Rest In Peace Redd Kerr at 76, some long an apparent good years.
As if that loss wasn't enough for one day yet another Chicago Bulls legend, player, coach and current Comcast sports announcer Norm Van Lier was also found dead of natural causes yesterday as this certainly is very sad day for old time die hard Bulls fans, as Van Lier was a popular player during the pre Jordan lean years of the 70's when one could walk up to the old Chicago Stadium on the night of a game and get a decent ticket on any night.
Norm Van Lier (like lear jet) also dead, he at a young 61
Chicago Bulls basketball legend Johnny 'Red' Kerr dies at 76
-- chicagotribune.com: "He was a high school and college basketball great, an NBA champion and an All-Star, a front-office executive and a respected broadcaster, but Johnny Kerr always will be known as a Chicago Bull.
Kerr, 76, died at home Thursday night after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Perhaps the best ambassador the Bulls will ever have, Kerr's nickname, 'Red' — for his hair color — couldn't have been more appropriate. In many ways, Kerr was Mr. Bull: the first coach in franchise history, NBA Coach of the Year that 1966-67 season, later the club's business manager and finally its television and radio analyst for 33 years. continued
Former Chicago Bull star Norm Van Lier dead at 61 -
Formed core of team with Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Bob Love"
- chicagotribune.com:The Comcast SportsNet staff suspected something was wrong when Norm Van Lier didn't show up Wednesday night to work the Bulls' halftime and postgame shows.
"Stormin' Norman" never missed a day of work.
"Normally he was there at least an hour and a half before I got there, always sitting in the same place," said Kendall Gill, one of his co-hosts. "When I came in and he wasn't there, I thought he was in makeup or had gone to the restroom. I asked around, 'Where's Norm?' Man, I knew something was seriously wrong."
Comcast colleagues left numerous messages, and when they still hadn't heard from Van Lier by Thursday morning, assignment desk manager Tim Folke went to his Near West Side apartment. continued
On an upbeat note of sorts while the town and team mourned the loss of two of it's greatest the team was getting the royal treatment at the White House with obvious fan Obama after getting shellacked in Washington the night before with one of their worst teams to ever put on the uniforms I have to say..
Bulls visit with Obama at the White House.
Report, photos, roster of attendees - Lynn Sweet: "WASHINGTON--Usually, teams visit the White House after winning a championship, but the Bulls made the trip Thursday less than 24 hours after one of their worst losses of the season in New Jersey.
Of course, it helps when the President is a big fan.
Players, coaches broadcasters and front office personnel for the Bulls met with and posed for photos with President Obama this afternoon for about 10 to 15 minutes in the Blue Room of the White House.
The Bulls presented the President, a long-time Bulls fan, with a Bulls jersey with "Obama" and No. 44 on the back.
"The President chatted with the players and said he was converting the tennis court out back here into a basketball court and invited them to come and play pick up with him," said David Axelrod, the senior adviser to Obama. "They had a good visit."
WASHINGTON--The Chicago Bulls visited with President Obama at the White House on Thursday. The event was closed press. Here's a read out of the Hoopster-in-Chief meeting his hometown team from the White House press office......
There were players, coaches and folks from the Bull's front office. The President took several photos with them. They took the photos in the Blue Room. Obama staffers Mike Strautmanis and David Axelrod came by to grip and grin.
The President congratulated the team for working hard and making progress this season. He said that he's a die hard Bulls fan. The players and coaches presented him with a Chicago Bulls Jersey that said Obama, and had the number 44.
During the team photo, the President said he wanted to stand next to Ben Gordon because "Ben's not that tall." The team found that pretty funny.
The President told the players that there was a tennis court with basketball hoops out back, and invited them to come for a pickup game sometime this summer.
Sad news. I was more a Jordan fan than a real basketball fan, but those were great years. Mr. Kerr was old-school cool.
ReplyDeleteThe vile Dennis Rodman has come back to haunt us on Trump's show. Not that I'd watch it, but seeing his mug on the commercials is bad enough.
I'm impressed with your knowledge if you know Red Kerr. I hate bball of today and stopped watching after JOrdan, Magic and Bird era ended.Rodman was the beginning of the end for me too.
ReplyDeleteNothing but thugs in that league which is half the problem with the culture we now are forced to live in,ghetto sickens me and today it's cool. They won't and don't get my dough Polly Pundette ;>)
He was one of the best. Sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteI wish my Detroit Pistons would get back into the game. I just pull the link to them off my site. At least I have the Red Wings keeping me sane.
2 in one day, kinda weird leaving us with the Alen Iverson's and the Stephon Marbury's screw that sh**....
ReplyDeleteI can stand the Blackhawks and barely the Bears but the rest of them it's a minority immigrant fest,
It's either Baseball been berry berry good to me, or What up mofo? Enough's enough,