RIP Nick Buoniconti

[CD Boogie]

Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti dies at 78

I was too young to see him play, but I enjoyed him on "Inside the NFL" and respect him a great deal for how he worked to raise money for paralysis research after his son's injury.

(Was he one of the Fins who would toast champagne after the last undefeated team had lost? If so, I deduct a few points.)

 

[poindexter]

I think he was a toaster.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

I remember first watching him on tv in the 1980s, but after delving into his life story a few years ago was kind of blown away by all he did and overcame. RIP

 

[garrow]

Will always remember him and Len Dawson on HBO. RIP.

 

[playthrough]

Learned a lot about him from that HBO documentary earlier this year. What a life. RIP.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

I saw him on TV
Your typical scrappy, undersized MLB
Heart and soul of the Dolphins

 

[micropolitan guy]

Also the heart and soul of the 1960s Boston Patriots, who were one of the early AFL's better teams, even though they never won a title.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I saw him on TV
Your typical scrappy, undersized MLB
Heart and soul of the Dolphins

Undersized? He was 5-foot-11.
A certain someone would have been considered tall at that height.

(In all seriousness, a great life and a great loss. RIP, good sir and thank you.)

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I answer “undersized” with “low man wins.”

 

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

The documentary on him was really eye-opening
He was certainly more than just a great football players.

And what's wrong with toasting the undefeated record?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The documentary on him was really eye-opening
He was certainly more than just a great football players.

And what's wrong with toasting the undefeated record?

It irritates people who think deep down it'll never be done again. Of course it will, we just don't know when.

 

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

Exactly. So why not celebrate that the record - and it is a special record - remains in tact? I don't blame any of those guys one bit.

It's not like they did burnouts in Gillette Stadium with then Pats lost. They were classy about it.


There was a baseball player - can't remember who, probably been more than one - that was kind of ass about one or maybe his only major record being broken ... that wasn't these guys. Like I said I think they were quiet and classy about their oh-so-special record remaining theirs.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

It irritates people who think deep down it'll never be done again. Of course it will, we just don't know when.

all that matters is who didn't do it thank you god

 

[BTExpress]

Many records get broken because of expanded schedules (14 games to 16, 154 games to 162) or changes in the game and its rules (21st century passing). To equal/beat the Dolphins' mark you have no advantages. You have to win 'em all. That makes it a little special.

 

[maumann]

My Dad's favorite AFL-NFL player from the time he saw him in person when the Patriots played the Oilers at Rice Stadium in 1965. When we moved to South Florida in 1968, Dad used Buoniconti as a lesson on how you could reach your full potential despite not being the biggest or strongest player on the field.

 

[playthrough]

Exactly. So why not celebrate that the record - and it is a special record - remains in tact? I don't blame any of those guys one bit.

It's not like they did burnouts in Gillette Stadium with then Pats lost. They were classy about it.


There was a baseball player - can't remember who, probably been more than one - that was kind of ass about one or maybe his only major record being broken ... that wasn't these guys. Like I said I think they were quiet and classy about their oh-so-special record remaining theirs.

I don't blame them either. You know the toast isn't just about that season, it's about teammates lost and all that. And who knows how much longer they'll have Shula. Savor every last moment and screw anyone who gives you a hard time.

 

[CD Boogie]

The documentary on him was really eye-opening
He was certainly more than just a great football players.

And what's wrong with toasting the undefeated record?

It's douchy to toast to someone else's failure.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I don't think that's what they're doing. They're toasting the continuing proof that what they did is special.

 

[CD Boogie]

I don't think that's what they're doing. They're toasting the continuing proof that what they did is special.

So going forward Mariano Rivera should toast every January when he finds out he's still the only unanimous player inducted into Cooperstown? What's the difference?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Because this is a group, not individual achievement, and group self-celebration is different.