Ron Duguay obit

Duguay, popular Rangers player during late 1970s, dies at 69

Forward famous for long, curly hair skated 8 of 12 NHL seasons in New York 

He was not on the list.

Ron Duguay, who played 12 seasons in the NHL, mostly for the New York Rangers, died Thursday at the age of 69.

The former forward was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer that he told the New York Post originated in the colon, adding that he battled the disease for more than a year while losing his appendix and gallbladder.

"The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history," the Rangers said in a statement.  "Ron's signature skating style -- with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice -- captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers. We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron's friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time."

Duguay is entrenched in Rangers lore and one of the most popular players in team history. He played eight seasons in New York (1977-83, 1986-88) and was on the team that advanced to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, a five-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He had 620 points (274 goals, 346 assists) in 860 regular-season games for the Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins, and 53 points (31 goals, 22 assists) in 89 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He retired from hockey in 2008-09 and was a Rangers analyst on MSG Network for 12 years.

"The NHL mourns the passing of Ron Duguay, a charismatic figure who made a lasting impression on the game," the League said in a statement. "We extend our deepest condolences to Ron’s family, friends and the many fans who admired him throughout the hockey community."

Duguay played junior hockey for his hometown Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, his 134 points (42 goals, 92 assists) in 1975-76 helping them win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the team with the best record in the regular season (47-11 with eight ties) and the OMJHL finals, a six-game loss to Hamilton. He was selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 3 pick in the 1976 World Hockey Association Draft, played for second-place Canada at the 1977 IIHF World Junior Championship and joined the Rangers directly from juniors after they chose him in the first round (No. 13) of the 1977 NHL Draft.

The 1978-79 Rangers, guided by coach/general manager Fred Shero with future Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito and a young core that included Duguay, Ron Greschner, Steve Vickers, Dave Maloney, Don Maloney and Don Murdoch, went 40-29 with 11 ties to clinch a playoff berth for the first time in two seasons. Led by goalie John Davidson, New York eliminated the Kings and Philadelphia Flyers and upset the top-seeded New York Islanders in six games of the NHL Semifinals to advance to the Final. Duguay became famous for his long, curly hair flowing while he skated without a helmet, and joined Esposito, Dave Maloney and Anders Hedberg in a 1979 Sasson jeans television commercial known for the jingle, "Oo La La! Sasson."

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, a teammate of Duguay with San Diego of the International Hockey League in 1990-91, said his death is "a big loss for all of us, the Rangers organization in particular."

"We know he was a very popular Ranger. I had the privilege to play with Ron as a teammate for a year in the International Hockey League," Sullivan said Thursday in Toronto. "A great man and a terrific hockey player.

"I grew up watching some of these guys when he played with the Rangers, and, you know, when I had the opportunity to play with him and Charlie Simmer. And two guys that had pretty successful NHL careers. It was the International Hockey League back in the day for those of you guys that are old enough to remember it. And I was in awe, those two guys, because I grew up watching them play in the NHL and just to have the opportunity to be one of their teammates was a great thrill for me as a young player."

Duguay scored nine seconds into an 8-3 win against the Flyers at the Philadelphia Spectrum on April 6, 1980, to tie a Rangers record shared by Fred Cook (Jan. 23, 1927) and Jean Ratelle (Nov. 5, 1971). He was traded to the Red Wings on June 13, 1983, reunited with the Rangers via a trade with the Penguins on Jan. 21, 1987, and played the final two seasons of his NHL career after he was sent to the Kings on Feb. 23, 1988.​

"Ron lived life with an extraordinary passion, an infectious smile, and a heart that was truly larger than life, the NHL Alumni Association said in a social media post. "Above all else, his deepest and most sincere love was for his family. They were his greatest pride, his greatest joy, and always closest to his heart.

"His dedication and passion for the game of hockey were unwavering. Hockey was more than a sport to Ron; it was a part of who he was, a lifelong love that he carried with pride and shared so generously with others. But perhaps what made Ron most special was his humanity. His genuine compassion, kindness, and willingness to help others always extended far beyond himself. He cared deeply, gave generously of his heart, and had a remarkable way of making everyone around him feel valued and appreciated."

In the NHL, Duguay was noted for his long curly hair which would blow behind him as he skated without a helmet. He and teammates Phil Esposito, Dave Maloney and Anders Hedberg appeared in a TV commercial for Sasson Jeans.

On December 1, 1983, Duguay married California model Robin Bobo; the couple had two daughters before their divorce. In the 1990s, he married former fashion model Kim Alexis. After marrying Alexis, Duguay moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The couple divorced in 2016.

In 2022, Slate and other publications referred to him as the "reported beau" of former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. In February 2022, Duguay confirmed that the couple was indeed dating. In January 2022, Duguay was seen dining outdoors with Palin in a restaurant, Elio's, on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Palin had then recently tested positive for COVID-19. A photographer was allegedly assaulted by Duguay after the photographer questioned the danger of being in the company of Palin after her positive diagnosis.

In February 2026, Duguay's family announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2024.

From 2007 to 2018, Duguay was an analyst for MSG Network's television coverage of New York Rangers games, also appearing regularly on MSG's weekly Hockey Night Live! program. Duguay's contract with MSG expired in 2018 and was not renewed.

On March 21 and 22, 2009, nearly six years after playing his final professional game, Duguay played two games in the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL), one game each with the Brooklyn Aces and the Jersey Rockhoppers, to raise money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit organization associated with Madison Square Garden.[20] Duguay signed a waiver and played his game with the Brooklyn Aces without a helmet, which allowed his hair to flow free as it did when he played in the NHL. With 37 seconds left in regulation, he assisted on the game-tying goal, but the Aces lost 4–3 in overtime.

In 2009, Duguay competed in the first season of the Battle of the Blades skating competition on CBC Television, partnered with Barbara Underhill. The charity he skated for was World Vision Canada.

