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Sudden Death

Besides Len Bias and Thurman Munson, what other famous athletes death took you by suprise ?

They just announced that the Vancouver Canucks 1st round draft pick who was 21 died in a motor cycle accident. Tragic.

Comments

  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,492 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Roberto Clemente...I wasn't old enough, but my dad told me about it and how he remembered his death, but more importantly, Clemente's life
  • CubbyCubby Posts: 2,096
    Rod Beck

    Arthur Ashe

    Jim Fixx


    BTW: Cubby=Cub Fan
  • Hank Gathers - Remember him falling on the court like it was yesterday.
    image

    Remember these Chuck Norris Facts

    1. When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down
    2. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday
    3. There are no such things as lesbians, just women who have not yet met Chuck Norris
  • VitoCo1972VitoCo1972 Posts: 6,128 ✭✭✭
    Definitely Reggie Lewis - sad day in Boston.
  • Bottom9thBottom9th Posts: 2,695 ✭✭
    Lyman Bostock Jr.
    Joe Kennedy
  • ymareaymarea Posts: 1,576 ✭✭✭
    Wilt Chamberlain image

    Don Drysdale
    Brett
  • Cory Lidle. He bought about sad memories of Thurman Munson dying a similar fate.
    image

    "The answer was in the Patriots eyes. Gone were the swagger and c0ck sure smirks, replaced by downcast eyes and heads in hands. For his poise and leadership Eli Manning was named the game's MVP. The 2007 Giants were never perfect nor meant to be. They were fighters, scrappers....now they could be called something else, World Champions."
  • Payne Stewart...
    Am I speaking Chinese?



    image
  • Kirby Puckett image
    Am I speaking Chinese?



    image
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jerome Brown


  • << <i>Jerome Brown >>



    Reggie White too.


  • << <i>Lyman Bostock Jr.
    >>




    I remember that too. I think Lyman hit over .300 with the Angels ?
  • jimq112jimq112 Posts: 3,511 ✭✭✭
    The Pirates have had their share -

    Clemente in the plane crash
    Pitcher Bob Moose in a motorcycle crash on his 29th birthday
    Don Tiger Hoak at 41 died of a heart attack chasing a guy who was stealing Tiger's brother's car.


    image
  • Walter Payton
  • BobSBobS Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    Tim Horton.

    "Early on the morning of February 21, 1974, while driving on the Queen Elizabeth Way from Toronto to Buffalo in his white De Tomaso Pantera sports car (a gift from Sabres' GM George "Punch" Imlach), Horton was involved in what is now an infamous accident. He was negotiating a curve on the QEW where it crosses over Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines when he lost control and hit a cement culvert. The impact flipped the vehicle and Horton was thrown. He was not wearing a seat belt. Horton was reported dead on arrival at the local hospital, aged only 44. A police officer pursuing Horton's vehicle said that he had been travelling at over 160 km/h (100 mph)."

  • RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
    Dale Earnhardt, way more than any other. I was a casual NASCAR observer during his career - my dad liked him and he was really the only reason I watched it. I got a sinking feeling immediately after the crash happened and walked out the door to go do something fearing the worst. And sure enough he died. I don't know why, but his death grabbed me for a long time.

    I got his autograph in 1999 on a spur of the moment thing. I saw he was doing a signing in Dallas before the race here and I left work early, talked my way towards the front of the line, and he signed an 8 x 10 for me. It's one of my proudest possessions.

    I paid attention to NASCAR the rest of that year and a little while afterwards but it's barely a blip on my sports radar now. I watch Daytona and that's about it.




    Ron
    Ron Burgundy

    Buying Vintage, all sports.
    Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
  • cohocorpcohocorp Posts: 1,371 ✭✭
    on nov 11th 1985 (flyers goalie) 26 year old pelle lindbergh died from injuries sustained in a car crash the previous day. he had driven his porshe 930 turbo into a wall in somerdale, new jersey. at the time he had a blood/alcohol content of .24%.
  • bman90278bman90278 Posts: 3,453 ✭✭✭
    I saw a mention of Dale Earnhardt, so I will mention a few other race car driver deaths who really surprised and saddened me. In 1990 Rob Moroso an up and coming driver was killed. I personally used to deal with Moroso's family business at the time so it was more than just another death to me. Of course Rickie Hendrick's death in 2004 was very sad. And in the drag racing world, one of John Force's drivers, Eric Medlin. He wasn't even 25 I believe. No matter what sport it is, it's even more sad when someone dies before they even get a chance to do what they were destined to do.
  • ymareaymarea Posts: 1,576 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Lyman Bostock Jr.
    >>




    I remember that too. I think Lyman hit over .300 with the Angels ? >>



    He struggled through a rough first--and sadly, last--year with the Angels, hitting a 3-yr low of .296. The way he dealt with his subpar year after signing a big free agent contract spoke volumes of what a fine man Bostock was. With a low (for him) batting average and mediocre run production he refused to accept his entire salary. Union and league rules obligated the team to pay the entire amount, so I believe Bostock donated a large portion of it to charity.

    He played college ball for San Fernando Valley State College, which is now know as Cal State Northridge. I was raised in Northridge and was living there at the time of his tragic death. The whole city felt a strong sense of loss. Lyman Bostock, Jr, was by all accounts a true gentleman.
    Brett
  • earnhardt....big name and was still at his peak when he died.

    daryle kile...mainly because he used to live in my hometown
  • bman90278bman90278 Posts: 3,453 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I remember that too. I think Lyman hit over .300 with the Angels ? >>


    He struggled through a rough first--and sadly, last--year with the Angels, hitting a 3-yr low of .296. The way he dealt with his subpar year after signing a big free agent contract spoke volumes of what a fine man Bostock was. With a low (for him) batting average and mediocre run production he refused to accept his entire salary. Union and league rules obligated the team to pay the entire amount, so I believe Bostock donated a large portion of it to charity.

    He played college ball for San Fernando Valley State College, which is now know as Cal State Northridge. I was raised in Northridge and was living there at the time of his tragic death. The whole city felt a strong sense of loss. Lyman Bostock, Jr, was by all accounts a true gentleman.

    -------------------------
    Brett >>



    Brett, I'm from Granada Hills and was probably 11 at the time, and you are right about how hard the death was at the time. I was just reading about Lyman, and found this tidbit. Very sad!

    << <i>Aftermath

    Leonard Smith was tried twice for murder, with his lawyers arguing that Barbara Smith's infidelity had driven her husband insane. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. In the second trial, Leonard Smith was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed for psychiatric treatment. Within seven months, he was deemed no longer mentally ill by his psychiatrists and released. Including his time in jail awaiting and during trial, Smith's total time in custody amounted to 21 months >>

  • ymareaymarea Posts: 1,576 ✭✭✭
    Brett, I'm from Granada Hills and was probably 11 at the time, and you are right about how hard the death was at the time. I was just reading about Lyman, and found this tidbit. Very sad!

    << <i>Aftermath

    Leonard Smith was tried twice for murder, with his lawyers arguing that Barbara Smith's infidelity had driven her husband insane. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. In the second trial, Leonard Smith was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed for psychiatric treatment. Within seven months, he was deemed no longer mentally ill by his psychiatrists and released. Including his time in jail awaiting and during trial, Smith's total time in custody amounted to 21 months >>

    >>



    bman,

    Thanks for the info. I was not aware of the aftermath. That really stinks. Such travesties are far too common in California.

    Edited to say: Although such travesties of justice are common in CA, I realize this incident happened in Indiana.
    Brett
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