The original artwork for the PFUFA Logo "Football Man"
Chapter One
"Cards, Arrows, and Parade"
In January 1999, Visa (in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH) began a new era of fandom and sponsored a new football promotion called the Visa “Hall of Fans.” The card company, working through a selection committee process, chose one fan from each NFL team to represent their team in a new featured display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A portion of the Hall of Fame was designated, a special exhibit was created, and each selected fan was inducted into the "Hall of Fans" (pictured to the right).
To be selected, a fan (or a third party) had to submit a short essay explaining why that fan should represent their respective team in the Hall of Fans for that current year. The selection committee would then review all essays submitted and would select the best fan for each team. Fans and teams would then be notified, after which, most fans were honored in an "on the field" ceremony at a home game. The Class of 1999 and 2000 were exceptions.
On January 19, 1999, the first Hall of Fans class of 31 honorees (in 1999, there were only 31 teams in the league) was selected and brought to the Hall of Fame for a ceremony. The media was on hand for the presentations, and numerous articles were written on the event. This selection of fans was the first time ever that fans of a professional sport were recognized and honored in their Hall of Fame. Subsequent classes were selected and additional fans were inducted in a similar manner. The promotion ran its course, Visa ended the Hall of Fans program in early 2005, and the Class of 2004 was the last class to be honored. You can read the PFUFA Directory under the Main Menu of this website for a list of all Visa Hall of Fans honorees (Class 1999 to 2004).
During the first Hall of Fans presentation, the honorees thoroughly enjoyed their experience and each other so much that they decided to come together again. As such, the “First Reunion” was planned for Hall of Fame Weekend in August 1999. Kansas City Chiefs’ honoree, Monte Short (Arrowman) [Class of 1999] and his wife Stacie, initiated the idea of a reunion, and it took off quickly. The idea was so well received that 22 of the original 31 honorees came back in August for that first reunion. For the first time, there was a place for rival fans to come together and enjoy each other. Cowboy and Redskins, Packers and Bears, Chiefs and Raiders, Rams and Seahawks, all fans of all teams could come together and bond with each other while remaining loyal to their teams. For the first three reunions, the organization found a home at the Comfort Inn in Dover, OH, and used it as its rally point.
The PFUFA Logo was originally created by Stacy Short (wife of Monte Short (Arrowman) our first president). It is shown to the right. Legend has it, she was at dinner with others and during a conversation about the organization, she sketched out the "football man" (as he has come to be known) on a napkin. She worked on the sketch a little further, and then it was given to Lynn Schmidt (Weirdwolf) [Class of 2003]. Lynn took the concept and converted it into the organization's original logo, as seen to the right. Note the name of the organization was a portion of the original design. Since that time, our logo has gone through a few modifications. Most notability, the name was dropped, and the football man has been narrowed, which you can see at the top of this page.
From the beginning, Monte Short (Arrowman) has been considered the Founder of PFUFA. In the first two years, the group was very loosely structured and was more about “getting together over Hall of Fame weekend” than promoting sportsmanship and charities. During the seasons, early members would attend away games and be hosted by other members, and the germination of what the organization was to become was a slow process. Eventually, the group needed a structure, By Laws, and a leader. The name of the group was debated and finally settled on: Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association (PFUFA). The group also came up with a mission statement:
"TO PROMOTE THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALL FANS, ENCOURAGE SPORTSMANSHIP
AND SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES."
The choice of Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association’s 1st President was obvious. Monte Short (Arrowman) [Class of 1999] was elected in August 2000, and served for two additional years (2000 to 2002). Since Monte was the Founder and defacto leader of the organization, the year of 1999 is credited to him. His Officers were:
Vice President - Dick Provi [Class of 1999]
Treasurer - Pam Thomas (Princess Pam) [Class of 1999]
Secretary - Jeff Pintea (Pantherman) [Class of 1999]
The second class of the Visa Hall of Fans was also brought to Canton and honored by the Hall of Fame in January 2000. A few members of the 1999 class were on hand and invited all honorees to the Second Reunion in August 2000 and to join the new organization. Of this class, Ed Gifford stands alone as the only member of the Class of 2000 to be an active member of PFUFA for each eligible year (pictured to the right).
To become a member of PFUFA, you had to be honored by the Visa Hall of Fans. This clause was specifically written into the PFUFA By Laws. For the remaining years of the Visa Hall of Fans, new honorees were selected, these fans were then given the opportunity to observe PFUFA during Hall of Fame weekend, and each honoree was given the opportunity to join PFUFA. Similar to how PFUFA conducts itself today, current year honorees were not allowed to attend the business meeting during their first year. With the selection of each subsequent class to the Hall of Fans, the organization became more and more intriguing and inviting. As such, more honorees in the Classes 2001 to 2004 chose to join PFUFA.
After the first reunion, Monte and his wife began a quest to get PFUFA into the annual parade held during the Hall of Fame weekend. The parade marches through downtown Canton, OH and has over 150,000 people attending the sidelines. Their goal was to get “the fans” represented in the parade, and it took some effort. Eventually, Hometown Health Network of Canton, OH agreed to sponsor/promote the fans, and the 12th Man float was born. PFUFA’s first parade was in August 2001, and it has been a mainstay of the parade since. (That moment is pictured to the right.)
Under Monte’s reign, the organization gained additional footholds in the activities of Hall of Fame weekend and began a close, deep relationship with key members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame staff. It was during this time that the J Babe Stern Center came to the forefront of PFUFA’s charities, and by the time Monte stepped down, PFUFA had adopted the center and was holding their annual charity event at “The Babe.” PFUFA did struggle the first years with funding, membership, and personalities, but it did carve out a good foundation for itself.
In the following video, you will see and hear from Lido Starelli [Class of 1999]. He was a pivotal early member of our organization and has been included into our Ring of Honor. During our first two years, Lido agreed to sit down and let us tape him. He provides us some sound advice. In the rest of the video, you will see other members of the Class of 1999 (Da Pope and Pantherman) speak of how we have grown.