For some reason, there are not very many LA athletes whose #17 pop into my head. Rick Fox from the Lakers is about the only one that works for me, but I’m not going there. Instead, I’m going back to an athlete from my early years who I admired. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, which is a team I do not root for today. I did, however, root for them when I was very young. They had a QB named “Dandy” Don Meredith, and I rooted for him as long as he wasn’t playing against the Rams.
Meredith, whose first name was Joe, played nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Dallas Cowboys. After his playing career was over, he was one of the original announcers for Monday Night Football. Anyone who remembers that should recall two things. First, he was the one guy who would flip crap at Howard Cosell. I used to love that because I thought Cosell was a bit too arrogant. He also was famous for singing a Willie Nelson song “Turn out the light, the party’s over” when a team had the game in the bag. Three times in his Monday Night Football career, he toed the line on announcing. He called President Richard Nixon “tricky dick”, at Denver he announced that he was a mile high, and when he was talking about the Brown’s receiver Fair Hooker he said, “Fair Hooker? I haven’t met one yet.” Meredith also played roles in a few TV shows and movies.
What’s funny to me is that I liked the Cowboys in the 60’s but not now. I used to hate the Green Bay Packers back then because they had the Rams number. Today, however is the complete reverse. I do like the Packers now. Why? Because of Aaron Rodgers and the reason is simple: He’s from Chico, California, which is the greatest town I have ever lived in. Period.
Dandy Don sadly passed away on Dec 5, 2010 from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 72. The lights on is life were finally turned off, but not on his legacy. Who didn’t like Meredith? He was a funny man who was true to his roots and his heart. He never thought he was greater than the game of football or life. Rest in peace, #17.
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