That will be very interesting to see. Already with the NHL pretty much gone, MLB unknown, the NFL would be a huge financial hit on top of all this other mess. It is going to be a very interesting couple months. I guess I will stay I my bunker and keep looking out every now and then.
You want a great Eagles story...well here you go...I wrote this just before he passed away in 2018. The Crazy World of Tim Rossovich: I started playing high school football in 1968 and as such also began to watch those AFL-NFL games on Sunday, I'd study the plays and tried to pick up pointers and maybe someday play pro football...such was my dream back in the late 60's. Sometimes they showed the Eagles games on the West coast but at that time I was more of a Rams fan but always liked the Eagles green helmets with that silver wing..and I began to hear more and more about one of their players...#82 Defensive End Tim Rossovich out of USC. Tim was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 1968 draft and the NFL hasn't been the same since. Then a few years later I received my weekly Sports Illustrated magazine in the mail and there was a in-depth story about Tim Rossovich. Boy what an eye opener...even Hollyweird couldn't make up stuff like this I thought to myself as I read more and more. He was a character..or according to some, a deranged lunatic or an animal perhaps with that big mustache and his wild bushy hair. At times he looked like he just came out of a man cave 15,000 years ago. The Eagles defensive end converted to linebacker was known as the leagues first flower child, for he'd be dressed in tie-dyes, wore bell-bottoms, wore Dracula capes, buckskins and at times Aladdin shoes with bells on them...whatever suited his free zone at the time. He always slept for like four hours..on the floor face down, with his head facing north so that the Earth's magnetic waves could revitalize him while he dozed off. One day the maid walked in and saw him laying there face down and naked...she thought he was dead. Utterly fearless and a devastating tackler and during a game with the Atlanta Falcons in 1970 he shouted across the line at the Falcons running back: "I love you, man, but I gotta wipe you out."..which he probably did. He once had six straight tackles during a game by himself..he was fearless and loved life on and off the field but I think most importantly he hated being bored. For Rossovich, drinking was as natural as you and me breathing and booze was simply part of his already oddball behavior. He once arrived late for a party at Steve Sabol's place in Philly one night. When Sabol of NFL Films fame opened the door he found his friend standing outside with his hair on fire...Tim simply walked in while guests shrierked in horror. Sabol extinguished the blaze with a blanket, and when the smoke cleared, Rossovich got to his feet and said, with a completely straight face, "Sorry, I must have the wrong apartment", and he quietly left...true story. Bored at another party, he stripped naked in the bathroom and ran out the door and did a neat half-gainer into a birthday cake. At '6'4" and 245 he was rather intimating but crazy to the bone. His expolits had already began reaching legendary status while attending USC by jumping out of windows, off of roofs and slamming his head into lockers..everything around him was fair game to him. His roommate at the time was Tom Selleck of future "Magnum P.I." fame. Rosso (his nickname) always insisted on driving when he and his pals went out on the town, and always freaked them out when he stopped the car by slamming it into the bars outside wall. Then they go inside to drink beer, while afterwards he sat there quietly munching on his empty glass..crunch..crunch..crunch. He went thru cars as often as I changed my socks. Among Rosso's teammates with the Eagles was future Hall-of-Famer, head coach and ESPN analyist Mike Ditka...who was famous himself in giving the finger to a photographer at one time while coaching the Da Bears. So Ditka challenged Rossovich to a contest...who can open the most beer bottles with his teeth...Mike should of known better by then. Thirty minutes later, Rossovich was insurmountably ahead, with one hundred bottles to Ditka's three. At which point, Tim, apparently bored, started eating his beer bottles..snap, crackle, pop...while smiling insanely at Ditka all the while. Ditka went pale and promptly withdrew from the contest. I think Ditka was glad to be traded to the Cowboys a few years later to get away from this looney bin. Other Eagle teammates like Adrian Young and Ron Medved can verify most of these stories as true, as I have talked to Ron about it all...perhaps a little stretched but you couldn't call crazy Tim a boring person...he loved the attention. Another time he walked into a bar with a cast on his arm. After a few rounds and many questions by patrons quizzing him about his cast..he flew into a rage about something trivial and began smashing his casted arm on top of the bar. Soon plaster was flying everywhere, while patrons stood back from the bar. Soon all that was left was a pile of dust with pieces on the floor and plaster behind the bar. "Hey look everyone..I am cured" while flexing his castless arm...another true story. Tim went on to play for the San Diego Chargers from 1972-73 and jumped to the