Reggie White dead

[johnglass]

Details coming...

[johnglass]

Don't see any links yet, but ESPN just reported that he died of a massive heart attack. He was 43 yrs. old, and a dominant fucking force on the football field (my comment, not ESPN's).

[wildcatlh]

Whoa... wonder what happened.

[1998Nole]

I am in complete shock.

Just heard this on ESPN too, he was one of my favorite Eagle's.

They are saying massive heart attack.

[Lateralus]

This sucks! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6755927/

[johnglass]

First link up on ESPN.com, although it's under ESPN Classic for some reason...

White dies Sunday morning (http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2004/1226/1953400.html)

Former NFL star Reggie White has died after suffering a massive heart attack Sunday morning at his home near Huntersville, N.C., ESPN's Chris Mortensen has learned.

The former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles star turned 43 on Dec. 19.

"Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away," White's wife, Sara, said through a family pastor. "His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy."

[68ShelbyGT500KR]

Wow..

[johnglass]

I hate to jump to conclusions (although I already have), but at that age he may be another unfortunate victim of steroid use. Now I have no idea if he was or wasn't using steroids, but I assume any big guy in the NFL is on the juice.

[felcher]

i took my son to lambeau field for fan appreciation day after the super bowl broncos loss. when the ceremony was closing reggie white ran around the field and high fived the fans that came. my son ran down and was right in his face and i hope and i think that reggie inspired my son a little bit that day. we will all miss the hustle........the permanent hustle is gone.

[CRM114]

The greatest defensive end of all time and the greatest EAGLE of all time - back with Jerome Brown again. :(

[wildcatlh]

I hate to jump to conclusions (although I already have), but at that age he may be another unfortunate victim of steroid use. Now I have no idea if he was or wasn't using steroids, but I assume any big guy in the NFL is on the juice.

White? Nah. No way. Firstly, unlike baseball, football has pretty stringent testing. Secondly, he was a really huge guy. That, unfortunately, tends to lead to heart attacks.

Way too big a conclusion to jump to IMO.

[Turd Ferguson]

Fox Pregame just reported that it was resperatory (sp?) failure due to sleep apenea (sp?).

[movieking]

I am in total shock. Heart attack is a lot different from a sleep apnea complications though.

[TheKobra]

Being a Packer fan I remember the day they signed him. He helped turn them (Packers) around and made others look very different when it came to the Packers. RIP big man!

[Myster X]

what a shocker..... :eek:

[ChiTownAbs, Inc]

Wow. Sorry to hear this.

[Darkfriend]

Goodbye Minister of Defense :(

[SPiRAL]

Damn ! I was never a fan of his teams, but I was a fan of him. Sad news :(

[Coral]

White? Nah. No way. Firstly, unlike baseball, football has pretty stringent testing. Secondly, he was a really huge guy. That, unfortunately, tends to lead to heart attacks.

Way too big a conclusion to jump to IMO.

I don't think it's that big a jump.

Stringent testing during the Olympics still didn't nab all those athletes using steroids. There's alot of steroid use in the NFL, it's just not being detected with the masking that's available.

[FantasticVSDoom]

He was a big guy and probably didnt do much exercise after leaving the game...This is actually a big problem for the big guys of the nfl. After they retire, they start to suffer the negative effects of being so big for so long.

[Third Baseman]

Horrible.

[BigDaddy]

He was a big guy and probably didnt do much exercise after leaving the game...This is actually a big problem for the big guys of the nfl. After they retire, they start to suffer the negative effects of being so big for so long.

Real Sports had a story about this about a year ago. The guy they had interviewed ended up passing away before the story even aired. Sad Sad Sad. :(

[Mutley Hyde]

I can only echo, this was a shocker to me as well. 43... you just don't expect this.

R.I.P. Reggie White. You raised the bar on the field, and then some. :up:

[DVD Josh]

I'll probably catch some heat for this, but my last memories of White were of a giant, bigoted idiot. One of my favorite moments of his:

White said the United States has gotten away from God, in part by allowing homosexuality to "run rampant."

HOMOSEXUALITY IS a sin, and the plight of gays and lesbians should not be compared to that of blacks, White told lawmakers.

