OT: RIP Don Meredith (NFL QB, NBC Announcer, including for UM '77 Rose Bowl)

He also made a fine guest appearance on King of the Hill a few years ago (when Hank picked him to throw a football through a giant Alamo Beer can). 

Without Meredith, Howard Cosell would have been even more unbearable than he was. 

RIP

As a Cowboys' fan, it is the loss of the iconic player of the "North Dallas Forty" Cotton Bowl era.  He steered the Landry teams from 0 wins expansion status to championship level over the decade of the 60s.  There isn't a close second player as far as importance in laying the winning foundation for the franchise on the field, and for contributions to  the aura of the Cowboys' brand.

Burned out from playing for the demanding distant Tom Landry and the growing pressure of leading one of the NFL glitz teams, he hung it up at age 31 with quite a few good years left.  He still stacks up well with guys like Aikman and Staubach in all the statistical categories despite playing in a more run-oriented era.

My favorite Don Meredith story was from one of his Dallas teammates and went something like this:  

"Once on a team plane ride, there were engine problems. The plane dove badly and we were all sure it was the end. Hysteria reigned. All accept Meredith. He pulled out a smoke, casually lit it up, smiled and said, "Let's enjoy this. It has been one heck of a ride.""

Sad day for all football fans, and especially Dallas fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmO_04yYi9Q

MNF has never been the same

Singing off key - "Turn out the lights, the party's over"

From the Bentley archives at http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/stadium/stadtext/ufer.htm

Two months later, before a capacity crowd of 4,000 at the Rose Bowl kickoff luncheon in Pasadena, he brought down the house in a seven-minute delivery that left even USC fans breathless. NBC commentators Don Meredith and Curt Gowdy declined to follow with their planned speeches; instead they gave him a souvenir game ball for his performance and left the dais, upstaged.

that always gave me a laugh when he called joe montana that during 49ers MNF games.

Monday Night’s three greatest highlights all starred the ex-quarterback. One night in Philadelphia, Cosell vomited on Meredith’s cowboy boots. “Howard’s going to have to leave us now,” Meredith said. “Something’s come up.” In Houston, an obviously bored or angry fan noticed the ABC camera peering at him; he raised his right hand, then his middle finger. “That’s right!” Meredith said. “We’re No. 1!” And in that first year in the booth, as the Cowboys were getting drilled by St. Louis, the fans began to chant, “We want Meredith! We want Meredith!”

http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2010/October/Don_Meredith_the_…