One is remembered not so much for crushing blocks — although he made it to the Hall of Fame with plenty of those — as for the dense, exacting language of contracts that would leave NFL players richer than they ever hoped.
Another simply wanted to win a college championship with the best players he could put on the court. In the process, he sent a racial barrier in the South tumbling, and basketball was never the same.
Yet another took us to exotic places, expanding the reach and possibilities of sports television. He was an elegant guide in a network blazer, and one day in Munich in 1972 the grim task fell to him to say, “They’re all gone.”
Gene Upshaw, Don Haskins and Jim Mc- Kay died in 2008, each leaving a distinct stamp, each taking sports on a new road.
Upshaw played guard for 15 years for the Oakland Raiders, helping them make the Super Bowl three times, winning twice. In a way, that was just the start. He went on to spend 25 years as head of the NFL Players Association, resetting the balance of labor and management. He was one of the few African-Americans to lead a major union.
In August, with another season upcoming, Upshaw died at 63 of pancreatic cancer. He learned he had the disease only days earlier.
“Gene Upshaw’s career successes as a professional football player and a union leader are unparalleled,” Raiders owner Al Davis said.
Upshaw could be harsh and direct, and didn’t always say what was polite or expected. Many retired players felt betrayed, insisting he didn’t do enough for them. Others felt his relationship with the NFL commissioner’s office was far too cozy.
But the confluence of free agency, an advantageous salary cap and mega television deals came on Upshaw’s watch, and a long river of cash flowed.
It took a movie, “Glory Road,” to educate a new generation of basketball fans about Haskins and a college then called Texas Western. Haskins, an old-school coach who cared for his players and demanded much of them, died at home of congestive heart failure at 78.
“He took a school that had no reason to be a basketball giant and made it into one,” said coach Bob Knight, a Hall of Famer, like Haskins.
In 1966, Haskins started five black players in the NCAA title game against an all-white, mighty Kentucky team coached by Adolph Rupp. The symbolism was unmistakable. Haskins, who was white, wasn’t interested in political gestures. He was a coach who needed a win. And his team did just that, beating Kentucky 72-65.
Hate mail and death threats followed. But it wasn’t long before the entrenched ways of recruiting changed, and black players were suddenly welcome in once-forbidden territory.
“Coach Haskins lived to be a winner not just in the X’s and O’s,” said Nevil Shed, a starter on the 1966 team. “And he instilled in us that on the court you had to do your best, but after all this basketball you have to be a winner in life.”
McKay spanned the globe, illuminating his audience with tales of barrel jumping and thoroughbred racing — even of some forsaken ski jumper careening down a mountain. He died on his Maryland horse farm at 86.
“Wide World of Sports” became McKay’s signature, the show taking viewers to far-flung precincts in the days before such excursions became a television staple.
But his most riveting report came at the 1972 Olympics, where Palestinian terrorists kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes. McKay was summoned to work and stayed at his post. By the time the raid to free the hostages ended, they were all gone.
“I was full of emotion,” McKay said. “But when you are a professional, it is important to communicate what it is like, to capture the moment.”
Sports also saw off two men whose names tower over their pursuits: chess master Bobby Fischer, 64, and mountaineering’s Sir Edmund Hillary, 88.
But no one held the stage like Paul Newman, who died at 83. The Oscar-winning actor and entrepreneur could also drive pretty well.
He was once part of the winning team in the Daytona 24-Hours endurance race. He was 70 at the time and still the coolest guy at the track.
“The sport is a lot more exciting than anything else I do,” he said. “And nobody cares that I’m an actor.”
2008 sports deaths
Auto racing: Ove Andersson, 70; Boyd Coddington, 63; Brienne Davis, 28; Steve Engel, 49; Davey Evans, 63; Phil Hill, 81; Ed Justice, 87; Scott Kalitta, 46; Steve Lawson, 51; Lloyd Moore, 95; Paul Newman, 83; Steve Peterson, 58; Greg Weld, 64.
Badminton: Joe Alston, 81.
