RIP Todd Christensen

[Small Town Guy]

Former Raiders great. Had liver disease. Died during surgery at 57.

He was fun to watch and then became part of American Gladiators' fixation on former football players as analysts -- Csonka, Theismann, etc. (I did like him as a regular broadcaster too).

foxs.pt/1j4OY3f

 

[Steak Snabler]

Was a fullback when he first came into the league, which is why he wore 46. Great, great hands and a really good runner after the catch.

With Kellen Winslow & Ozzie Newsome, part of the 2nd generation of great NFL tight ends (with John Mackey, Mike Ditka & Jackie Smith comprising the first). You can draw a straight line from the "tackles who caught a pass once in a while" of the 1960s thru Christensen and his ilk to the true downfield threats of today like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Wow. That sucks...

RIP.

 

[RubberSoul1979]

Sad. So young. Can't believe it. Really enjoyed him on NBC with Charlie Jones, and on ESPN and ESPN2 alongside Charlie Steiner, among others.

 

[qtlaw]

Great, great Caucasian "natural" afro; insightful as well. The original 100 catch TE. Way, way too early.

 

[mpcincal]

Terrible news. He was my second favorite player from the L.A. Raiders era (after Marcus Allen). Always a well-spoken and pretty funny dude also. RIP.

 

[cyclingwriter]

Great player. Interesting career stat line. Rip

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

He was the ultimate chain-moving tight end.
He got a lot of crap for introspection that at times bordered on intellectual vanity.
Apologized for that in the 1983 Raiders America's Game documentary, though it wasn't necessary.

 

[swenk]

Met Todd in the late 80s when he was subbing for Roy Firestone on ESPN's Sports Look. I was there with a ballplayer on a book tour, and Todd was asking him which William Blake quote best described the baseball experience. I believe the answer was "Ummm..."

While all the Super Bowl Raiders were lining up for tell-all book deals, Todd sent me a box filled with poetry he had written. He said he had enough to fill four books. He was wrong; he had enough for ten. We never got the book(s) published, but he quizzed me on every verse of every poem.

I don't think he ever understood the open disdain his teammates had for him personally; maybe it was the relentless quoting of Thoreau, I don't know. I'm interested to see what the Howie Longs and others say about him in the wake of his death.

Sad for his family. I believe he had four sons (the youngest with spina bifida), and a couple grandkids. RIP.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

He had my favorite line from American Gladiators

"If combat mano-a-mano is your style, The Joust is your cup of tea."

 

[Drip]

RIP to a true Raider. I hope the liver surgery he was undergoing wasn't because of roid use or some other NFL related problem.

 

[Colton]

Always enjoyed his work, both as a player and broadcaster.

Taken way too young... RIP.

 

[azom]

Shared an elevator with him a few times when he was doing work for the Mountain West's TV broadcasts. It was clear a few years ago, even, that he wasn't doing well.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Sad that a guy who supposedly never had a drink of alcohol (he was Mormon) would die of liver disease. According to one story I read, his family blamed his liver problems on a botched gall bladder operation several years ago.

 

[kingcreole]

He was one of the top players on the original Tecmo Bowl.

 

[Liut]

Respected him on the field and in the booth. RIP.