Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday 4/6/20
6 April 2020 Sports
Sixty-three yards from history with two seconds remaining on the clock, Tom Dempsey took on one of the NFL’s most enduring moments straight on. On Nov. 8, 1970, Dempsey lifted a then-NFL record 63-yard field goal that sent the New Orleans Saints to a 19-17 triumph over the Detroit Lions and became an NFL moment that’s endured for generations. Saturday night, at the age of 73, Dempsey died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the Saints announced.
Having battled Alzheimer’s and dementia since 2013, Dempsey reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 last month. He returned to his assisted living facility recently, but his family put him in hospice care after his oxygen levels dropped on Wednesday, his daughter Ashley told NOLA.com.
Across 11 seasons, Dempsey found his way to playing for five teams — the Saints, Philadelphia Eagles (where he spent a career-long four campaigns), L.A. Rams, Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills. It was for New Orleans that he began his NFL tenure and was most successful.
-0-
On Saturday on ESPN, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the nine honorees in the Class of 2020 presented by Fifty-Five South Ventures. The Class of 2020 will be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, on Saturday, August 29, 2020.
As previously announced, in light of the unique circumstance surrounding the Class of 2020, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Election Process Committee suspended the Direct Election Categories for one year with the exception of the International Committee. This year’s distinguished class includes honorees from the North American committee, Women’s Committee and International Committee. To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2020 includes: 18-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 15-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, 15-time NBA All-Star and nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Kevin Garnett, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann.
-0-
Share |