44 years ago Tonight (and also a Monday)

[74_75_78_79_]

Cosell gave us that chilling announcement. CNN was technically around then but not a household name. Most heard the news actually watching that very contest as another John from England was lining up to kick (Delvin Williams mentioned, his name in font). And it was Tarkenton with Howard and Frank, Dandy Don not present. Can imagine the game being on at many bars, the sound down, plenty of chatter, and the patrons there not even hearing the tragic news until later; maybe after they got home.

4th grade me was already asleep. I didn't hear about it until the next morning still in bed with the alarm radio playing. Me and my parents shared the news with each other at the same time when I got downstairs. I knew who the Beatles were. My parents would play their albums. But my education on them didn't really come into bloom until that very moment. I remember halftime the following week of the early games his funeral being shown, my Mom crying.

An historic, tragic ending to an otherwise memorable week in the NFL. Here's what I wrote of it from an old thread...

https://profootballresearchers.com/foru ... 454#p16454

[Crazy Packers Fan]

It actually happened on December 8th, but in any case, I can't imagine what that would have been like. I can't think of anything that would compare to that today. Our media is so fragmented today that such an announcement wouldn't be linked to one TV show. In those days, everybody watched MNF, so everybody found out in that way.

[74_75_78_79_]

It actually happened on December 8th

My bad.

[JuggernautJ]

I found out under unusual circumstances.

I came home from work only to discover I'd left my keys at home and locked myself out.
It was the only time in my life that has ever happened.

My girlfriend wasn't due to get home for another hour or so. I had no choice but to wait.
So I sat myself down on the cold stone steps, exhausted and with wet clothes (I worked in a factory job where I walked 22 miles in an 8 hour shift and got sprayed with water the whole time) in the cold December air.

As I sat there shivering I heard my downstairs neighbors cry out in shock when they heard the news.
"John Lennon is dead!" "John was murdered!"
I was 21, chilled to the bone with tears running down my face... a miserable night I will never forget.

[Brian wolf]

I had been thinking about the Beatles and listening to their music the last couple of days, when I got the news. I went to bed crying, I was 12 years old.

[RichardBak]

I'm old enough to remember "the day the music died": Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper all dying in a plane crash in 1959. I remember my older brothers (then in high school) talking about it. No tears shed, just something like "Holy shit!" They had all the 45s from those guys. (Remember 45s?)

Flash forward 21 years and I'm on my way to Eastern MI Univ that very cold morning in Detroit, and thanks to a loose plastic lid I've just spilled a full cup of boiling hot McDonald's coffee in my lap as I've turned on the AM radio in my Chevette. (Remember AM radio? And Chevettes?) So I drive the 30 miles up to school, all the way listening to coverage of Lennon's shooting with steam rising from my scalded crotch.

Funny the stuff you remember.

[7DnBrnc53]

I remember that night somewhat. It was my eighth birthday. I do remember seeing something on the news about it that night (I didn't watch MNF at that time. I didn't get into the NFL until the next year when we moved).

I don't remember my mom getting too emotional. She was from the 50's Elvis generation (graduated HS in 1960).

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

My memory is the national news - I can't remember if we were watching NBC or ABC - it was all dedicated to John Lennon from what I remember. I didn't know who John Lennon was at the time, but I knew that it was a big deal from the coverage. That night probably was the first moment that taught me the power of music at a young age, which was very important for me to learn for my future career.

[74_75_78_79_]

Again, excuse me for the inaccuracy of 12/9 instead of 12/8.

Pretty creepy the repeated "block that kick" line at the end of "Revolution 9" (John Smith's kick being...blocked). The exact moment that Howard said "John Lennon", John Smith's name appeared on-screen in font!

Six years earlier, '74 season, Cosell and Lennon were in the booth together for a MNF game. And, apparently, Ronald Reagan as well. He went over the finer points of the American football game with John who was much more familiar with soccer. The two hit it off. Lennon said shortly before his death ('80 Election coming up) that if he were allowed to vote, that he would have voted for Reagan. And then that notorious night, and Reagan just so happened to be in NYC during the tragedy and publicly spoke condolences. And Hinkley was at the candlelit vigil, and months later he went to DC.