RIP Merlin Olsen

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Who should we call for flower delivery?

FTD

I guess Heaven needed a florist spokesman. Actually Olsen played a bit before my time, so my first memory of him is of the FTD commericals.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

My grandmother died of mesothelioma. He'll be dead in a year, sadly.

I posted this on the January thread about him suing for being exposed to asbestos. mesothelioma is a death sentence. Its a very, very aggressive cancer that's basically impossible to remove completely. They disgnosed my grandmother in Aug 2007, she went in for surgery in Sept 2007 and she was gone by the end of Feb. 2008.

 

[93Devil]

RIP

14-time Pro Bowler in his 14 years as a player.

Damn

 

[playthrough]

RIP.

I've got the Chargers-Bengals "Freezer Bowl" on tape, I'll have to fire that up to hear Olsen one more time.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

So sad, as a kid I knew him from Little House on the Prairie (Jonathan something, I think - Charles' best friend & sometimes business partner) before I knew he was a football player. He later got his own similar show I think called Father Murphy, but I never watched that one.

RIP

Remember when Mrs. Garvey - his wife on Little House - died in the fire at the school for the blind, along with Mary's baby? Sad. She was trying to break the window out while protecting the baby.

That scene gave me nightmares that my house was going to catch fire. I used to think that she was breaking the window with the baby's head. I could only watch it a couple more times before I would just switch the channel when that scene was coming on.

I found an interview with Hersha Parady, the actress who played Alice, in which she talks about her career, and the filming of that scene:

http://www.zunshine.com/littlehouse/parady.html

RIP to Merlin. I used to really enjoy his broadcasts with Enberg, and liked him on Little House as well. Unfortunately, I never watched Father Murphy.

 

[qtlaw]

69, way too young. He projected as much dignity as I've ever seen in a celebrity.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Great player, great announcer. He represented himself and the game with class.

RIP.

Well said.

 

[nattering nabob]

RIP. Half of the Fearsome Foursome are now gone (Lamar Lundy died in 2007). Rosey Grier and Deacon Jones are still around.

 

[Boom_70]

RIP. Half of the Fearsome Foursome are now gone (Lamar Lundy died in 2007). Rosey Grier and Deacon Jones are still around.

Funny Grier loved to crochet and Olsen sold flowers. Not what you would expect from the fearsome foursome.

Trivia question when Grier retired who took his spot?

 

[cyclingwriter]

RIP. Half of the Fearsome Foursome are now gone (Lamar Lundy died in 2007). Rosey Grier and Deacon Jones are still around.

Lamar Lundy?

Funny Grier loved to crochet and Olsen sold flowers. Not what you would expect from the fearsome foursome.

Trivia question when Grier retired who took his spot?

 

[Liut]

RIP. Half of the Fearsome Foursome are now gone (Lamar Lundy died in 2007). Rosey Grier and Deacon Jones are still around.

Funny Grier loved to crochet and Olsen sold flowers. Not what you would expect from the fearsome foursome.

Trivia question when Grier retired who took his spot?

I'll bite. Roger Brown?

 

[Boom_70]

RIP. Half of the Fearsome Foursome are now gone (Lamar Lundy died in 2007). Rosey Grier and Deacon Jones are still around.

Funny Grier loved to crochet and Olsen sold flowers. Not what you would expect from the fearsome foursome.

Trivia question when Grier retired who took his spot?

I'll bite. Roger Brown?

Yes - Roger Brown of Paper Lion fame

 

[Michael_ Gee]

It is worth remembering that back in the '60s, Olsen was considered the BEST player of the four. That's measured against Deacon Jones. If they removed 9 out of every 10 plaques in Canton on performance grounds, Olsen would easily make the cut.

 

[misterbc]

I am shocked and saddened. I was a big Rams fan as far back as the mid 60's and he actually anchored 2 seperate front fours of note....don't forget Youngblood-Brooks-Olsen-Dryer. They were a main reason LA had one of the best defences in the NFC for a number of years.

A real role model.

 

[MTM]

First Willie Davis, then Merlin Olsen.
If Jerry West dies this week, every LA sports fans 45 and up may as well just hang it up.

 

[Drip]

A lineman's lineman. He was one of the best. Also did a lot for the floral industry. RIP.

 

[SoCalDude]

One of my heroes when I was a kid. An absolute gentleman. RIP

 

[fishhack2009]

Very sad news...Too young to remember him as a player, but I at least have the trifecta of NBC broadcasts, Little House on the Prairie and FTD commercials.

FWIW, **** Enberg joined the Padres broadcast team this season.

 

[playthrough]

Katie Couric: "A member of the Fearsome Four..."

Sigh.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Man, I can't believe I forgot about those FTD commercials. Johnny Carson used to razz him about those regularly.

Though they didn't work together, Merlin Olsen & Charlie Jones will always be the voices of the AFC for me.