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Title: Don Meredith Passes At 72
Source:
MSNBC
URL Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co ... meredith-passes-at-72/related/
Published: Dec 6, 2010
Author: staff
Post Date: 2010-12-06 11:02:37 by Murron
Keywords: None
Views: 5203
Comments: 7
Don Meredith Passes At 72 Somewhere, Don Meredith is singing that tune right now. The one that he sang on countless Monday nights, when he concluded that the game he was calling with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell no longer was in dispute, to the certain dismay of ABC executives who would have preferred that the audience didn’t receive a musical invitation to change to one of the two other channels that were available at the time. Then again, who changed the channel? Monday Night Football was appointment viewing, with Meredith’s goofy, good-ol’-boy shtick balancing out Cosell’s biting vocabulary and staccato delivery. Directing traffic and/or staying out of the way was Frank Gifford, who handled the play-by-play action and otherwise refrained from clunking their heads together or throwing either or both of them out of the window of the broadcast booth. According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Meredith has died at 72 of emphysema, six years after suffering a stroke. He played quarterback for the Cowboys well enough to join the team’s Ring of Honor, but he remains best known for providing comic relief via his squabbles with Cosell, back when MNF was truly magical. Meredith retired from football at only 31, opening the door for Roger Staubach to author a Hall of Fame career. As Townsend points out, Meredith retired the same day Staubach left the navy.
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#1. To: UPDATE, ALL (#0)
Updated 10:39 a.m. ET Dec. 6, 2010 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team, died Sunday. He was 72. Meredith's wife, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday her husband died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. She says a private graveside ceremony is being planned and that family members were traveling to Santa Fe. "He was the best there was," she said, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one." Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960-1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965. While he never led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, Meredith was one of the franchise's first stars. Over his nine-year career, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 111 touchdowns. He retired unexpectedly before the 1969 season. Just two years after retiring from football, Meredith joined Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the "Monday Night Football" crew. He quickly became one of the most popular broadcasters in sports because of his folksy sayings and country humor. Meredith's signature call was singing the famous Willie Nelson song "Turn Out the Lights" when it appeared a game's outcome had been determined. Meredith left ABC after the 1973 season for a three-year stint at NBC. He returned to the "MNF" crew in 1977 before retiring in 1984, one year after Cosell left the team. Before a generation knew Meredith for his colorful broadcasting career, he was one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys teams. Meredith was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bears in 1960 and was traded to the expansion Cowboys franchise for future draft picks. "Dandy Don", as he was affectionately known, shared time under center with Eddie LeBaron before winning the starting job in 1965. Meredith led the Cowboys to three straight division titles and to consecutive NFL Championship games in 1966 and 1967. Dallas lost both games though to eventual Super Bowl winners Green Bay. In 1966, Meredith guided the Cowboys to their first-ever winning season (10-3- 1). He was named NFL Player of the Year after throwing a career-high 24 touchdown passes and 2,805 yards. Meredith was one of nine Dallas players selected to the Pro Bowl that year — the first of his two Pro Bowl years. His last moment in a Cowboys uniform was painful. Meredith threw three interceptions in a 1968 playoff game against the Cleveland Browns and was pulled in favor of Craig Morton. "I tried to talk him out of it," Dallas head coach Tom Landry said after Meredith announced his retirement. "But when you lose your desire in this game, that's it." Meredith and Don Perkins were the second and third players inducted to Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1976. Meredith was one of the first athletes to make the transition from the field to the color analyst — and the move to calling "Monday Night Football" was an easy one for him. While on the show, Meredith was part of many memorable moments on ABC's landmark hit. In 1970, Meredith was in the booth for the St. Louis Cardinals' 38-0 whitewashing of his former team. The Cotton Bowl crowd late in began chanting "We want Meredith!" Meredith quipped, "No way you're getting me down there," Another famous Meredith moment occurred in 1974 at the Houston Astrodome. The Oakland Raiders were in the process of beating the Houston Oilers 34-0. A cameraman had a shot of a disgruntled Oilers fan, who then made an obscene gesture. Meredith said of the fan. "He thinks they're No. 1 in the nation." He was also in the booth when Howard Cosell announced that John Lennon had been assassinated on Dec. 9, 1980. In addition to his broadcasting career, Meredith appeared in several TV shows and movies after his playing career ended. He had a recurring role in "Police Story" and was a spokesman for Lipton. Before his career with the Cowboys, Meredith was a three-year at quarterback for SMU. He was an All-America selection in 1958 and 1959. Meredith was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Texas — which is about 100 miles east of Dallas. He never played a home game outside of North Texas. 1938--2010
"I really wanna care. I wanna feel somethin'. Let me dig a little deeper:. No, My give-a-damn's busted"~ Jo Dee Messina
Mac Davis accurately portrayed Meredith in 'North Dallas Forty' with Nic Nolte. He was missed long before today. RIP.
Obama's first all-by-his-lonesome budget, btw, calls for a $1.17 trillion deficit.
Now that'll date'cha. 8D
LOL...I'm not talkin...&;-)
"I really wanna care. I wanna feel somethin'. Let me dig a little deeper:. No, My give-a-damn's busted"~ Jo Dee Messina
The one moment I vividly remember was when the camera was panning the crowd and it came to rest on a very attractive young woman who decided at that moment to dig into her nose. There was silence in the booth until Meredith simply stated, "Almost, perfect". R.I.P. 'Dandy', you were one of the best.
I will always remember Dandy Don for one comment he made while overseeing a blow out game. He changed from "Turn out the lights,the party is over",to a Hank Williams song. He then described Hank Williams music as "Music to slash your wrists by."
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
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#2. To: Murron (#1)
#3. To: Murron (#0)
#4. To: mcgowanjm (#3)
Now that'll date'cha. 8D
#5. To: Murron (#1)
While on the show, Meredith was part of many memorable moments on ABC's landmark hit.
#6. To: Murron (#0)
#7. To: Murron (#4)
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