Celebrity Death Thread

[Islair]

Merlin Olsen, the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle who played his entire 15-year career for the Los Angeles Rams, has died at the age of 69, according to reports.

Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reports that Olsen died early this morning. The Cache Valley Daily, a newspaper based in Olsen's hometown of Logan, Utah, reports that Olsen was diagnosed with mesothelioma and had been undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy.

Olsen played college football at Utah State, and as a senior in 1961 he won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best lineman.

In 1962 the Rams selected him with the third overall pick in the NFL draft and the Denver Broncos selected him with the second overall pick in the AFL draft. He chose the Rams after the rival teams from rival leagues engaged in a bidding war for his services.

Olsen was worth the money. He was chosen as Rookie of the Year in 1962, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 14 NFL seasons. He retired after the 1976 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

[FVD]

I always remember him from the commercials he did for either FTD or Teleflora can't remember which one. RIP Merlin

[kayrone]

I remember him from Little House on the Prairie. 14 straight pro-bowls - very impressive.

[DanO]

RIP Merlin.

It was FTD Frank.

GO LIONS "10" !!!!!!!!!!

[Deuce]

Its actually funny to look at that list. 2 of them I am straight up addicted to. A third heavily used once or twice a week and occasionally otherwise.

Prescription meds and what else?

[Panoptes]

RIP to a great LOS ANGELES RAM, MERLIN OLSEN.

Fearsome Foursome forever.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Meso is a tough way to go. I wonder where he got the asbestos exposure.

[FVD]

http://www.popeater.com/2010/01/04/merlin-olsen-asbestos-lawsuit-cancer/

[Dan V]

http://www.popeater.com/2010/01/04/m...awsuit-cancer/

I grew up loving those 1972 and older LA rams uniforms. A great simple look with the blue and white. In 1973 they added the yellow and now they look like NASCAR ! Those unis would be a welcome comeback IMO

[Malto Marko]

RIP to a great LOS ANGELES RAM, MERLIN OLSEN.

Fearsome Foursome forever.

I am sure that many will not believe this but, Merlin Olsen sold more flowers than any other spokesperson for the industry which included Louis Jordan.

Personally, I could not relate to Jordan (which both by the way, were paid spokespersons from an entity that was owned by an Association of Florists but has since become private and is out to collect money without being responsible for customer satisfaction....Read: FTD)

Monies paid to retain these spokepersons, were cut off the top of transactions made through the system and came directly out of the "profits" that were due the Association members that paid numerous other fees that allowed the Association to be a viable entity.

Not going into the crap of transition from an Association to being privately held, Merlin sold more units with the Pick Me Up Bouquet, than any other campaign on record.

RIP Merlin, you put food on my family table when my family was young and needed to eat.

Thank you, I am indebted.

[YT]

Well said Mark.

RIP Mr. Olsen.

[Malto Marko]

Peter Graves passed yesterday from a heart attack. He would have turned 84 this week.

[Dan V]

Great guy from a great show, Mission Impossible

[Mainevent]

RIP Captain Clarence Over.

[DanO]

Use to love that show. RIP Peter.

GO LIONS "10" !!!!!!!!!!