Famous person is dead. R.I.P. [R]

Famous around here, especially if you were following the game before the internet:

Clay Berlng, founder of Soccer America, passed away October 5th. He was 86.

https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...merica-founder-dies-at-age.html?edition=17887

 

I subscribed for awhile in the late 80's. I have no idea why I let my subscription lapse.

 

Back in the late 70s when I lived in the Bay Area Clay Berling co-hosted a 30 minute soccer program every Sunday evening on KEMO channel 20 out of San Francisco. Forgot the name of the show and the other person that co-hosted but there were very few highlights except for maybe one or two NASL games. Lots of scores from Europe without highlights. Occasionally as a bonus they'd have an exclusive interview with an NASL player or, if they were really lucky, a major star from overseas. Most of the time you'd only see the two co-hosts sitting at the desk reading scores, occasionally accompanied with stock footage of various games from the past. Not the most coordinated of shows but before the age of the internet that show probably satisfied many a Bay Area soccer fan's hunger of wanting to know the latest scores from the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, English First Division, et al.
And, of course, they would always promote Soccer America. I briefly subscribed in the mid-80s and again from USA '94 to the first season of MLS.

Toby Charles, Mario Machado and Clay Berling: My heroes in helping this American learn to love The Beautiful Game.

R.I.P., Mr. Berling

 

In my case, I love to hold on to magazines I subscribed to and storing those SA newspapers took up A LOT of room. So I simply ended the subscription rather than tossing out old issues.
But it really was a great source for American soccer back in the day. Soccer Digest was another good one.

 

I starting collecting them sometime in the late 70s (they were sold at some small convenience store down the street when I was living in Dallas). I later subscribed and took them for years and years (I mean like 10-15 years, maybe longer). One day it was decided that I needed to get rid of the boxes of SA magazines. It broke my heart; I even called the SA office and asked if they would be interested in them. They said no, so I was left with no choice but to toss most of them. Some I couldn't bear to part with.

During that time, I would also pay for a subscription to the school's library where I was teaching......(which was fine until we came back from summer break and they had 3 months of magazines piled up).

RIP Mr Berling

 

I still have every issue from when I subscribed. They're all buried in a storage unit, collecting dust. Two good sized (and very heavy) boxes. My first subscription went from '84 to '88-ish (?). I then subscribed again from '94 to '96. Will need to dig them out some day and reminisce.
Can't imagine what 15 years worth looks like.

 

A Lot.

Actually, I was surprised at how many I had. I guess they'd just pile up in my room until I had to do something with them; so, i'd stick them into a box and in the closet, under the bed, wherever, eventually ending out in the garage. (My dad's second wife went through my stuff while I was at college and threw a lot of it away: magazines, records......yes, records.......I don't like to talk about it.) anyway...

I'm sure at some point, I started tossing away copies that didn't really mean anything to me; keeping WC issues, MLS previews/playoffs, copies with great covers, etc (which was probably most of them).

 

Shame on me for forgetting to add Tony Tirado to this list.

 

Tony Tirado was an awful commentator, he could even manage to make a match like West Germany vs France seem quotidian.

 

Yelberton Abraham (Y.A.) Tittle - passed away Oct 8th; he was 90. Tittle was an NFL quarterback (1948-1964 for Baltimore, SF, & NY Giants). He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, completions, and games played.

One of the greatest sports photos, ever.



In his final season, Tittle was photographed bloodied and kneeling down in the end zone after a tackle by a defender left him helmetless.

 

Sean Hughes, 51, famous comedian in the UK.& Ireland.

 

I drive by his insurance company in San Jose every day.

 

Wow! how sad!

Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie has died at 53

The Tragically Hip's Gord Downie Dies at 53 After Brain Cancer Battle


Canada's Justin Trudeau: 'We are less as a country without Gord ...


Gord Downie dead: The Tragically Hip lead singer dies of cancer at 53


Tragically Hip's Gord Downie Dead at 53


Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie dies at 53

 

Blah.

 

Nova Scotia actor John Dunsworth, best known for playing hard-drinking, trailer park manager Jim Lahey in the Canadian TV series Trailer Park Boys, has died, Oct 16th. He was 71.



I'd not heard of him, but apparently my son was bummed out.

 

Hard week for Canada.

 

No poutine for you,eh?
Look,I get if an American wouldnt get Gord.He is so Bay of Quinte-ssentially Canadian you'd have to have a double double take to sweep the references into the house.
Don't cry because it's over,smile because it happened.

 

Oh,ok.I'm too numb to even pick up on that level of meta right now.

 

Benson

Guillaume, who also voiced Rafiki in 'The Lion King,' died at his home in LA; he had been battling prostate cancer https://t.co/LfyDm93w0e

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 24, 2017