Baseball: Buzzie Bavasi, 93; Eddie Brinkman, 66; Tom Burgess, 82; John Buzhardt, 71; Don Cardwell, 72; Billy Consolo, 73; Todd Cruz, 52; Bruce Dal Canton, 66; Dock Ellis, 63; Kevin Foster, 39; Russ Gibson, 69; Geremi Gonzalez, 33; Don Gutteridge, 96; Herb Hash, 97; Tommy Holmes, 91; Bob Howsam, 89; Michael Hutts, 21; George Kissell, 88; Karl Kuehl, 70; Buddy LeRoux, 77; John Marzanao, 45; Bobby Murcer, 62; Red Murff, 87; Johnny Podres, 75; Dave Ricketts, 73; Preacher Roe, 92; Ted Rogers, 75; Glenn Sample, 77; Carlos Manuel Santiago, 82; Herb Score, 75; Bert Shepard, 87; Dave Smith, 53; Gerry Staley, 87; Tom Tresh, 71; Ed Vargo, 79; Mickey Vernon, 90; Nick Willhite, 67; Darrin Winston, 42; Sal Yvars, 84.
Basketball: Glen Anderson, 79; Sam Aubrey, 85; Joe Axelson, 80; Robert Carey, 88; Ben Carnevale, 92; Dr. Anthony F. Daly, 74; Jonathan Davis, 20; Hal DeJulio, 83; Kevin Duckworth, 44; Darrell Garretson, 76; Don Haskins, 78; Bruce Henderson, 47; Larry Hennessy, 79; Steve Hodson, 53; Ted Kjolhede, 84; Harry Mangurian Jr., 82; Bob Menke, 88; Junior Morgan, 74; Pete Newell, 93; Debbie Paladino, 44; Doyle Parrack, 86; Deshean Porchea, 19; Bill Rankin, 84; Chris “Flash” Richardson, 28; Will Robinson, 96; Polk Robison, 96; Alan Seiden, 71; Marvin Stone, 26; W.D. “Red” Stroud, 66; Shannon Veal, 17; Curtis Watkins, 51; Nick Weatherspoon, 58.
Bodybuilding: Ben Weider, 85.
Boxing: Daniel Aguillon, 24; Art Aragon, 80; Joey Giardello, 78; Jabir Herbert Muhammad, 79; Mate Parlov, 59; Mando Ramos, 59; Choi Yoi-sam, 33.
Chess: Bobby Fischer, 64.
College executives: Jim “Hoss” Brock, 74; Dave Cawood, 64; Ambrose “Bud” Dudley, 88; Dick Martin, 75; Virgil Starks, 46.
Cycling: Valentino Fois, 34.
Education: Jan Kemp, 59.
Exploring: Ralph Plaisted, 80.
Figure skating: Christopher Bowman, 40.
Fishing: Frank Mundus, 82.
Football: Bob Ackles, 69; Lou Allen, 83; Coy Bacon, 66; Sammy Baugh, 94; Heath Benedict, 24; Ivan Or- sen Caesar Jr., 41; Pete Case, 67; Tom Catlin, 76; Frank Cornish, 40; Eddie Crowder, 77; Milt Davis, 79; Eagle Day, 75; Buddy Dial, 71; Jim Dooley, 77; Mike Dukes, 72; Dick Enderle, 60; David Edwards, 20; Tony Elliott, 48; Jack Faulkner, 82; Craig Fertig, 66; Henry Fields, 35; Mitch Frerotte, 43; Georgia Frontiere, 80; Stoney Garland, 33; John Grimsley, 45; Sherrill Headrick, 71; Gene Hickerson, 73; Wally Hilgenberg, 66; Ernie Holmes, 59; Mike Holovak, 88; Jamacia Jackson, 26; Bob Jeter, 71; Tyrone Jones, 46; Karl Kassulke, 67; Terrence Kiel, 27; Wally Kleine 43; Joe Krol, 89; Ron Lancaster, 69; Dick Lynch, 72; Ed Marion, 81; Thomas McHale, 45; Jack Mildren, 58; Chris Mims, 38; Billy Jack Murphy, 87; Buzz Nutter, 77; James Busch Orthwein, 84; Mike Patrick, 55; Leif Pettersen, 57; Ereck Plancher, 19; John Pont, 80; Ray Smith Poole, 86; John Rauch, 80; Jack Reader, 82; Herb Rich, 79; Otto Schnellbacher, 84; Larry Smith, 68; Gene Upshaw, 63; Dwight White, 58; Elmer Willhoite, 78; Joe Yonto, 83.
