# George Blanda dies at 83 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 27, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277 "2010-09-27T22:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/1 "2010-09-27T22:05:17Z")
Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker George Blanda has passed away. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/nfl/09/27/raiders.blanda.ap/index.html?eref=sihp](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/nfl/09/27/raiders.blanda.ap/index.html?eref=sihp) He had a 10-year career as a QB and kicker with the Bears in the 1950s, but left when they told him they wanted him to be a full-time kicker. He then joined the brand-new AFL, and played for another 16 (!) seasons. He became the quarterback for the Oilers’ pass-happy offense, and won the AFL’s first two championships. He’s likely best remembered for coming off the bench as a 43-year-old backup quarterback for the Raiders in 1970, and leading them to several comeback victories. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/2 "2010-09-27T22:25:24Z")
He’s better right now, at this very moment, than JaWalrus ever was, and easily one of the best ever. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/3 "2010-09-28T01:14:10Z")
RIP George. I’m surprised that they haven’t said anything during the Bears/Packers game tonight. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/4 "2010-09-28T01:23:20Z")
I don’t know the real stats, but it seemed to me any time George showed up in the 4th quarter, Oakland was bound to win. As a (recovering) Chargers fan, I can’t tell you how many games he ruined for me! Truly one of the greats. RIP, George. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/5 "2010-09-28T01:23:22Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He’s likely best remembered for coming off the bench as a 43-year-old backup quarterback for the Raiders in 1970, and leading them to several comeback victories. He got me into being a football fan as a 13-year-old that year. I have fond memories of him. ---
**Author:** ![Nightfall1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@Nightfall1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightfall1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/6 "2010-09-28T01:26:10Z")
My favorite memories of him are from his Houston years. RIP George. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/7 "2010-09-28T01:40:30Z")
I used to love in the late 69s how the other teams would get a lift when the knocked out the Raiders’ quarterback and they put that old man in. And he’d proceed to shred their defenses. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/8 "2010-09-28T02:00:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I used to love in the late 69s how the other teams would get a lift when the knocked out the Raiders’ quarterback … Daryle Lamonica, who was no slouch. It’s not like Blanda was relieving JaMarcus Russell or anything. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/9 "2010-09-28T03:20:27Z")
Not at all – but once Lamonica was injured, the other team would think they had victory in their grasp and that the old guy wasn’t going to burn them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/10 "2010-09-28T18:02:51Z")
Man, I remember watching that game against arch rivals Kansas City, when Blanda not only threw the tying touchdown, but then came out and kicked a 53-yard field goal to win the game. _53 fucking yards_! I didn’t root for Oakland, as I didn’t like Lamonica and really hated John Madden (and still do), but one couldn’t help but admire ol’ George as someone who gave his all to the game. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-blanda-dies-at-83/555277/11 "2010-09-29T18:08:42Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > RIP George. I’m surprised that they haven’t said anything during the Bears/Packers game tonight. They only cut away from the game three times to mention it, what do you want?