Community Voice Responses (06/26/12)

From the June 1st Numismatic News E-Newsletter: Are Pro Football Hall of Fame commemoratives a good idea? Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

It seems like America can’t find enough ways to honor professional athletes. Besides their outrageous salaries, they are rewarded with popularity, fame, rings, statues, a Hall of Fame, documentaries and countless other perks by the common folk at restaurants and pubs.
Indeed, documenting the conquests of the realm of sports may be appropriate on stadium walls or equipment, but not on American coinage.
Coinage should concern itself with the accomplishments of the government and the civic realm.
By accomplishment I mean something that adds permanent, albeit intangible, value to the country and/or the human spirit, which football does not. Sure, the football business makes piles of money, but I don’t believe it moves our country forward.
Football is one of many games played for recreation. If one is to honor the exploits of one specific game, like football, why not other physical games like baseball, tennis, hockey, and golf?
Why not honor players of mental games like chess, Othello, checkers and the National Spelling Bee?
Further along this line of thought, why not include the accomplishments of legendary video gamers, known to the millions who play “Halo,” “World of Warcraft” and “Call of Duty?”
In my opinion, the main reason why football is honored, and not video games, ultimately relates to the power and influence wielded by the (older) fans of football.
Video games are arguably more important and more memorable to the younger generation, who at present cannot match the influence of the National Football League’s business empire.
Christopher Kiefer
San Francisco

I am origionally from Ohio, and I do favor the idea of getting this going.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Grand Old Opry, Baseball Hall of Fame and others should also be considered.
Gary Kess
Escalon, Calif.

No. If they’re going to do that they need to do baseball, hot dogs and Grandma’s apple pie first!
Ken Hintz
Belden, Neb.

That is stupid.
Glorifying a corporate entity with a coin is not at all appropriate. Football is a popular American interest, but do we make coins for Disney, Hormel, GM, Levis or Harley Davidson? Hell no. Let the NFL make their own souvenirs.
Making such a coin in a historical context will just reflect what an idiotic culture we’ve become. Maybe they should make it to define our misguided stupidity. Then they can make one for reality television shows, discarding the press and our happiness to farm and eat unlabeled genetically modified agricultural commodities banned in much of the world.
We are a stupid country, with complacent, under-educated, stupid citizens. Go ahead make the stupid coin. Who cares?
Jane Arge
Tacoma, Wash.

This one makes me irate. This modern program has typically been used to recognize individuals, events or non-profit groups that have made a difference in America.
This program reminds me of the 1930s when Cincinnati received a coin to celebrate its musical history. That was a scam and this is a scam.
Why does a multi-billion dollar corporation need money to preserve their stuff when the teams could easily pay for this?
Being paid millions a year doesn’t make you a hero and I feel the true purpose of the coin program is being corrupted to fund something this for-profit corporation can do on its own.
Mike Budzynski
Loveland, Ohio

No sports figures, venues or whatever on U.S. coins. That’s all. Just no. Just never. Stupid way to denigrate our coinage.
No. No. No.
Carter Keane
Eugene, Ore.

A commemorative to honor a nation-wide sport is keeping in with the mindset of America.
While we love baseball, we also love football. Sports memorabilia is highly collectable and many of us who have chosen numismatics for a hobby began with cardboard collectables of our sports heroes. So why not celebrate professional football?
Not all football fans can purchase stadium seats or travel to games, but almost every fan could purchase a commemorative coin, unless it’s made of gold or platinum.
But are we celebrating the game of football or just a location in Canton, Ohio? Is this only a fund raiser because of the drop in tourism, or is there a more pure motive about the love of the sport and memories of the gridiron heroes that attained records worth remembering?
If the purpose is the nobler one, it’s a wonderful idea. If it is only being used as a fund raiser, then why don’t we start producing a commemorative series for every Hall of Fame in the country?
Mark Trout
Ocala, Fla.

I don’t think it’s a good idea at all.
I feel if we’re going to commemorate a sports figure on a coin it should be someone that transcends all sports and is a true role model for all. A good example was Jackie Robinson. Personally, I’d like to see a commemorative for Babe Ruth.
I like sports as much as the next guy, but why don’t we commemorate someone who has made sound contributions to the country, such as Patrick Henry, Thomas Pane, John Hancock or John Jay, instead of commemorating someone just because they can catch a football. Cheers.
Bryan New
Columbia, Ky.