On December 31, 2011, Duguay participated in the 2012 Winter Classic Alumni game pitting legends of the Rangers against the legends of the Philadelphia Flyers.

During Duguay's time with the Rangers, he took part in some of team president Sonny Werblin's schemes to make the Rangers more hip and visible in disco-era New York City. This includes singing on "Hockey Sock Rock", written by Alan Thicke. The song featured vocals by Duguay, Phil Esposito, Pat Hickey, Dave Maloney and John Davidson. It was released as a 45, as Platinum Records 1217–75 in 1979.

 

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season                        Playoffs

Season Team   League GP       G         A         Pts       PIM     GP       G         A         Pts       PIM

1973–74          Sudbury Wolves          OHA   59        20        20        40        73        4          0          3          3            4

1974–75          Sudbury Wolves          OMJHL           64        26        52        78        43        15        11        6            17        19

1975–76          Sudbury Wolves          OMJHL           61        42        92        134      101      17        11        9            20        37

1976–77          Sudbury Wolves          OMJHL           61        43        66        109      109      6          4          3            7          5

1977–78          New York Rangers      NHL    71        20        20        40        43        3          1          1          2            2

1978–79          New York Rangers      NHL    79        27        36        63        35        18        5          4          9            11

1979–80          New York Rangers      NHL    73        28        22        50        37        9          5          2          7            11

1980–81          New York Rangers      NHL    50        17        21        38        83        14        8          9          17            16

1981–82          New York Rangers      NHL    72        40        36        76        82        10        5          1          6            31

1982–83          New York Rangers      NHL    72        19        25        44        58        9          2          2          28

1983–84          Detroit Red Wings      NHL    80        33        47        80        34        4          2          3          5            2

1984–85          Detroit Red Wings      NHL    80        38        51        89        51        3          1          0          1            7

1985–86          Detroit Red Wings      NHL    67        19        29        48        26        —        —        —        —            —

1985–86          Pittsburgh Penguins    NHL    13        6          7          13        6          —        —        —        —            —

1986–87          Pittsburgh Penguins    NHL    40        5          13        18        30        —        —        —        —            —

1986–87          New York Rangers      NHL    34        9          12        21        9          6          2          0          2            4

1987–88          New York Rangers      NHL    44        4          4          8          23        —        —        —        —            —

1987–88          Colorado Rangers       IHL     2          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —            —

1987–88          Los Angeles Kings      NHL    15        2          6          8          17        2          0          0          0            0

1988–89          Los Angeles Kings      NHL    70        7          17        24        48        11        0          0          0            6

1989–90          Mannheimer ERC       GER    22        11        7          18        38        3          0          1          1            20

1990–91          San Diego Gulls          IHL     51        15        24        39        87        —        —        —        —            —

1991–92          San Diego Gulls          IHL     60        18        18        36        32        4          0          1          1            0

1995–96          San Diego Gulls          WCHL 12        8          9          17        10        7          0          2          2            2

1996–97          San Diego Gulls          WCHL 2          1          1          2          0          —        —        —        —            —

1997–98          San Diego Gulls          WCHL 3          0          3          3          2          —        —        —        —            —

1998–99          Jacksonville Lizard Kings      ECHL 1          0          0          0          0          —        —        —            —        —

2002–03          Jacksonville Barracudas          ACHL 6          1          3          4          2          —        —        —            —        —

2008–09          Brooklyn Aces EPHL  1          0          1          1          0          —        —        —        —        —

2008–09          Jersey Rockhoppers    EPHL  1          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —            —

NHL totals       860      274      346      620      582      89        31        22        53        118

Caryle Murphy obit

Caryle Murphy, who won the Pulitzer Prize reporting from Kuwait, dies at 79

A longtime Washington Post reporter and correspondent, Ms. Murphy was one of the only Western journalists to stay in Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion in 1990.

 She was not on the list.

Caryle Murphy, a former Washington Post correspondent whose reporting from Kuwait during the Gulf War earned her a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, has died at 79.

The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, said her husband, Herb Howe.

An international correspondent who reported from the Middle East, South Africa and other places around the world, Ms. Murphy was best known for her vivid portrait of a nation under siege after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

She was one of the only Western correspondents to stay in the country after the invasion, and she filed some of her dispatches while hiding from Iraqi authorities.

“It was a case of an intrepid reporter being in the right place, at the right time, and then having the guts to stay and cover the story until the very end,” said David Ignatius, a longtime Post editor and columnist who as international editor worked closely with Ms. Murphy.

Friends and colleagues say she was also known for her zest for life and adventure, and as a woman who gave her time to young people and those in need and had a strong moral compass.

She spent a month in Kuwait during the invasion, chronicling a war that began as a quarrel over oil money and was seen by many as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s attempt to gain control of the emirate’s wealth and install a compliant government.

Once or twice, she rolled a typewritten story into a tube, dressed as a jogger and ran past an embassy, throwing the tube over the wall, Howe said. The embassy then sent the story to The Post so it could be published.

She made it into Kuwait before Hussein’s army attacked and provided a riveting description of a nation caught off-guard, with beaches full of sunbathers and Western expatriates living worry-free.

“The Kuwaiti military was not even placed on alert, in deference to the idea that Saddam should not be provoked,” she wrote in a story dated Aug. 28, 1990, about four weeks after the invasion. “That didn’t change even when the Kuwaitis heard through foreign press accounts — their own papers were forbidden by censors to reveal the fact — that the Iraqis had amassed 100,000 troops on the border.

“It was a fatal mistake.”

Her stories, which also won the George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting, explored the brutal toll the occupation took on the country through fear, instability and lives lost.

“There is hardly a block in Kuwait City, the country’s capital, without a ransacked home or a family without someone killed, or imprisoned at one time,” she wrote in a 1991 essay in The Post about her month in-country. “Hundreds were tortured or killed outright. Hundreds more, perhaps thousands, are missing.”