"Homosexuality is a decision, it's not a race," White said. "People from all different ethnic backgrounds live in this lifestyle. But people from all different ethnic backgrounds also are liars and cheaters and malicious and back-stabbing."

White said he has thought about why God created different races. Each race has certain gifts, he said.

Blacks are gifted at worship and celebration, White said.

"If you go to a black church, you see people jumping up and down because they really get into it," he said.

Whites are good at organization, White said.

"You guys do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature, and you know how to tap into money," he said.

"Hispanics were gifted in family structure, and you can see a Hispanic person, and they can put 20, 30 people in one home."

THE JAPANESE AND other Asians are inventive, and "can turn a television into a watch," White said. Indians are gifted in spirituality, he said.

"When you put all of that together, guess what it makes: It forms a complete image of God," White said.

White said later that his comments were about coming together as a society and were not meant to stereotype the races
---------------------

It's always a tragedy when someone dies so young. My heart goes out to his family. But I'll never look at him the same because of his beliefs, publically stated. A great player, no doubt, but not a great man.

[felcher]

dvd josh:

we are all aware of his dopey speech and he was aware that he made a mistake so the last few years he has been on a crusade to understand more fully about spirituality. something has been bugging him because all the above kinda drilled him but never think for a moment that he felt sincere about averything he did was accurate. he made us aware that there was a problem but he himself didn't have a clue to the true answer .......................and full circle right to this i assume................be happy to know of his athleticism and not his intellect...........the two don't mix well ok.

[LorenzoL]

This was a big shock to me when I heard it this morning.

R.I.P. Reggie White.

[mikehunt]

:( :( :(:( :( :(

[SuprVgeta]

DVD Josh: You're not alone, I never was a fan of Reggie White, and liked him even less after his racist comments, but it was still a shock to read that he died today, heck he was only 43 years old. I feel bad for his family of course.

[Chew]

A very sad day in Packerland. :( :( :(

[John-In-VA]

I'll probably catch some heat for this, but my last memories of White were of a giant, bigoted idiot. One of my favorite moments of his:

White said the United States has gotten away from God, in part by allowing homosexuality to "run rampant."

HOMOSEXUALITY IS a sin, and the plight of gays and lesbians should not be compared to that of blacks, White told lawmakers.

"Homosexuality is a decision, it's not a race," White said. "People from all different ethnic backgrounds live in this lifestyle. But people from all different ethnic backgrounds also are liars and cheaters and malicious and back-stabbing."

White said he has thought about why God created different races. Each race has certain gifts, he said.

Blacks are gifted at worship and celebration, White said.

"If you go to a black church, you see people jumping up and down because they really get into it," he said.

Whites are good at organization, White said.

"You guys do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature, and you know how to tap into money," he said.

"Hispanics were gifted in family structure, and you can see a Hispanic person, and they can put 20, 30 people in one home."

THE JAPANESE AND other Asians are inventive, and "can turn a television into a watch," White said. Indians are gifted in spirituality, he said.

"When you put all of that together, guess what it makes: It forms a complete image of God," White said.

White said later that his comments were about coming together as a society and were not meant to stereotype the races
---------------------

It's always a tragedy when someone dies so young. My heart goes out to his family. But I'll never look at him the same because of his beliefs, publically stated. A great player, no doubt, but not a great man.


Not sure what he said about other "races" that is so bad. As for not being a great man, all I am hearing from people on the news is that he was one of the nicest guys they knew. I haven't heard any reports of him treating teamates or anyone else of a different race poorly. Tell me, is it ok to have Hispanic Heritage week or Black History month? I could make a case that they stereotype groups by claiming all blacks an hispanics share similar backgrounds and traits(isn't that what Reggie did in his speech?). Or for that matter, how about the bookstores that have African American interest sections. Do all black americans have an interest in those books? Hmmm....my wife is a black american and she has zero interest in them.

[POWERBOMB]

I was surprised by this as all of you were, but especially that he passed away so damn young. My initial reactions was that it may have been drug induced because of his sports affiliation and age at time of death. I don't figure someone who was in the NFL with that training mentality to die so young unless it was drug related.

Having said that it I hope it never comes out that it was drug related because he was a dominant force in his playing days without the crap that we have to endure with the likes of players such as a current Raider/former Buccaneer. He was a good role model for all.

