Saying goodbye to the greatest player in the history of a pro sports franchise isn't easy to do.

It's even tougher when that player goes out at the age of 39 with a performance that shows he still has plenty left in the tank.

Unfortunately for the Indiana Pacers, Reggie Miller's 18 years in the blue and gold came to an end Thursday when, despite Miller's 27-point game, the Pacers lost 88-79 to the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons and were eliminated from the Eastern Conference semifinals.

He walked off the court as the NBA's 12th-most prolific career scorer (25,279), 18th in career playoff scoring (2,972) and as the league's all-time leader in three-pointers made (2,464) and attempted (6,486). He even ranks seventh in career games played (1,323).

All these dazzling statistics had NBA pundits declaring Thursday's game as the final chapter in a certain hall-of-fame career.

Those platitudes made me wonder where I've been the last 18 years. How could Reggie Miller have been so good a player that nobody ever recognized he was among the best in the league?

This is the same guy, after all, who never rose above third-team All-NBA. I guess he gets points for being chosen second-team all-interview in 1998.

When I think about the halls of fame for pro sports and the players who deserve enshrinement, I think about how the player ranked among the greats of his era.

When I think about 1987, the year Miller entered the NBA, the top players were guys named Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Thomas, Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon, Malone (both Karl and Moses), Stockton, Pippen, Drexler, Worthy, McHale, Parish and Abdul-Jabbar,  just to name the most obvious ones.

Flash forward 18 years and the best in the game are O'Neal (Shaquille and Jermaine), Nowitzki, Garnett, James, Duncan, McGrady, Kidd, Carter, Iverson, Nash, Stoudamire, Marion and Yao, and that's only a beginning to the list.

I don't begrudge Reggie Miller his due consideration for the Basketball Hall of Fame when he's eligible — you have to give points to anyone who can drive a playoff dagger into that annoying Knicks fan, Spike Lee — but even mentioning him with the legends of the game makes you wonder just how watered down this particular honor is.

Omaha Beef defensive end Leif Murphy gave fans of the United Indoor Football Association team a closer look at the real person inside the helmet with a Q&A that was recently posted on the team's Web site. Without further adieu, heeeeere's Murphy:

Q: Who's the best player you've ever played against?

A: "I played against Peyton Manning on the PlayStation once."

Q: Does the thought of getting hurt ever cross your mind?

A: "Never. I have enough family members thinking about (that), so I don't have to."

Proving that the St. Paul Saints aren't the only team in the Northern League with a flair for promotions, the Schaumburg Flyers recently signed actor Nigel Thatch to pitch for the team. He even threw a pair of scoreless innings in a recent preseason exhibition.

Don't recall the name? Not surprising. Thatch is better known as the self-absorbed athlete named Leon in a series of Budweiser commercials.

The NHL may be on hiatus, but the spirit of pro hockey was alive and well at the recent World Championships in Austria, where Finland's Jarkko Ruutu and Sweden's Jonathan Hedstrom got into the swing of things, literally.

Even after their fight, Ruutu still wanted another shot at Hedstrom.

"Any time, anywhere," Ruutu told reporters. "This is a challenge. If he wants, we are in the same hotel. I'm in D208. Tell him to knock first."

Sometimes adults say and write the darnedest things:

Tom FitzGerald, syndicated columnist: "Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was stopped at an airport for having ‘The Original Whizzinator' with him. I assumed that meant he was traveling with Moises Alou."

Will Ferrell, movie actor: (when asked on ESPN to name his favorite baseball team) "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County, California of the Western Region of the United States of North America."

Mike Downey, Chicago Tribune: (on the Bears' objections to a proposed Costco store near their suburban training facility) "Their rebuilding project is taking so long, the Bears would be a lot better off next to a Home Depot."

John Avery, Toronto Argonauts running back: (on the hot new quarterback of rival Saskatchewan) "This guy has some gorgeous eyes. You cannot look at Nealon Greene in the face. I'm serious … look at Nealon and his eyes more than five seconds, you might tell him you love him."

Bruce Bochy, San Diego Padres manager: (on Brian Giles' 0-for-22 slump after catching a ceremonial first pitch by Anna Kournikova) "He kissed the princess and turned into a frog."

Bud Geracie, San Jose Mercury News: "The worst thing about James Toney losing his heavyweight belt to doping charges is that John Ruiz is champ again."

Barry Rozner, Chicago Daily Herald: (reminding Cubs fans that things could be even worse) "Q: What would the Cubs be today without Derrek Lee? A: The Royals."

Mike Lupica, New York Daily News: "The Rolling Stones kick off their world tour at Fenway Park this August, which means that the Yankees won't be the oldest team to play there this season."

Reach Karl Vogel at 473-7432 or kvogel@journalstar.com.