One of my favorite football players died today

George Blanda, 83------I think Gorge played until he was 78 or something.  he was a tough dude.  Played for Oakland Raiders as a QB and place kicker.  Came into the games to relieve Daryll LaMonica and would just throw the ball nice and easy, score a couple of TDs.  Kicked until he had to be brought onto the field in a wheelchair.  Loved guys like that.  Tough and talented.

Played till he was 1 month shy of his 49th birthday, amazing!

It is also amazing that you are the only one who appreciated old George----the new breed who follow the make-be-leave Prima Donna brand wouldn't know a tough football player if they were kicked in the butt by one.
 
They played with broken bones, never cried and whined.  They had no union and no agents and NO ONE WAS ON PROBATION----BUT George Blanda, BOBBY LAYNE AND guys like them could get you pie-eyed from their breath in the huddle..  But they sure could play football.  Your guy Jorgenson was one of them. 
 
RIP George Blanda ----and I hope the Devil didn't know you were gone for an hour or so after you were in uniform up in heaven.
 
 

His biography and list of accomplishments is amazing. For example, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the twelfth round of the 1949 National Football League (NFL) Draft.
After drafting Blanda, Bears owner and coach George Halas signed him to a contract of $6,000 per year along with a $600 signing bonus. I wonder what that would be in today's dollars?

chewingthefat


Played till he was 1 month shy of his 49th birthday, amazing!

Bret Farve is just a kid compared to Ol' George!

Food-Bee-U------if George signed for $6000 a year in '49 it meant he made $1000 a month---because football, back then, was a 6 month sport----well maybe 7 but for mathematical purposes lets leave it at 6.  Guys would show up at pre-season camps in lousy shape. 
So $1000 a month = $250 a week.  I was making $75.00.
He wasn't on his way to being a millionaire but he made 3 i/2
times what the starting average Joe salary was back then. 
 
All the players then had part time jobs.  In NY a lot of the Giants were hired to work on Wall Street.  The ones who could read and write anyhow.

the ancient mariner

All the players then had part time jobs.  In NY a lot of the Giants were hired to work on Wall Street.  The ones who could read and write anyhow.

 
That was true of most of the sports 40 years ago or so. In the early 1960's I would fly back and forth to college a few times a year, the ticket agent at the United counter at O'Hare was Stan Mikita from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Being born and raised in Kentucky, growing up, my favorite pro team was whatever team George Blanda played on.  Even though his bio says he played QB, punted, and kicked at Kentucky, it's actually a little misleading.  Blanda rarely was used as a placekicker while at UK.  For whatever reason, Bear Bryant didn't think much of him as a kicker.

His legend will live on...What a great example of what a Pro Football Player should 'Be' !  I have only been in attendance at 4 or 5 NFL games over the years, but one was a Raiders Game with Blanda playing ! I savor the memories of that day.

Klando--- yes you are right----and Mikita was a great hockey player---I always thought he was japanese and wondered how he learned to skate.
maybe his father was---i don't know.
 
All of the Brooklyn Dodgers had off season jobs locally----Carl Furillo was a steel worker on hi-rise building projects----some pumped gas---some became "owners"of bars and bowling alleys---in name only.  They were paid for the use of their name which drew the customers.  
 
What a difference from the millionaires of today who can't play with a hang nail. 
J-MAN----Interesting about Bear not using Blanda as a kicker---maybe he learned after Ky.  You guys had some great B-B teams back then and coachs like Rupp and Bryant--wow.
 
Mayor Al---I never saw Oakland play in the flesh but loved them and San Diego on the tube.  Blanda and Groza kicked until they were unable to see the goal posts anymore.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Since Blanda was a Raider and were the bitter rivals of my Steelers in the early 70s, I didn't really appreciate him at the time.  I just remember how much older he looked than all the rest of the players.  But, we was truly a one of a kind player.  And we in western PA like to claim him as yet another great quarterback from the area.

Blanda was amazing and that run in 1970 was quite an accomplishment. Interesting to me that he, Harold Gould, and Tony Curtis were about the same age. Given the different contexts in which i experienced each one i thought there might have been a greater age difference.

And, MR CHIPS, both Tony Curtis and Harold Gould were both in Spartacus.  Also,  about the same age----Eddie Fisher also died last week.  Hey, those guys were my age, I better go take my vitamins.  Gloria Stuart was 100 which proves women live longer than men.  Or does it? 

George Burns made it to 100. Have faith.

the ancient mariner


Klando--- yes you are right----and Mikita was a great hockey player---I always thought he was japanese and wondered how he learned to skate.
maybe his father was---i don't know.

 
O Ancient one, Stan Mikita was born in Czechoslovakia and then his family moved to Canada. The thing I remember most about meeting him at O'Hare was how banged up his face looked.

