Five years ago today ...

[Sam Mills 51]

... Sam Mills died.

I still remember that day vividly. Walked to my desk in the newsroom when a colleague asked "Do you know?"

"Know what?"

"Sam Mills died."

I should have put the pieces together. He had left the hospital pretty recently, very little said about his condition or long-term prognosis. A lot of the usual signs with someone battling a life-threatening condition.

I slumped into my chair and tried to look at the budget. Luckily, said colleague had the front page and primary control of the section, and luckier still, it was otherwise a slow day as he centerpieced the story ... a well-done obit by Jenna Fryer with good background anecdotes.

Wore my Sam jersey to work the next day, with no disparaging words said by bosses about dress code.

Even changed my handle on some silly board and try to change it back a year later only for some good people to PM me and ask "Why?" Message received. Better yet, another superb gentleman noticed recently that the statue bearing his likeness near the stadium in Charlotte was larger-than-life. Literally. He was 5-foot-9. The gentleman who noticed this was at least 6-2. Good to know that Jerry Richardson knows that larger-than-life sorts can be quiet and not of massive stature.

Anyway ... just wanted to genuflect and leave this parting note:

"Life is a journey, filled with so many obstacles, some easy and some very difficult. No matter what obstacle you are facing, never give up just 'Keep Pounding.'"

- Sam Mills

 

[Boom_70]

... Sam Mills died.

I still remember that day vividly. Walked to my desk in the newsroom when a colleague asked "Do you know?"

"Know what?"

"Sam Mills died."

I should have put the pieces together. He had left the hospital pretty recently, very little said about his condition or long-term prognosis. A lot of the usual signs with someone battling a life-threatening condition.

I slumped into my chair and tried to look at the budget. Luckily, said colleague had the front page and primary control of the section, and luckier still, it was otherwise a slow day as he centerpieced the story ... a well-done obit by Jenna Fryer with good background anecdotes.

Wore my Sam jersey to work the next day, with no disparaging words said by bosses about dress code.

Even changed my handle on some silly board and try to change it back a year later only for some good people to PM me and ask "Why?" Message received. Better yet, another superb gentleman noticed recently that the statue bearing his likeness near the stadium in Charlotte was larger-than-life. Literally. He was 5-foot-9. The gentleman who noticed this was at least 6-2. Good to know that Jerry Richardson knows that larger-than-life sorts can be quiet and not of massive stature.

Anyway ... just wanted to genuflect and leave this parting note:

"Life is a journey, filled with so many obstacles, some easy and some very difficult. No matter what obstacle you are facing, never give up just 'Keep Pounding.'"

- Sam Mills

Sam - nice tribute. Mills first caught my eye when he played in the USFL for the Bell. The guy was everywhere.

How did you become such a fan of Sam?

 

[Jesus_Muscatel]

Sam 51 and I have talked about Sam a couple times.

He was a fine man. Really a special guy.

Best to you, Sam 51.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Sam - nice tribute. Mills first caught my eye when he played in the USFL for the Bell. The guy was everywhere.

How did you become such a fan of Sam?

Enjoyed the USFL, and ABC wisely hooked its wagon onto the Stars. Kept noticing this sawed-off linebacker holding his own. Noticed that Jim Mora and this little linebacker went to New Orleans after the USFL lost its head.

Was a Saints fan for years before Jerry Richardson got a team in the region. Mora turned a perennial loser before he got the franchise turned around for the first time in its history. And Sam Mills got the shot that the Cleveland Browns, which shouldn't have ever cut him, or anyone else was smart enough to give him.

Funny how the Carolina Panthers, which had never played a game, was willing to give Mills a multi-year deal whereas the Saints wouldn't budge. Only after the Panthers offered the contract did the Saints offer something similar.

Mills noticed that the Saints were reactive and the Panthers were proactive and signed with the latter. FWIW, I grew up the shortest male - sometimes the shortest person - in a lot of my classes, so some of the short sorts got my attention - Dave Meggett, Lionel James, James Brooks. Tyrone Bogues, Spud Webb and especially Sam Mills. It was also good to see that some pro athletes weren't legends in their own minds with mega-outsized egos. (Yeah, I know that Meggett got into trouble, but will never forget following a returned punt for a touchdown that he found a kid in the stands in the Superdome who was in a wheelchair and wearing a Mills jersey and gave that ball to him).

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Great tribute Sam.

I used to love watching Mills totally dominate a game with the Stars. When he signed with the Saints, I knew they were getting a star.

 

[YGBFKM]

Perhaps I'm confused, but did Mills play his last game in '98 or '99? I can remember trying to come up with a centerpiece one December day around that time. I could have sworn I ended up arguing with my boss over the validity of doing a photo cp collage of Mills and Steve Tasker, also playing his last game that day, on an incredibly slow news day.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Tough Jersey kid from the shore township of Neptune.

