Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN/WGR Sports Radio 550) - The latest class of prominent sports figures in Buffalo and Western New York are set to be immortalized in the local halls of greatness.
The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (GBSHOF) introduced its 12-member class of 2025 on Wednesday at Dave and Adams Card World in Amherst. The 2025 class will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame this fall at the annual GBSHOF dinner.
This event marks the 35th class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991 and brings total membership to 415.
"It's a great class, like every year's class. Once we get through one year, you go, 'How are we ever going to top it?' And the next year, it's just as good, or it can be even better. This year is the same way," said John Maddock, president of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame with WBEN. "It's a tremendous opportunity for them and for the City of Buffalo and Western New York to really take advantage of how great some of these athletes are, and what they've accomplished in their careers."
Perhaps the most notable inductee into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2025 is longtime play-by-play man for the Buffalo Bills, John Murphy.
Murphy joined the Bills' broadcast team in 1984 as the color analyst, working alongside legendary play-by-plan man Van Miller. When Miller retired after the 2003 season, Murphy was named the play-by-play voice of the Bills, a position he held until 2023.
For Murphy, the fact that this honor recognizes local Buffalo sports greats is humbling.
"I'm in the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and that's big and important, but this is it. I grew up watching and listening, and playing with most of these people in the Hall of Fame now. It means a lot to me," said Murphy in an interview with WBEN.
In addition to being a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Murphy was also an inductee of the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Murphy jokes when he says he's probably one of the worst athletes to be inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.
"I appreciate the honor, tremendous members. And if you look at the list of players, everybody you want is in the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Everybody you can think of is in the Sports Hall of Fame," Murphy said.
"I don't belong with these people. I mean, the people I cheered for are in the Hall of Fame. I don't belong with them, but I'll take the honor. I accept it gratefully."
Murphy also has plenty of connections with some of the other notable inductees in the Class of 2025.
"Mike [Buczkowski] was key. I knew he was going into the Hall of Fame when he was an intern with us. He worked the Sabres games, and his job, really his only job, was to get beer for Rick Jeanneret," Murphy joked. "But he's great, and has done a great job with the Bisons.
"I know Kathy Sweet. Up until about a year ago, she lived on our street, and we earned the distinction of being the first two members of the same street in Orchard Park to go in the Hall of Fame. James Starks is great. I know James, I've seen James play for years. He's great too. They're all great."
Buczkowski joined the Buffalo Bisons organization during its last season at War Memorial Stadium in 1987. He held a number of roles in the team’s communications department before being named general manager of the club in 1993.
By the time he was appointed President of Rich Baseball Operations in 2019, he had become the longest tenured general manager in the Bisons’ 140-plus year history.
During Buczkowski's time as general manager of the Bisons, the club led their league in attendance seven times, including the International League’s all-time attendance record set in 1998.
In 2001, the Bisons won the prestigious Bob Freitas Award, presented annually to a franchise for overall operational excellence, becoming the first AAA team to win the award twice (also in 1991).
Buczkowski says the call to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame for him came completely by surprise.
"John Maddock, the president called me, the Bisons have always been a sponsor of the Hall of Fame dinner. And John called me, I missed his call, and it hit me, 'Oh, we didn't send the check in for sponsorship yet.' So the next day, when we connected, he said, 'I'm just calling to check on the sponsorship.' I said, 'Yeah, John, I just thought of it. We'll get the check to you.' He said, 'Good, you can sponsor yourself, because you've been inducted into the Hall of Fame,'" Buczkowski recalled with WBEN. "It was a great way to get the news, and it's just kind of overwhelming, humbling to be part of this class."
Earning the honor of being a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame was something that Buczkowski never really put any thought into.
"You just kind of go from season-to-season, and then it turns into decade-to-decade, and I guess if you hang around long enough, you get considered for things like that," he said. "But it's been a great ride since 1987, working there. I actually started as one of the interns at WBEN right before that, working with Murph and with Rick Jeanneret on the games. You just don't think about it, because every season just rolls into the next one."
Buczkowski acknowledges how fortunate he is to have been able to stick around in Buffalo and work for his hometown professional baseball team.
