I don't know if someone else posted this in an existing thread, but this news item was on MLS' morning links page: http://supersport.com/football/nigeria/news/110107/Nigerian_star_Uche_Okafor_is_dead
Re: Sad news Very sad, posted it in the Alumni thread when I saw it. Although in an interesting twist, Thad called the Dallas PD this morning and they had no info on it. www.backpost.net
Re: Sad news Maybe because the investigation is just now starting. No way that foul play isn't involved. Unless he was hiding some illness or had some brain aneurism. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd kill himself.
Re: Sad news You never know what kind of internal demons a person is fighting with. I've seen people that "don't seem like that kind of guy" that have taken their own lives or fought with the thoughts of killing themselves. It's the type of thing I don't wish on anyone, to feel that hopeless that the only way out is to kill yourself is just tragic.
Re: Sad news I think you're jumping to conclusions. People die suddenly for all sorts of reasons that don't involve foul play. Anyway, condolences to Uche and his family. I remember when MLS was announcing players they were signing in 95 and early 96. Getting a player like Okafar - a Nigerian World Cup player who had played in Europe - was a pretty big deal at the time. It wasn't like signing Valderrama big, but he was a good player for a start-up league to get. And that he stuck around the US and contributed to American soccer as a coach makes me appreciate him and his passing even more.
Re: Sad news I guess we'll know what happened soon enough. At least I hope they reach a conclusion and it's not one of these cases that goes unsolved and you never hear about it again. His family and his fans deserve some kind of closure.
Re: Sad news Both police officers that I spoke with left me with the impression that there was something odd about it. It may be that it was a suicide and they do not want to say that or it may have been something more. If nothing is reported in a few days I will follow up on it.
Re: Sad news You're jumping to conclusions. First, people suddenly die. People can have sudden heart attacks, strokes, or other incidents. Second, in regards to suicide, people that show no signs or do not seem like the type to do it will still do it. Trust me, I know this all too well. Chances are, it wasnt foul play.
Re: Sad news http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/01/07/sports-soc-obit-okafor_8245099.html AP is saying it was a suicide. Incredibly sad. Some quotes from former teammates. http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2011/01/mls-mourns-death-former-kc-defender-okafor
Re: Sad news I've had it in my head all day long. Very sad day around the offices. Especially for those of us who knew him and/or cheered for him.
Very sad and tragic. I remember Uche as a very easy guy to talk to, quick to smile and say hello, and just a great guy. An imposing figure onfield but a gentle giant off the pitch who always made a point to say hello to myelf and my daughter when we were around. He just acted like your next door neighbor away from soccer. Looking at his jersey he gave me and a photo we had taken together just makes me sad today. I hope his soul has found peace and my thoughts and prayers are with his family going forward so that they may find it as well.
Re: Sad news From reading a few articles tonight about it, the time line seems to be that his wife left for work, Uche took his daughter to school and came home. A friend had tried to reach Okafor a few times during the course of the morning and was unable to reach him. The friend called his wife wondering if everything was ok, his wife tried and was unable to reach him so she went home and found him in a hall way...
Re: Sad news Just read this on espn.com. I'm stunned. This isn't supposed to be with big strong heroic men who compete and can draw upon the greatness that always stays with a man as he should have been able to do. Not our heroes. Not men with easy smiles. I'm just sad for his family. The early years of MLS were unique in many ways. One was that players were both accessable in every way imaginable and not many wanted to talk to them. Pro outdoor was new to many if not most fans and most names were lines from a resume until meeting them at a function. Ambassadors all, players would have extended talks with you to answer questions about what this game was overseas. Mo, Ekeme, Uche, Digital, even Preki (would impatiently) fully answer and interact to impart a bit of wisdom born from their homeland on us few that bothered to come out. They had to be wherever for hours, so why not? Uche's descriptions of his home were undoubtedly edited but different and friendlier from what we saw in news in the late 90s. I remember both Uche and Mo looking surprised anyone would ask before giving long answers. How can someone who engages like that disengage so finally? It's all very wasteful and sad. I have a friend in the organ transportation business. His Doctors and others often say suicide is a permanent resolution to a tempory problems. It's hard to understand. You wonder if being removed from the lofty heights of Champion contributed to what must have been myriad and profound sadness. I'll choose to remember him tall and commanding in the red flowing stripes of the Wizards' first black and blue uniform. Few pictures are more distinctive. There must be vidio somewhere of his bike goal early in '96, one the first in MLS history. Rest in peace Uche.
Re: Sad news http://supersport.com/football/nigeria/news/110127/Uche_Okafor_was_murdered_FBI His death is now being investigated as a homicide....
Re: Sad news Hopefully this doesn't devolve to him having his name dragged through the mud. There has already been some wild speculation in this thread. Keep it real folks ...
Re: Sad news That's a horrific headline and lede. The FBI has made no comment whatsoever on the case. The fact that their is an investigation into his death does not mean that they think he was murdered.