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George Michael Passes/Slightly O/T

SabrgeekSabrgeek Posts: 484
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
George Michael; who had several careers including:

Top 40 DJ in Philadelphia (WFIL) and New York (WABC)

NY Islanders Announcer

Host of George Michael's Sports Machine

Collector of pre-1950 baseball action photos (for which he wrote several articles for SABR)

Passed away this morning.

John Rogers posted this nice tribute to him on Net 54

George Michael passed away last night at 230 a.m. after a 2 year battle with cancer. While most of the world knows George from The George Michael Sports Machine that ran for 27 years, many board members knew George as a dedicated collector of vintage baseball photos. George collected pre 1960 photos of ballplayers in sliding, game action. George was full of life and was collecting right up to the last minute. I spoke at length with him Sunday. He was enthusiastic about so many pre 1920 sliding photos we purchased from the Sun Times.
From a selfish standpoint, I will miss George for his kindness, business guidance, wisdom, and friendship. George was a consultant on my recent purchases of The Chicago Sun Times photo archives as well as many other large deals over the last 10 years. George...I already miss you. The only thing he loved more than his sliding photos was his wife Pat. Please keep her in your prayers. Pat called this morning and says a memorial service will be after Jan. 1st. I'll post when the date is set. John Rogers
Plano, Tx. Card Show #5, Sunday March 6, 2016 at Adat Chaverim (Northeast Corner Independence and Spring Creek) in Plano Tx 9Am to 4 PM. See you there!

Comments

  • Bosox1976Bosox1976 Posts: 8,566 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I kind of liked the sports machine. RIP.
    Mike
    Bosox1976
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭
    RIP Mr. Michael.

    ANOTHER reason why we NEED to find a cure for Cancer!
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • minnesotahuskerminnesotahusker Posts: 642 ✭✭✭
    Jeez for a second there, I thought this thread was about the "gotta have faith, faith, faith" guy.
  • jamesryanbelljamesryanbell Posts: 1,115 ✭✭✭
    Is it bad that I thought you meant the pop singer?
    -- Ryan Bell
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭


    << <i>Is it bad that I thought you meant the pop singer? >>



    I also thought that.

    RIP George Michaels. I never knew you, but you sound like a real collector. Someone who would have been interesting to spend the Saturday with.

    Clear Skies,
    Mark
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,627 ✭✭✭✭
    I loved the Sports Machine. Used to watch it faithfully on Sunday Nights in the days before (or at least before I had cable) Sportscenter. RIP GM.
    "My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. Our childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When we were insolent we were placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard really."
  • gotsparks09gotsparks09 Posts: 957
    When I was a little kid, I used to get out of bed late at night when my folks were sleeping to watch Sports Machine, which came on a few times a week after the late local news.

    RIP George.
    image
  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    I loved that he pretended that button he pushed did anything more than made the fake reels spin around.
  • 70chip70chip Posts: 797
    Growing up in Montgomery County Maryland (A DC Suburb) I grew up watching George on WRC Channel 4 faithfully. He was Sportscenter before Sportscenter. He made the daily sportscast entertaining, fun and always good for a laugh. He made Hockey, Rodeo and other offbeat sports part of our daily/weekly culture. Plays of the Week and Bloopers were must watch Thursday segments. He created the George Michael Sports Machine which led the way for the majority of the sports shows we now watch today. He loved, I mean LOVED the Redskins and all the local Washington teams. Damn, I am shocked and saddened over this news so my apologies for rambling, you just have to understand how much of an influence Goerge had over an impressionable kid growing up who was a sports nut. RIP George.
    Collecting Interests:
    Ripken, Brooks & Frank Robinson, Old Orioles, Sweet Spot Autos, older Redskins - Riggins, Sonny, Baugh etc and anything that catches my eye. image

    My ghetto sportscard webpage...All Scans - No Lists!!! Stinky Linky
  • vladguerrerovladguerrero Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭
    is this the truck stop bathroom guy?
  • yawie99yawie99 Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I kind of liked the sports machine. RIP. >>



    Me too. Plus it provided at least indirect inspiration for the "George Will Sports Machine."
    imageimageimageimageimageimage
  • VintageCardLoverVintageCardLover Posts: 584 ✭
    way more on topic than the 43 felix potivn threads
  • AUPTAUPT Posts: 806 ✭✭✭
    I'm sorry to hear that. Just before I left on vacation, George and I had exchanged some emails about the 1953 St. Louis Cardinals photo book I had featured in my blog. He had some great first-hand information about the book, and about how much of a "brat" Eddie Stanky really was.

    The blog was published Dec. 19, if you want to check it out.

    I'm guessing that he would have become a frequent contributor to the blog and that we'd have all learned something and ben entertained.
  • DrJDrJ Posts: 2,213
    RIP. I watched his show on Sunday nights for years (came on like at 12:00 midnight), it was a wonderful alternative to Sportscenter.
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