Saints should have retired his number 10 years ago.

The Anti-Roethlisberger.

 

[forever_town]

This is a great tribute to the onetime linebacker and all-time great person from someone who honors the player's life by living his own.

 

[expendable]

Keep pounding, Sam. Keep pounding.

 

[Jesus_Muscatel]

I hope Rickey Jackson goes out of his way to pay Sam tribute when he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

I'm suspecting he will.

The Field Mouse has left quite a legacy.

 

[PaperDoll]

In honor of the real-life Sam Mills, and the man who honors his name on this board...

זכרו לברכה (Zichronot livracha. May his memory be blessed.)

 

[dooley_womack1]

Only guy in Toronto who had his sj handle on his back. I remember watching Sam Mills play for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL. He was very Singletary-esque at that level and was damn good in the NFL, too.

 

[21]

זכרו לברכה

Please forgive the brief digression, but how the heck did you do that??

 

[BTExpress]

Cut and paste, I would assume.

Virtual keyboard, perhaps.

Or a real Roman-Hebrew keyboard, which (for Roman-Cyrillic) allows for all kinds of fun Я люблю SportsJournalists.com[/glow]

 

[The Big Ragu]

זכרו לברכה

Please forgive the brief digression, but how the heck did you do that??

הישוב "זכרון יעקב" נקרא כך לזכר הברון רוטשילד, ויום הזכרון נקבע לשם הנצחת המתים. בהתאם לזה נהגו לקרוא את ראשי התיבות ז"ל כ"זכרונו לברכה". המושג "זֵכֶר" שימש גם הוא במשמעות דומה: כמו שחז"ל הם "חכמינו זכרונם לברכה", כך זצ"ל הוא "זכר צדיק לברכה".

ייתכן שמקור שתי המילים הללו הוא במילה זָכָר (male), שהוא מי שנותן את שמו לדור הבא ובכך שומר על המשכיות המשפחה הפטריארכלית. בתנ"ך יש למילה זֵכֶר משמעות של שם וגם משמעות מופשטת יותר של המשכיות רוחנית: למשל, במשלי (י ז) נאמר: זֵכֶר צַדִּיק, לִבְרָכָה; וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב – זכרו של הצדיק יתברך, בעוד ששם הרשעים ירקב וימחה. למילה זכרון, לעומת זאת, יש בתנ"ך משמעות מוחשית יותר, של עדות פיזית. למשל: וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָם, עַל כִּתְפֹת הָאֵפֹד--אַבְנֵי זִכָּרוֹן, לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות לט ז).

אפשר לעמוד על הבדל המשמעות בין שתי המילים בפסוק מספר שמות: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק (יז יד). כלומר, זכרון הוא עדות המזכירה ארוע שקרה וזכר הוא המשך השושלת של אדם או אומה.

בתקופות מאוחרות יותר, הזכרון קיבל גם הוא משמעות מופשטת. למשל, בתלמוד הירושלמי: "תני רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: אין עושין נפשות לצדיקים - דבריהם הן הן זכרונן" (מסכת שקלים ב ה) – דברי הצדיקים הם הזכרון שהם משאירים אחריהם (ולא התלמידים).

היום נוספה למילה זכרון משמעות נוספת של יכולת הזכירה של המוח האנושי, וזהו גם שמו של אחד מרכיבי החומרה במחשב (memory). לכן, כדי לבדל בין המילים וכדי להדגיש את היסוד המופשט בזכרו של אדם, מעדיפים היום לומר "זכרו לברכה" במקום "זכרונו לברכה". כמו שראינו, זה גם תואם יותר את המשמעות התנ"כית.

Duh.

 

[21]

You have a typo in line three. Otherwise, mazel tov on your bar mitzvah.

Sorry, Sam. No disrespect intended.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

None taken, 21. Just dunno if Sam was bilingual. If he was, the second language wasn't profanity. NFL Films even went into this topic once ... guess Steve Sabol didn't have anything better to do.

I hope Rickey Jackson goes out of his way to pay Sam tribute when he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

I'm suspecting he will.

The Field Mouse has left quite a legacy.

I'm betting Rickey Jackson does say something. Any chance Rickey tries to invite Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling and Sam's family?

 

[albert77]

None taken, 21. Just dunno if Sam was bilingual. If he was, the second language wasn't profanity. NFL Films even went into this topic once ... guess Steve Sabol didn't have anything better to do.

I hope Rickey Jackson goes out of his way to pay Sam tribute when he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

I'm suspecting he will.

The Field Mouse has left quite a legacy.

I'm betting Rickey Jackson does say something. Any chance Rickey tries to invite Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling and Sam's family?

I hope he does. If ever a group of players deserved to be recognized as a unit, it was the Dome Patrol. Thanks for reminding us of what a great player and great man Sam Mills was. Vaya con dios, Sam.