| OBITUARIES (The ONLY serious pages on this website) |
| Elite contributers to sports who have passed away since the inception of the Panel Page 3 |
| Cory Lidle March 22, 1972 - October 11, 2006 For nearly a decade, Cory Lidle put together a successful career as a major league pitcher by living on the edge. Known as a gambler who always tried to take chances, Lidle's daring spirit may have led to his tragic death when his small plane crashed into a 50 story skyscraper in Manhattan. Lidle passed away while doing one of his favorite hobbies: flying. He leaves his wife Melanie, and a 6 year old son Christopher. |
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| Nelson de la Rosa June 1968 - October 22, 2006 Nelson was once recognized as the world's smallest actor, and possibly the world's smallest man at just 2'4". The charismatic de la Rosa become internationally known when he appeared alongside Marlon Brando in the 1996 film The Island of Dr. Moreau. Later in life, Nelson would become close friends with Major League pitcher and fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez, often joining him in the clubhouse. Nelson might best be remembered as the ubiquitous good-luck charm for the 2004 World Champion Boston Redsox. |
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| Red Auerbach September 20, 1917 - October 28, 2006 Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach built a 56-year legacy in Boston as the face of the storied Celtics franchise. Red served as coach from 1950-1966, and later as President. During his 20 seasons of coaching, he won 9 World Championships (8 consecutively from 1959-1966), he was named the greatest coach in NBA history by the Basketball Writers of America. Known for his victory cigars, his 938 regular season wins stood as the record until broken by Lenny Wilkens in 1994-95. Auerbach is tied with Phil Jackson for the most coaching titles. Red once proclaimed, "The Boston Celtics are not a basketball team, they are a way of life." |
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| Lamar Hunt August 2, 1932 - December 13, 2006 Lamar Hunt is best remembered as the pioneer who shaped modern pro football. He likely did more to change the NFL over the last half century than any other single individual. Hunt founded the American Football League in 1960 and was instrumental in the AFL-NFL merger in 1969. He owned the Kansas City Chiefs, and coined the term "Super Bowl". The trophy for the AFC Champion is named in his honor. Hunt also contributed heavily to other professional sports, expecially soccer. He co-founded the North American Soccer League (1967-84), as well as the MLS. He founded and owned the Columbus Crew, and owned FC Dallas. He was the founding investor of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, and co-founder of World Championship Tennis. Hunt is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. |
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| Dennis Johnson September 18, 1954 - February 22, 2007 Born the 9th of 16 children, Dennis Johnson leaves his mark on basketball as a five time NBA All-Star, and three time NBA Champion, Despite winning the Finals MVP as a Seattle Supersonic, DJ is remembered best as an integral member of the great 1980's Boston Celtics. Larry Bird called DJ "the best teammate I ever played with". Many consider the 1986 Celtics the greatest team in NBA history, winning 67 regular season games. Despite his 17 points and 5.3 assists per game, DJ's biggest contribution came on the defensive end, where he smothered and neutralized the great offensive guards of his era. "I'm a winner," he once said. "I put my heart into the game. I hate to lose. I accept it when i comes, but I still hate it. That's the way I am." |
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