But her reportage went far beyond Kuwait. She is credited by Robert Gersony, a former consultant for the U.S. State Department, with writing an article that helped save lives in Uganda’s Luwero Triangle region as that country’s army tried to quash rebels in the 1980s.

Gersony said he could not get the attention of U.S. officials despite his myriad warnings of the atrocities being committed. Then he heard about a Post reporter who, he was told, would probably be willing to listen.

Nervous and unsure if it spelled the end of his career before it barely started, Gersony met with Ms. Murphy at the Howard Johnson’s motel across the street from the Watergate Hotel in Washington.

She took careful, detailed notes, he said. Her story, which appeared on the front page of The Post on Sunday, Aug. 14, 1984, began like this: “The Ugandan Army has killed or intentionally starved to death thousands of civilians in the past few months as part of what appears to be an officially sanctioned get-tough policy in the Army’s three year old fight against rebels, according to well-informed sources.”

After the story published, Gersony said, “the killings stopped immediately.” Millions of dollars in international relief that had been blockaded started flowing to the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

“She did it because it was the right thing to do,” Gersony said. “Caryle’s journalism changed the history of that country, and saved tens of thousands of lives. She did a hell of a job.”

Ms. Murphy defied the stereotype of a grizzled, hardened foreign correspondent, those who knew her said. She had a gift for connecting with people, loved to socialize and possessed a disarming sense of humor.

Retired Post reporter Carol Morello, a longtime friend and colleague, said she, Ms. Murphy and a third “Carol” — Carol Rosenberg, then a reporter for the Miami Herald and now with the New York Times — once attended a social event with the emir of Bahrain.

To break the ice, Ms. Murphy told jokes that she had learned in Egypt.

The emir, who came from a country where women’s rights were limited, found himself surrounded by three female journalists, laughing delightedly at Ms. Murphy’s quips, Morello recalled.

Cornell Green obit

Cowboys great Cornell Green dies at 86

 

He was not on the list.

The Dallas Cowboys have unfortunately lost another great. Cornell Green, who was part of the legendary Doomsday Defense's first generation, passed away today. He was 86.

Many consider Green one of the greatest defensive backs in franchise history, worthy of the Cowboys' exclusive Ring of Honor. But his path to the team was certainly unconventional. During a time when player personnel director Gil Brandt searched high and low for talent, he found a hidden gem in Green.

"We purposely looked for players with speed," Brandt once stated. "We brought the fast guys in and then some played on defense and some played on offense."

Green grew up in California playing basketball and was named all-state both at El Cerrito High School and then for Contra Costa College. From there, he transferred to Utah State, where he earned All-American honors in 1961 and 1962. His 1,067 rebounding total is still the Aggies' career record, and he is the school's sixth leading scorer as well with 1,890 points.

Although he had planned to join the NBA, having been drafted in 1962 by the Chicago Zephyrs, Green instead was offered an invitation to attend the Cowboys' training camp that same year. Figuring he'd give it a try, he remarkably earned a spot on the team despite only playing only one season of football during his junior year of high school

"We had a lot of those guys that played for the Cowboys," Randy White said for the Deep Blue documentary Dirty Dozen. "A lot of them that Gil Brandt found were basketball players and ended up being great. Cornell Green, a bunch of them ended up being great football players."

Over the next 13 seasons, Green never missed a game, and after his rookie campaign he started 167 of 168 outings. He lined up at cornerback through the first eight years, and led the Cowboys in interceptions four times, earned three Pro Bowl invites and garnered two first-team All-Pro honors. In 1970, Green was then asked to move to safety, where he was named a Pro Bowler again in 1971 and 1972. Overall, he played in two NFL Championship Games, as well as Super Bowl V, before helping the Cowboys win the Lombardi Trophy with a 24-3 victory over the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.

Said Calvin Hill several years ago, "Cornell Green shut out (Miami wide receiver Paul) Warfield. Warfield was like a mega-bomb, and the fact that we were able to prevent him from being who he was – in my mind, the greatest receiver I've ever seen – was remarkable."

"He left a legacy," said Charlie Waters during an interview for the Deep Blue documentary Doomsday II: The Dawn of America's Team. "He was so well respected by all the defensive guys."

After a career spent entirely with the Cowboys, Green retired following the 1974 season and, more than 50 years later, is still tied for fifth in team record books with 34 interceptions. He then became a scout for Dallas and later worked with the Denver Broncos, earning the AFC Scout of the Year Award in 2010.

 

Awards and highlights

Super Bowl champion (VI)

5× Pro Bowl (1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972)

3× First-team All-Pro (1966, 1967, 1969)

Second-team All-Pro (1968)

NFL All-Rookie Team (1962)

Dallas Cowboys 25th Anniversary Team

3× All-Skyline (1960, 1961, 1962)

Skyline Conference MVP (1960)

2× All-American (1961, 1962)

Utah State University Hall of Fame

Utah State Aggies No. 24 Retired

Career NFL statistics

Interceptions    34

Interception yards       552

Total touchdowns        4

Fumble recoveries       7

Bob ‘Hoolihan’ Wells obit

Bob ‘Hoolihan’ Wells, Cleveland TV icon, dies at 93

 

He was not on the list.

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Bob “Hoolihan” Wells, the former Channel 8 weatherman and half of the “Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show” team, has died. He was 93.

Wells died Wednesday morning at his home in Clearwater, Fla., with his daughter, Teri, by his side, according to a family friend.

Born Robert Wells, he started at WJW-TV in 1965, and was known as “Hoolihan the Weatherman.”

The “Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show” premiered just a year later in December 1966.

The duo became popular with their comedy sketches.

After Wells left WJW in the late 1970s, he was replaced with a new co-host, and the “Lil’ John Rinaldi and Big Chuck Show” aired for several more decades.

Big Chuck died at the age of 90 in Cleveland on Jan. 19, 2025.