Philadelphia Bell of the infamous World Football League from '74-75 before it folded and he finished out his career with the Houston Oilers in 1976. Which by this time injuries on his knees and body had taken it's toll and he finally called it quits...at least for the football side of things. He had a successful second career as an actor and stuntman too, appearing on some 400 TV shows, including Dallas, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, Magnum P.I., Wonder Woman , MacGyver, Bay Watch as well as in over 50 feature films, including The Long Riders, Night Shift and The Sting II. I wrote to Tim about ten years ago requesting his autograph on a full sized Eagles helmet and would it be ok if I could mail it to him and I also asked are all of those crazy stories about you really true?..he quickly replied back and answered..yes and yes. He signed the helmet in silver, which I still have and thanked me for remembering him..like who couldn't forget this guy. Tim lives now in Grass Valley California and at the age of 70 you figured he would of mellowed out by now...no such luck. Few summers ago county deputies showed up at his house about a domestic disturbance. He was seen with bloodied towels wrapped around his arms and bandages on his legs too. Apparently he had gotten into a verbal argument with his spouse and it escalated with her retreating into the bedroom and locking the door. Tim simply broke down the door and as he did he stumbled on the floor. That's when their dog, a chow, attacked Rosso and it got the better of him. He was arrested for domestic violence and released after posting a $25,000 bail. What's that former Paul Simon tune I recall..."Still crazy after all of these years".
I heard he was he was one of a kind. I remember he was known for eating glass. I worked in a restaurant years back where the owners father had a bar in the Philadelphia area. He said it was popular with the Eagles players during the 60’s. He said the day after the final game the players would show up until the day before the training camp. Players like Tom Brookshire, Sonny Jergonson, Tommy would all show up 6 days a week and just drink. No off season training like now plus they had all the girlfriends show up. Nobody said anything and they just left when football started back up. Great story. I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. If you can post a picture of helmet. I also remember theWorld Football Leauge playing in the old JFK stadium in South Philly
Photo of my Eagles helmet with 37 autographs on it so far...first was Steve Van Buren back around 2001 and also Tom Dempsey who just recently passed away. The best looking autograph was Tommy McDonald's...a work of art. Acquired most them from autograph shows but some like Rossovich and Brookshier I mailed it off..today I wouldn't do that for it's worth too much now. Tim's autograph is upper left of his card.
I love the old colors. That is a great piece of memorabilia. I heard that Tommy McDonald just passed away? Congratulations. . Go birds
Unfortunately McDonald passed away in Sept. 2018..great guy...was glad to see Carmichael finally get into the Hall-of-Fame..a couple more long over due for the HOF...Maxie Baughan and Bill Bergey...I have a Roman Gabriel story I'll save for later.
Back in time I guess. I loved watching Iggy shuffle every time he scored but has not seen his celebration since 1992. Help?
Have to give a sad announcement of the passing of Hall-of-Famer Don Shula at the age 90, who still has the most coaching wins in NFL history with a record of 328-156-6. He personally signed this photo for me about ten years ago plus some helmets..thank you for the memories and R.I.P.
I heard a great interview with Bud Grant discussing Shula's passing. He said Shula was "a League coach" unlike Bud and some other Midwest coaches like George Halles, Hank Stram & even Chuck Noll. He wasn't ripping Shula though. Bud said Shula deserved to have a trophy named after him, more so than Vince Lombardi did. That probably made some Packers fans' heads explode.
Well the NFL draft is over and teams think they all scored A+ in their selections...personally I feel that rookies are way overrated in my book..most draft picks will lucky to be around in 2-3 years, if not outright cut in the upcoming training camps, unless your team went 2-14 and needs bodies. I'm with the old school mentality of my favorite head coach in Hall-of-Famer George Allen..fabled former coach of the Rams and Redskins. He once said something like..."You just can't trust rookies in games...they usually make mistakes at the wrong time...give me a ten year veteran anytime". He loaded up his teams with experienced veterans and traded off draft picks for even more veterans. The Redskins never had a first round pick from 1969-79..for most of them had been traded off by Allen like arcade tokens...but he also never had a losing season. Sure things are different now with the salary cap, free agency and the CBA but I still get nostalgic for the old days.
what is wrong with nfl/pro sport athletes. those twats have it good, but still cant stop making bad decisions. the nfl has a very long list of thugs and murderers. why is that- NFL's Deandre Baker & Quinton Dunbar Accused Of Armed Robbery, Warrants Issued concussions are only part of the problem.
