Farewell to a Legend
May 20, 2023 10:18 AM Subscribe
Jim Brown, all-time NFL great and social activist, dead at 87 "Jim Brown was virtually unstoppable in every arena... Whether on the field, as a Hollywood film hero or civil rights advocate, Brown was a force."
Or in beating women.
posted by Galvanic at 11:53 AM on May 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Galvanic at 11:53 AM on May 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
He also abused women. I don't think that should be his only legacy, but neither should it be ignored.
posted by praemunire at 12:14 PM on May 20, 2023 [19 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 12:14 PM on May 20, 2023 [19 favorites]
I don't know much about him, but remember his name from seeing this clip of him debating Lester Maddox on Dick Cavett.
posted by symbioid at 12:36 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by symbioid at 12:36 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
🏈
posted by clavdivs at 12:38 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 12:38 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Complicated legacy.
As his obit says, wrt sports, probably the best lacrosse player of all time and one of the greatest running backs of all time. Not said, he was probably or arguably the best basketball player to come out of Manhasset HS. I would rank Manhasset HS basketball players as 1. Jim Brown, 2. Tom Emma (Duke), 3. Ken Howard (Yes, the white shadow Ken Howard.) Growing up on LI, I would hear stories from my parents generation that played against him of his lax and basketball. Everyone already knew about his football.
He did a lot of good, but that does not erase his abuse of women. praemunire said it best.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:44 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
Complicated legacy.
As his obit says, wrt sports, probably the best lacrosse player of all time and one of the greatest running backs of all time. Not said, he was probably or arguably the best basketball player to come out of Manhasset HS. I would rank Manhasset HS basketball players as 1. Jim Brown, 2. Tom Emma (Duke), 3. Ken Howard (Yes, the white shadow Ken Howard.) Growing up on LI, I would hear stories from my parents generation that played against him of his lax and basketball. Everyone already knew about his football.
He did a lot of good, but that does not erase his abuse of women. praemunire said it best.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:44 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
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posted by toodleydoodley at 1:49 PM on May 20, 2023
posted by toodleydoodley at 1:49 PM on May 20, 2023
Agree domestic abuse is a legit asterisk here, but I also believe football head injuries and culture are the asterisk to the asterisk.
posted by toodleydoodley at 2:11 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by toodleydoodley at 2:11 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Being Browns' fans by proximity growing up, JB was among my very first sports heroes in a group that included his understudy Leroy Kelly and star receiver Paul Warfield and later QB Bill Nelson. Brown was literally exhilarating to watch, even in then days of fuzzy B&W TV. But as others have noted, his legacy is both complex and tarnished and, let's be honest, his acting skills were, to be kind, not of a par with his athletic prowess - though I can seldom not watch at least a few minutes of 100 Rifles with JB starring alongside Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds for comic relief and he did find his place among the magnificent, star studded cast of Dirty Dozen.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 2:11 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by thecincinnatikid at 2:11 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
Not being a sports fan, my major association with him is MARS ATTACKS! which is a masterpiece and he's great in it.
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posted by brundlefly at 2:13 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
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posted by brundlefly at 2:13 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
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The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Blowing The Chateau Scene
posted by philip-random at 2:34 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Blowing The Chateau Scene
posted by philip-random at 2:34 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Blowing The Chateau Scene yt
probably wants some context. As a suburban kid a little too young to have seen him play football, this was the moment that made him legendary.
posted by philip-random at 2:38 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
probably wants some context. As a suburban kid a little too young to have seen him play football, this was the moment that made him legendary.
posted by philip-random at 2:38 PM on May 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
My main memories of him are from fuzzy B&W TV and The Dirty Dozen.
posted by MtDewd at 2:38 PM on May 20, 2023
posted by MtDewd at 2:38 PM on May 20, 2023
Factual error: "Ice Station Zebra" is one of dozens of films which make the mistake of showing people carrying rifles such as M-16s with the magazines inserted. In the scene where Marine Captain Jim Brown arrives at the submarine via helicopter, he comes aboard passing his M-16 through a hatch with the magazine inserted, barrel first - a double safety violation."
posted by clavdivs at 2:58 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 2:58 PM on May 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
@clavdivs That's what you want as your Jim Brown eulogy?
posted by Galvanic at 4:36 PM on May 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Galvanic at 4:36 PM on May 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
seems fitting
posted by Ahmad Khani at 4:45 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Ahmad Khani at 4:45 PM on May 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
In his autobiography, Andre Agassi memorably describes how he beat Jim Brown at tennis—at age 9.
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posted by Melismata at 4:50 PM on May 20, 2023
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posted by Melismata at 4:50 PM on May 20, 2023
@clavdivs That's what you want as your Jim Brown eulogy?
I left a football but I'm surprised that Jim Brown was a Marine Captain shot by #2 to cover the ass of Harry Booth.
posted by clavdivs at 7:00 PM on May 20, 2023
I left a football but I'm surprised that Jim Brown was a Marine Captain shot by #2 to cover the ass of Harry Booth.
posted by clavdivs at 7:00 PM on May 20, 2023
Brown once kicked the ass of the Washington Commanders, under their original racist name, at a time when they were refusing to even employ African-American players, inspiring the late Shirley Povich (yes, Maury's dad) to write:
“Jim Brown, born ineligible to play for the [slur redacted], integrated their end zone three times yesterday.”
(Povich did not redact it himself, I have done so for Metafilter purposes.)
posted by stevis23 at 7:06 PM on May 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
“Jim Brown, born ineligible to play for the [slur redacted], integrated their end zone three times yesterday.”
(Povich did not redact it himself, I have done so for Metafilter purposes.)
posted by stevis23 at 7:06 PM on May 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
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posted by Silverstone at 9:41 PM on May 20, 2023
posted by Silverstone at 9:41 PM on May 20, 2023
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posted by Thorzdad at 11:14 AM on May 20, 2023