New year, new Grim Reaper thread.

 

https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/02/rally-car-driver-ken-block-dead/
 

https://globalnews.ca/news/9161442/robert-cormier-dead-heartland-actor-finn-cotter/?dicbo=v2-94491dc4bfd0616a4a1754acdeaa2461

Edited January 3, 20233 yr by TrueBlue4ever

2 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

How can you compare what Hull said & did to what Graham James did??? 

You want to forgive wife beaters? The things he did to his various wives is right up there.......and that's just the stuff we KNOW about! These two are clearly two of the biggest assholes/evil men in the history of pro sports. 

Edited January 31, 20233 yr by Noeller

2 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

How can you compare what Hull said & did to what Graham James did??? I'd love to be able to open the closet on most people here criticizing Hull & find out what they're all hiding in their closets that make them experts on how people should be judged. Domestic violence is wrong. been married for nearly 40 years & never once ave I lifted my hand to strike my wife. The Hitler thing he saidm yeah, crazy talk. And he deserved critism. I don't like what he said & marvel at how he could have been so stupid to have said that to a reporter as Bobby was definitely media savvy. For all we know he was liquored up when he said it. Which doesn't make it right. My dad when he got drunk said some hurtful & bizarre things that were totally out of his character when he was sober. Therefore, who is the "real" person??? The one spouting **** when he's drunk & me almost punching his lights out when I got older? Or the quiet one who barely talks when he's sober?? That was my father. 

I'm in my later 30s. I can relate to your father. It's why I haven't touched booze in about 15 years now. Alcohol makes some ppl (myself included) do or say things I'd never even think of sober. 

10 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

Please save your energy to defend a better person than Bobby Hull.

Well luckily, I don't answwer to you. You just keep telling yourself that Heatley killing his teammate was an accident & not murder. They call it Vehicular Homicide in the States, He only got off because Dan Snyder's parents didn't want to press charges. So, the entitled athlete beat the wrap. No surprise there. The Fulton County DA was going to send him to jail for the rest of his life,  

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

How can you compare what Hull said & did to what Graham James did??? I'd love to be able to open the closet on most people here criticizing Hull & find out what they're all hiding in their closets that make them experts on how people should be judged. Domestic violence is wrong. been married for nearly 40 years & never once ave I lifted my hand to strike my wife. The Hitler thing he saidm yeah, crazy talk. And he deserved critism. I don't like what he said & marvel at how he could have been so stupid to have said that to a reporter as Bobby was definitely media savvy. For all we know he was liquored up when he said it. Which doesn't make it right. My dad when he got drunk said some hurtful & bizarre things that were totally out of his character when he was sober. Therefore, who is the "real" person??? The one spouting **** when he's drunk & me almost punching his lights out when I got older? Or the quiet one who barely talks when he's sober?? That was my father. 

I won't get drawn into your personal life story as it would be unfair for me to offer any comment on it either way - other than to say I'm sorry you had to go through that.

That being said, there are a LOT of people who abuse alcohol and comparatively few who hit their wives with the steel heels of shoes, hang them off balconies etc.

3 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Well luckily, I don't answwer to you. You just keep telling yourself that Heatley killing his teammate was an accident & not murder. They call it Vehicular Homicide in the States, He only got off because Dan Snyder's parents didn't want to press charges. So, the entitled athlete beat the wrap. No surprise there. The Fulton County DA was going to send him to jail for the rest of his life,  

Dude.  I never mentioned Heatley, but who are you to argue with Dan Snyder's parents?

10 minutes ago, Goalie said:

I'm in my later 30s. I can relate to your father. It's why I haven't touched booze in about 15 years now. Alcohol makes some ppl (myself included) do or say things I'd never even think of sober. 

I have a lot of respect for what alcohol does to a person. I have the occasional drink but like you have always stayed away from it. I drank more in my younger & single years. After seeing what it can do, I got the education of a lifetime. 

6 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

I won't get drawn into your personal life story as it would be unfair for me to offer any comment on it either way - other than to say I'm sorry you had to go through that.

That being said, there are a LOT of people who abuse alcohol and comparatively few who hit their wives with the steel heels of shoes, hang them off balconies etc.

Dude.  I never mentioned Heatley, but who are you to argue with Dan Snyder's parents?

Yes, you're right. You didn't mention Heatley. That was Noeller saying it was an accident therefore forgivable. I apologize for the mix up. As far as my personal life, I didn't mention it for sympathy. Just for my experience dealing with alcoholism. So, no worries.