Golf: Tommy Bolt, 92; Steve Duplantis, 35; Max Elbin, 88; Phil Harison, 82; Orville Moody, 74; Bobby Nichols, 66; Mike Souchak, 81.
Gymnastics: Pierre Chabloz, 91.
Hockey: John Ashley, 77; Luc Bourdon, 21; Alexei Cherepanov, 19; Ed Chynoweth, 66; Ray Getliffe, 94; Armand “Bep” Guidolin, 82; Ned Harkness, 89; Pit Martin, 64; Mickey Renaud, 19.
Horse racing: Harry Aleo, 88; Sid Craig, 76; Jimmy Croll, 88; Luke Kruytbosch, 47; Tammy Samuel-Balaz, 47; Sidney Watters Jr., 90; Frank Whiteley Jr., 93. Horses (Eight Belles, 3; Genuine Risk, 31; Winning Colors, 23).
Lacrosse: Will Barrow, 22.
Law: Charles Dubin, 87; Warren Ferguson, 87.
Media: Eliot Asinof, 88; Skip Caray, 68; Dan Cook, 81; Myron Cope, 79; Jack Falla, 62; Red Foley, 79; Mary Garber, 92; Grits Gresham, 85; George Gross, 85; Chuck Heaton, 90; W.C. Heinz, 93; Jerome Holtzman, 82; Charlie Jones, 77; Barry Lorge, 60; Sherman “Jocko” Maxwell, 100; Jim McKay, 86; Steve Parry, 64; Paul Robbins, 68; Gib Shanley, 76; Randy Smith, 61; Don Wittman, 71.
Medicine: C. Harmon Brown, 78.
Mountaineering: Sir Edmund Hillary, 88.
Olympics: Manzoor Hussain Atif, 80; Peter Baczako, 56; Daniel Bukantz, 90; Frantisek Capek, 93; Roger Gill, 35; G. Larry James, 61; Bent Jensen, 60; K.A. Karunaratne, 53; Gyorgy Kolonics, 36; Viktor Kuzkin, 67; Nicolae Linca, 79; Diego Lizardi, 32; Anani Matthia, 81; Alexi Prokurorov, 44; Ram Ruhee, 81; Boris Shaklin, 76; Philipp von Schoeller, 86; Witold Woyda, 68.
Rodeo: Clem McSpadden, 82.
Rugby: Jack Gibson, 79.
Skiing: Nick Badami, 88.
Soccer: Gordon Bradley, 74; Brian Budd, 56; Francis Cornejo, 76; Drazan Jerkovic, 72; Heinrich Kwiatkowski, 81; Ian McColl, 81; Pedro Pompilio, 55; Emmanuel Sanon, 56; Luis Santibanez, 72.
Softball: Merle Butler, 72.
Squash: Betty Constable, 83.
Tennis: Lennart Bergelin, 83; Sven Davidson, 79; Carole Caldwell Graebner, 65; Hamilton Jordan, 63; Daniela Klemenschits, 25; Federico Luzzi, 28; Horst Skoff, 39; George Toley, 91.
Track & field: Brahim Baba, 51; Kerryn McCann, 41; Wesly Ngetich, 34; German Skurygin, 45.
Triathlon: Barbara Warren, 65.
Volleyball: Robert Chavez, 46; Agata Mroz, 26.
Wrestling: Mike “Mad Dog” Bell, 37; Jimmy Jackson, 51; Killer Kowalski, 81; Chase Tatum, 34.