[DVD Josh]

DVD Josh: You're not alone, I never was a fan of Reggie White, and liked him even less after his racist comments, but it was still a shock to read that he died today, heck he was only 43 years old. I feel bad for his family of course.

I agree, of course. A tragedy for his family, and way too young for Reggie himself. I just wanted to present another side of Reggie, one the networks seem to forget. Reggie is like all other people - the sum of his life, both on and off the field, makes him who he was and how he should be remembered. As I stated before, I will remember him as a great player, but a flawed man. Too often, greatness on the field does not carry well off of it.

But still, either way, a tragedy, too young, and I pray for his family they can find the strength to soldier on.

[Mutley Hyde]

Show me a great man who is not flawed, and I'll show you a legend (i.e., a fantasy).

I don't think anyone is forgetting anything, as his remarks you speak of were quite the sensation when he first openly made them. However, I do think that people in general tend to focus on the positive when a person dies, and I also believe the media in turn tends to purposely not speak ill of the deceased. Hell, there was widespread reverence in the media for Nixon when he died... yeah, Nixon.

If the media isn't going to roast Nixon when he dies, I think it's a given they'll give football players, even controversial ones, a similar courtesy.

[DVD Josh]

Show me a great man who is not flawed, and I'll show you a legend (i.e., a fantasy).

I don't think anyone is forgetting anything, as his remarks you speak of were quite the sensation when he first openly made them. However, I do think that people in general tend to focus on the positive when a person dies, and I also believe the media in turn tends to purposely not speak ill of the deceased. Hell, there was widespread reverence in the media for Nixon when he died... yeah, Nixon.

If the media isn't going to roast Nixon when he dies, I think it's a given they'll give football players, even controversial ones, a similar courtesy.

I agree with you. Watching what the networks did with Reggie this weekend makes me wonder what they will do when Pete Rose dies. At least Reggie White had several redeeming qualities, IMHO, Pete Rose has none. Reminds me of the time his son played for the Frederick Keys (minor league class A). Pete was watching Pete Jr. take BP while several of us waited patiently for Pete Jr. to finish. When he was, we went up to him (mind you, this was after Pete Jr. had returned to the dugout) and asked very politely for his autograph. He scowled at us and said "I don't sign for free" (turns out he was in town for a card show or something that weekend) and that if we wanted one we could go to the show and pay for it. I was 11 or 12 years old. Several adults told him, flat out, to go f himself, and I'm sure there was a HOF reference mentioned. When I read his auto, it really dawned on me that Pete cares only about Pete, and will lie, cheat, steal or do whatever he has to look out for #1. My favorite alltime Pete Rose is an ahole fact - during the last four years of his career (when he had about 700 hits), he was mgr/player for the Reds. He started himself at first since he had no speed nor defensive skills which to speak of at that age. He hit 10 TOTAL HRs during those four years, as a 1B. The Reds were very competitive during that time period, and finished out of first in single digit games three of the four years. Makes you think had he started a 1B that could at least hit 20HR per season, the Reds might have gone to the playoffs, but then Pete would have never got HIS record.

You know, come to think of it, I think Pete may be the exception to the rule by the poster above. Personally, I'd rather Nixon than Pete Rose.

[Mutley Hyde]

Oh, I don't know. I somehow think they'll even speak well of Rose, and give him his moment's benefit of the doubt. Heck, the movement to get his lifetime ban lifted so he can be inducted to the HOF is always growing.

Yet I can totally understand your personal experience, and sympathize. I have had a similar experience with Tony Dorsett. Some guys are just not people people, and some just don't have the tools to interact with the public, and still, some are just assholes. That's not to say that they don't have some value though. No matter how much Rose and Dorsett may be snakes, you can't take away their accomplishments on the field and the impact their play had on their fans. With as many DVD Joshes and Mutley Hydes as these guys personally affected negatively, they positively affected so many more indirectly by their storied careers.

[Josh H]

Truly sad. I was never a fan of his for various reasons, but still sad to see him go so young. :(

[Da Thrilla]

Truly shocking...sad to see him go. He was one of the Packers I liked!

RIP Reggie :(

[felcher]

i hope i never die. be it a legend or martyr reggie white had flaws and the flaws will be diminished by his greatness on the gridiron. that's all r.i.p. reggie we all love you.