The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show aired late Friday nights on WJW for 13 years from December 23, 1966 to August 1979, when Wells left the show and relocated to Florida, to new Christian TV station, WCLF-TV, to co-host with wife, Barbara, a daily 90-minute interview, news, and music program, called "Horizons 22". After Wells' departure, Schodowski promoted cast member John "Lil' John" Rinaldi to co-host and the show continued for another 28 years as The Big Chuck and Lil' John Show.

Wells was born in West Point, Nebraska, on September 27, 1933. He started his broadcasting career in the summer of 1951 on KWBE radio in Beatrice, Nebraska, after graduating from high school in Lincoln, Nebraska. That fall, Wells moved back to Lincoln to pursue studies in radio and television at the University of Nebraska. Between 1951 and his college graduation in 1957, he worked at Lincoln radio stations KLMS and KLIN, was in the ROTC program, and took time off from his studies to train as a military jet pilot, later serving with the Nebraska Air National Guard.

Upon finishing college in 1957, Wells joined KWTV in Oklahoma City as an announcer, moving two years later to WDAF, the NBC radio affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri. Wells then transitioned to television, becoming a weekend weatherman and staff announcer at the sister NBC television station WDAF-TV in Kansas City, a job he held until 1965.

 During this time, Wells also resumed his flying career by joining the Air Force Reserve, flying C-124 cargo planes, first on weekends, then for a year of active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.

In addition to his weatherman duties, Wells appeared as a supporting cast member for WJW's popular late-night Friday show Shock Theater with Ghoulardi, hosted by Ernie Anderson. When Anderson left WJW in late 1966, Wells teamed up with then-station engineer "Big Chuck" Schodowski to develop and host a replacement for Shock Theatre. The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show premiered on December 23, 1966. Airing at 11:30 p.m. on Friday nights, the show presented Z-grade movies with comedy skits in between featuring Wells, Schodowski, and cast members including Art Lofredo, Russ Cormier (as "Big Stash") and John "Lil' John" Rinaldi, plus occasional Hollywood guest stars. The skits often focused on local or ethnic humor, and usually ended in a recorded distinctive laugh by late actor/comedian/disc jockey Jay Lawrence, who worked for KYW-1100 radio in Cleveland in the early 1960s. Hoolihan and Big Chuck quickly became the number one show in Cleveland on Friday nights, beating out Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and eventually making so much money that station management refused to pre-empt or move the show for CBS network programming, even for a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game. In 1971, Wells quit the staff of WJW to free-lance as an announcer in other cities such as New York, Chicago and Detroit, but still did weekend weather and the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show.

Wells and his wife Barbara became born-again Christians in the mid-70s, and for two years Wells managed a Parma, Ohio Christian radio station, WSUM (now WCCD). In August 1979, Wells left Cleveland and moved to Florida to pursue a career in Christian broadcasting.

In 1979, Wells became program director of WCLF-TV channel 22, a Christian television station located in Largo, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. WCLF went on the air in October 1979 as the flagship station for the newly founded Christian Television Network, which aired programming such as The PTL Club and The 700 Club. Wells and his wife also co-hosted an evening 90-minute Christian-themed interview, music and news program on WCLF called Horizons 22.

Over the years, Wells appeared in several films and television shows, most notably Carl Reiner's 1985 film Summer Rental starring John Candy, Richard Crenna and Rip Torn, which was filmed in the Tampa Bay area. Wells played the part of attorney Stan Greene, and his wife Barbara appeared in two bit parts as a neighbor and a yacht club official. Wells also appeared in the 1970 film Ghetto Freaks, which was filmed in Cleveland.

Wells' television roles include playing a television reporter in the 1980 made-for-TV film OHMS and a news anchor in a 1990 episode of the TV series Superboy entitled "Abandon Earth".

In 2019 Wells, Rinaldi, and Schodowski reunited to film the five-episode web series Space Ship One.

Dan Davis obit

ESPN Radio Voice Dan "The Duke" Davis Dies at 84

His voice was heard on the airwaves for 5 decades. 

He was not on the list.

Founding member of ESPN Radio Dan Davis has sadly passed away at 84.

ESPN has sadly announced that longtime sports broadcaster Dan Davis died on October 21st. No cause of death was shared in the announcement. Davis was born on September 20th, 1942.

Dan “The Duke” Davis began his broadcasting career in 1962 at WEMJ in Laconia, New Hampshire, eventually building a five-decade career in sports broadcasting. He joined ESPN Radio at its launch in January 1992 and was selected to co-host Brent Musburger’s SportsBeat in 1993. Beginning in 1999, Davis became one of ESPN Radio’s most recognizable SportsCenter update reporters, earning the nickname “The Duke.” Throughout his career, Davis covered the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, Olympics, Kentucky Derby, NCAA Final Four and more than 50 PGA Tour events.

Davis is highly recognized for his call of Doug Flutie’s 1984 “Hail Mary” touchdown pass during Boston College’s 47-45 victory over Miami. His call was featured in a 2004 Wheaties commercial.

After approximately 50 years in broadcasting, Davis retired from his regular ESPN Radio role in 2011, planning to spend more time golfing in Florida while occasionally continuing radio work.

Davis anchored the midday portion of ESPN Radio SportsCenter. His voice was often heard introducing various ESPN programs. He was also known as "The Duke", originated during his stint at the short-lived Enterprise Radio by Curt Chaplin, who is best known as the announcer for The People's Court.

Davis worked as a radio commentator for almost 30 years. He started his career in 1963 at WEMJ in Laconia, New Hampshire. In 1981 Davis worked at Enterprise Radio, the nation’s first all-sports satellite radio network. Davis did updates for Enterprise before it went off the air after only nine and a-half months. Apart from working for WEMJ, Davis also worked in Boston for ten seasons as the radio voice of Boston College football on a New England-wide network. Davis called the Boston College vs. Miami game in 1984, and his commentary of the famous Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan touchdown pass remains among the favorites of Boston area sports fans.

