OT: Jack Tatum dead at 61

[Nikolai]

Yep, **** Jack Tatum. Sad to hear he didn't suffer.

RIP Darryl

 

[DarrylS]

It is hard to find something nice to say about "The Assassin".. gobs of stickum dangling from his fingers... probably never get over that this was a preseason game.

RIP this chapter has ended..

 

[jmt57]

Steve Grogan gave the perspective of a player that was there when it happened on Felger's show on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Audio: “This Is A Man Who Wasn’t A Good Person.” 98.5 The Sports Hub – Boston's New Home For Sports

"There's not too many people that I can't find something nice to say about when this kind of situation arises," Grogan said. "Unfortunately, Jack Tatum is one guy I can't find anything nice to say about. It bothers me that I feel that way, but, to never apologize to Darryl, to try to make money off the whole situation, never show any regret or remorse ... this is a man that wasn't a good person."

Grogan went on to say that while he didn't think Tatutm's hit on Stingley was necessarily dirty, he did say he found the hit "unnecessary."

 

[WelshPat]

Just to give some perspective from the other side:

John Madden on Tatum's reaction to Stingley injury: "It ate at him his whole life" | ProFootballTalk.com

 

[Pewsterbaby]

It is hard to find something nice to say about "The Assassin".. gobs of stickum dangling from his fingers

The Raider secondary guy smeared with stickum was Lester Hayes, not Tatum. That was the 1980 Raider team who beat The Eagles in The Super Bowl. Tatum was an Oiler in '80.

And Kontra, geebus man, I know it was before your time and all but you've been on board since '93 or '94. How you not on top of all the deets on the darkest chapter in Patriots history? (jk)

In late '80, or early '81, when "They Call Me Assassin" came out, I saw a whole bunch of 'em stacked on a table at my high school's book fair when I was a freshman. Flashes of me being 11 and my dad gingerly and tactfully telling his young son what happened to one of their shared Patriot heroes all came flowing back. I got pretty irritated and couldn't even stomach the thought of kids mulling around that table all day long with that filthy man's book on there.
Yeah, so when nobody was looking, I TOOK THE WHOLE STACK OF "They Call Me Assassin" IN MY ARMS AND DUMPED THEM IN THE GARBAGE CAN AND SLAMMED THE LID DOWN ON TOP OF THEM (him).

There. Now I feel better.

 

[TrueBeliever]

I just saw on NFL Live on ESPN that they were talking about Tatum. I was disgusted at the misinformation. Suzy Kolber reported that Jack Tatum tried to visit Stingley in the hospital after the incident and that the Stingley family turned him away.

Far be it from me to defend BSPN, but I read the same thing on CBSSports.com when the story broke, so I don't think they made it up. It may not be true, but they don't appear to be the only ones reporting it.

 

[MassPats38]

From a quick search, the first reference to a visit I can find is from 2007, although it does not say "visited Stingley at the hospital". Madden made multiple visits to the hospital so would appear to be a reliable source, yet for all his references to the injury eating at Tatum, Madden never says it bothered Tatum to the point he went to the hospital to see Stingley.

 

[jmt57]

Far be it from me to defend BSPN, but I read the same thing on CBSSports.com when the story broke, so I don't think they made it up. It may not be true, but they don't appear to be the only ones reporting it.

Yeah, it's not just espn; just heard Dan Patrick say the same thing on his radio show. Unfortunately the implication is that Tatum wanted to apologize but Stingley remained bitter about Tatum and the hit till his death. I haven't seen or heard anybody mention the reason Stingley turn Tatum away. Without adding that important piece of information, it turns the whole story around.

Perhaps it is because it would be viewed as being in poor taste since Tatum just passed, but as I recall the same things were said when Stingley passed - that Tatum attempted to apologize but Stingley refused him. If the media is going to imply that is the reason then they should spend a few minutes in research and uncover what Stingley's actual motivation was.

 

[Rob0729]

Yeah, it's not just espn; just heard Dan Patrick say the same thing on his radio show. Unfortunately the implication is that Tatum wanted to apologize but Stingley remained bitter about Tatum and the hit till his death. I haven't seen or heard anybody mention the reason Stingley turn Tatum away. Without adding that important piece of information, it turns the whole story around.

Perhaps it is because it would be viewed as being in poor taste since Tatum just passed, but as I recall the same things were said when Stingley passed - that Tatum attempted to apologize but Stingley refused him. If the media is going to imply that is the reason then they should spend a few minutes in research and uncover what Stingley's actual motivation was.

I posted Stingley's comments that he said he was always opened to speak with Tatum as long as Tatum wasn't going to use that meeting for promotion or profit. Tatum was only interested in doing it for show. From Stingley's quotes, the last thing he was bitter. He seemed to be more about resolution of the situation. Either Tatum was sorry or not.

BTW, Tatum paralyzed Stingley in 1978. Tatum didn't approach Stingley until I think 2003 to sit down and resolve the whole thing - on the air. If Tatum was so intent on making his peace with Stingley, why wait 25 years to do so?

 

[Reckedtrek]

RIP Darryl Stingley.