I think Hull must've had a hard time dealing with all the publicity he got. That he was constantly under the limelight even decades after retirement & he had no idea how to deal with the pressure that came with it so alcohol helped ( he thought) to calm him down. Instead, he just snapped. I don't condone anything he did or said. It was really bad. 

Edited January 31, 20233 yr by SpeedFlex27

34 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Both. I come from an alcoholic family. There's no difference. Three marriages. Lots of scorched Earth in each family. Believe me, I know. So it's sad.. However, I can tell you that no one who is born wants to be a an alcoholic. They never asked for it.

In my business, it was an axiom that almost all addictions, process or substance are driven by traumatic life events. To put it another way, hurt people hurt people. What started as an emotional anaesthetic becomes physically and emotionally addictive as the sufferer comes to believe that she cannot cope with life without their magic potion. 

7 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I have a lot of respect for what alcohol does to a person. I have the occasional drink but like you have always stayed away from it. I drank more in my younger & single years. After seeing what it can do, I got the education of a lifetime. 

Yes, you're right. You didn't mention Heatley. That was Noeller saying it was an accident therefore forgivable. I apologize for the mix up. 

And there is a great distinction between a one-time event and a behavioural pattern.

7 minutes ago, Tracker said:

In my business, it was an axiom that almost all addictions, process or substance are driven by traumatic life events. To put it another way, hurt people hurt people. What started as an emotional anaesthetic becomes physically and emotionally addictive as the sufferer comes to believe that she cannot cope with life without their magic potion. 

And there is a great distinction between a one-time event and a behavioural pattern.

But if that negligent one off kills someone??? Well.., Heatley was an adult, He should have known that his actions that night were dangerous & could kill someone. He didn't care. 

Edited January 31, 20233 yr by SpeedFlex27

3 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

But if that negligent one off kills someone??? Well.., Heatley was an adult, He should have known that his actions that night were dangerous & could kill someone. He didn't care. 

Heatly should have been and was held criminally accountable.  Still, a singular lapse in good judgement is different from a repeated pattern of criminal behaviour, and it is particularly heinous because it was a muscular, much larger male beating three different vulnerable women. The probability is that Bobby Hull witnessed violence in his family of origin, but ultimately he chose to repeat it. Not all boys who are exposed to such repeat the sins of the father, but sadly, about 2/3 of girls from those same homes wind up in abusive relationships.

37 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Heatly should have been and was held criminally accountable.  Still, a singular lapse in good judgement is different from a repeated pattern of criminal behaviour, and it is particularly heinous because it was a muscular, much larger male beating three different vulnerable women. The probability is that Bobby Hull witnessed violence in his family of origin, but ultimately he chose to repeat it. Not all boys who are exposed to such repeat the sins of the father, but sadly, about 2/3 of girls from those same homes wind up in abusive relationships.

That's just the wives.  There's a certain former Winnipeg weather girl who won't talk about her time with Hull.  Yet.

40 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

That's just the wives.  There's a certain former Winnipeg weather girl who won't talk about her time with Hull.  Yet.

Might her initials be S. K.?  If so, her story has leaked out already.

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

Heatly should have been and was held criminally accountable.  Still, a singular lapse in good judgement is different from a repeated pattern of criminal behaviour, and it is particularly heinous because it was a muscular, much larger male beating three different vulnerable women. The probability is that Bobby Hull witnessed violence in his family of origin, but ultimately he chose to repeat it. Not all boys who are exposed to such repeat the sins of the father, but sadly, about 2/3 of girls from those same homes wind up in abusive relationships.

Heatley was never held accountable. He pled guilty to second degree Vehicular Homicide & got probation. He went on to play hockey in Ottawa, San Jose, Minnesota  & Anaheim so he still made his millions.

The fatal crash took place in a residential area of Atlanta where lots of people reside. He admitted to consumimg alcohol before the crash though he was under the legal limit when tested with a breathylizer. He got lucky when Snyder's parents rightly or wrongly went to bat for him when they spoke to the Fulton County District Attorney. They got the DA to reduce charges from first to 2nd degree VH. From what I understand, just with his dealings with his agents along the way & teams he played for, Heatley's not the nicest guy either. But he's forgiven. It was an 'accident". 

