Brian Plate (GM) has passed. He has fought a good fight for a long time. He never complained and always had a positive attitude. He will be missed by many.
I already spoke about it with you about it on the other venue…but I’ll gladly say it again. He was an outstanding person. I’ll never forget when he warmly welcomed me to Dawg Talk Island back in 2007 and introduced me to a lot of great people. May he rest in peace. He fought through hell because he was tougher than nails. Great guy. Prayers to his family.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
This [censored] sucks. If anyone deserved to see a championship, it was Brian.
I just looked. It was just short of four years ago that I hung out with him the one and only time. We watched the Browns game at a bar in Austintown. As always, he was going through some health issues and thought he may have to cancel. I showed up, saw his trike in the lot and just shook my head. No need to not live on the edge though, right?
He said he would be early, I said to watch for me and my "Straight Outta Cleveland" hoodie.
I'm telling this story because what I expected did not match what I found. I walked in to scan the bar, looking for someone frail and sickly. I heard "Fate??" and turned to see someone hop off a barstool to come give me a bearhug.
Brian was so full of life, and his energy rubbed off on everyone in the room. He was the energy in the room. Whenever anyone ever says, "live like you're dying", I see his smiling face.
We shared lunch, a few beers, a bunch of his death-defying stories, and a lousy Browns loss that didn't seem to matter.
And that's all it took to have an impact on my life.
I learned GM's gift to the world that day. He faced life’s heaviest storms with unmatched resilience, and a smile that lights up the room for everyone else.
I must have been out of town that day because I usually met up with him and Youngstown Browns Fan. Your post fits him to a tee. He was always upbeat and on his Facebook posts he was always worried about others first. He never complained no matter how many punches he was hit with. He tried to make people laugh when things were grim. I don’t think I will ever meet anyone like him.
This post was one of Brian’s last posts. I’m posting it so all of you that didn’t know him very well can get a glimpse of the man he was.
Well folks, my latest update. Spent the last few weeks in and out of the Cleveland Clinic. Just like I don't recommend trying a small bowel obstruction, I don't recommend having Septic shock. That one is no fun either. I am now stage IV and will be entering Hospice soon and as has always been the case God will decide when I go.
Yes today is still a good day. Yesterday I spent my Birthday with my family, and yes It was still one of those "some are just better than other" days. I have shed quite a few tears the last several years. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy and happiness. I have been lucky enough to realize just how blessed I have been my entire life (I hope you all get to know how that feels.)
To those who have supported me since I got sick, THANK YOU. You have each been a blessing to me. I pray that I have been able to bless you either with a few smiles, laughs, or by reminding you that every day is a good day some are just better than others.
I just had a feeling when I gave him a call and didn't hear back from him.
RIP my friend. I have no doubt that you are at home, and in peace with the Lord. As I wrote in another venue: I am glad that he is in the presence of the Lord, for there is truly no better fate for us. I am sad, though, that I will live the rest of my life with one of my truly good friends missing here.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
I must have been out of town that day because I usually met up with him and Youngstown Browns Fan. Your post fits him to a tee. He was always upbeat and on his Facebook posts he was always worried about others first. He never complained no matter how many punches he was hit with. He tried to make people laugh when things were grim. I don’t think I will ever meet anyone like him.
Yep. He threw the invite out late to Sam's Wedge in one of the gameday threads.
Originally Posted by Pdawg
You know I’d be there if I could GM. Unfortunately I’ll be out of town.
This was one of his reminders here of who he was while he was fighting... from a couple years ago after whipple surgery and discovering cancer had returned to the pancreas... this as he was about to start 12 rounds of chemo.
No quit in him, only gratitude.
Originally Posted by GMdawg
Thanks for the prayers and kind words everybody. I'm doing better than even I thought I would and I'm going to copy my facebook post from the other day to let you know how I am feeling, and the word is "Thankful"
I was thinking lately that I don't see many people making posts thanking God. I would like to make one this morning. I have been saying "Every day is a good day, some days are just better than others" ever since I got cancer 9 1/2 years ago. Thank you God for allowing me to stop working 80 hour work weeks and spend more time with my family and friends. Thank you God for the strokes, they have taught me not to take anything for granted, from walking, standing, speaking, feeding myself, and every little thing ever since. Thank you God for the neuropathy. It has taught me empathy for others who are in pain. Thank you God for the cognitive and memory problems. They have reminded me that many of the things we worry about are trivial and not worth wasting our time on. Thank you God for the cancer coming back again. It has forced me to lean even more into my faith and relationship with God. For everything I have lost health wise God has blessed me in other ways, and for this I will be forever grateful. For letting me show my kids, and grandkids, and friends to never give up. To keep a good attitude, to choose to be happy, to chose to have faith in God, to show others that if I can do these things that they sure as hell can too. Thank You God for always loving all of us.
