Every so often, you hear about the death of a famous person and it gets to you. There is a quiet sadness, as if you’d lost a friend you knew long ago.
That’s how I felt when I learned that Merlin Olsen died Wednesday at age 69.
I never knew Olsen. I watched him play football when I was a little kid, and later listened to his insightful commentary on NFL broadcasts. Occasionally I watched him on “Little House on the Prairie.” He always seemed so genuine, intelligent and kind.
For a giant of a man who anchored the Los Angeles Rams’ famed “Fearsome Foursome,” in the 1960s and went to 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, it seemed a wonderful dichotomy that he would later become a spokesman for FTD.
So I asked my dad — Dusty Saunders, Denver’s longtime broadcasting commentator — what Olsen was like.
“He really was a gentle giant,” my dad said.
Then he told me the story of meeting up with Olsen at the Brown Palace sometime in the 1980s. Olsen was in town with Dick Enberg to cover a Broncos game. My dad expected the perfunctory 15-minute, gridiron Q&A. Instead, he and Olsen sat down for a casual 1-1/2 hour lunch, discussing everything from football, to family, to Denver (one of Olsen’s favorite cities).
This morning, Enberg, without question one of the classiest men in sports broadcasting history, released a statement on the passing of his good friend. It’s about as fine a tribute as a man can receive.
“God doesn’t create perfect men, but he came mighty close when he brought us Merlin Olsen,” Enberg said. “He was athletically GREAT and just as GOOD as a man. He personified the Greek ideal of a ‘sound mind in a sound body.’
“How privileged I was to call his games as an All Pro, Hall of Famer-to-be Los Angeles Ram, and then to work at his side in the broadcast booth for 12 years. He was meticulous and thorough in his preparation, lessons he had learned as an all-A student in high school and college. He was perhaps the brightest to ever play his position in the NFL. He was just as generous as a broadcaster as he was tough as a defensive tackle. I was privileged to be his TV colleague and his friend. I seriously doubt that I shall ever meet another that will measure up to his complete character. He was every part of a gentle giant.”
Trivia time
Olsen won the Outland Trophy in 1961 playing for what college?
(Answer below)
Polling
Wednesday’s “Lunch Special” poll asked readers where they rank troubled NBA star Allen Iverson as a player. With 237 votes cast, 43.5 percent said Iverson was a great scorer, but not in the same class as Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. About 37 percent rank Iverson as an elite player and one of the best guards in NBA history. About 19 percent consider Iverson a selfish, overrated player.
Quotable
“I have to be honest, it does take some pressure off me. I will no longer be the guy making ($19.1 million) at 38 years old. You try not to look at it that way. But it’s true.” – Rockies first baseman Todd Helton in today’s Denver Post, that defers $13.1 million over 10 years.
Blog spot
Colorado hoops coach Jeff Bzdelik isn’t afraid of facing a tough schedule, figuring it can only help the Buffs find their way back to the NCAA Tournament. Tom Kensler has the details in his All Things Colorado Sports” blog.
In case you missed it
This is for all of you draftniks out there: In their latest mockup, ESPN draft gurus both have your Denver Broncos taking Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant with the 11th pick of the first round.
This day in sports
On March 12, 1987, Navy’s David Robinson scored 50 points in a loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. It was the final game of Robinson’s college career.
Trivia answer
Utah State. Olsen was born in Logan, Utah in 1940.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com Hungry for more? .
