M acon, as is often the case, was told it had to step up.
It's a regular refrain, the criticism of apathy and waiting for somebody else to do something and then complaining that nothing was done.
One win in that game isn't equivalent to a Super Bowl trophy, but a win is a win, and Macon - by the actions of its own - came up with a "W" on Tuesday with the return of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony to Macon.
It was a good day for many people, ranging from the embattled Hall staff to the team-playing members of the authority to the city.
The biggest winners by far are those who will make up the Class of 2009, and the family, friends and fans of those inductees.
If you make something about money, it loses its soul and often its substance. This entire battle about the profitability of a ceremony, of an event, is an embarrassment to all involved and gives, as authority chairman Bobby Pope inferred Tuesday, a black eye to all involved.
This wasn't really and truly about the best ceremony; it was about cash and cronyism, pure and simple.
It was about a ceremony being too long for a few people. It was about coddling a few more people. It was about freebies. It was about spending money on some people and complaining about spending money on others.
It was about profit, not people.
It wasn't about goose bumps or memories. It wasn't about lifetime achievement or honoring athletes in the state of Georgia.
It wasn't about Larry Munson, Jessie Tuggle, Bettye Jaynes, Larry Campbell, John "Blue Moon" Odom. Nor was it about the 30-year-old newspaper clippings that chronicled feats, the clothes and equipment worn by some of this continent's greatest athletes or sports fans in this state who watched them all.
It was about winning a money battle. To see some of the reactions of authority members only strengthens the argument that not everybody is about what's best for the Hall, that not everybody is working toward the same goals.
Fortunately, the team interested in the aforementioned sentiment and history won, and that team had "Macon" and "Middle Georgia" on the front of the uniform. From Janice Marshall of the Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau presenting the bid to Terry Smith of AT&T, countering the "nobody will spend money outside of Atlanta" argument, as well as others involved, it was indeed a team effort.
The meeting was yet another reminder that an overhaul of the authority is necessary; that there are self-involved agendas and selective hearing. This is not a forward-thinking, team-playing group, and the in-fighting will remain with the current lineup.
That certainly isn't to say that the Hall staff is blame-free in its problems. This year is only slightly different than every year since the doors opened: budget issues, a small staff and a split authority. There shouldn't be the feeling of surprise when another situation arises. Much of what happened Tuesday was the result of behind-the-scenes mobilization rather than aggressiveness from the Hall and its accompanying committees. And much of what was suggested and what is now being done should have been contemplated, if not initiated, years ago.
Hopefully, the goings-on of the past few months will spark more proaction than reaction down on Cherry Street, as well as next door with the music folks and throughout town.
The bottom line is that Macon was told to step up and do something, and Macon did. It was only the first step, but a step in the right direction for more than the Hall and its next class.
And for a community that often stumbles, it was still a pretty big - and very welcomed - step, hopefully one of many.
Contact Michael A. Lough at 744-4626 or mlough@macon.com.
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