Davis joined ESPN Radio in January 1992. Davis was on The Tony Kornheiser Show between January 5, 1998, and March 26, 2004. When Davis reported the sports updates, the host, Tony Kornheiser, often interrupted Davis' reports with his own comments. Initially, Davis was shocked and not amused. However, later on Davis developed a very good chemistry with Kornheiser, and he even started to add humorous comments within his report to amuse (or annoy) Kornheiser. Davis and Kornheiser talking back and forth in this way prompted Kornheiser to say that The Duke was the glue of the show.

Throughout his tenure, Davis provided Sportcenter updates on ESPN Radio. Davis has also appeared on other programs. Sometimes, he made comments on Extra Point. He supplied his voice during the Week 10 edition of Mike & Mike's "Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks" on November 7, 2008. On December 21, 2011, on Mike and Mike, it was announced that Davis was retiring from ESPN Radio, effective December 23.

John Anderson obit

Country Music Hall of Famer

John Anderson Dead at 71 

He was not on the list.

John Anderson, the legendary country singer known for hits like "Swingin'" and "Straight Tequila Night," has died ... according to his family.

The Country Music Hall of Famer's family announced his death Wednesday in a statement shared on his official social media accounts.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend," his family wrote.

They continued ... "To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives. To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special."

His family said they are completely heartbroken, adding his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave them and the memories they shared.

Anderson was a major force in country music for decades, releasing hits including "Seminole Wind," "Money in the Bank" and "Wild and Blue."

Throughout his career, he earned numerous accolades, including the CMA Horizon Award and Single of the Year for "Swingin'." He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024.

Anderson also shared the stage with country legends including Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and George Jones.

He was 71.

RIP

John Geddes obit

John M. Geddes

1951 – 2026 · aged 74 · Newspaper editor

“The editor who kept The New York Times running through its shift to digital.” 

He was not on the list.

John M. Geddes was an American newspaper editor who served as a managing editor of The New York Times from 2003 to 2013, overseeing production of the daily print paper and the newsroom's difficult transition into a digital operation. Colleagues remembered him as a savvy, convivial manager with an unusual grasp of the business side of journalism.

John Martin Geddes was born on 19 November 1951 in Providence, Rhode Island. His father, Thomas, was an accountant who became treasurer of Rhode Island College, and his mother, Gertrude (Carroll) Geddes, taught elementary school. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Rhode Island in 1974 and a master's degree in business journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1976.

He began as a reporter at The Ansonia Evening Sentinel in Connecticut, worked for the AP-Dow Jones News Service and covered economics for The Times from Bonn in the late 1970s. He then spent 13 years at The Wall Street Journal, where he was Bonn bureau chief, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe, and assistant managing editor and national news editor of the parent paper. After a spell as chief executive of the market research company BIS Strategic Decisions, he joined The Times in 1994 as business editor.

Geddes became deputy managing editor in 1997 and in 2003 was named managing editor for news operations, alongside Jill Abramson, the second-highest rank in the newsroom. He was responsible for production, budgets and staffing as print advertising and circulation declined, and from 2011, after the paper introduced its digital paywall, he also helped develop new digital projects. Executive editor Bill Keller once said Geddes was the only person he knew who could put out the entire paper by himself. He served under four executive editors before taking a buyout in 2013.

He later was a Shorenstein fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2014, writing about how technology reporters covered the disruption of the news industry, and was managing editor of Bloomberg Politics, directing its 2016 election coverage.

Geddes died on 20 October 2026 in a Manhattan hospital, aged 74. His wife, Jyll Holzman, a former senior vice president for advertising at The Times, said the cause was lung disease linked to medication he took for rheumatoid arthritis.

Biography adapted from The New York Times obituary, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), University of Rhode Island and Shorenstein Center biographies. Wikipedia ↗

In their own words

“I don't think there can be a 'paper of record.' The term implies an omniscient chronicler of events, an arbiter that perfectly captures the significance and import of a day in our lives.”

Quoted by New York Times public editor Daniel Okrent, 2004

Allen Bailey obit

Ex-Chiefs DE Allen Bailey Passes Away at 37, Confirms Former NFL LB & Teammate

 He was not on the list.

Allen Bailey was not your regular defensive lineman. The Kansas City Chiefs lineman was known as ‘Hulk’ by his teammates for the right reasons. At 6-foot-3 and 288 pounds, he was an intimidating sight to behold. In August 2017, Chris Jones remarked on a great play made by Bailey against the 49ers in a preseason game.

Bailey broke through the San Francisco’s O-line to make a tackle, and Jones said, per BJ Kissel, “The Hulk is back in business, baby!” Through many such plays, Bailey quietly shaped himself into a contributor for the Chiefs’ defense.

Unfortunately, the Chiefs were met with tough news on October 20. Former linebacker and Bailey’s college teammate, Colin McCarthy, reported that Bailey had passed away. He was 37 years old.

“Lost a fellow brother today… prayers to AB family! Love you Big Cuzzo!” McCarthy wrote on X.

Bailey spent eight seasons in Kansas City after the Chiefs drafted him in 2011. He came to the team after a silent but promising stint in college with the Miami Hurricanes, where he was a four-time letterwinner and two-time All-ACC star. Allen played eight seasons with the Chiefs, and then went on to play with the Atlanta Falcons.

Bailey’s battles started long before the NFL. Growing up on Sapelo Island in Georgia. he took an early-morning boat and two buses just to get to school. High school football made things harder: when the last boat left before practice ended, he stayed overnight with a teammate’s family in Darien. His mother used to work for a retreat spot called Reynold’s Mansion, while his father was a first mate on a ferry called Katie Underwood. The family lived in a trailer on Hog Hammock.

Per the Miami Hurricane, the population in Bailey’s community was only 80. At the University of Miami, he was going to be among more than 14,000. But being among all those people only helped him come out of his shell.

