The Crane Pool Forum

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 5:03 pm John Hadl, star quarterback who threw mad bombs to Lance Alworth in the old AFL for the S.D. Chargers and then to Harold Jackson for the L.A. Rams of the NFC, 82.

John was one of the first star quarterbacks of the AFL and led coach (Air) Sid Gillman's devastating offense to perfection. Running backs Keith Lincoln and Paul Lowe rounded out the backfield.
There are many who believe the 1963 SD team would have won a super bowl against the NFL Champ Chicago Bears. (I'm one of them) Gillman called Chicago coach George Halas to challenge his team and Halas declined.
RIP
Later

G-Fafif wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:41 pm Christine McVie, 79.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:36 pm That Fauxwood Mac!

That is a very good cover band.

Bob McGrath, original Sesame Street cast member, at age 90.

This might also be a candidate for the "News you can't use" thread.

Gay Adult Film Star Tyler Roberts Passes Away After Organ Failure
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gay ... p_catchall
It also leaves us guessing - which organ?

Later

Kirstie Alley, 71, from cancer.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/cult ... y-94525889

Kirstie has a kinfusing bio. She married a guy from her hometown with the same last name as her, divorced him a few years later, continued with his name, or her name, it's not clear.

Then she married a guy with the first name of Parker. But two of her kids have the last name of Parker.

Anyhow, it's too bad that she died, and I expect there will be a ton of Scientology intrigue around the death and estate.

Former Chinese Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin - 96
Tennis coach and founder of his eponymous tennis academy Nick Bollettieri - 91

Which was more of an absolute autocrat might be up for debate.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 11:04 pmThen she married a guy with the first name of Parker. But two of her kids have the last name of Parker.

I worked this one out. Parker Stevenson is actually Richard Stevenson Parker. He rearranged his names to come up with a professional moniker, clearly to keep from being confused with 1994 Met Rick Parker, but kept his name legally. Professionally, Parker is his first name, but after work, it's his last name.

You almost need a Hardy boy to solve a mystery like that.

I once met neighbors of Kirstie Alley from where she grew up in Wichita (hometown of Mrs. Fafif). They seemed to like her.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:20 am

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 11:04 pmThen she married a guy with the first name of Parker. But two of her kids have the last name of Parker.

I worked this one out. Parker Stevenson is actually Richard Stevenson Parker. He rearranged his names to come up with a professional moniker, clearly to keep from being confused with 1994 Met Rick Parker, but kept his name legally. Professionally, Parker is his first name, but after work, it's his last name.

You almost need a Hardy boy to solve a mystery like that.

Nice one!

G-Fafif wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 12:50 pm I once met neighbors of Kirstie Alley from where she grew up in Wichita (hometown of Mrs. Fafif). They seemed to like her.

Good for you. Here's me trying to chat up a woman from Kansas.

　　"Oh, you're from Kansas, like Neil Allen!"

　　　　"Who?"

　　"Or Tom Sturdivant!"

　　　　"Um ... . Usually I get 'Dorothy'?"

Making an introduction between my then fiancée and a Long Island friend of a friend in 1990:

Me: “Future Mrs. Fafif is originally from Kansas.”
LI Friend of a Friend: “Bo Jackson must be a god there!”
Future Mrs. Fafif: [polite smile indicating “Huh?”]

But we always tried to root extra hard for Pride of the Shockers Mike Pelfrey.

New Jersey born Dino Danelli, drummer for The (Young) Rascals, 78

Franco Harris, 72, just short of the 50th anniversary of the immaculate reception.

https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-s ... 3fbc0a693a

Nooo!

Am I correct in remembering that the TV cameras missed the catch and it wasn't until the NFL films reels were developed the next day that anybody actually saw it?

Haven't seen this in some time, lotta fun...

The NFL Overlords won't let me embed this here but this is
the youtube ID# dHIXFKrrUhA

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 9:49 am Am I correct in remembering that the TV cameras missed the catch and it wasn't until the NFL films reels were developed the next day that anybody actually saw it?

I don't remember although it's quite possible; fewer cameras then, slower to be able to check all angles, etc. The angle that finally caught him was a ground level
end-zone angle so certainly not the one the network would have been showing live.
The main controversy on that play wasn't whether FH caught it before it hit turf (although that was one point of contention) but the even harder to discern question
as to whether the carom that caused the huge rebound in the first place came off the offensive or defensive player, a distinction which made a difference since rules
at the time (since changed) made an offense-to-offense rebound, whether intentional or not, a non-legal catch.

So not only is this weekend the 50th anniversary of the 'immaculate reception' game (with Pitt playing the Raiders in an obvious marketing move by the NFL) but
Franco was due to have his number retired by the Steelers that day as well (I'm less gung-ho about number retirement than most but here even I've got to say
WHATTOOKEMSOLONG?!?! ... dude retired as the 3rd leading rusher in NFL history!).
Harris, btw, apparently sounded and claimed to feel fine Tuesday afternoon during an interview with Chris Russo about that game and upcoming number retirement.
I know that a lot of folks have listened to Russo and thought to themselves 'You're killing me Chris', but in this case it may actually have happened. No cause of
death made public yet but Harris was dead only hours later.


Also no cause of death listed so far for Reds pitcher Tom Browning at just 62, but one article mentioned that his wife died just earlier this year. And while I figure
that all (Five) of their kids are grown, that's still rough.

I wondered that myself

More bad death timing by Pittsburgh sports legends: Willie Stargell died on the day before the opening debut of the Pirates current and beautiful stadium.

Thom Bell, architect of so much of the Philly Soul sound, 79. Breathed new life into the Spinners, who had stagnated at Motown but in Bell’s hands burst into the forefront at Atlantic, becoming my all-time favorite vocal group in the process. In December 1972, “I’ll Be Around” was on the radio and Franco Harris was running the ball and it was great to be 9 going on 10 taking it all in.

http://www.soultracks.com/story-thom-bell-dies

Heckuva good profile here:

https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw ... ellingham/

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 2:29 pm Notable Deaths of 2022

As Casey Stengel said, "Many of the people my age are dead".
Later

Top Ten losses in '22 (in no particular order, just thinking of those at or near the top of their chosen heap):

Sidney Poitier
Ronnie Spector
Loretta Lynn
Bill Russell
Guy LaFleur
Pele
Vin Scully
Jerry Lee Lewis
David McCullough
QEII

...and, of course, Gallagher.