Showing posts with label great. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
NFL great Seau dead at 43 in suicide
OCEANSIDE, California — Junior Seau, a homegrown superstar who was the fist-pumping, emotional leader of the San Diego Chargers for 13 years, was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning in what police said appeared to be a suicide. He was 43.
Shocking end: Junior Seau, seen here playing for the San Diego Chargers in 1993, died Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Oceanside, California. The 43-year-old Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL after starring at the University of Southern California. APPolice Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. A gun was found near him, McCoy said. Police said no suicide note was found and they didn't immediately know who the gun was registered to.Seau's death in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, stunned the region he represented with almost reckless abandon. The same intensity that got the star linebacker ejected for fighting in his first exhibition game helped carry the Chargers to their only Super Bowl, following the 1994 season. A ferocious tackler, he would leap up, pump a fist and kick out a leg after dropping a ball carrier or quarterback."It's a sad thing. It's hard to understand," said Bobby Beathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau out of Southern California with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. "He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you would love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they would be the kind of guys you would like to have."Quarterback Stan Humphries recalled that Seau did everything at the same speed, whether it was practicing, lifting weights or harassing John Elway."The intensity, the smile, the infectious attitude, it carried over to all the other guys," said Humphries, who was shocked that Seau is now the eighth player from the '94 Super Bowl team to die.Seau's mother appeared before reporters outside the former player's house, weeping uncontrollably."I don't understand . . . I'm shocked," Luisa Seau cried out.Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier this week, she said."He's joking to me, he called me a 'homegirl,' " she said.Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest.In October 2010, Seau survived a 30-meter plunge down a seaside cliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence at the Oceanside home he shared with his girlfriend. The woman had told authorities that Seau assaulted her during an argument.There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in the crash and Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. He sustained minor injuries."I just can't imagine this, because I've never seen Junior in a down frame of mind," Beathard said. "He was always so upbeat and he would keep people up. He practiced the way he played. He made practice fun. He was a coach's dream. He was an amazing guy as well as a player and a person. This is hard to believe."Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told the Union-Tribune San Diego that on Tuesday he texted her and each of their three children separate messages: "I love you.""We're all in shock," she said. "We're beyond sad and beyond shocked. The kids and I are just huddled together at home. There is no way to make sense of this."Seau, who played in the NFL for parts of 20 seasons, is the eighth member of San Diego's lone Super Bowl team who has died, all before the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others.Seau's also is among a few recent, unexpected deaths of NFL veterans.Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he died in in February 2011.Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the last year — died last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits.Seau, however, is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussion litigation.When Humphries joined the Chargers in a 1992 trade, he said it was obvious Seau was "the person who had the most energy, the most excited, the guy who tried to rally everybody." Humphries said Seau "brought out a lot of youngness" in older players.He also helped younger players."So sad to hear about Junior Seau," tweeted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was with San Diego from 2001-05. "Junebug. Buddy. The greatest teammate a young guy could ask for. This is a sad day. He will be missed greatly."Seau called many of those around him "Buddy." He often referred to teammates as "my players."Seau was voted to a Chargers-record 12 straight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro six times."We all lost a friend today," Chargers President Dean Spanos said in a statement. "This is just such a tragic loss. One of the worst things I could ever imagine."Seau's greatest game may have been in the 17-13 victory at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game in January 1995 that sent the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Playing through the pain of a pinched nerve in his neck, he spread out his 16 tackles from the first play to the second-to-last. San Diego was routed 49-26 in the Super Bowl by San Francisco.Humphries also recalled Seau recovering Elway's fumble to seal a come-from-behind victory in the 1994 opener at Denver.Seau left the Chargers after the 2002 season when the team unceremoniously told him he was free to pursue a trade. He held a farewell news conference at the restaurant he owned in Mission Valley, and later was traded to Miami.
