Tag: Obituaries

The boxing world mourns the loss of Marvelous Marvin Hagler

The boxing world was devastated to learn of the passing of Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

According a post on his official social media, Marvelous Marvin Hagler has passed away.

In a post to his official fan page on Facebook, Hagler’s wife Kay Hagler wrote “I am sorry to make a very sad announcement. Today unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire. Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

The former middleweight champion dominated his weight class for much of the 80s, serving as the undisputed champion from 1980 to 1987. A powerful puncher, his 52 knockouts in 67 career fights remains a staggering statistic for the weight class.

He also gave us, along with Tommy Hearns, probably the greatest round in boxing history in 1985.

The boxing world reacted to Hagler’s death after the news came out:

RIP Marvelous Marvin Hagler, who gave us the greatest Round 1 in the history of boxing

The legendary middleweight champion passed away, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Kay.

On Saturday evening, Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s wife announced to social media that the legendary boxer had passed away at the age of 66.

“Today unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire,” Kay G. Hagler wrote to his official Facebook page.

“Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

Hagler was the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987, an incredible run that saw him successfully defend his title 12 times. His 52 knockouts in 67 career fights (78%) remains a high mark for middleweight champions.

Hagler, who legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin, will perhaps best be remembered for what many people consider the greatest boxing round in history, his first round against Tommy Hearns in 1985.

Entering the bout, it was being billed as “The Fight.” Afterwards, it was renamed “The War.” Watching the highlights will show you why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL2a2-8OHdg

RIP to Marvelous Marvin.

[listicle id=1006869]

Diego Maradona, a soccer genius who played the game with joy, is dead at 60

Diego Maradona, a hard-partying genius who won Argentina a World Cup in 1986, is dead at 60.

Diego Maradona, the soccer genius who led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986, is dead, according to his agent, who confirmed the news to ESPN. He was 60 years old.

Maradona grew up in a poor town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and despite his diminutive frame — he stood just 5’5 — he quickly became a giant of world soccer. A gifted attacker, one of the great dribblers of all time, Maradona dazzled for both club (he played with Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, and Sevilla, among others) and country.

Perhaps no one other than Messi — whose size, nationality, and playing style earned instant and persistent comparisons to Maradona — could exhibit the combination of skill, speed, vision, and flair on the pitch that Maradona had.

He’s also a story of what could have been. Maradona was a legendary partier, a man known as much for his excesses off the field as his genius on it. Yet for all his largesse, he always remained connected to the people, especially the people of Argentina, to whom he was a hero.

I was born in 1986, and the first summer of my existence was spent on my father’s lap, watching Maradona lead Argentina to a World Cup title in Mexico City. I have no recollection of his hand-of-god goal, of course, nor his other goal against England, which is quite simply the greatest goal ever scored.

I was an infant. Yet as I grew older, my dad made sure I watched those goals, over and over, wanting to make sure they existed in my consciousness beyond some reptilian imprint. He wanted me to see, and remember, genius.

“Genius” is the word I keep returning to in this piece, and with good reason. Maradona grew up playing in the streets, and never lost his sense of wonder while playing. While other greats were tactical masterminds, or clinical finishers, or hard-nosed defenders, Maradona’s game was defined by a different word: Joy.

The man played with joy. He managed with emotion. The game was never, to him it seemed, about tactical prowess or organization or systems. It was a game of passion, of creativity. He viewed soccer as art, and was perhaps the greatest artist to ever live.

Later in his life, he became a bit of a walking cliché, as his excesses took a toll on his body and, perhaps, his mind. Yet the man never stopped caring, he never stopped loving the game, he never stopped flipping double middle fingers when Argentina scored big goals.

The man played as he lived — beautifully, richly, excessively. We may never see another like him. May he rest in peace.

[vertical-gallery id=963246]

The world mourns the loss of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who died on Sunday

Alex Trebek passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 80. The world mourned the loss of the great longtime Jeopardy! host.

On Sunday the official Jeopardy! Twitter account announced that the show’s longtime host, Alex Trebek, had died that morning after a long battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.

Trebek made a longtime career as a television host, first in his native Canada with the CBC and later on a host of American shows and game shows. His most iconic job, however, was as the host of the popular quiz show, Jeopardy!, where he was nominated for 37 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning seven.

Trebek’s warm demeanor, droll sense of humor, and deep intelligence made him beloved for millions of fans of the show. This loss feels deep for many of us, I believe, because of how much time we spent with the man, and how much so many of us trusted him.

He took a difficult quiz show with a weird, answers-as-questions format, and made it warm, familial, and surprisingly funny. That show is nothing without Trebek — under someone with less talent, Jeopardy! would have been too confusing, too high brow, too slow. With him, it became one of the most successful and long-running television shows of all time.

Fans and past contestants were devastated to hear the news:

[lawrence-related id=901110,899397,885329]

NHL world reacts after tragic death of 25-year-old Oilers player Colby Cave

Colby Cave was just 25 years old. The NHL world was stunned to hear news of his passing.

The hockey world was stunned on Saturday with the passing of Edmonton Oilers player Colby Cave. According to a report from USA TODAY Sports, Cave was placed in a medically induced coma on Tuesday following a brain bleed, and emergency surgery to relieve pressure that a cyst was placing on his brain.

Cave, an Oilers player who previously played for the Boston Bruins, was just 25 years old. He leaves behind his wife, Emily, and his parents. In a note through the team website, Emily wrote:

“It is with great sadness to share the news that our Colby Cave passed away early this morning. I (Emily) and both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community, and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time.”

NHL players took to social media to post tributes to Cave.