• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Jim Les to be inducted into Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

That's interesting and congrats to Jim Les and Kirby Puckett (although Kirby would be more appriopriate for the Minnesota Hall of Fame!)

I had never heard of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame even though I consider myself versed in Chicago sports.
I couldn't even find many travel guides that mentioned it.
I had to do some digging and found that it is located NOT in Chicago, but in Des Plaines (on the campus of Maryville Academy - a private long-term mental health facility for boys and girls).
They don't appear to advertise, don't have a web site, and don't charge admission.

And some of the the people who get into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame aren't exactly household names, nor can I find any info on who selects people to get in.
This year's class of 18 honorees includes radio talk show host Mike North, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney, but also includes ex-White Sox players Billy Pierce and Jim Rivera, as well as ex-Bears Bobby Douglas and Richard Dent.
But past inductees include many such obscure names as George Loukas - a bar owner near Wrigley, Bill Marke, Mike Sheehan, Taylor Bell, Joan Lenti Ponsetto, and more.

It appears perhaps their only source of income is the $100 per plate everyone has to pay to go to the induction dinner they hold each year. Anyway, nice honor to Jim Les!!
 
It's a huge honor! Way to go Jim! They haven't forgotten you in Chicago. There may have been a lot of great basketball players who have come out of Chicago and the suburbs, but I'll bet not many of them are in the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Just for those who don't keep up....

Jim Les is in the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame,
inducted in 1996.
http://www.gpshof.org/inductees/les.html


Jim Les was also inducted this year (2006) into the East Suburban Catholic conference Hall of Fame along with Isiah Thomas.
http://www.eastsuburbancc.com/HallofFame.html

He is also a member of the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame,
and the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame,
and he received the Naismith Hall of Fame Award in 1986 as the best player in the nation under 6 ft.
 
Back
Top