Slinging Sammy Baugh

By Rich Kozlovich

Except on rare occasions P&D doesn't feature sports or entertainment, but there are times when I choose to disregard that rule.   My movie review on The Battle of Midway was one, Let Me Tell You About José Alberto Pujols Alcántara was another, and recently Guts, Glory, and Yogi Berra, which I especially enjoyed doing.  As you read those posts I think you can see why I made those exceptions.  They weren't about sports, or movies, they were all about character. 

This commentary is another exception as I really tire of all these arrogant spoiled athletes who are grossly overpaid, over pampered, and over catered to, most of whom are not too bright, telling the world what to think.   So, let's get to it.  

 

Who do I think was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game? Slinging Sammy Baugh! 

 

I'm betting most of you never heard of him.  Here's the Wikipedia page on his accomplishments, and they were impressive, and he played both sides of the ball.  Many years ago I saw a documentary on him with film showing him playing, and when he threw a football he reared back just like a modern quarterback and let loose.  Okay....so what?  Well, the footballs were bigger around in those days and quarterbacks pushed it as much as threw it, and from pictures it appears he had huge hands.  

 

He said in an interview he loved throwing the ball, and in every situation no matter how difficult, and he played before the big money started rolling in.  I would loved to have seen what he could have accomplished in modern football.  

 

Every once in a while an athlete comes along that can do everything playing every sport at a higher level than anyone else.   Jim Thorpe was probably the most distinguished in my opinion, and in recent times I think we can say Bo Jackson was one, but most assuredly, so too was "Slinging Sammy Baugh". 

 

His son said his father "derived far more pleasure from ranching than he ever had from football, saying that he enjoyed the game, but if he could live his life over again, he probably wouldn't play sports at all."  A down to earth man well rounded man of character who married his childhood sweetheart, and stayed married for 52 years.  That's a successful life!