The usual Hall of Fame debate of whether certain new inductees actually deserve the honor was tweaked in 2013, at least in baseball. Stars such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire were in their first year of Hall eligibility, but thanks to the taint of PED allegations, admissions and apologies, none came close to receiving 75 percent of the vote needed for induction. In fact, among those four, Clemens had the best showing with just 37.6 percent.
It was the first time since 1996 that Baseball Writers Association of America did not elect any players to the Hall. (Technically one player was inducted as baseball's new Pre-Integration Committee recognized Deacon White, a catcher and third baseman who last played in 1890.)
But there were lots of deserving inductees for football, hockey and basketball, including big-time scorers such as Cris Carter, Bernard King and Brendan Shanahan:
2013 Sports Hall Of Fame Inductees Slideshow
Warren Sapp
Sapp has a sack and forces a fumble in the Buccaneers' 48-21 win against the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. In 13 seasons, he registers 96.5 sacks as a defensive tackle. He is named first-team All-Pro four times.
Jonathan Ogden
Selected fourth overall in 1996, Ogden is the first draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens. Ogden helps the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV and earns four first-team All-Pro selections at left tackle.
Larry Allen
Playing mostly guard and some tackle, Allen earns 11 Pro Bowl selections in 14 NFL seasons. Allen helps the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX and at the peak of his career, he is named first-team All-Pro in seven consecutive seasons.
Cris Carter
Carter sets the NFL's single-season record with 122 receptions in 1994. He and Jerry Rice tie the mark the following year, and it still ranks fourth on the all-time list. Carter catches 130 touchdowns in 16 seasons.
Curley Culp
A defensive tackle from Arizona State, Culp plays 14 seasons, mostly with the Houston Oilers. He also helps the Chiefs beat the Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Culp is voted to the Pro Bowl six times.
Dave Robinson
Robinson is an outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I and II. He has 27 career interceptions and is first-team All-NFL in three consecutive seasons, 1967-69.
Chris Chelios
Selected by The Hockey News as the greatest U.S.-born player ever, Chelios wins three Stanley Cup titles with the Canadiens (1986) and Red Wings (2002, 2008). He is a three-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman. He is the captain of the U.S. team that takes the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics.
Scott Niedermayer
One of the smoothest skaters in hockey history, Niedermayer wins four Stanley Cups. The first three are with the New Jersey Devils. The fourth comes with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 when he wins the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. He wins the Norris Trophy in 2004 and helps Canada take Olympic gold in 2002 and 2010.
Brendan Shanahan
Shanahan has the ultimate combination of skill and toughness. He is just one of 13 players in NHL history with more than 650 goals, and he also racks up more than 2,400 PIMs. He is a key part of Detroit's Stanley Cup championship teams in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and helps Canada win the Olympic gold in 2002.
Geraldine Heaney
Known as the "female Bobby Orr," Heaney is just the third woman enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame after Cammi Granato and Angela James. Heaney helps Canada win the gold medal at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Bernard King
King becomes the first Knick to win the NBA scoring title when he averages 32.9 points in 1984-85. The previous season he has back-to-back 50-point games on consecutive nights in San Antonio and Dallas. Although it is now commonplace, King is believed to be the first athlete to sustain a torn ACL and return to become an All-Star player.
Gary Payton
They don't call him "The Glove” for nothing as Payton is a nine-time first-team All-Defensive selection and is voted the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. Payton, who is fourth all-time in steals (2,445), wins two Olympic gold medals and is part of the Heat's 2006 NBA championship team.
Dawn Staley
Staley leads Virginia to three Final Four appearances including 1991 when she is selected the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She begins her pro career in the U.S. in the American Basketball League where she is a two-time All-Star. She then earns five All-Star honors in the WNBA. She wins three Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000 and 2004).
Roger Brown
Brown, a 6-5 forward known for his great one-on-one moves, helps the Indiana Pacers win three ABA championships (1970, 1972 and 1973). Brown averages 17.4 points in eight ABA seasons, which include four ABA All-Star selections. He is all All-ABA first team in 1971.
Oscar Schmidt
Many American fans get their first look at Oscar during the nationally televised gold-medal game at the 1987 Pan-Am Games when he blisters the U.S. for 46 points to lead Brazil to the title. He plays in five Olympics, and at the 1988 Games in Seoul, he averages 42.3 points.
Richie Guerin
A selection of the veterans committee, Guerin averages 20.1 points during his 13-year NBA career that includes six All-Star selection. He sets the Knicks' record for most points in a game with 57 against Syracuse in 1959, a mark that stands until Bernard King scores 60 in 1984 against New Jersey.
Deacon White
In 1871, White is believed to have recorded the first base hit in pro baseball history as he is the first batter in the first game of the National Association, the game's first professional league. He plays until 1890 and is credited with popularizing the catcher's mask.
