RIP Max McGee

[old_tony]

The former Packer who caught a bunch of passes in Super Bowl 1 is dead at 75. Reported on a local TV station tonight.

No cause of death reported yet (my paper hasn't even confirmed it yet), but some inside info I knew about a year or two ago was that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

UPDATE: Fell off the roof of his home. No word on why he was up there.

 

[buckweaver]

Oh ****. :'(

RIP to a great Packer, and the subject of one of the most famous images in Super Bowl history:

 

[hockeybeat]

Oh ****. :'(

RIP to a great Packer, and the subject of one of the most famous images in Super Bowl history:

One of the great stories in Super Bowl history, too.

RIP

 

[D-Backs Hack]

I always enjoys hearing about this story:

http://www.supernfl.com/SuperBowl/sb1.html

In the book "Lombardi," edited by ex-Packer teammate Jerry Kramer, McGee relates his escapade the night of January 14, 1967, less than 12 hours before Green Bay met Kansas City in Super Bowl I.

"I'd no earthly idea I'd play in that game," McGee wrote. "Neither Paul (roommate Paul Hornung) nor I expected to get off the bench. He hadn't played in about six weeks and I knew I wouldn't play unless Boyd Dowler got hurt. Vince put in a huge penalty that week, something like $5,000, and we all knew he meant it, so I didn't think anybody snuck out. The night before the game Dave Hanner checked the room at curfew and I asked Hawg if he was going to double check later. 'Yep,' he said. But then, as he started out of my room, he changed his mind for some reason. 'Nope,' Hawg said, 'I won't check your room later.' That was enough for me. I practically ran over him getting out of the room. I met some blonde the night before and I was on my way to pay my respects. I didn't feel I was letting the team down any, because I knew there wasn't a chance in hell I'd play.

"I waddled in about 7:30 in the morning and I could barely stand up for the kickoff. On the bench Paul kept needling me, 'What would you do if you had to play?' And I said, 'No way, there's no way I could make it.'"

"We sat together, discussing his wedding that was coming up, and suddenly I heard Lombardi yell, 'McGee.' I figured he'd found out about my sneaking out. I figured it was about to cost me $5,000. Then he shouted, 'Get in the game.' I almost fainted."

"Boyd was hurt and I played the rest of the game and caught seven passes and scored two touchdowns and after the game dear old Vince came up to me and said, 'Nice game.'"

"Most any end could've done the same thing," I said.

"You're right," he said.

"I looked at him and said, 'Well, you sure took the edge off that, you s.o.b.'"

 

[Sam Mills 51]

That story always gave me the impression that he played fairly hard, but lived life a lot harder, had fun and didn't care who knew.

RIP Max ... hope some of that personality rubs off on others ...

 

[Dan Rydell]

Hey, if you can party that much and make it to 75, you're doing pretty good.

McGee also was one of the founders of Chi-Chi's, and it made him millions.

What a life Max had.

 

[Colton]

RIP. Loved reading about him in Kramer's book.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

RIP Chi Chi's, too, the site of my first-ever date. :'(

 

[mpcincal]

Lombardi: "Gentleman, this is a football."
McGee: "Hey, coach, not so fast."

RIP

 

[AreaMan]

Why did Chi Chi's fold? The one around where I live was always busy. I went there all the time and the next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found.

 

[old_tony]

Why did Chi Chi's fold? The one around where I live was always busy. I went there all the time and the next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found.

That's a good question. Where I am it was a great place to go for Monday Night Football because it was also Margarita Mondays.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Why did Chi Chi's fold? The one around where I live was always busy. I went there all the time and the next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found.

Hepatitis A outbreak in 2003 pretty much ruined their name.

RIP, Max McGee. Whenever old-timers get carried away pontificating about how Vince Lombardi wouldn't put up with anything less than 100 percent compliance, it's always fun to point out that the hero of Super Bowl I was out on the town getting obliterated before the biggest game of his life.

 

[patchs]

He was trying to blow off leaves.
Sad way to go.
Hoist a beer and a shot to No. 85.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

The lights go dim at Fuzzy's.
RIP

 

[hockeybeat]

Lombardi: "Gentleman, this is a football."
McGee: "Hey, coach, not so fast."

RIP

Ha. That's great.

 

[Claws for Concern]

RIP

 

[shockey]

Lombardi: "Gentleman, this is a football."
McGee: "Hey, coach, not so fast."

RIP

Ha. That's great.

another great mcgee story. lombardi had fined him several times for breaking curfew, raising the ante each time. exasperated, he told max at a team meeting: "next time, it'll cost you "2,000" -- a ****load in the '60s, when players made maybe $15,000 -- "and if you find something out there worth $2,000, call me and i'll go with you!"

 

[Dan Rydell]

Why did Chi Chi's fold? The one around where I live was always busy. I went there all the time and the next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found.

When in doubt, Google or Wikipedia. It's all there.

 

[Double Down]

It's interesting to think about this as we remember Max McGee: Imagine what the reaction would be in today's game if a wide receiver or QB went out the night before the Super Bowl and got rip roaring drunk, then stumbled his way to an amazing performance. There would be 24 hours of moralizing, and "What do we tell our CHILDREN!" and none (or very little) of the wink-wink fondness we've always shown for McGee and his antics. It's kind of like Mantle hitting home runs hungover and puking on the dugout steps. It was cool because that was what you did -- drink hard, play hard.

A different time in sports, I guess.

 

[old_tony]

Why did Chi Chi's fold? The one around where I live was always busy. I went there all the time and the next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found.

Hepatitis A outbreak in 2003 pretty much ruined their name.

RIP, Max McGee. Whenever old-timers get carried away pontificating about how Vince Lombardi wouldn't put up with anything less than 100 percent compliance, it's always fun to point out that the hero of Super Bowl I was out on the town getting obliterated before the biggest game of his life.

Too funny, but I'm listening to the radio right now. The Packers' radio network, because the Packers have a bye this week, is replaying the radio broadcast of the game in 1992 where Favre replaced the injured Don Majkowski. At halftime, the radio team of Jim Irwin and Max McGee took phone calls and one fan called in and asked Max if he remembered him because he ate at a Chi Chi's. Max's response was 'And you're still alive?'