[DTQ_Blue]

This is from the "Overview" section of the HOF Museum's web page:

"The Hall of Fame has stood as the definitive repository of the game's treasures and as a symbol of the most profound individual honor bestowed on an athlete."

I think that this statement in part represents the dilemma of the HOF. How can athletes on one hand be "honored" by an institution that at the same time fuels speculation about that player's dishonorable acts, by displaying an article that is supposedly a "treasure" of the game?

HOF is the not using good judgment here. They should state that they have no intention on displaying that ball to the public unless the implication of the defacement of the ball becomes proven fact.

Until that occurs, the HOF by displaying that ball, would be lowering itself to the level of the National Enquirer by peddling innuendo. That would seem to be contrary to it's stated mission. HOF should just conditionally loan the ball to the Smithsonian and let them put it on display as an article of public interest.

I don't consider a ball that has been defaced by some rich attention seeker to be a treasure of the game. If at some point, history shows the ball to have relevance to proven facts, then the HOF should consider making it a part of its public display.