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

But if that negligent one off kills someone??? Well.., Heatley was an adult, He should have known that his actions that night were dangerous & could kill someone. He didn't care. 

So had Hull beat his wife to death in which he nearly did in the quote I posted.. then your opinion would change?   What a weird thing that you would put your shield on? 

I do find it odd that people who were close to him called him a monster and yet someone like yourself who has never met the guy thinks he is a quality individual with flaws?  How does that make sense?

 

43 minutes ago, Brandon said:

So had Hull beat his wife to death in which he nearly did in the quote I posted.. then your opinion would change?   What a weird thing that you would put your shield on? 

I do find it odd that people who were close to him called him a monster and yet someone like yourself who has never met the guy thinks he is a quality individual with flaws?  How does that make sense?

 

Not every person close to hin called him a monster. So, nice try generalizing,

My take on Hull is this. He was one of the greatest hockey players of all time. One of the game's early power forwards along with Rocket Richard.. He was  a handsome looking guy with his blonde locks. He appealed to both male & femalr fans. He always had time for the fans, especially kids by signing every & all autographs before he would leave the ice in warm ups or after a game. The media loved him because he always had that big smile for the camera & a great sound bite. He was an all star multiole times in the NHL & WHA. He led the NHL in scoring three times. First player to score 50 goals in a season. Hull was The Total Package & I was a huge fan.

But obviously, there was another side to Hull that happened away from the rink, cameras & fans that we knew nothing about. It was dark & forboding revolving around alcohol. He was an angry man when he drank & took his anger out on his family which is unforgivable. As a father & husband beating my wife & kids would never happen. I couldn't live with the guilt & I believe that iwould have killed myself had I been an abusive husband & father.

What he said about Hitler was just sooooooooo stupid. It doesn't make him a racist. Especially if he might have been drunk when he said it. In our lifetimes, we've all said things that we regret & never would say now. So, a racist based on one quote? I don't believe it. Stupid, yes. 

So, I'll remember him for what I knew of him. A great charismatic hockey player but a man with a secret drinking problem who couldn't control his anger that became public 25 years ago. Just like a lot of other men. Maybe your next door neighbour or your best friend at work who are keeping it a secret. Should Bobby be forgiven? To me, that's entirely up to the families of his 3 marriages. They're the ones who count, really. Sadly, it seems like Hull either refused or never got the help he needed.

Edited February 1, 20233 yr by SpeedFlex27

10 hours ago, Wideleft said:

For those like me who don't believe the Pearly Gates exist...

Same. 

However what can it hurt to make your final 3 words "God Forgive Me."

 

4 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Same. 

However what can it hurt to make your final 3 words "God Forgive Me."

 

Obviously you're not Catholic. 

12 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Same. 

However what can it hurt to make your final 3 words "God Forgive Me."

 

For those who would describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, there are some interesting books out there: Forever Ours and Hello From Heaven.  There are a lot of others, but these two I would recommend. 

Hill is dead. Was an incredible hockey player and a shitty human. 
 

No one can argue the first point, if you want to argue the second maybe the description of Hull can be used for you as well. 
 

His 15 minutes of fame ended 40 years ago, scan we move on now?

3 hours ago, GCJenks said:

Hill is dead. Was an incredible hockey player and a shitty human. 
 

No one can argue the first point, if you want to argue the second maybe the description of Hull can be used for you as well. 
 

His 15 minutes of fame ended 40 years ago, scan we move on now?

Fifteen minutes??? That's laughable. No, I'm nothing like Hull. I've never harmed my family with violence. Attacking me for having an opinion just shows you're a fool.

Edited February 1, 20233 yr by SpeedFlex27

 

 

                                   

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368

1 minute ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368

 

The genius leaping Lanny poffo (macho man's brother) dead at 68. RIP 

Hard to process that Ralphie’s mom from “A Christmas Story” was the same actress who was in “Slap Shot”. Died Jan. 9 but not reported until now. 
 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/04/entertainment/actress-melinda-dillon-obit-christmas-story-trnd/index.html

3 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Hard to process that Ralphie’s mom from “A Christmas Story” was the same actress who was in “Slap Shot”. Died Jan. 9 but not reported until now. 
 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/04/entertainment/actress-melinda-dillon-obit-christmas-story-trnd/index.html

That actually hits…kind of hard. Ralphie and Randy’s Mom.. 🙁

https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/05/charles-kimbrough-dead-dies-murphy-brown/