OT: Alex Karras...

[wire chief]

...of the 60's Detroit Lions is reported to be a few days from death due to kidney failure.
I was a fan.

 

[UConnChapette]

He did some acting too, as I recall? Seemed to be a gentle giant if my recollection serves.

 

[pinotbear]

"Mongo have feelings for Sheriff Bart. No body ever beat Mongo before - Mongo impressed!"

 

[Icebear]

and some Monday Night Football. He has been a very funny guy and, of course, as Mongo in Blazing Saddles which I see pinot has beat me to posting.

 

[Vowelguy]

He did some acting too, as I recall? Seemed to be a gentle giant if my recollection serves.

Yes, as Webster's 2nd father!
(Following Diff'rent Strokes, in the early 80s genre in which black kids were shown as better off with their parents dead, thus allowing them to be raised by white folk.)

 

[meyers7]

Think he was also in the sitcom Webster.

(crap vowel, by a minute)

 

[LesMis89]

Big fan as well. Very sad news.

 

[Adios]

I mentioned him on the FB board in a thread. Instead of even offering condolences to him, I had people going for my neck. I wish him well on the next journey.

 

[TRest]

If anyone can find it, there was a great contemporary biography written when he was a player called "Mad Ducks and Bears" featuring him and a teammate offensive lineman on the Lions. Kind of a tamer Ball Four but fascinating when I was a kid.

 

[uconnfan68]

"Mongo have feelings for Sheriff Bart. No body ever beat Mongo before - Mongo impressed!"

"Mongo only pawn in game of life" is my top reply at work these days. ;^)

 

[msf22b]

I have a vivid memory of a Thanksgiving day game in which Alex and friends spent the morning in the much favored Packer backfield much to the chagrin of Bart Starr

 

[meyers7]

Karris was also in the movie Paper Lion about writer George Plimpton's tryout with the Lions (as himself). Pretty good movie. One of the first few I ever saw at a theatre.

 

[Adios]

Rest in peace.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/10/ex-nfl-star-actor-alex-karras-dies/?hpt=us_t2

 

[Icebear]

May the wings of a thousand angels raise you up to the heights of the heavens and may your name ever be on the tongue of the one who made you. Grace and peace be with you always big guy. Peace be with you.

 

[OneTrickPony]

My favorite Alex Karras story was about a typical grueling black & blue division game. It ended on an interception thrown by quarterback Milt Plum in the final minutes that was retruned all the way for the winning touchdown. Karras comes fuming into the locker room and throws his helmet 40 feet across the room straight at Milton's head...Plum was traded immediately thereafter for his own protection...

Rest in peace, Alex...

 

[Aluminny69]

I knew he was somehow connected to Paul Hornung. From Wiki:

On January 7, 1963, Karras's ownership in Detroit's Lindell AC Bar became a source of controversy when league officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime influence. After first threatening to retire rather than give it up, Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league, along with Green Bay Packers' running back Paul Hornung, for one season (1963).
During his exile, Karras returned to pro wrestling, taking on such memorable characters as Dick the Bruiser, but was then reinstated, along with Hornung, on March 16, 1964 by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. Upon returning to action in 1964, Karras once refused when an official asked him to call the pregame coin toss. "I'm sorry, sir," Karras replied. "I'm not permitted to gamble."[2] During his first year back, player discontent with head coach George Wilson resulted in Karras asking to be traded. However, the Lions settled the issue when they fired Wilson after the 1964 NFL season.

Match Game '75: Alex Karras vs. Lola Kiss

 

[wire chief]

Karris was also in the movie Paper Lion about writer George Plimpton's tryout with the Lions (as himself). Pretty good movie. One of the first few I ever saw at a theatre.

I too enjoyed the movie; Alex made fun of Coach Joe Schmidt, likening him to a Nazi. Of course one could not really be disrespectful, for Joe came to coaching from being one of the all-time greats at middle linebacker.

 

[wire chief]

I have a vivid memory of a Thanksgiving day game in which Alex and friends spent the morning in the much favored Packer backfield much to the chagrin of Bart Starr

It was a wipeout, something like 26-7, and nobody did that to the Packers back then.