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Posted: |
Sep 11, 2002 - 8:29 PM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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When anyone say's "quarterback", he will always be the man..He literally invented the position..Looking at him , even at a young age, he never looked the part of field General, but, boy, was he! He struck fear, and respect (even as he aged) in the hearts of his opponents.His old style black "hi-tops", and blue collar approach, talent, and love for the game of football, and his GUTS, can hardly be surpassed..Unitas had many financial setbacks, many hardships to overcome in his life.. But, he set the standard..He was and is an American legend.. I always respected and admired the man..He died, a hero to many working class people, like myself..Johnny Unitas died today of a heart attack at 69.. An American sports legend..
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Posted: |
Sep 12, 2002 - 3:00 PM
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By: |
Ed Kattak
(Member)
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Man. I am so depressed. Johnny's gone. God, what are we heading to. This man was a class act.
I will tell you how much of a class act he was.
My daddy once told me a story about old Johnny that stuck with me. Ya see, daddy retired after years of being a butcher with the semi-defunct supermarket chain of GRAND UNION. He got this part time job as a supermarket store demonstrator. Now in case those of you don't know what a demonstrator is, they are usually those old retired people that you find cooking up some crappy bad tater tots or handing out samples of water filtered in the Brita system.
Anywho, daddy was doing this gig at one of the tennis open's up in Mahwah, NJ. He was handing out samples of Tropicana Pure Premium to everybody. But, sitting next to daddy (as an added promotion), was Ed Kranepool, Ed Dolan, and Art Schamsky from the 69 Met's. My dad was bulsh***ng with them all day. He asked Ed Kranepool if he wanted some ornage juice, but Kranepool joked something to the effect of, " only if it has Smirnoff in it." Dad and the group laughed for hours - making a potentially catatonic and boring day into something memorable.
To add icing to the cake, this tall feller comes over to the table and jokes to the ballplayers, "What are you guys selling?" And Art Schamsky rebuts, "We're here with our friend Dumond to promote some Tropicana, but in a moment or too we are going to break out the hamburger helper and Underwood deviled ham." The tall stranger looked interested. "Oh, is that a fact," he replied. "Did you guys remember to bring the sizzlean bacon," he then added. Dolan said, "Well now. We didn't know they still make Sizzlean." Daddy, working in commercial food industry for over 30 years, quipped, "Well, they have Sizzelean turkey bacon. It gives you less gas. But, they also make the original." The tall guy was impressed with daddy. In fact, daddy explained how a number of years ago, while working in Hackensack, Clete Boyer came in looking for filets for Buck Showalter's birthday party. Good ol dad took care of Clete and gave him the best. Clete turned around and gave daddy 4 free tickets to Yankees game. We took our neighbor and his son. Ahh, what a game, it was the return of Daryl Strawberry and I'll never forget getting hit in the testacles with that line drive foul ball. Ouch, it hurt for a year! Anyway, back to the story. The tall man laughed his ass off when he heard that daddy's little boy (me) got hit in the nuts with a foul ball (Damn, daddy's little boy was 30 yearls old!)
After the tall man finished laughing, he said that quite often, he was hit in the balls with a football, cause the center couldn't snap the ball for crap.
"But," he said as he moved away from the table, "It doesn't matter if you get hit in the balls with a football or a line drive. What's important is how far from the ice pack you are."
Johnny Unitas winked, then turned around and walked away. As he walked away, he lifted his arm and waved back at us, not looking back at all, but the wave said it all as he walked away."
Truly, a Gau Jus man.
He will be missed.
Ed
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Posted: |
Sep 12, 2002 - 3:58 PM
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By: |
Donna
(Member)
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WOW, if that is true (and I never know with you, Ed), that's a great story.
I was absolutely in LOVE with Art Schamsky (ask Anzaldiman!) and would have given almost anything to meet him. Those Mets were full of fun. I remember sitting in the stands across from the Mets dugout in the 70's just waving, waving, waving to Dave Marshall (?). Anyway, sitting next to Dave was, I believe, Ed Kranepool. He got so tired of seeing me wave that he took Dave's hand and waved back to me. He pointed out to where I was sitting and then the entire Mets bench waved. I was in heaven, I tell you---HEAVEN!!
Anyway, I love the Johnny U story about the ice pack, whether it's true or not!!!!
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Posted: |
Sep 13, 2002 - 6:46 PM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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Sis,
Johnny Unitas was so cool YES, he would have laughed at that story!! Because he must have lived it MORE than several times... Who knows, the people, or the stories, or how bad or good a bowler he was at "Colt Lanes", but I can picture him waving. He was that kind of guy...Thanks, Lofty,..Ah, I mean Ed!! Jeez.."Ed Loftybeck"..Sounds like the card from a car salesman when you leave the lot undecided!! "Well, just keep us in mind, if you ever need anything"....But seriously, rest in peace John Unitas..The ONLY autograph I ever aquired of a sports player.. EVER..He had that much of an impact on me. I bought it in 1994, it was signed on an old Sports Illustrated page from the early 70's..Before Mr. Unitas started to have serious problems with his once powerful right arm, and hand..Alas, his signature looks so different from how he signed with the limited use of his hand in his late life..For shame, NFL, for fighting this great pioneer for compensation...To this "modern" NFL, it seems as though there was no football before 1970..Think again, all you mighty suits, sitting up in the luxury boxes slurping down shrimp cocktails, and wine. Johnny U, and many like him, put you where you are today, by pioneering what the game is today..EVEN surpassing baseball, in popularity..They should NEVER forget it..And, they should never forget the efforts in the mud, in the rain, on crappy substandard fields, of those old pros, and for shit money!! Those men forged this NFL..Unitas was the GREAT Joe Namath's idol, and I love Joe too..
Sis, by the way, did you catch Namath's "Biography" on A&E?? EXCELLENT..The 71' game when he came off the bench late in the game against San Fran(He was hurt most of the season) to try to lead a come from behind victory,and throw bullets and connect, and connect,(my heart racing) only to have that pass to Eddie Bell in the end zone intercepted..The fans stood up, and cheered him even though the Jets lost..Namath walked off the field a la DiMaggio, kicking the dirt, blaming himself..To hear John Schmidt (his center, and protector) speak of that game, and tear up, ...I was moved..The thing in that special, that really made me cry, was seeing him throw his last pass, in the rain, on turf(against the Bears, of all people) as an LA Ram..His pass warbled, far short of the reciever, and Namath was knocked to the ground, and could not get up.. He just layed there..He looked so frail then..I cryed like a baby seeing that..He NEVER should have gone out that way..Needed to share that..
Johnny Unitas, RIP, and thanks for the memories...
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