“I was kind of shy. But football opened doors for me; it helped me meet new people. Football gave me that bond,” Bailey said.

Bailey was a sought-after player in high school. Alabama also tried to recruit him, as did Georgia and Florida. Ultimately, he chose to sign with Miami.

The nickname that stuck to him was “The Incredible Hulk”. Then-Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid is credited with giving it to him, and teammates tied it to his build.

“It’s perfect,” defensive end Dee Ford said. “Looks like the Hulk. Plays like the Hulk. He’s a complete player, man. He’s powerful, fast. He’s just a freak. You see him do certain stuff … there’s a select few guys in the league like that.”

Teammate Jaye Howard put it just as simply:

“That’s him, man, that’s him,” Howard said of Bailey. “Before the game, they even give him the green Gatorade. That’s the Hulk right there, man. He’s cut. I’ve never seen anything like it. His strength, I don’t care how big a dude is; he can find a way to get him on the ground, just throw him and shed him.”

Away from the field, the people who played with him described a different side. Then-Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson called him “kind of a gentle giant” and expressed how much Bailey meant to their defensive line and defense.

Allen flew under the radar in his first three seasons, then broke out in 2014 with 41 tackles and five sacks. That earned him a four-year, $25 million extension in 2014. In the January 2016 playoffs, he recorded four tackles and two sacks in a 30-0 win over the Houston Texans.

A torn pectoral muscle cost Allen most of the 2016 season. But he came back in 2017 and led the Chiefs’ defensive linemen in snaps through the first three games.

Bailey was released by the Falcons in February 2021 and ended his NFL career with 248 tackles, 22 sacks, four forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.

Remembering Allen Bailey Beyond the Football Field

Bailey started giving back to his hometown in 2012, while still with the Chiefs. His Allen Bailey Foundation supports families across Georgia’s McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden counties. Its Southeast Skillz camp became McIntosh County’s first free football camp, drawing young players from as far away as Virginia.

The foundation also distributes hundreds of backpacks to schoolchildren, and resources for student-athletes like the Champions of Tomorrow Scholarship and Legacy Builders Fund.

The foundation runs the Don’t Be Jive Turkey Drive. Started in 2016, the drive gives more than 300 turkeys to families before Thanksgiving. The need is real: the foundation says nearly 60% of McIntosh County families rely on free or reduced-price school meals.

Back on Sapelo Island, his hometown took pride in him. His aunt, Cornelia Bailey, said as much in 2008:

“Allen is our celebrity. When he comes home, everybody wants to see him,” she said.

The children of Sapelo Island and McIntosh County are the ones his foundation was built for, and the work that carries his name is what Bailey leaves behind.

Bailey was born in Sapelo Island, Georgia. He attended McIntosh County Academy in McIntosh County, Georgia and played linebacker and fullback. As a senior, he played in only four games due to a stress fracture in his back and had one sack. As a junior, he had 138 tackles and three sacks. He also had 323 yards on 51 carries with four touchdowns as a fullback.

 

Career history

Kansas City Chiefs (2011–2018)

Atlanta Falcons (2019–2020)

Awards and highlights

First-team All-ACC (2009)

Second-team All-ACC (2010)

Career NFL statistics

Total tackles    248

Sacks   22

Forced fumbles            4

Fumble recoveries       7

Chuck Amato obit

Former NC State football head coach Chuck Amato passes away at 80

Chuck Amato, a former NC State head coach and the only coach to lead the Wolfpack to double-digit wins in a single season, has passed away at the age of 80 after a long battle with throat cancer.

 

He was not on the list.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former NC State football coach and Wolfpack legend Chuck Amato has passed away at the age of 80. The legendary Wolfpack coach previously battled with throat cancer and passed away after being in hospice care for several months.

Amato served as the NC State head coach for seven years, four of which were with Philip Rivers as the quarterback. He reached five bowl games in those seven seasons, finishing with a 49-37 (25-31 ACC) overall record and earning four bowl wins. His best year with the Wolfpack was in 2002, when he helped guide the Wolfpack to an 11-3 record and a Gator Bowl victory over Notre Dame.

During his time in Raleigh, Amato helped the Wolfpack get 20-plus players drafted to the NFL, including first-round selections like Rivers, Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo. Williams was the only player in Wolfpack history to go No. 1 overall in the modern era of the NFL after a breakout season with the Wolfpack under Amato's defense in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Known by Wolfpack faithful as "Chuck the Chest," Amato was a larger than life personality for the Wolfpack during his time. His time in Raleigh produced several legendary players in the red and white, but also saw assistant coaches like National Champion Curt Cignetti, ACC Champion Manny Diaz, C-USA Champion Doc Holliday, NFL head coach Marc Trestman, Norm Chow and several others go on to have head coaching careers.

Prior to his coaching days with the Wolfpack, Amato played linebacker for NC State under legendary head coach Earle Edwards from 1965-67. Amato was a captain for the defense as a senior in 1967 and won multiple ACC Championships as a wrestler at heavyweight, going undefeated in 1966 and 1968.

He then returned to the Pack to get his start in coaching as a grad assistant under Al Michaels and Lou Holtz, eventually serving as a defensive backs coach under Holtz and a defensive coordinator with Bo Rein until 1979.

Amato then went on to coach at Arizona for two seasons before starting a long stint with Florida State under another legendary head coach in Bobby Bowden. The two worked together for nearly two decades from 1982 through 1999, with Amato coaching the defensive line for four seasons before taking over as the associate head coach and coaching either the defensive line or linebackers until he left for NC State prior to the 2000 season.

Following his coaching career that ended at Akron in 2017, Amato returned home to Raleigh and hosted The Chuck Amato Show from Amedeo's prior to our live shows in the same room. Amato was truly a 1-of-1 personality and changed a room when he walked into it. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Peggy, his daughters, LuGina and Selena, and the entire Amato family. He was beloved by the NC State family and no one will ever replace that legendary raspy voice that roamed the Wolfpack sidelines.

