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wpr Preferred Member
Joined: Aug 08, 2008
Posts: 20,215
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wpr
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Joined:Aug 08, 2008
Posts:20,215
Mucky already mentioned it in the chat.

It's a sad day. Another one of the legends of my youth passed away.
Dick Butkus, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, dies at 80

NFL Network ranked the most feared tacklers in league history in 2009. No. 1 on the list was Dick Butkus. There could have been no other choice for the top spot.

Butkus’ name has become synonymous with the violent side of football: fear and intimidation. Butkus was also synonymous with greatness at middle linebacker, and in many ways the NFL itself.

Butkus, the longtime Chicago Bears star, died at age 80. A statement from his family, via the Bears, said he died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Malibu, California.

Bears chairman George McCaskey released a statement honoring Butkus.

This is great.




I made this comment elsewhere.
Not a Bears fan but I was a Butkus fan. He, Nitschke and Mongo, I mean Alex Karras were the type of players that made me fall in love with the NFL along with the Purple People Eaters and The Rams Fearsome Foursome. I was sad when I learned the price the players paid when I watched the movie, Concussion.

A bit of local folk lore. Dick was scheduled to speak to our local hs football team. He was running late. (It took longer to get to the boonies than he expected. It was before I-88.) Dick was about 15 miles/minutes away when he pulled into a small tavern on the side of the highway. He told the owner he was in a hurry and what was there to eat. The owner didn't serve food. All he had was the bowl of popcorn on the bar. It was a pretty good sized bowl. Butkus picked it up and put it to his mouth. Gulp, gulp, gulp and it was gone. He grabbed a 6 pack from the cooler. As he tossed the owner a $20 he said, "There. That ought to do it." He was out the door. Less than 5 minutes.
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NEW #2
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Pack93z Select Member
Joined: Mar 17, 2007
Posts: 13,278
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Pack93z
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Joined:Mar 17, 2007
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When you hear Butkus, you think Football. There isn't a bigger compliment in the world in my opinion.

To have your name synonymous with a sport, within moments of uttering it. You have impacted the game.

As wpr notes, they were the players that helped shape my passion for this sport. Gritty, tough as nails players.
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