RIP Thread: Sports Edition
 

Bart Starr, legendary HOF Packers QB, passes at age 85. Starr lead Green Bay to 5 NFL titles including the first two Super Bowl trophies in the span of just 7 years. The last 4 years, Starr had been in very poor health, so there is comfort in knowing that his suffering has come to an end.

Edit: Starr was married to wife Cherry 65 years at the time of his death.

https://www.packers.com/news/packers...arr-dies-at-85

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...-starr-dies-85

RIP to Bart and William. Thoughts and prayers go out to Wisconsin assistant basketball coach Howard Moore, whose wife and daughter were lost Saturday in a car collision. Absolutely tragic. :(

Bart always conducted himself with dignity. He was a class act.

Bill Buckner

One of my all time favorites. :(


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....zL._SX425_.jpg

Buckner had a very curious career. He's by far the worst player in MLB history to play in at least 2500 games. In his 22 year career, Buckner had 3-4 good seasons and 10 seasons where he was an overall negative to his club's won-loss record. He was never a star despite receiving MVP votes in 5 seasons and finishing 10th twice. One all-star appearance.

But, no one deserves the level of abuse he endured for decades and it's good that Buckner found peace with the matter of his infamy and returned to the Red Sox fold.

Edit: I'd imagine he's part of a very small group of MLB'ers to have played at least 500 games with 3 different clubs.

Marc Okkonen, author of "Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century" and the driving force behind the Baseball Hall of Fame's "Dressed to the Nines" uniform database, passed away on Monday at the age of 86. He was awarded SABR's Henry Chadwick Award for lifetime achievement. Okkonen also wrote the first detailed account of the Federal League and authored "2,000 Cups of Coffee" with profiles and images of players from 1900-1949 who appeared in fewer than 10 career MLB games.

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.o...s/database.htm

https://uni-watch.com/2019/05/29/mar...nen-1933-2019/

Jim Bouton, ex-Yankee and author of Ball Four, at age 80.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ur-author-dies

Boxing legend Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker was killed in a car accident. He was just 55 years old.

https://t.co/eHnPubtAn3

Heat stroke claims the life of ex-Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus at age 32.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...es-heat-stroke

1st 3 NFL players I can remember liking the most as a kid. OJ Simpson, Terry Metcalfe, & Cliff Branch. #21 passed away @ 71.
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vpCm...1691.jpg.0.jpg

I remember Branch playing Arena football once his NFL career came to an end. It was kind of sad because it was obvious he was only doing it because he needed money.

I'd forgotten about that.