHallofFame.com and follow the competition on social media using the hashtag #FanHallofFame.
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