Obit of the Day
Looking at the famous, infamous, not-so-famous, and unique lives that have shuffled off this mortal coil.
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Obit of the Day: Capturing Baltimore’s Sorrow
On March 29, 1984 the owner of the Baltimore Colts, Bob Irsay, packed up the entire organization into Mayflower moving vans to drive one thousand miles west to Indianapolis. Lloyd Pearson, a Baltimore Sun, photographer who captured the ups and downs of Charm City’s history for twenty years, was there. His photograph, above, became the symbol of Baltimore having its heart ripped out by Irsay and the NFL.
Random note: Baltimore got a new team, the Ravens, in 1996. Ironically, the Ravens left Cleveland in the same way the Colts left Baltimore. I don’t think Baltimore fans felt too guilty. Cleveland got a new Browns franchise in 1999.
Pearson, who died at the age of 90, had dreams of becoming an animator. Before serving in the Navy in World War II, he worked on Walt Disney’s Pinocchio but not for very long because “he got tired of drawing raindrops.” He took up photography during the war and never turned back.
You can see more of Pearson’s work here.
(Image is copyright Lloyd Pearson/Baltimore Sun, but is courtesy, of course, of the Indianapolis Star.)
Obit of the Day: From “Kill Bubba Kill” to “Tastes Great! Less Filling!”
Bubba Smith had a tremendous football career. As one of the greatest players in the history of Michigan State University, Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. After college he was the number one overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft, selected by the Baltimore Colts. He played five seasons with Baltimore losing one Super Bowl (III) and winning another (VII). He was named to two Pro Bowls and selected once as an All-Pro. After five seasons with the Colts, he played one season with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). His full NFL stats can be found here.
After a leg injury ended his career Smith tried something different: acting. And for an entire generation of fans Smith lost his identity as a ruthless defensive end. His first break came as a pitchman for Miller Lite. As one of numerous athletes recruited for the “Tastes great! Less filling!” campaign, he and Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus became two of the most successful light beer salesmen in the U.S. The commercials not only played up the toughness of Smith and Butkus but showed a humorous side as well. (The closest comparison is the “This is Sportscenter.” campaign.) Click here to see a commercial.
Smith, who ironically doesn’t drink, stopped doing the spots in 1985 after attending a Michigan State Homecoming game and finding that younger fans no longer chanted “Kill, Bubba, kill!” but “Tastes great! Less filling!” Which, when added to the drunken state of the fans made him reconsider his line of work. He decided to focus on television and film.
He had already had a hit as the part of the florist-turned-police cadet in Police Academy a year earlier. For the next several years, he would make four more Academy movies, have recurring roles on shows like Blue Thunder, and guest star on Married With Children and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. He even co-starred with Butkus and Academy Award-winner Joe Pesci in a detective show called Half Nelson, which ran for six episodes in 1985. His full filmography is here.
Mr. Smith was 66.
(Image copyright MillerCoors courtesy of www.arhenetwork.com)
Obit of the Day (Breaking): Baltimore Colts Legend
One of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, John Mackey has passed away at age 69. Mackey, who was also the first president of the NFL Players’ Association, transformed the position taking it from the blocking/short pass catching role into another potential wide receiver.
Mackey was drafted in the second round in the Colts in 1963 and in nine seasons the Colts won three conference championships and Super Bowl VI. He was a three-time All-Pro and was named the NFL’s all-time tight end during its 50th anniversary season - while he was still playing.
Mackey, though, was not elected to the Hall of Fame until his final year of eligibility in 1992. Some believe it was because of his role with the Players’ Association. He led the first players’ strike in 1972 winning $11 million in benefits. He also led an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL in 1977, which gave the players free agency. (Which, according to the Sun, the players bargained away…what?!?)
Mackey’s stats have since been eclipsed by various tight ends but can be viewed in total here.
Random note: Because the NFL and AFL had not yet merged Mackey was not only drafted by the Colts in 1963. He was also the 5th round draft pick of the New York Jets. Namath to Mackey? Interesting.
(Image of Mackey’s 1964 rookie card copyright Topps courtesy of vintagecardprices.com)
Obit of the Day: “The Jet”
Joe Perry started running he ball for the San Francisco 49ers in the fall of 1948. Once he started he didn’t stop, accumulating 9,723 rushing yards over a fourteen year career. Perry, who was the first African American on the 49ers was given his nickname, in the post title, for his speed. In the 1953 and 1954 seasons became the first back to gain 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Perry was the NFL’s all-time leading rusher until he was surpassed by Hall of Famer Jim Brown.
Perry was voted the UPI MVP in 1954 and selected as an All-Pro in ‘53 and ‘54. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969. Even though he retired in 1963, Perry remains the 49ers all-time rushing leader with 8,689 yards. (He played two seasons with the Baltimore Colts which accounts for the yardage discrepancy.)
Joe Perry’s complete stats can be found here.
(Perry’s 1959 Topps card courtesy of collectorsweekly.com. OOTD especially like the tiny 49er in the right corner.)
