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Legendary Saints kicker, Tom Dempsey, passes away
Posted on 4/4/20 at 11:30 pm
Posted on 4/4/20 at 11:30 pm
quote:NOLA.com article
Tom Dempsey, whose 63-yard-field goal in 1970 set the NFL record and gave New Orleans Saints fans a rare raucous moment in the franchise's lean early years, died late Saturday of complications from the novel coronavirus, his family said. He was 73. Dempsey — who overcame astronomical odds to establish what was then considered a virtually unbeatable record — contracted the virus in March during an outbreak at the Lambeth House retirement home in Uptown New Orleans. He is one of at least 15 residents there to die after being stricken with the disease.
This post was edited on 4/4/20 at 11:31 pm
17
Posted on 4/4/20 at 11:35 pm to OMFGKenny
Louisiana legend. Godspeed, Tom.
Posted on 4/4/20 at 11:48 pm to O
RIP
Posted on 4/5/20 at 12:05 am to OMFGKenny
This post was edited on 4/5/20 at 11:10 am
Posted on 4/5/20 at 12:15 am to Mrwhodat
RIP Legend
Posted on 4/5/20 at 12:22 am to OMFGKenny
RIP. Gad bless Tom Dempsey. I was 12 years old but I was in the stadium when he kicked his field goal.
Posted on 4/5/20 at 12:30 am to OMFGKenny
Sad. RIP to a Saints legend. Hopefully the Saints can set something up to honor him.
Posted on 4/5/20 at 12:32 am to rt3
RIP to a legend
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:05 am to NawlinsTiger9
of the 4 63+ yard field goals hit in the NFL since Dempsey set the record...
3 were done in the thin air of the Mile High City of Denver, Colo., including the current record of 64 yards by Matt Prater (the 4th was in Green Bay)
none were at the end of the game, needed to give his team the victory... in that sense Dempsey stands alone... the other 4 all happened just before halftime
Dempsey's kick came before the NFL moved the goal posts from the front of the end zone to the back of it... so Dempsey's holder, Joe Scarpati, knelt down at the Saints 37... all the others were well after the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zones and thus the holders were up near midfield
3 were done in the thin air of the Mile High City of Denver, Colo., including the current record of 64 yards by Matt Prater (the 4th was in Green Bay)
none were at the end of the game, needed to give his team the victory... in that sense Dempsey stands alone... the other 4 all happened just before halftime
Dempsey's kick came before the NFL moved the goal posts from the front of the end zone to the back of it... so Dempsey's holder, Joe Scarpati, knelt down at the Saints 37... all the others were well after the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zones and thus the holders were up near midfield
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:10 am to OMFGKenny
Sorry to see this, but not surprised. He took a turn for the worse in the middle of the week and it seemed pretty bleak. He was also suffering from Alzheimers and dementia, so his mind and body were both worn out.
RIP Mr.Dempsey
RIP Mr.Dempsey
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:18 am to geauxpurple
quote:
RIP. Gad bless Tom Dempsey. I was 12 years old but I was in the stadium when he kicked his field goal.
I'd love to hear any stories or memories that you might recall, like what the people around you were saying when Dempsey trotted on the field to try the kick, the reaction after he made it, etc. Do you remember hearing the sound of foot meeting ball? People have said it sounded like a cannon.
My favorite part of the gif above is the referee's reaction as he raises his arms to signal the kick was good. His body language says "Holy shite, he made it!!"
This post was edited on 4/5/20 at 1:21 am
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:21 am to LSUGrad9295
quote:
I'd love to hear any stories or memories that you might recall, like what the people around you were saying when Dempsey trotted on the field to try the kick, the reaction after he made it, etc.
My favorite part of the gif above is the referee's reaction as he raises his arms to signal the kick was good. His body language says "Holy shite, he made it!!"
that kick happened long before I was a sparkle in my daddy's eyes
but my favorite story about that kick was that the radio broadcast was doing down b/c bees were getting into the transmitter
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:28 am to EastBankTiger
quote:
The final seconds of the game as they went out on CBS. Don Criqui on the call. LINK
what's amazing to me is that back in those days the field would be done up like a Super Bowl bowl for every game... meaning an end zone was painted for each team as you can tell in the video
the end zone the Lions kicker kicks into is done up for the Lions... in Tulane Stadium
the Saints can't even paint their own end zones nowaday
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:30 am to LSUGrad9295
quote:
I'd love to hear any stories or memories that you might recall, like what the people around you were saying when Dempsey trotted on the field to try the kick, the reaction after he made it, etc. Do you remember hearing the sound of foot meeting ball? People have said it sounded like a cannon.
My grandfather had season tickets. He didn't have enough for all of the grand kids, so we took turns going to different games. Sadly, this was one of the games that I missed. One of my younger brothers went and he wanted to leave after Detroit kicked the go ahead FG. My grandfather had a hard and fast rule...if you went to the game with him, you were there to the end, NO MATTER WHAT. Needless to say, they were grateful that he stayed THAT day.
We listened to the end on WWL. The station cut out just as Dempsey kicked the ball and came back on a few seconds after he'd made it and the mayhem started.
Matt Prater broke Dempsey's record on December 8, 2013. Until that point, Dempsey held / shared his record for 43 years.
This post was edited on 4/5/20 at 1:46 am
Posted on 4/5/20 at 1:32 am to OMFGKenny
Sucks! RIP TOM!
Posted on 4/5/20 at 2:36 am to OMFGKenny
Frick frick frick
Rip
Rip
Posted on 4/5/20 at 6:49 am to OMFGKenny
Goodbye, Tom. Rest well.
Posted on 4/5/20 at 7:57 am to King George
The play, pass, and reception Kilmer threw on the previous play is perhaps the most underrated and unnoticed play in Saints history.
Posted on 4/5/20 at 8:14 am to OMFGKenny
RIP Tom. Thanks for one of the great sports memories in my journey.
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