"Breathing First, Winning Next;" Now Neither

The Boss, Big Stein, Manager George.  Whether you loved him, hated him or loved to hate him, one thing remains indisputable, George Michael Steinbrenner III was the most powerful man in baseball.  He went through dollar bills, players and managers faster than Montezuma's Revenge rips through toilet paper.  (Don't ask, but heed this caution: watch where you eat in Juarez.)

As he famously said in an interview on his philosophy and methodology of spending money on the Yankees, "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next."  His arrogance and myopia made him the butt of many jokes, and the caricature of George Costanza's boss on Seinfeld.  Manager Billy Martin tells many tales of the atrocities committed against humanity.  Yet through it all, he also was recognized as caring deeply for friends and family, for New York and baseball.  If he fired you, he would also make sure you were with means and ability to move on.

TnT gains 20 points.

George Michael Steinbrenner III
July 4, 1930 -- July 10, 2010

John Wooden

John Wooden is a hero to everyone, and I mean everyone.  Sales people, politicians, teachers, clergy.  If you're a leader, if you're on a team of any kind, if you aspire to guide people through the trials and tribulations of life, or if you like basketball, you either have been or will be touched by something John Wooden has said.

Rising to college basketball dominance, John lead the UCLA Bruins to an unprecedented 10 NCAA Championships during his coaching career in the 1960's and 70's.  In fact, during the 40 year run of coaching, he had only one losing season--his first. 

After his formal retirement, he wrote Pyramid of Success and started a motivational series of the same title.  His words have become ubiquitous epithets that thoughtful people live by and simpletons spout around sales conference tables.  He has had many imitators, but like any true icon, his work stands head and shoulders above the rest--but he wants you to join him in greatness.

John passed of natural causes at the ripe old age of 99.  TnT gets 1 point.

John Wooden
October 14, 1910 -- June 4, 2010

People Like Frank

I remember the first time I saw Blue Velvet.  Dennis Hopper played Frank Booth.  I was a junior in high school and the character of Frank freaked the living crap out of me for weeks thereafter.  But that was the brilliance of Dennis Hopper.  He completely immersed himself in every role he took on.  Remember him as the dope-smoking photojournalist in Apocalypse Now?  Or as Billy on Easy Rider?  He also appeared in two of my favorite westerns, True Grit and Hang 'Em High.

He directed, wrote movies, was a photographer, an artist and an art collector.  His modern art collection is one of the largest and most extensive in the country.  An offbeat man of dichotomies, he was registered as a Republican and he voted for Barack Obama in the last election.  He brought life to the antiestablishment but was also the spokes person for Merrill Lynch.

He fell into great depressions and fell further into drug addictions.  He successfully fought his addictions and demons and came back to film some of his most memorable films, including Blue Velvet.  And Waterworld.

"I should have been dead ten times over.  I thought about that a lot.  I believe in miracles.  It's an absolute miracle that I'm still around."

Undercooked Pork gets 26 points.

Dennis Hopper
May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010

Returning to The Cabin In The Sky

A singer, dancer and actress, Lena Horne joined the chorus line of The Cotton Club in 1933 and was discovered by MGM producers while working in a nightclub in 1941.  Performing in numerous film musicals until she became disenchanted with Hollywood in the early 1950's.  Her departure became far more complete when she was blacklisted during the Red Scare of Joseph McCarthy's attempt to clean up the subversives in the arts.  But she was always the activist.  While performing in USO shows during World War II, she refused to perform before a segregated audience or any in which German POWs were seated in front of Black Servicemen. 

She appeared on almost everyone's variety TV shows throughout the 60's and 70's, and many of the biggest names of Hollywood and Broadway counted themselves among her close friends.  From 1961 to 1995 she won 8 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.  And I will never forget her when she appeared on both Sesame Street and The Muppets. 

Le Petite Mort earns 8 points for their pick.

Lena Horne
June 13, 1917 - May 9, 2010

He's Really Most Sincerely Dead

Given his small stature (4' 7" at the height of his career, but only 3' 11" during his acting years) Meinhardt Raabe stood out.  Best known as the Munchkin coroner in The Wizard of Oz, he was one of nine Munchkins with a speaking role: "As coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her.  And she's not only merely dead.  She's really most sincerely dead." 

What many don't know, Meiny also served as a pilot and instructor for the Civil Air Patrol during World War II; he was a spokesman for Oscar Meyer hot dogs--known as "Little Oscar, The World's Smallest Chef," he got to ride in the first WeinerMobile!  He was an accomplished horticulturist, had an MBA in accounting and also taught for many years. 

The Wizard of Oz continued to be a huge part of his life, and while his only theatrical production, Mr. Raabe got the most out of it, appearing in numerous historical reviews of Oz and Munchkin-hood. 

TnT gets their first hit and 6 points.

Meinhardt Raabe
September 2, 1915 - May 10, 2010

The End of a Dynasty

The regal and always dignified John Forsythe has died. 

Known best as the oil baron Blake Carrington on the television show Dynasty, he also had the uncredited distinction of Charlie Townsend's voice in Charlie's Angels.  Later, he signed a $5 million contract for his voice for the 2000 and 2003 movies Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.  This would prove to be his last commercial work. 

Born John Lincoln Freund, John Forsythe, began his career as a bit actor for Warner Brothers in 1943.  He took a brief hiatus from acting during World War II when he recovered injured soldiers who suffered speech problems. 

Most anyone he met became his friend and a friend for life. The stars of Dynasty and Charlie's Angels (1980's and 2000's) all remember him fondly.  His passions included golfing, flying, baseball, and horses (racing and riding); he first met Kate Jackson at the tracks. 

John may have passed on in person, but his spirit and voice will live on in our hearts.  Oh God! picks up 8 points.

John Forsythe
January 18, 1929 - April 1, 2010

Significant Sig, Debator and Pro Footbal Hall of Famer Dies

In high school, he competed on the debate team (his debate partner was legendary astrophysicist Kip Thorne). In college (Utah State) he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was elevated to the the Order of Constantine (the fraternity's highest honor) and was also recognized as a Significant Sig.

An absolute brute on the football field, he was part of the Fearsome Foursome for the 1960's Los Angeles Rams and inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1982. He also appeared in 51 episodes of Little House on the Prarie--not the Manliest of television shows, but his hulking presence conveyed a strong gentleness on the small screen.

Merlin Olsen, besides having a great name, encapsulated many elements of what I consider A True Man's Man.

Sadly, he was diagnosed in 2009, and died after a short bout against mesothelioma.



High Noon Driveby earns 31 points.

Merlin Olsen

September 15, 1940 - March 11, 2010