R.I.P. SPORTS RELATED 2023(Non Wrestlers) (*)

[jimsteel]

James Ray, a former NBA power forward, passed away at the age of 66.

Ray was a standout in college at the University of Jacksonville. After college, he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 1980 NBA Draft. He played from 1980-1981 to the1982-1983 season. In all, he appeared in 103 NBA games for the Nuggets and accumulated 228 total rebounds and 334 points. He reached the pinnacle of his sport.

[jimsteel]

Race Car Legend Gil De Ferran Dead at 56 After Suffering Heart Attack

Gil was racing his son Luke at Florida's Concourse Club when he had a heart attack. According to another driver, Gil had pulled over because he wasn't feeling well and then the massive heart attack struck.

[jimsteel]

Joey Meyer, former DePaul basketball coach, dies at 74

Meyer was head coach of the Blue Demons from 1984 to 1997 and spent 30 years at the school in all.

[on_the_edge]

Dec 30, 2023 11:15:11 GMT -5 jimsteel said:

Race Car Legend Gil De Ferran Dead at 56 After Suffering Heart Attack

Gil was racing his son Luke at Florida's Concourse Club when he had a heart attack. According to another driver, Gil had pulled over because he wasn't feeling well and then the massive heart attack struck.

He went too young but he went doing what he loves. Many would like to go that way, few do. RIP

[TTX]

Another driver



www.cbssports.com/nascar/news/cale-yarborough-nascar-legend-and-hall-of-famer-dies-at-84/

[jimsteel]

Ken Bowman, a former NFL center, passed away back on Deceber 27th at the age of 81.

Born and raised in Illinois, Bowman played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. During his junior year in 1962, the Badgers were Big Ten Conference champions and played USC in the Rose Bowl. Bowman was selected by the Packers in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft and succeeded HOF Jim Ringo at center for the Packers as a rookie in 1964. In his fourth NFL season in 1967, Bowman was the center during the winning play of the Ice Bowl, in which Bart Starr scored the winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak in the game's final seconds to win a third consecutive NFL title.

After his rookie season, Bowman attended law school part-time and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972. During the 1974 players' strike, Bowman was the NFL players' union representative for the Packers and was picketing the first preseason scrimmage against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field in late July. Along with a number of teammates, he was arrested,[ and was placed on injured reserve with a phantom back injury and sat out the 1974 season. Bowman ended his 11-year professional career in 1975 in Honolulu with the Hawaiians of the struggling World Football League, which folded on October 22.

Bowman was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1981.

[jimsteel]

Paul Weidner, a former NFL Head Linesman, passed away at the age of 78, on December 31st, 2023.

The following is an excerpt from Weidner's online obituary: "Upon graduating from Elder High School in 1963, Paul attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played both baseball and basketball. After graduation, Paul asked Joy, his high school sweetheart, to marry him and they recently celebrated 56 years of marriage.

Paul began his career as a high school teacher and coach at Elder and transitioned to a career in sales working primarily for Ohio Valley Supply Company.

He officiated countless high school basketball and football games before advancing to the Ohio Valley Conference, then the Mid-American Conference, and finally on to the National Football League.

Paul was the Head Linesman (#87) in the N.F.L. for 23 years, then worked 12 more years as a Replay Official. He officiated Super Bowl XXX as a Head Linesman and Super Bowl LII as a Replay Official. Many people affectionately called him “Pauly Wally”, “Big Dad”, “Weez” or “Skiter”. He was known for telling wonderful stories and was adored by his family, friends and colleagues.

[jimsteel]

Jack Martin, a former center in the NHL, passed away back on December 8th at the age of 83.

The following is an excerpt from Martin's online obituary: "We would be remiss, not to mention Jack's love and passion for the game of hockey.

He began showing talent as a young player and as a result became a prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his teens, he was sent to play junior hockey with St. Michael's College and the Toronto Marlboros. In 1960 he began playing professional hockey. During this time, and not surprisingly, he made many lifelong friends, including some members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, with whom he remained in contact, long after his hockey playing days were over. Jack wanted to thank each and every one of his caregivers during these past years of increasing health challenges."

At the age of 20 Martin fulfilled every Canadian's dream of playing in the NHL. He played one game for the 1960-1961 Toronto Maple Leafs. He played for the following teams during his hockey career.

1957-58 17 St. Michael's Majors
1958-59 18 Toronto Marlboros
1959-60 19 Toronto Marlboros
1960-61 20 Sudbury Wolves
1961-62 21 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1961-62 21 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL
1961-62 21 San Francisco Seals WHL
1962-63 22 Charlotte Checkers EHL
1963-64 23 Nashville Dixie Flyers EHL
1964-65 24 Knoxville Knights

[jimsteel]

Bernie Fagan, a former defender in the NASL, passed away at the age of 74.

Born in Sunderland, Fagan began his career with the youth team of his hometown club, before making his professional debut in 1969 with Northampton Town. Fagan played non-league football with Scarborough before moving to the United States in 1974 to sign with the newly created Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League.

In 1975, he began the season in Seattle but was traded to the Los Angeles Aztecs mid-season. In 1977, he again began the season with the Aztecs but moved to the Los Angeles Skyhawks in the American Soccer League. In 1978, Fagan again began the season with one team, the Colorado Caribous of the NASL, and ended it with another, the Southern California Lazers of the American Soccer League. In 1979, he moved indoors with the Detroit Lightning of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He then finished his career with the Portland Timbers of the NASL.

After retiring as a player, Fagan became a soccer coach. From 1985 to 1988, he coached F.C. Portland in the Western Soccer Alliance. He was the head coach of Warner Pacific College, and he also ran the Bernie Fagan Soccer Camps.

[jimsteel]

Chuck Harrison, a former 1st baseman in MLB passed away back on December 30th at the age of 82.

He played between 1965 through 1971 for the Houston Astros (1965–1967) and Kansas City Royals (1969, 1971). He was signed by the Houston Colt .45s (the Astros' original nickname) in 1963 out of Texas Tech University.

A native of Abilene, Texas, he attended Abilene High School. Harrison was 24 years old when he entered the majors with the Astros in 1965. He was a good athlete with excellent glove work, who unfortunately lacked the prototypical power for a first baseman. His most productive season came in 1966, when he posted career numbers in games (119), batting average (.256), runs (52), RBI (52), hits (111) and extra-base hits (34), including three four-hit games. But in 1967 Harrison became expendable with the emergence of Doug Rader at first base. (Rader later became an excellent third baseman.) At the end of the season, he was sent by Houston along Sonny Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in the same transaction that brought Denny Lemaster and Denis Menke to the Astros. A year later, he was purchased by the Royals from Atlanta.

In a five-season career, Harrison was a .238 hitter (241-for-1012) with 17 home runs and 126 RBI in 328 games, including 94 runs, 43 doubles, six triples, and three stolen bases. At first base, he committed just 22 errors in 2464 chances for a .991 fielding percentage.