Shocking end: Junior Seau, seen here playing for the San Diego Chargers in 1993, died Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Oceanside, California. The 43-year-old Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL after starring at the University of Southern California. APPolice Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. A gun was found near him, McCoy said. Police said no suicide note was found and they didn't immediately know who the gun was registered to.Seau's death in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, stunned the region he represented with almost reckless abandon. The same intensity that got the star linebacker ejected for fighting in his first exhibition game helped carry the Chargers to their only Super Bowl, following the 1994 season. A ferocious tackler, he would leap up, pump a fist and kick out a leg after dropping a ball carrier or quarterback."It's a sad thing. It's hard to understand," said Bobby Beathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau out of Southern California with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. "He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you would love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they would be the kind of guys you would like to have."Quarterback Stan Humphries recalled that Seau did everything at the same speed, whether it was practicing, lifting weights or harassing John Elway."The intensity, the smile, the infectious attitude, it carried over to all the other guys," said Humphries, who was shocked that Seau is now the eighth player from the '94 Super Bowl team to die.Seau's mother appeared before reporters outside the former player's house, weeping uncontrollably."I don't understand . . . I'm shocked," Luisa Seau cried out.Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier this week, she said."He's joking to me, he called me a 'homegirl,' " she said.Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest.In October 2010, Seau survived a 30-meter plunge down a seaside cliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence at the Oceanside home he shared with his girlfriend. The woman had told authorities that Seau assaulted her during an argument.There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in the crash and Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. He sustained minor injuries."I just can't imagine this, because I've never seen Junior in a down frame of mind," Beathard said. "He was always so upbeat and he would keep people up. He practiced the way he played. He made practice fun. He was a coach's dream. He was an amazing guy as well as a player and a person. This is hard to believe."Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told the Union-Tribune San Diego that on Tuesday he texted her and each of their three children separate messages: "I love you.""We're all in shock," she said. "We're beyond sad and beyond shocked. The kids and I are just huddled together at home. There is no way to make sense of this."Seau, who played in the NFL for parts of 20 seasons, is the eighth member of San Diego's lone Super Bowl team who has died, all before the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others.Seau's also is among a few recent, unexpected deaths of NFL veterans.Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he died in in February 2011.Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the last year — died last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits.Seau, however, is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussion litigation.When Humphries joined the Chargers in a 1992 trade, he said it was obvious Seau was "the person who had the most energy, the most excited, the guy who tried to rally everybody." Humphries said Seau "brought out a lot of youngness" in older players.He also helped younger players."So sad to hear about Junior Seau," tweeted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was with San Diego from 2001-05. "Junebug. Buddy. The greatest teammate a young guy could ask for. This is a sad day. He will be missed greatly."Seau called many of those around him "Buddy." He often referred to teammates as "my players."Seau was voted to a Chargers-record 12 straight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro six times."We all lost a friend today," Chargers President Dean Spanos said in a statement. "This is just such a tragic loss. One of the worst things I could ever imagine."Seau's greatest game may have been in the 17-13 victory at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game in January 1995 that sent the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Playing through the pain of a pinched nerve in his neck, he spread out his 16 tackles from the first play to the second-to-last. San Diego was routed 49-26 in the Super Bowl by San Francisco.Humphries also recalled Seau recovering Elway's fumble to seal a come-from-behind victory in the 1994 opener at Denver.Seau left the Chargers after the 2002 season when the team unceremoniously told him he was free to pursue a trade. He held a farewell news conference at the restaurant he owned in Mission Valley, and later was traded to Miami.Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Cubs great Santo elected to Hall of Fame posthumously
DALLAS — Ron Santo always kept rooting for the causes dearest to him — for his Chicago Cubs to win the World Series, for doctors to find a cure for diabetes and for him to reach the Hall of Fame.
In at last: The late Ron Santo, a former third baseman for the Chicago Cubs, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee on Monday. APOn Monday, Cooperstown finally came calling.The barrel-chested third baseman who clicked his heels in victory was elected to the Hall, overwhelmingly chosen by the Veterans Committee nearly a year to the day after he died hoping for this very honor."It's really exciting because so many years that we had parties over to his house in spring training saying this is the year, I would tell him this is the year you're going in," said Hall of Fame teammate Billy Williams, a member of the voting panel."The one thing, of course, is he's not here to enjoy it, but his family will. He long awaited this, and we're all happy. I know I'm happy, his family is happy, the fans of Chicago are happy," he said.Santo was a nine-time All-Star, hit 342 home runs and won five Gold Gloves. He was a Cubs broadcaster for two decades, beloved by the home crowd for the way he eagerly cheered for his favorite team on the air, hollering "Yes! Yes!" or "All right!" after good plays and groaning "Oh, no!" or "It's bad" when things went wrong.Shortly after the announcement, Santo's flag — white with blue pinstripes, plus his name and No. 10 — was flying from the center pole atop the scoreboard at Wrigley Field."There was always kind of a missing piece of the puzzle of Cubs' history," team owner Tom Ricketts said.Santo breezed in with 15 votes from the 16-member panel that met at baseball's winter meetings. It took 75 percent — 12 votes — to get chosen."I've got tears in my eyes writing this: Congrats to the Santo family on Ron's election to MLB Hall of Fame. A good day to be a Cub fan," tweeted Chicago-area rocker Billy Corgan, frontman for the Smashing Pumpkins.Santo died Dec. 3, 2010, from complications of bladder cancer at age 70. He had diabetes, which eventually cost him both legs below the knees, and worked tirelessly to raise millions for research into the disease.Williams was on the line when Santo's widow, Vicki, got the congratulatory phone call."Ron has passed, but it was always his dream, to even have this come to him after his passing. It just shows you can't give up," she said during a conference call from Arizona."All he said (was) I hope I get in in my lifetime, that's certainly a reasonable request for anybody who gets an honor as special as this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be," she said. "With his lifetime every disappointment that came along, he was very disappointed."Said daughter Linda Brown: "I know, even if my dad were here today, he would never reflect on any of the wrongdoings, so to speak. . . . There would be no bitterness, it would just be him being happy, and I believe he is."Santo joined former Cubs teammates Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins and Williams in the Hall. That famed quartet did most everything at the Friendly Confines through the 1960s and early 1970s except bring a World Series to the ivy-covered ballpark."With Ernie, myself and Fergie, those players he played with . . . to hear this kind of news today that he's inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame is really gratifying because so many times that we talked about it, it's a place he wanted to be," Williams said.Santo will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 22, along with any players elected by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Jan. 9. Bernie Williams joins Jack Morris, Barry Larkin and others on that ballot."This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Ron was a staple of the Cubs' experience every single day for decades."Jim Kaat was second with 10 votes, Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso each drew nine and Tony Oliva got eight on the 10-person Golden Era ballot. Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant each received under three votes.Santo never came close to election during his 15 times on the BBWAA ballot, peaking at 43 percent — far short of the needed 75 percent in his last year of eligibility in 1998.DALLAS — Terry Francona is swapping jobs with Bobby Valentine.In another winter meetings trade, ESPN said Monday that Francona will become an analyst for its Sunday night game telecasts next season, joining Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser in the broadcast booth.Valentine worked for ESPN in 2003 and rejoined the network in September 2009. He broadcast Sunday night games this year, then was hired last week as manager of the Boston Red Sox, who parted ways with Francona after the season.
