In Memoriam: Dandy Don
Via the DMN: Legendary Cowboys, SMU quarterback Don Meredith dies.
Don Meredith, the Dallas Cowboys and SMU quarterback and Monday Night Football icon, died Sunday evening in Santa Fe, N.M. He was 72.
Meredith died at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokesman confirmed this morning. The Meredith family’s attorney, Lisa Fine Moses, said his wife, Susan, and daughter Mary were at his side.
Meredith had battled emphysema in recent years and suffered a minor stroke in 2004.
My memories of the Cowboys start with the Staubach era, so I don’t remember Meredith as a player. However, I very much remember his days in the MNF booth. As such, a wistful rendition of “Turn out the Lights” is order.
UPDATE (James Joyner): Same here in terms of my recollection of Meredith, which come entirely from “Monday Night Football” and iced tea commercials.
Here’s an NFL Films retrospective on Meredith as player:
And a Lipton commercial from 1983:
And here’s a rendition of “Turn Out The Lights,” sans any actual video:
Don’t forget his stint as an actor in Police Story. He was pretty good, as I recall.
Now Howard Cosell can throw up on his shoes in heaven.
I learned to loathe the Cowboys when they first started out as an expansion team. They ended up taking Eddie LaBaron from the Redskins, thus starting the traditional enmity. Dandy Don was good, but was overshadowed by later QBs, like Staubach. But Staubach is still a Navy player to my mind.
Bummer… I enjoyed watching him on MNF when I was younger.
My dad is a huge Cowboy fan and remembers Don’s 9 years with the Cowboys. Dad said he was a good player and enjoyed watching him be the QB at the end of his time with the Cowboys before he retired.
Thanks Dandy Don for the memories.
I had a lot to say, but word press sucked it up. DD… I hated your guts, but you were the best of the best.
And tuffer than nails.
King of the Hill had a bit with him. Well worth looking up.