I met a guy name Raleigh who played for the Rangers----Skinny guy they called Bones.  He, like many of that era, didn't have any teeth.  Taking a hard as a rock,  ice cold puck in the mouth
can do that to a guy.  Mikita wa a touth little guy.  Wasn't Bill Mosienko on that Chicago team.  We were (about 5 or 6 of us guys) at the Garden and he scored 3 goals in less than a minute.  It was the record then.  Maybe it was before Mikita and Hull and those guys.

I met a guy name Raleigh who played for the Rangers----Skinny guy they called Bones.  He, like many of that era, didn't have any teeth.  Taking a hard as a rock,  ice cold puck in the mouth
can do that to a guy.  Mikita wa a touth little guy.  Wasn't Bill Mosienko on that Chicago team.  We were (about 5 or 6 of us guys) at the Garden and he scored 3 goals in less than a minute.  It was the record then.  Maybe it was before Mikita and Hull and those guys.

I googled Bill Mosienko and he played before Mikita.  The game we saw at the old MSG was in 1952 and the 3 goals were scored in 21 seconds.  Amazing.  And there was a goalie in the nets and defense men on the ice. 
We were behind the net the goals were scored in.  First row right on the ice almost.   Un-bee-leave-able.  The garden was only half full in those days and you could walk up and get good seats for a Buck.

the ancient mariner


Blanda and Groza kicked until they were unable to see the goal posts anymore.

Lou The Toe! Speaking of tough old quarterbacks, I remember Bobby Layne being about the last player not wearing a face mask...

How did this thread move from George Blanda to Hockey?
With respect to Blanda, take the Hockey discussion someplace else!

Hey Foodie----we were talking about tough guys, makes no diffence what sport.  Blanda had a face that could have been a hockey players.  I played in the pre-face mask days of football and had my nose broken 3 times---have a very bad deviated septum---- in all 3 cases the trainer grabbed my snooz straightened it with his fingers---put cotton up the passages to keep me from bleeding to death and the coach said----get back in there. 
 
Recently a doctor examined my nose and said it is a wonder i can breathe at all.  Today I would be out 3 weeks going for MRIs and ESPs and INCs and a million other tests.  Everyone had a concussion back then, but we didn't know it---we just talked funny for a while. 
 
   
 
 

the ancient mariner


Hey Foodie----we were talking about tough guys, makes no diffence what sport.  Blanda had a face that could have been a hockey players.  I played in the pre-face mask days of football and had my nose broken 3 times---have a very bad deviated septum---- in all 3 cases the trainer grabbed my snooz straightened it with his fingers---put cotton up the passages to keep me from bleeding to death and the coach said----get back in there. 

Recently a doctor examined my nose and said it is a wonder i can breathe at all.  Today I would be out 3 weeks going for MRIs and ESPs and INCs and a million other tests.  Everyone had a concussion back then, but we didn't know it---we just talked funny for a while.  

I played in the same Era. The Freshman Team wore Leather Helmets! When you became a Sophomore, you got a Plastic Riddell Hat. When you were a Junior you got a single bar Facemask like the FG kickers wear today.Didn't protect anything! I broke 8 of them making hits. It was a Badge of Honor when you broke one! Oh, and we played both ways. None of this Platoon crap!

Foody --- you are an old rascal if you remember leather helmets.
But we didn't have any concussions , or if we did we didn't know it. 
 
Both ways indeed--we only had a dozen half-way decent guys. 
Actually we brought in a new punter who had a gizmo to put in his mouth to protect his teeth-------we thought he was a big sissy.
 
Those were the days my friend, those wee the days.

the ancient mariner


Foody --- you are an old rascal if you remember leather helmets.
But we didn't have any concussions , or if we did we didn't know it. 

Both ways indeed--we only had a dozen half-way decent guys. 
Actually we brought in a new punter who had a gizmo to put in his mouth to protect his teeth-------we thought he was a big sissy.

Those were the days my friend, those wee the days.

Back in the day we had a scientific name for a Concussion. It was called, "Getting Your Bell Rung"!!
And a "Mouthpiece" was a lawyer who got you out of jail!

 
 
I hear bells----someone must be at the door.  Be right back-----
 
Oh so that's what a mouthpiece is---yea we thought our new punter was a real wimp---oh we didn't use that word then we had some other choice ones.
 
Y A Tittle, a Hall of Fame QB with the 49rs and Giants, came back to the huddle after taking a real belt and started calling the next play for the Giants in 49er terminology.  Someone in the huddle called time and YA was sent to the bench.  I don't remember if he came back in.  Take a bit
of Jack Daniels to clear the cobwebs away and was ready for another TD drive. 
 
Ever see a game of Hurley from Ireland.  No helmets, run with the ball, about softball size, and belt it with a club ---like a baseball bat.  If you happen to get your bell rung by a belt on the noggin with a Hurley Club you will vibrate all over for a week or two.