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Just saw that Gale Sayers died today.

He was the RB that influenced me the most when I was a kid. His moves were legendary. They said he could "split in half." His career was ruined by a knee injury. But, when he played, he was as good of a RB as any who ever played the game.

There is and has been some very good running backs in the NFL, Gayle Sayers was one of the great ones.

RIP

Fluid. He just moved naturally like liquid thru the path of least resistance.

That's probably the best description I can think of. It was as if it were effortless. He just made it look easy. I will never forget watching him play.

RIP Gayle Sayers.

Only seen him on highlights, which are incredible. RIP!

Just a heads-up. There was no y in Gale's first name.

Paying for his family ..

Here in C-town we've had the good luck to see quite a few great open field runners - JB, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Greg Pruitt, Eric Metcalf - but as far as being having elite speed and elusiveness, Sayers might be the best I've seen. The only things that separated Jim Brown from the rest were his power in addition to great speed and moves, and his durability.

Its a bit strange that I was just thinking about Sayers the other day when one of the local sports talk shows did an interview with James Caan, who portrayed Brian Piccolo opposite Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers in "Brian's Song".

RIP, Gale Sayers.

The man was a genuine delight to watch, just effortless flow, explosive bursts, and cuts that hypnotized defenders. This is one of the men whose play defined the position. Sweetness.

RIP, Mr. Sayers, and thank you for the delight watching your games.

Dementia and Alzheimer's destroy so many people. My mother passed away from complications of Alzheimer's. Both illnesses are really tough on families. I hate to even think about it, but it's always there.

Something a bit more positive:

When I was a kid, the Browns were not my favorite football team. I was 7 when they won the championship and living in NY. My favorite football team for a long, long time was the Baltimore Colts. My favorite football player was Johnny Unitas. Gayle Sayers was my favorite RB. I used to practice his moves and Johnny U's drops and throwing motion. I emulated Sayers' running style growing up. It helped that I was fast and had a lot of moves. But, I would watch him do things and try and go out and replicate those moves. I even held the ball like a loaf of bread. That's crazy, because later in life as a coach, I would have went nuts if someone tried that.



In baseball, I loved the Pirates and Roberto Clemente was my favorite player. I had a huge 34 oz Clemente bat and mimicked his stance. I always tried to hit line drives and copied the basket catch. I wasn't a very good outfielder though. Played SS and pitched. I don't think I had the depth perception for OF. I remember the day that Roberto Clemente died....well, the day after, because there was no internet. It was a glorious day on Jan. 1st. It was 60 degrees. My brother and I returned home from playing basketball at the park all day and as we walked in through the garage, my mom and dad were at the top of the steps and told me to sit down. I sat on the bottom stair and they broke the news. I cried like a baby.

In basketball, I loved the Knicks and Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the dude I emulated. When Clyde led the Knicks to that improbable victory over the Lakers the year Willis Reed got hurt, it was one of the most happy moments of my life.

Growing up was great. In a way, we were sheltered because information wasn't as readily available. We had our heroes. Things seemed so innocent for many of us. Changes were occurring and there was some political and social turbulence. Yet, the sports world seemed so innocent. I would spend hours reading the Sporting News. I could tell you the current batting averages of many MLB players. The shooting percentage of BB players. The yards per carry of most RBs. Statistics captivated my attention and then going out and trying to play like some of my favorite players was the greatest freaking thing ever. I loved sports w/a great passion. I still do, but sports have been polluted, diluted, and corrupted by greed and controversy.

I'll end by saying that Gale Sayers was one of my idols. I did everything I could to emulate his running style. He was a special talent that was ahead of his time. Guys just didn't have that kind of speed and moves back then. We hear the term "poetry in motion" thrown around a lot, but Gale Sayers clearly defines that term. He was as graceful, fluid, and artful as any RB who has ever played on the gridiron.

One of my all time favorites. Phenomenal RB.

Rest in Peace Mr. Gale Sayers