In at last: The late Ron Santo, a former third baseman for the Chicago Cubs, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee on Monday. APOn Monday, Cooperstown finally came calling.The barrel-chested third baseman who clicked his heels in victory was elected to the Hall, overwhelmingly chosen by the Veterans Committee nearly a year to the day after he died hoping for this very honor."It's really exciting because so many years that we had parties over to his house in spring training saying this is the year, I would tell him this is the year you're going in," said Hall of Fame teammate Billy Williams, a member of the voting panel."The one thing, of course, is he's not here to enjoy it, but his family will. He long awaited this, and we're all happy. I know I'm happy, his family is happy, the fans of Chicago are happy," he said.Santo was a nine-time All-Star, hit 342 home runs and won five Gold Gloves. He was a Cubs broadcaster for two decades, beloved by the home crowd for the way he eagerly cheered for his favorite team on the air, hollering "Yes! Yes!" or "All right!" after good plays and groaning "Oh, no!" or "It's bad" when things went wrong.Shortly after the announcement, Santo's flag — white with blue pinstripes, plus his name and No. 10 — was flying from the center pole atop the scoreboard at Wrigley Field."There was always kind of a missing piece of the puzzle of Cubs' history," team owner Tom Ricketts said.Santo breezed in with 15 votes from the 16-member panel that met at baseball's winter meetings. It took 75 percent — 12 votes — to get chosen."I've got tears in my eyes writing this: Congrats to the Santo family on Ron's election to MLB Hall of Fame. A good day to be a Cub fan," tweeted Chicago-area rocker Billy Corgan, frontman for the Smashing Pumpkins.Santo died Dec. 3, 2010, from complications of bladder cancer at age 70. He had diabetes, which eventually cost him both legs below the knees, and worked tirelessly to raise millions for research into the disease.Williams was on the line when Santo's widow, Vicki, got the congratulatory phone call."Ron has passed, but it was always his dream, to even have this come to him after his passing. It just shows you can't give up," she said during a conference call from Arizona."All he said (was) I hope I get in in my lifetime, that's certainly a reasonable request for anybody who gets an honor as special as this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be," she said. "With his lifetime every disappointment that came along, he was very disappointed."Said daughter Linda Brown: "I know, even if my dad were here today, he would never reflect on any of the wrongdoings, so to speak. . . . There would be no bitterness, it would just be him being happy, and I believe he is."Santo joined former Cubs teammates Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins and Williams in the Hall. That famed quartet did most everything at the Friendly Confines through the 1960s and early 1970s except bring a World Series to the ivy-covered ballpark."With Ernie, myself and Fergie, those players he played with . . . to hear this kind of news today that he's inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame is really gratifying because so many times that we talked about it, it's a place he wanted to be," Williams said.Santo will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 22, along with any players elected by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Jan. 9. Bernie Williams joins Jack Morris, Barry Larkin and others on that ballot."This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Ron was a staple of the Cubs' experience every single day for decades."Jim Kaat was second with 10 votes, Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso each drew nine and Tony Oliva got eight on the 10-person Golden Era ballot. Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant each received under three votes.Santo never came close to election during his 15 times on the BBWAA ballot, peaking at 43 percent — far short of the needed 75 percent in his last year of eligibility in 1998.DALLAS — Terry Francona is swapping jobs with Bobby Valentine.In another winter meetings trade, ESPN said Monday that Francona will become an analyst for its Sunday night game telecasts next season, joining Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser in the broadcast booth.Valentine worked for ESPN in 2003 and rejoined the network in September 2009. He broadcast Sunday night games this year, then was hired last week as manager of the Boston Red Sox, who parted ways with Francona after the season.
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