"I have a lot of friends that are in similar jobs in mine that are not working where they grew up. So to be able to do what we've been able to do in my hometown has been really special," Buczkowski said. "And, of course, being connected with Bob and Mindy Rich for so long, they're the greatest people that you would ever want to work with. I was in the right place at the right time when I started, and fortunate to be able to do some good things, have some good people working for us over the years. I try not to stop and think about how long it's been, but sometimes it feels every bit of 37 years. Sometimes it feels much shorter, but overall, it's been a lot of fun."
Buczkowski adds it's humbling to be able to join some other local great sports figures in the same Hall of Fame class this year.
"Murph was an announcer for the Bisons for a while, did color commentary with Pete Weber when, then, Pilot Field opened. And like I said, Murph gave me a chance during his 'One-on-One' show, I used to do some high school basketball call-ins back to the station back in the day, and he's always been a great guy," he said. "And just the other people, I mean, Olympians that are going in and so many other great contributors, when I think about it, it's really humbling."
As for Sweet, it was her dominance on the court that first brought her notoriety. Now she's recognized in the courtroom as one of the top attorneys in Western New York, as well as the president for the New York State Bar Association.
While playing her high school basketball at Clarence High School, Sweet led the girls basketball team to four Section VI titles, and along the way set records for most points in a game (45), in a season (618) and in a career.
The Clarence Red Devils won the Far West Regional Championship in 1981 and 1982. In 1982, Sweet was named First-Team All-WNY, and the MVP of 1982 state basketball tournament.
She finished her high school career with 1,484 points, which was the third highest total at the time.
She continued her basketball career at Boston College and became recognized as the “first dominating pivot player in BC history.” When she graduated, she had collected 1,006 points (9.2 per-game), which was third in scoring for the Eagles at the time. She also pulled down 597 rebounds (5.5 per-game) and is one of only 14 Boston College players with 500 points and 500 rebounds.
In her senior year, she recorded a team-leading 42 blocks, and she led the team with 227 rebounds (8.1 per-game), which was also third in program history at the time. She was named to the Big East All-Rookie Team, and earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in her junior and senior seasons.
In 1987, she was awarded Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year and was named to the Big East All-Tournament team.
Sweet is one of three local female athletes to be inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.
"It's a huge honor. I'm really thrilled and humbled to be here with so many amazing people," said Sweet in an interview with WBEN.
Sweet knows she couldn't have earned this distinct honor without some help over her years playing in Western New York.
"I played with some amazing athletes, and I think it's because of my career with them. Yvette Angel, Kara Haun, Dorothy Jones, Gina Castelli, just amazing, amazing athletes and basketball players. And I think that's why I'm here," she said.
She, too, shares in the honor of going into the Hall of Fame this year with her former neighbor in Murphy.
"John is a legend, and coincidentally, his in-laws and my parents were close friends. And John and Mary and my husband and I lived in the same neighborhood in Orchard Park for 25 years," Sweet said. "Buffalo is another one of those examples where Buffalo is not just a small town, it's more like a living room where you know everybody."
Sweet acknowledges her full life of privileges and opportunities, and recognizes her accomplishments in sports, and being an attorney and now the president of the Bar Association as the culmination of a lot of hard work and great people to support her.
"I think it's reflective of the people I've been able to play sports with, go to school with, my teachers, my coaches, the partners at my law firm, other Bar Association leaders. I really have to give credit to them, because neither this honor nor being President of the Bar Association was on my bucket list or even my ambition list, but now here I am," she said.
Among the other inductees into the 2025 class for the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame includes:
- Clar Anderson: NCAA wrestling champion and award-winning wrestling coach
- Joey Giambra (Veteran): Known as the "uncrowned king" of the middleweight boxing division
- Jack Jurek: AMF World Cup champion bowler (1984) and winner of two PBA national titles (1995 and 2009)
- Tom Montemage (Veteran): Three-time member of the U.S. Olympic cycling team (1948 London, 1952 Helsinki, 1964 Tokyo)
- Paul Owens (Veteran): General Manager of the 1980 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies
- Jim Peelle (Veteran): Known as the "father of modern intercollegiate athletics" at the University at Buffalo
- Meaghan Sittler: A pioneer for women’s hockey, and a college and international hockey standout
- James Starks: All-Western New York (Niagara Falls H.S.), three-time All-MAC honors (UB) and a member of the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XLV championship team
- Jillian Vogtli: Two-time U.S. Olympian, and five-time member of the U.S. World Cup Ski team