Omaha Native

NECoach31BB

Senior
Mar 8, 2002
17,723
651
0
Sad day. Great guy from all I ever heard and read. Prayers for his family and friends. An Omaha legend.
 

TruHusker

All-Conference
Sep 21, 2001
12,114
2,395
98
Wow, remember him as a kid watching the old AFL games. WR and QB. Not a very big guy, maybe 180 lbs.
 

bigboxes

All-American
Sep 4, 2004
46,226
6,767
113
Wow, remember him as a kid watching the old AFL games. WR and QB. Not a very big guy, maybe 180 lbs.
That must have been something. I'm probably about 10 years behind you. Wish I could have seen some of those contests. What years are you talking about, where did you live and what team(s) did you root for?
 

TruHusker

All-Conference
Sep 21, 2001
12,114
2,395
98
That must have been something. I'm probably about 10 years behind you. Wish I could have seen some of those contests. What years are you talking about, where did you live and what team(s) did you root for?
It would have been in the mid 60's after my mother remarried so when we had a TV. I graduated in 72. The AFL started in 1960 and they merged in 1970. I was a huge Oakland Raiders fan and still am to this day. George Balanda, Daryl Lamonica, Fred Bilitnikof, Cliff Branch, Gus Otto, Marv Hubbard, it goes on and on. Original Teams were New York Titans later to be the New York Jets with Joe Namath, Emerson Boozer (loved that name), George Sauer, and Don Maynard, Boston Patriots were my second favorite team as I am Red Sox fan, Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, and the west was Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Texans who later became the Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson, Buck Buchanon, Lanier, and a host of others. As I recall, ABC paid big bucks to get the rights to the AFL and that was one channel we picked up in SW Nebraska, close to McCook.

The games between the Raiders and Chiefs were legendary. Hard hitting, some would say dirty, lots of fights, but always brutal games. Two teams that hated/respected each other. Ah the good ole days. I watched FB with intensity in those days, today I can hardly sit through a game.
 

bigboxes

All-American
Sep 4, 2004
46,226
6,767
113
It would have been in the mid 60's after my mother remarried so when we had a TV. I graduated in 72. The AFL started in 1960 and they merged in 1970. I was a huge Oakland Raiders fan and still am to this day. George Balanda, Daryl Lamonica, Fred Bilitnikof, Cliff Branch, Gus Otto, Marv Hubbard, it goes on and on. Original Teams were New York Titans later to be the New York Jets with Joe Namath, Emerson Boozer (loved that name), George Sauer, and Don Maynard, Boston Patriots were my second favorite team as I am Red Sox fan, Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, and the west was Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Texans who later became the Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson, Buck Buchanon, Lanier, and a host of others. As I recall, ABC paid big bucks to get the rights to the AFL and that was one channel we picked up in SW Nebraska, close to McCook.

The games between the Raiders and Chiefs were legendary. Hard hitting, some would say dirty, lots of fights, but always brutal games. Two teams that hated/respected each other. Ah the good ole days. I watched FB with intensity in those days, today I can hardly sit through a game.
Thanks for explaining that. It's cool to know your background. I too am a Raiders fan. My father was a Raiders fan so I became a Raiders fan. I know of a lot of the AFL players. Some legendary. But I know the Raiders from the early 70's. Maybe '72. But definitely by '73-'74. I had a Blanda poster on my bedroom wall when I lived in Omaha.
 
Jan 24, 2017
563
191
0
RIP Marlin. I met him once at a local event five year ago or so. A couple of my much older cousins had played football with him at South, one was his center and one was his fullback, so we talked about that for a few minutes. John Beasley stated in the OWH that they've been trying to get a "Magician" movie made. That really needs to happen, Marlin's is a MUCH bigger story than Rudy.
 

HUSKERFAN66

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2004
21,223
3,567
113
It would have been in the mid 60's after my mother remarried so when we had a TV. I graduated in 72. The AFL started in 1960 and they merged in 1970. I was a huge Oakland Raiders fan and still am to this day. George Balanda, Daryl Lamonica, Fred Bilitnikof, Cliff Branch, Gus Otto, Marv Hubbard, it goes on and on. Original Teams were New York Titans later to be the New York Jets with Joe Namath, Emerson Boozer (loved that name), George Sauer, and Don Maynard, Boston Patriots were my second favorite team as I am Red Sox fan, Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, and the west was Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Texans who later became the Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson, Buck Buchanon, Lanier, and a host of others. As I recall, ABC paid big bucks to get the rights to the AFL and that was one channel we picked up in SW Nebraska, close to McCook.

The games between the Raiders and Chiefs were legendary. Hard hitting, some would say dirty, lots of fights, but always brutal games. Two teams that hated/respected each other. Ah the good ole days. I watched FB with intensity in those days, today I can hardly sit through a game.
Very true about Oakland and kc games.

Couldn't wait to watch Oakland on TV when available growing up because they had the craziest fans and several looked like they should be members of KISS.

Denver/KC Oakland/KC Denver/Oakland were always worth a watch. Full disclosure I despised Denver