Former Michigan big man Robert “Tractor” Traylor suffered an apparent heart attack earlier today and was found dead in his apartment in Puerto Rico. The 34-year old had previous heart conditions, including aortic surgery in 2005, which led to his eventual departure from the NBA. His current team, the Bayomon Vaqueros have canceled their game tonight in observance of his passing.

A former 6th overall draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks, Traylor was best known for his size, hence his nickname, but his career was overshadowed by the controversy of his association with boosters at the University of Michigan and the program’s subsequent punishment, diminishing his efforts in leading the Wolverines to the 1997 NIT championship. Upon drafting Traylor, the Mavericks immediately traded him for their franchise cornerstone Dirk Nowitzki.

In 2008, Traylor was targeted by the IRS for back taxes to the tune of $241,000 and change. At that point, he signed a contract with Turkey’s Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, and later Italy’s NSB Napoli. Traylor also won the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year award with the Vaqueros.

Controversy and hardships aside, Traylor will probably always be remembered for the ridiculous highlight of ripping down the backboard against Ball State.

Read the rest of this entry »

Major League is the greatest baseball movie of all time. And yes, I know that Field of Dreams, The Sandlot and The Natural exist. There are only so many baseball comedies out there, and even fewer that don’t involve children. And in Major League, there was a cast of characters so over the top and ridiculous, that only one man that could get them to ban together and win some games. That man was Lou Brown, who was played by James Gammon. Gammon died Friday, and he was a goddamn legend.

His mustache was impeccable. His voice was audio scotch, off the rocks. He wore cowboy hats, smoked fine cigars, and inspired baseball teams by removing their female owner’s clothes. He was a man’s man, and in an age of male exfoliation and metrosexuality, a refreshing return to masculinity.

You probably know Gammon best for his role (pictured above) as Lou Brown, the gruff manager of the Cleveland Indians in the baseball comedy “Major League.” (He was the one who was confined to a hospital bed during the Indians’ stretch toward the division title.)

He also had major roles in “Urban Cowboy,” “The Milagro Beanfield War” (for director Robert Redford), “Leaving Normal,” “Ironweed,” “Silverado” and “Cold Mountain.”

On TV, he made guest appearances from the 1960s (in “Gunsmoke”) through 2007 (on “Grey’s Anatomy”). He also was on the detective series “Nash Bridges,” playing the father of the title character played by Don Johnson (even though there was only a nine-year age difference between them). –Salt Lake Tribune

Read the rest of this entry »

Legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning after suffering a major heart attack. Love him or hate him, the man was among the most important to the game of baseball in the sport’s history. Equal parts narcissistic and brilliant, Steinbrenner and his checkbook have been the definition of polarity for decades. If anything, he was an incredible character, someone who couldn’t be created by the greatest fiction authors. Tonight’s All-Star Game will indeed have a little extra weight to it now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Former NBA center Manute Bol passed away Saturday from acute kidney failure and the rare skin disease, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. When I saw the alert come across Google News, I thought, “Please let it be Uwe Boll” but unfortunately it was someone who has actually contributed to society.

The 7’7” Bol was a NBA fixture for 10 seasons, playing for four franchises after being drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1985. Over the years he became known for his sense of humor and charitable work in the Sudan, where he was born to a Dinka tribal chief. His family is currently making arrangements to have his body buried in the village of Turlai, where his father was also buried.

Mostly known for his height – especially after he was paired with 5’3” point guard Muggsy Bogues – Bol finished his career 14th in NBA history in blocked shots, but remains the only player to have more career blocks than points scored. He once tied the NBA record for blocked shots in a half with 11, and blocked eight in one quarter on two occasions. But his legacy will perhaps be defined by his contribution to modern slang, as he is credited with coining the popular apology – “My bad.”

Read the rest of this entry »