Celebrity Death Thread

[CGVT]

Edwards said Christensen battled liver disease and various other related illnesses for about two years. Longtime BYU football secretary Shirley Johnson, now retired, said doctors recently found what was supposed to be a "perfect match" for a liver transplant, but the operation was not successful.

"Todd had a great spirit about him and was a true friend. I feel so blessed to have been around him so much," said James Bates, Christensen’s broadcast partner on the MountainWest Sports Network, a position Christensen held until the Mtn. shut down in 2012.

Christensen, a devout Mormon, did not drink alcohol. His son, former BYU receiver Toby Christensen, told The Associated Press that his liver problems started 25 years ago after a "botched" gall bladder operation.

[Panoptes]

Another FAIDER fades

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/former-nfl-linebacker-thomas-howard-dies-in-car-crash-in-california-111713

ALAMEDA, CALIF. (AP)

Former NFL linebacker Thomas Howard died early Monday morning following a high-speed car crash on a freeway in Oakland.


IN MEMORIAM

We remember those who have died in the sports world in 2013.
The Alameda County Coroner's office said the 30-year-old Howard was one of two men who died in the crash Monday. The driver of the other car, 64-year-old Zeng Long Liu of Hayward, also died in the crash.

[CGVT]

Fuck him.

Howard was driving a speeding BMW when he hit a big rig, flipped over the center divider and went head-on into a Honda traveling on the other side around 1 a.m., said Officer Daniel Hill, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

Witnesses say the car was traveling at speeds between 100 mph to 110 mph as the car overturned, crossed a median and ended up in the southbound lanes of the freeway, where it sideswiped another car before landing on top of the Honda, Hill said.

Hill said that alcohol is not being ruled out as a possible cause of the accident.

[Panoptes]

Never heard of him but ......

Paul Walker dead at 40: 'Fast and Furious' star killed in fiery car crash

The star of "The Fast and the Furious" movie franchise and a passenger died after his vehicle crashed into a tree, TMZ reports.

[Newbomb Turk]

http://www.tmz.com/2013/11/30/paul-walker-dead-dies-car-accident-fatal-fire-crash/2/#comments-anchor

in a Porsche GT, no less.

[Tony G]

actually a carrera GT

something like this that cost $450K

[FVD]

James Dean would have been proud.

[bimmer84]

actually a carrera GT

something like this that cost $450K

Not a car to place in inexperienced hands. I wonder what happened to caused the crash?

[Tony G]

not knowing any of the facts, I can state from my time in the SCCA here that the financial ability to own a high end sports cars does not equate with the talent to drive it anywhere near its limits.

We had a worker track day one time at our local track. They only allowed three cars on track at any time so you weren't in with others cars trying to show off your late braking skills. The chief steward managed to to get in over her head in someone's turbo esprirt and stuff it into the rail.

[bimmer84]

Yep, kind of like people that go out an buy airplanes that are beyond their ability to fly. Thurman Munson comes to mind.

[Tony G]

or JFK Jr.

[Newbomb Turk]

the driver was Roger Rodas, he was Paul's business partner and he owned a HiPo Auto Shop that worked on Paul's cars

he was an experienced racer

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20131201/CARNEWS/131209999

[Tony G]

Still remains to be seen what was actually going on when the crash happened.

[bimmer84]

'An experienced racer? Wow. That makes it even more of a mystery. That looks a lot like a city street.

[Newbomb Turk]

Sweeping curve, 35mph posted speed