Vote for Mike!

Long-time readers of this blog should be familiar with Mike Herbert, with whom I've enjoyed many a memorable race.  Mike lives in the town of Rogers up in the northwest corner of Arkansas.  This region might not be known for producing elite-level canoe and kayak racers, but Mike has risen awfully close to the pinnacle of the sport.  He has competed in flatwater sprint in three Olympic Games, falling just inches shy of the medal podium in one of them.  He has won three medals at the sprint world championships, something precious few U.S. athletes have ever done.  He was the 1000-meter champion at the 1991 Pan Am Games in Havana, eliciting a salute to the U.S. flag by one Fidel Castro.  And he has won many national titles both in flatwater sprint and in USCA marathon racing.

Some eight or ten years ago, I learned of the existence of an Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.  As the name suggests, the purpose of The Hall is to recognize Arkansans who have distinguished themselves at the highest levels of their sports.  As I browsed the list of past inductees it occurred to me that the caliber of Mike's accomplishments places him right alongside the athletes in The Hall.

Others in the paddling community agreed, most notably Phil Capel.  Phil lives in suburban Little Rock and is acquainted with some of The Hall's "insiders," and as such he has taken the lead in trying to get Mike on their radar.

At long last, these efforts have produced a result: Mike's name has made it onto the voting ballot for the next induction class.  So get yourself a ballot and vote for Mike!

There is one catch: you have to be a member of the ASHOF to get a ballot and vote.  A membership costs $75.  Just how steep that is depends on who you are, I guess.  To me, it's a little pricey considering that I'm otherwise not that interested in being an ASHOF member.  But I can't not join, really, considering I was among the early instigators of this movement.  So I'm going to pay up.  Anybody who would like to join me may do so here.

Now in his late 50s, Mike Herbert continues to participate in races from the international level all the way down to the local "sandlot" level.  Here he poses with Joe Royer (left) and me after a 2010 race on the White River near Mountain View, Arkansas.

I can't imagine a more deserving candidate than Mike.  But for me it goes even deeper than that.  I want to see our sport get a bit of the recognition it deserves.  If you look over the list of past inductees, you'll see that the great majority of them come from the big commercial spectator sports, especially football.  It's no surprise, really.  But those who know will tell you that performing at the elite level of canoe and kayak racing takes every bit as much hard work and dedication as performing at the elite level of any sport with greater mass popularity.  And it just so happens that one of the best canoe and kayak racers the U.S. has ever had is an Arkansan.  Mike Herbert needs to be in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

I hope at least a few readers of this blog will consider joining the ASHOF and casting a vote for Mike.  Once again, the link to join online is here.  The ballots will be sent out in the first week of October, so please join soon if you're going to do it.