RIP Bart Starr

[qtlaw]

I read about the greatness of Johnny U but Starr was the glamorous guy because he had the titles.

 

[Starman]

Johnny U was the glamorous gunslinger with all the stats, plus he'd won back to back titles in the prehistoric era of 1958-59, but Starr was the fundamentally sound game manager supreme at the controls of Lombardi's Packer bulldozer.

When Unitas's arm tailed off in his late-career period of 1964 and afterward, then when the Packers faded from the scene in 1968, Unitas became the crafty gritty old veteran.

My NFL Tudor Electric Football game I got in 1968 features the Unitas Colts vs the Starr Packers.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Ballsy as they come. Left a 9-year-old crying in front of his TV after diving behind Jerry Kramer to beat the Cowboys.

Trust me, a lot of negative-14-year-olds south of the Red are still crying about that. Never mind the Cowboys won 5 trophies after that with Lombardi's name on it.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

I was in Marquette when Starr was the Packers coach. Nice man but he had no idea what he was doing. He owned a big Ford dealership in Birmingham, Ala., and did very well.

 

[Slacker]

I was in Marquette when Starr was the Packers coach. Nice man but he had no idea what he was doing. He owned a big Ford dealership in Birmingham, Ala., and did very well.

Full disclosure here ...

 

[LanceyHoward]

Ballsy as they come. Left a 9-year-old crying in front of his TV after diving behind Jerry Kramer to beat the Cowboys.

I have never been so stressed during an athletic event in my life than during the on the sneak. Also, poor clock management. It was third down and their were about 12 seconds left. The Packers probably could not have run another play if they failed (and I don't think they had another play called). But if they had called a pass off qa quick drop Starr could have thrown it away and they could have still come back on fourth down and gone for it.

 

[LanceyHoward]

What a strange route to becoming an NFL superstar. Apparently, his father thought Bart would never amount to anything. As mentioned, was benched at Alabama in a coaching change. Played in the local “all star” bowl after college because he was a home town kid. That got drafted him very later by the packers. Was a spot starter/backup for his first few years. Lombardi didn’t think he was that good and spent the first season and a half looking for a better qb. Then it all just clicked. Everything Lombardi has been saying on how to see the field made sense one game. Start said it was like the game went into slow motion as everything happened as expected. Never really looked back after that.

Starr was the oldest of two son's. His younger brother died of tetanus when he was 11 or 12. I have read that is father never really recovered emotionally and that made life additionally difficult for Starr because they had a troubled relationship.

Starr had two sons. His youngest son died at 24 of a drug overdose.

Which shows you that even if someone is rich and famous they can have a tough life.

 

[Kato]

Full disclosure here ...

I listened to an interview with Lynn Dickey a couple of years ago, and he thought Starr was a good coach who was getting better at the job, but Starr's biggest problems were that he didn't have a proper GM (I think Starr was the GM) and that the new team president undermined him at the end. Dickey loved Starr and hated Forrest Gregg, who replaced Starr (and also recently died).

 

[CD Boogie]

I read about the greatness of Johnny U but Starr was the glamorous guy because he had the titles.

I mean, having the last name of Starr probably didn't hurt the guy's profile, either.