 

Playing career

1965–1967      NC State

Position           Linebacker

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1969–1970      Easton Area HS (PA) (assistant)

1971–1972      NC State (GA)

1973–1975      NC State (DB)

1976–1979      NC State (DC/LB)

1980–1981      Arizona (LB)

1982–1985      Florida State (DL)

1986–1995      Florida State (AHC/DL)

1996–1999      Florida State (AHC/LB)

2000–2006      NC State

2007–2009      Florida State (assoc. HC/LB)

2012–2017      Akron (AHC/DC)

Head coaching record

Overall            49–37

Bowls  4–1

Kenneth Atchity obit

Kenneth John Atchity

January 16, 1944 – October 19, 2026

Kenneth John Atchity passed on October 19, 2026, at the age of 82. 

He was not on the list.

Kenneth John Atchity (January 16, 1944 – October 19, 2026) was an American producer, author, columnist, book reviewer and professor of comparative literature.

After receiving a Jesuit education from Rockhurst High School and Georgetown University, where he was a member of the Philodemic Society and received an Ignatian Scholarship to study Greek and Latin classics, Atchity received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to Yale and received his MPhil in Theater History and his Ph.D. Comparative Literature from Yale. His dissertation, Homer's Iliad: The Shield of Memory, was awarded the John Addison Porter Prize.

He went on to become a professor of literature and classics at Occidental College, where he served as the chairman of the comparative literature department, distinguished instructor at UCLA's Writers Program, and as Fulbright Professor of American studies to the University of Bologna. During his teaching career, he was a frequent columnist for The Los Angeles Times Book Review.

His articles on English and American literature have appeared in the following publications: American Quarterly, Comparative Literature Studies, Kenyon Review, Philological Quarterly; on Italian literature in Italian Quarterly, Spicilegio Moderno,

In addition to the Los Angeles Times Book Review, his reviews have appeared in Folio, The Huffington Post, New Haven Register, San Francisco Chronicle, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Washington Post.

In 1976, Atchity founded L/A House, Inc., a consulting, translation, book, television, film development, and production company whose clients included the Getty Museum and the US Postal Service. L/A House began by extending Atchity's teaching of creative writing to manuscript consultation and soon moved on to publishing with the production of Follies, a magazine covering creativity, and CQ: Contemporary Quarterly; Poetry and Art of which he was editor. In the 1980s L/A House moved into television, with a syndicated television pilot of BreakThrough! of which Atchity was executive producer and co-writer.

In 1985, L/A House began development of a set of video/TV romance film projects entitled Shades of Love, which became 16 full-length films, produced in 1986–87 with Atchity as executive producer, that aired throughout the world, distributed by Lorimar, Astral-Bellevue-Pathe, Manson International, and Warner Brothers International, nominated for Canada's Gemini Award; in the U.S. they premiered on Cinemax-HBO.

In 1989, he sold L/A House and founded AEI (Atchity Editorial/Entertainment International), a literary management and motion picture production company. Atchity sold Steve Alten’s Meg to Bantam-Doubleday at auction in a $2.2M deal; and then to Disney, partnered with Zide-Perry, for $1.2 (later, to Newline Pictures for a similar price). Incorporated in 1996, its name was changed to Atchity Entertainment International, Inc. in 2005.

In 1996, he founded The Writer's Lifeline (incorporated in 2002). In 2006, he and manager-partner Fred Griffin (of Houston's Griffin Partners), along with a group of investors from Louisiana and Texas, acquired The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC in Shreveport, Louisiana from Walt Disney Productions. The LWS is the only tank specifically designed to make waves for motion pictures in North America. Films produced at the LWS include The Guardian, Mayday—Bering Sea, Shark Night 3D, Streets of Blood, and I Love You, Philip Morris; along with numerous government and industrial films.

In 2011, Atchity was nominated for an Emmy for producing The Kennedy Detail (Discovery) based on their clients' Jerry Blaine and Lisa McCubbin's New York Times bestselling book by the same title published by Gallery/Simon & Schuster in 2010.

AEI's films include Joe Somebody (Tim Allen, Julie Bowen), Life Or Something Like It (Angelina Jolie, Edward Burns), and The MEG (Jason Statham).

In 2010, Atchity also founded Atchity Productions and Story Merchant.

In 2012, Atchity published his completion of William Diehl's Seven Ways to Die and his first solo novel, The Messiah Matrix. The novel centers on a fictional marine archaeological find of a rare Herodian coin honoring Augustus. A romantic interest develops between the American archaeologist who has discovered the coin, and a young Jesuit priest intrigued by its implications. A powerful faction of the Jesuits has been preparing to announce that the fictional character Jesus of Nazareth was inspired by the life of Caesar Augustus, and the coin is crucial evidence for their claim.

Producer

The Seeding

producer

Pre-production

 

The Book of Leah

producer

Post-production

 

Hatcher: The Search for Thai Horse

executive producer

Pre-production

 

Mr. Irrelevant

producer

Pre-production

 

Gambino

executive producer

Filming

 

Jason Statham in Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

Meg 2: The Trench

5.0

associate producer (as Ken Atchity)

2023

 

The Meg (2018)

The Meg

5.7

associate producer (as Ken Atchity)

2018

 

Angels in the Snow (2015)

Angels in the Snow

5.7

TV Movie

executive producer (as Ken Atchity)

2015

 

Aaron Eckhart and Olga Kurylenko in Erased (2012)

Erased

6.0

production executive

2012

 

14 Days with Alzheimer's (2011)

14 Days with Alzheimer's

5.8

Short

executive producer

2011

 

Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria (2011)

Hysteria

6.7

executive producer (as Ken Atchity)

2011

 

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kenneth Atchity, and Betty White in The Lost Valentine (2011)

The Lost Valentine

7.5

TV Movie

co-producer

2011

 

