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Possibly-Great Sports Careers Cut Short

Discussion in 'Sports Forum' started by robycop3, Jun 13, 2005.

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  1. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    Who can YOU think of who mighta had a great sports career if it wasn't ended by death/injury/illness or other factors?

    The VERY special case of Pat Tillman comes to mind immediately. Some others are:

    NILE KINNICK... Heisman Trophy winner, was killed in a 1943 fighter training flight

    LOUIS SOCKALEXIS(1871-1913)...Penobscot Indian baseball player of legendary prowess, who once threw a baseball 414 feet on the fly as measured by two Harvard professors. Signed by the Cleveland Spiders in 1897, he was hitting.338 that year when, while drunk, he jumped from a 2nd story window, severely breaking his ankle. His baseball career was essentially over; he was cut in 1899, a severe alcoholic. He died on the Penobscot reservation in 1913, age 42.

    ERNIE DAVIS...Heisman Trophy winner, 1961, broke many of Jim Brown's records at Syracuse, was slated to join Brown in the Cleveland Browns' backfield, died of leukemia, 1963. It was said of Ernie that he was everything a football hero is supposed to be, as well as everything a great PERSON is supposed to be.

    KENNY HUBBS...Chicago cubs 2B, Rookie of the Year in 1962 who played in 78 consecutive games w/o an error, while accepting 416 chances w/o an error, both records for 2nd basemen. Killed early 1964 when the private plane he was piloting crashed.

    BRIAN PICCOLO...I believe we've all seen "Brian's Song", but what about Brian? He was just beginning to shine at HB in 1968 after Gale Sayers was injured, with the coaches considering moving him to starting FB to complement Sayers, when he became winded in the 7th game of the season. The rest, we know; he died in 1970.

    This is just a start, with all but Sockalexis well-known to my generation. (I'm age 57) Now, it's YOUR turn!
     
    #1 robycop3, Jun 13, 2005
  2. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    Bo Jackson
     
    #2 PastorSBC1303, Jun 13, 2005
  3. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    Three Flyers:

    Pelle Lindberg - if ever there was a message against drunk driving, this was it.

    There's no question that he would have been one of the greatest goalies ever if he had lived.

    Peter Zezel - Zezel was one of the best snipers of the 80's, but his career was cut short when he tried to help a nightclub patron who was being mugged in the club's parking lot.

    The mugger stabbed him in the arm and sliced the tendon in his elbow. He was never able to play again.

    Eric Lindros - a world class jerk but it's still a shame what happened to him.
     
    #3 Mike McK, Jun 14, 2005
  4. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    Jerome Brown - I still miss JB.
     
    #4 Mike McK, Jun 14, 2005
  5. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    There was nothing like watching him in college.

    Jim Fyffe's "Bo over the middle...Tigers beat 'Bama...I'm going to Toomers' Corner" is one of my favorite sports calls.
     
    #5 Mike McK, Jun 14, 2005
  6. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    Tim Richmond
    Dale Earnhardt once said that he wouldn't have won 7 championships if Richmond hadn't died in 1989.

    Davey Allison
    His death was a terrible loss for Nascar. He was just coming into his prime and I can only imagine how good he would have been. Jeff Gordon wouldn't have the number of wins and championships he has if Davey hadn't died.

    Alan Kulwicki
    He was the reigning Winston Cup champion at the time of his death and, even today, still doesn't get the respect that he should.
     
    #6 ccrobinson, Jun 14, 2005
  7. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    ...Speaking of Flyers, I can't believe I forgot Dmitri Tertyshny, the talented young defenseman who was killed in a freak boating accident when the boat, piloted by teammate, Francis Belanger, hit a wave and tossed Teryshny out, trapping him under the outdrive, where he was decapitated by the prop.
     
    #7 Mike McK, Jun 14, 2005
  8. 4His_glory

    4His_glory New Member

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    Vladamir Konstatinov- one of the Detroit's "Russin 5" when they won the Stanley cup in 97 ending a long long drought. He was one of the best defensmen of his day, but was tragically handicaped when his limo driver, who had a revoked liscence caused an accident.
     
    #8 4His_glory, Jun 14, 2005
  9. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Don Rogers, Cleveland Browns first round pick - I can't remember if it was a drug overdose or not.
     
    #9 webdog, Jun 17, 2005
  10. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    Lenny Bias

    Bill Vukovich III (2nd Vukovich to die in an auto race)

    Hank Gathers
     
    #10 robycop3, Jun 27, 2005
  11. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Definitely Lenny Bias. Also, I would add Earl Campbell. The Houston Oilers and Coach Bum Phillips worked him to death. Every play was handoff to Earl. Had he been used more judiciously, he would have had a much longer NFL career, IMO.
     
    #11 Magnetic Poles, Jun 27, 2005
  12. patrick

    patrick New Member

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    William Andrews of the Atlanta Falcons = blew out his knee and was never the same.

    Kerry Goode blew out a knee at Bama, could have been the best

    Joe Namath bad knees kept his star from shining at full intensity.

    Wrong way bo he was a man

    Derrik Thomas car wreck ended a hall of famers life.
     
    #12 patrick, Jun 27, 2005
  13. WallyGator

    WallyGator New Member

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    What about Kenneth Sims?
     
    #13 WallyGator, Jun 27, 2005
  14. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    WILLIE GALIMORE, Chi Bears, died in motorcycle acc. Sure hope young Kellen Winslow recovers from his MC wreck.

    WAYNE ESTES, Utah State basketball All American... A big man who was an excellent FT shooter with an outstanding outside jumper. He could play both inside & outside & was an excellent pro prospect.After a game in Feb.'65, he & some teammates were on their way to a restaurant when they came upon a traffic accident in which a car had struck & snapped a utility pole, and a live wire was hanging down, almost invisible in the dark. Wayne & c, got out of their car to see if anyone needed assistance. The others walked under the live wire safely w/o seeing it, but the taller Wayne walked into it & died instantly.

    Rassler Ricky Steamboat...EXTREMELY popular for a few years, he ruined his career with dope/alcohol.

    OWEN HART, rassler...Died in freak accident in ring...was only 34 at time of death, 1999...That's YOUNG for many a rassler.

    TONY CONIGLIARO...Bosox baseball star...Beaned in the face at age 22, he was never the same, as he suffered vision probs the rest of his life. Before his injury, he'd become the youngest player ever to have hit 100 homers in a career.

    HARRY AGGANIS...Promising young 1B for the Bosox, 1954-55...Died of leukemia, 1955, age 24
     
    #14 robycop3, Jul 4, 2005
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