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Shocking news Dick Butkus passes away

always associated butkus with debut of the modern nfl. he was not only a "monster of the midway" but a character fans related to with the advent of the nfl on tv.

green bays' paul horning, the vikings' francis tarkington, giants' frank gifford were also front and center - glamour boys - and then came joe namath in the late-60s.

butkus though was the greatest of his time at middle linebacker. he took no prisoners absolutely mauling his opponents. much of his game then would not be allowed today.
 
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I loved watching him play. He was one of THOSE players that you could focus on because wherever Butkus was there was also the ball. He was a man amongst boys out there.

I feel kind of fortunate we get to play his alma mater Friday night. I hope they have a tribute to him worthy of his play.
 
Yeah not good for us tomorrow night, Bert will use that for motivation
He retired 27-32 years before they were even born. I think losing last week would carry more motivation.

Rhule could preach the same lessons as DB was a legendary, gritty player and a football treasure regardless of where he went to school.
 
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Just checked out his bio and was surprised he only played nine years... I was born in 68 so I don't remember seeing him play but knew of him for sure because I got into football at a pretty young age and he was a legend...was good in commercials after his NFL career to!!....which is what I do remember seeing him in.
 
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Supposedly kept his socks up with thumb tacks as a motivation to teammates.
Doubt that one but his bloody stumps for hands all taped up and blood stained would have been enough. I’ll never forget the time he caught a pass in the endzone. I think it was a 2 point conversion but it might have been a TD. Just remember those paws pulling it in. One tough mother.
 
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Just watched a 3min clip of him on NFL Highlight Nation and man what a beast...didn't know he returned punts. Wow. That guy was violent. I imagine he cut a few careers short with his hits.
Sometimes I think he ran on the field and told the guy who was supposed to be the TE on the goal line to head to the bench. Nobody was gonna tell him no. Soooo many great characters back then.
 
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We lived next door to a kid in a wheelchair in the late 60s who was mentally disabled (retarded). When I came home from midget football practice in my uniform (South Omaha Eagles) he waved and hollered "Hey Dick" because he thought I looked like Dick Butkus (I was age 10). He unfortunately died quite young, but every time I saw Butkus in a commercial or movie I thought about that kid.
 
I can’t remember the name of the Packer rookie long-snapper who told this yarn, but it was a cold November morn (probably late 1960’s) and he was out near midfield practicing snaps. As the sun was rising over Wrigley Field, he was getting warm so he took off his Packer warm up jacket and laid it on the field near him. 10 more snaps with his head between his legs, he looks up and there is Dick Butkus cleaning off his spikes with the rookie’s jacket.

The kid didn’t say a word.
 
Apparently you were not old enough to watch him play compared to who watched him during his career..
I think the point was - is the passing of an 80 year old retired football who played in one of the more dangerous eras of the league history … “shocking”?

Junior Seau at 43 … sad and shocking.
Dick Butkus at 80 … sad and not so shocking.
 
Can we nitpick any post or word on this board, no matter how pointless? Hell yes we can!
 
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0-4 Bears get their first win of the season (decisively) against a 2-2 team on the road, 4 days after cementing themselves as the worst team in the league by losing (in horrific fashion) to the team that got internationally embarrassed. The game started a mere what…hour after their HOF linebacker dies?

I’m sure it’s yet ANOTHER coincidence of a superstar death and winning! I would’ve bet the house had I found out he died right before the game. +6 dawgs

RIP DB. Great player!
 
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One of the true legends of the game.

Undoubtedly one of the toughest players to ever lace them up and play.

Off the field, he was a damn good person. Great personality that equated to TV and radio.

He'll be greatly missed. Lived a great life. Lived it well.
 
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One of the true legends of the game.

Undoubtedly one of the toughest players to ever lace them up and play.

Off the field, he was a damn good person. Great personality that equated to TV and radio.

He'll be greatly missed. Lived a great life. Lived it well.
All true, but he better not help his team win from beyond the grave tonight.
 
It's not nitpicking to observe that dying at 80 is never shocking, no way no how, unless of course he had been murdered by his pet pot-belly pig.
Ok. Thanks for making my point nitpicker.
 
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