This is terrible news to start the morning. In some ways I am surprised it took this long, but then again, I'm not. Brian had a strong will and zest for life. I only met him through tailgates in the Muni. Maybe half a dozen times, but he had an impact. I will always see this guy with a crewcut in short sleeves with the temp about 30 degrees and wind blowing. LOL
Rest in Peace my friend. I know the Angels are singing and trumpet's blaring. I Celebrate you home.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
This was one of his reminders here of who he was while he was fighting... from a couple years ago after whipple surgery and discovering cancer had returned to the pancreas... this as he was about to start 12 rounds of chemo.
No quit in him, only gratitude.
Originally Posted by GMdawg
Thanks for the prayers and kind words everybody. I'm doing better than even I thought I would and I'm going to copy my facebook post from the other day to let you know how I am feeling, and the word is "Thankful"
I was thinking lately that I don't see many people making posts thanking God. I would like to make one this morning. I have been saying "Every day is a good day, some days are just better than others" ever since I got cancer 9 1/2 years ago. Thank you God for allowing me to stop working 80 hour work weeks and spend more time with my family and friends. Thank you God for the strokes, they have taught me not to take anything for granted, from walking, standing, speaking, feeding myself, and every little thing ever since. Thank you God for the neuropathy. It has taught me empathy for others who are in pain. Thank you God for the cognitive and memory problems. They have reminded me that many of the things we worry about are trivial and not worth wasting our time on. Thank you God for the cancer coming back again. It has forced me to lean even more into my faith and relationship with God. For everything I have lost health wise God has blessed me in other ways, and for this I will be forever grateful. For letting me show my kids, and grandkids, and friends to never give up. To keep a good attitude, to choose to be happy, to chose to have faith in God, to show others that if I can do these things that they sure as hell can too. Thank You God for always loving all of us.
I think that sums it up. Brian and I both like country music. I think this song more or less conveys the message he wanted us all to hear..
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I was trying to remember the name of that bar. That was it, Sam's Wedge Inn.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
This post was one of Brian’s last posts. I’m posting it so all of you that didn’t know him very well can get a glimpse of the man he was.
Well folks, my latest update. Spent the last few weeks in and out of the Cleveland Clinic. Just like I don't recommend trying a small bowel obstruction, I don't recommend having Septic shock. That one is no fun either. I am now stage IV and will be entering Hospice soon and as has always been the case God will decide when I go.
Yes today is still a good day. Yesterday I spent my Birthday with my family, and yes It was still one of those "some are just better than other" days. I have shed quite a few tears the last several years. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy and happiness. I have been lucky enough to realize just how blessed I have been my entire life (I hope you all get to know how that feels.)
To those who have supported me since I got sick, THANK YOU. You have each been a blessing to me. I pray that I have been able to bless you either with a few smiles, laughs, or by reminding you that every day is a good day some are just better than others.
I saw this and responded just the other day. He was a warrior like no other. He fought the good fight for a very long time. But this post was different than all the others I had read from him over so many years. The way I took it he knew the end was near and he was resigned to it and even accepting of it. It read like a thank you and a goodbye.
But if anyone deserved the thanks it was him. From reading this thread combined with my own experience, he was a blessing that God allowed to enter all of our lives that I will forever be thankful for. He was someone I considered my friend from the day I met him back at Dawg Talk Island around the turn of the century until now and he will always be remembered as someone of great value in my heart.
My life would be less having not met him and conversing with him over these many years. God's speed Brian.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
really hard news to hear today. A great friend online, and anytime I met him in person it was fun. Nobody deserved the Browns to be good like he did. I hope they do him well in the future and he's watching from above
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Just saw this ... and it really hits hard. I never met him - but just through reading posts here at DawgTalk, the personality and type of character GM was shone through. I will miss him.
Prayers and good karma for him and his family and friends.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
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