Rise up my fellow New Jersyans, for we are all members of a confused but noble race. We, of the state that will never get any respect. We, who bear the coolness of the forever uncool. The chip on our shoulders of those with forever something to prove. And even with this wonderful Hall of Fame, we know there’s another bad Jersey joke just around the corner.

But fear not. This is not our curse. It is our blessing. For this is what imbues us with our fighting spirit. That we may salute the world forever with the Jersey state bird, and they the fumes from our great northern industrial area to the breezes of Cape May fill us with the raw hunger, the naked ambition and the desire not to just do our best, but to stick it in your face.

Amen to that, brother.