Commentary
Sense of Awe, Pride Awaits Behind Doors of Mississippi's Sports Shrine
By Rusty Hampton, Sports Editor, The Clarion-Ledger
Aug 27, 2002, 3:08pm

KENT HULL went a lot of places during his 14-year

Kent Hull

professional football career. He traveled the country. He played in four Super Bowls, blocked for two of the game's most prolific players and lived the life many can only dream of experiencing.

All that said, it took a trip down I-55 — from his Greenwood home to Lakeland Drive in Jackson — to flatten the former Pro Bowl center faster than a forearm shiver from Lawrence Taylor.

In Jackson for a press conference to discuss his upcoming induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Hull made his first trip to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum.

And he couldn't quite believe what he saw.

"Everybody should come through here at least one time," Hull said Thursday, standing inside the museum. "It's amazing what's in here. . . You can really spend a lot of time in here."

Family weekend

If you're like Hull and have yet to step inside Mississippi's shrine to its sports heroes, this weekend would be a good time to break that streak.

Museum director Michael Rubenstein calls it "Family Weekend," where once a year he lowers admission prices, keeps the doors open on Sunday and invites families to come visit before back-to-school issues become priority No. 1.

The doors are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

"We try to give families one last affordable weekend together as a family," said Rubenstein. "We give away prizes with a youthful and educational bent."

Three bucks gets you in the door. Kids under 5 are admitted free.

Today there's a special bonus, too. At 2 p.m., a new exhibit featuring uniforms worn by five Mississippi Olympians will be dedicated. Four of the donors, including Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk (1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta) and Jackson native Larry Myricks (1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul)will be on hand for the ceremonies.

Rubenstein got a nice surprise, too, when Laurel native Ralph Boston said he'll be in town after all and be able to attend. The uniform Boston won during his silver medal long-jump performance at the 1964 Olympics in Toyko will be part of the display.

Money matters

It's shaping up as a potentially good weekend for a museum that could use a little boost during these uncertain economic times.

While Mississippi's museum adds an exhibit, the Florida sports hall of fame museum has packed its memorabilia into boxes. Unable to attract enough visitors to survive, the Florida museum recently closed its doors for good.

Like Mississippi's, Florida's museum operated without government funding. By contrast, the Georgia museum receives $800,000 annually from the state.

"We're doing OK," said Rubenstein, the museum's director since it opened July 4, 1996. "Our cushion is not growing any larger. We are not growing financially, and that is what gives me cause for concern."

Mississippi's museum operates with a full-time staff of four and a plethora of volunteers.

"They are wonderful people," said Rubenstein of the volunteers. "Without them we'd be in very dismal straits."

Understandably, the marketing budget is thin.

That's why guys like Hull or former Ole Miss athletic director Warner Alford, another recent Hall of Fame electee, can be such good ambassadors for the museum.

"Every Mississippian should make it a point to come visit this museum," Alford said. "It will give you such a sense of pride in our state. When you think of our population size and all the great athletes that have come out of this state, it's overwhelming."

Rusty Hampton's column appears every Saturday in The Clarion-Ledger.

© Copyright 2001-2002 by Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Museum