Again, the issue is degree. You say “honor,” but if the NY Giants built a new stadium and devoted one of the major entrance ways to Halas or Thorpe, yes, I’d feel the same way. It would be odd and out of place. As a matter of fact, the JR tribute at Citi Field makes more sense to me than either of those examples.
:dubious: What am I missing? Jim Thorpe played for the Giants. Both the baseball and football Giants.
Very briefly and insignificantly for both (3 part-time years in baseball, 1 year in football.) Yes, he’s a towering figure in sports, but not really a specific figure in NY sports.
Yes and no.
Certainly, he’d be deserving of honor and praise even if he’d batted .245 and gotten released after 2 or 3 seasons.
But what I’m saying is, as good a player as you THINK he was, he was actually better than that. A white second baseman with his numbers would STILL deserve to be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
What hasn’t been mentioned is, the owner of the Mets, Fred Wilpon, was a Brooklyn Dodger fan. He wanted the new Park to invoke the Ebbets Field (and rotunda – http://www.brooklynpix.com/catalog15f.php?locality_no=11701 --) of his youth. The ceremony that retired Jackie Robinsons #42 for every team was done at Shea (mets former park) for good reason.