The Kennedy Detail (2010)

The Kennedy Detail

8.0

TV Movie

executive producer (as Ken Atchity)

2010

 

Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Giancarlo Esposito, and Julia Stiles in Gospel Hill (2008)

Gospel Hill

5.5

associate producer

2008

 

Texas Battle and Alexandra Merejo in Hitting the Bricks (2008)

Hitting the Bricks

producer

2008

 

Dominique Swain, Ellen Burstyn, and Annabella Sciorra in The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel (2004)

The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel

5.7

TV Movie

executive producer

2004

 

Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns in Life or Something Like It (2002)

Life or Something Like It

5.8

executive producer (as Ken Atchity)

2002

 

Tim Allen in Joe Somebody (2001)

Joe Somebody

5.6

producer (as Ken Atchity)

2001

 

Veronica Hamel and Jack Scalia in Shadow of Obsession (1994)

Shadow of Obsession

6.5

TV Movie

co-producer

1994

 

Falling Over Backwards (1990)

Falling Over Backwards

5.7

executive producer

1990

 

Little White Lies (1989)

Little White Lies

6.0

TV Movie

executive producer

1989

 

Brandy Gold in Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989)

Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes

4.4

TV Movie

associate producer (as Ken Atchity)

1989

 

Shades of Love: Midnight Magic (1988)

Shades of Love: Midnight Magic

5.3

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Duncan Regehr and Linda E. Smith in Shades of Love: Little White Lies (1988)

Shades of Love: Little White Lies

7.4

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Shades of Love: The Emerald Tear

5.1

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Marshall Colt and Roberta Weiss in Shades of Love: Tangerine Taxi (1988)

Shades of Love: Tangerine Taxi

6.4

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Christopher Cazenove and Rebecca Dewey in Shades of Love: The Man Who Guards the Greenhouse (1988)

Shades of Love: The Man Who Guards the Greenhouse

7.2

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Elizabeth Bellm and Ted Wass in Shades of Love: Sunset Court (1988)

Shades of Love: Sunset Court

5.6

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Shades of Love: Indigo Autumn (1988)

Shades of Love: Indigo Autumn

6.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Shades of Love: Moonlight Flight

7.8

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Greg Evigan and Patty Talbot in Shades of Love: Echoes in Crimson (1987)

Shades of Love: Echoes in Crimson

5.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1987

 

Tamara Chaplin and Rex Smith in Shades of Love: The Ballerina and the Blues (1987)

Shades of Love: The Ballerina and the Blues

7.0

TV Movie

producer

1987

 

Liliane Clune and Jean Leclerc in Shades of Love: The Garnet Princess (1987)

Shades of Love: The Garnet Princess

7.3

TV Movie

executive producer

1987

 

Kirsten Bishop and Nicholas Campbell in Shades of Love: Champagne for Two (1987)

Shades of Love: Champagne for Two

6.4

Video

executive producer

1987

 

Simon MacCorkindale and Patricia Phillips in Shades of Love: Sincerely, Violet (1987)

Shades of Love: Sincerely, Violet

6.1

Video

executive producerproducer: Cinemax-HBO

1987

 

Parker Stevenson and Linda E. Smith in Shades of Love: The Rose Cafe (1987)

Shades of Love: The Rose Cafe

6.1

TV Movie

executive producerproducer: Cinemax-HBO

1987

 

Shades of Love: Lilac Dream (1987)

Shades of Love: Lilac Dream

5.4

Video

executive producer

1987

 

Joseph Bottoms and Catherine Colvey in Shades of Love: Make Mine Chartreuse (1987)

Shades of Love: Make Mine Chartreuse

6.9

TV Movie

executive producer

1987

 

Actor

The Book of Leah

Official Announcer

Post-production

 

Bulletproof Screenwriting Show (2018)

Bulletproof Screenwriting Show

TV Series

2018

 

Angels in the Snow (2015)

Angels in the Snow

5.7

TV Movie

Mourner (uncredited)

2015

 

Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria (2011)

Hysteria

6.7

Passing Butcher (uncredited)

2011

 

Dominique Swain, Ellen Burstyn, and Annabella Sciorra in The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel (2004)

The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel

5.7

TV Movie

Roulette Player

2004

 

Tim Allen in Joe Somebody (2001)

Joe Somebody

5.6

Jesse Ventura's Bodyguard (uncredited)

2001

 

Elizabeth Bellm and Ted Wass in Shades of Love: Sunset Court (1988)

Shades of Love: Sunset Court

5.6

TV Movie

Artist in the park

1988

 

Liliane Clune and Jean Leclerc in Shades of Love: The Garnet Princess (1987)

Shades of Love: The Garnet Princess

7.3

TV Movie

Fashion journalist

1987

 

Joseph Bottoms and Catherine Colvey in Shades of Love: Make Mine Chartreuse (1987)

Shades of Love: Make Mine Chartreuse

6.9

TV Movie

Bartender

1987

 

Writer

The Seeding

Writer

Pre-production

 

Angels in the Snow (2015)

Angels in the Snow

5.7

TV Movie

based on a story by (as Ken Atchity)

2015

 

Thanks

Birdbath (2013)

Birdbath

7.6

special thanks

2013

 

Concert (2011)

Concert

special thanks

2011

 

Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, and Ayelet Zurer in Adam Resurrected (2008)

Adam Resurrected

6.2

thanks

2008

 

Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol (1999)

Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol

6.1

TV Movie

with thanks to

1999

 

Self

Mr. Irrelevant

Self - Producer

Pre-production

 

The Entertainment Engine (2020)

The Entertainment Engine

Podcast Series

Self - Guest

2020

1 episode

 

Actors Entertainment (2009)

Actors Entertainment

7.4

TV Series

Self

2011–2012

2 episodes

 

Comedy Lab (1998)

Comedy Lab

5.2

TV Series

Self - Literary Agent

2000

1 episode