Former 49ers coach Bill Walsh has passed away.

[AzCards21]

Walsh passed away?

I just heard this so looking to see if it's true.

 

[BirdMan21]

OT: Bill Walsh Dies After Battle With Leukemia

http://www.kcra.com/sports/13782572/detail.html

Sad

 

[Mulli]

I just heard this so looking to see if it's true.

Bill Walsh?

 

[AzCards21]

Bill Walsh?

Yep, it's true.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7074768?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10239

 

[Trey]

Looks like he lost his battle with leukemia...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2954719

A sad start to their season for sure.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

As a 49er fan, I can tell you it's hitting our fanbase pretty hard. He died with his family by his side. I dont think anyone could ask for a better way to go than that.

The team should wear commemorative patches the entire season in his honor. Rest in Peace, Mr Walsh. He had more family than he ever knew.

 

[Mulli]

It is sad and all, but do we need five threads on it.

 

[Mitch]

Thanks Trey.

Bill Walsh was one of the NFL's elite head coaches...as innovative and precise as any coach, ever. The job he did with Joe Montana and the 49ers will always be legendary. Furthermore, he was a first-class human being...as highly competitive as he was, there wasn't a malevolent bone in his body. A true giant has fallen today...but his spirit and will to win will live on forever. RIP, Coach.

 

[BirdMan21]

Can a mod merge all of these threads?

 

[BirdMan21]

As a 49er fan, I can tell you it's hitting our fanbase pretty hard. He died with his family by his side. I dont think anyone could ask for a better way to go than that.

The team should wear commemorative patches the entire season in his honor. Rest in Peace, Mr Walsh. He had more family than he ever knew.

I am sure. And as just a football fan you have to be amazed as to how the guy changed the game. Football the way we know it today is in large part because of Bill Walsh.

 

[nurnay]

R.I.P., Coach.

 

[az jam]

Brilliant mind and one hell of a coach. Sad day.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

Thanks Trey.

Bill Walsh was one of the NFL's elite head coaches...as innovative and precise as any coach, ever. The job he did with Joe Montana and the 49ers will always be legendary. Furthermore, he was a first-class human being...as highly competitive as he was, there wasn't a malevolent bone in his body. A true giant has fallen today...but his spirit and will to win will live on forever. RIP, Coach.

Everything you say is dead on. A good friend of mine had this to say:

"When I was 9 years old, I got to watch the Niners DESTROY the Rams 30-3 up at Candlestick in the 1990 Conference Championship game. I had never been to the Stick before.

Afterward, my friend and I were waiting for the players and coaches to come out so we could say hi and get an autograph. Walsh came out, and was immediately swarmed by media members. He saw my buddy and I, all wide eyed and totally decked out in Niner gear, and made all of the media wait while he talked to us for about 5 minutes."

That's the kind of man he was. The football world as a whole has lost one of it's greatest sons, both on and off the field.

 

[Ryanwb]

On the heels of Jake Plummer's retirement. Coincidence? I think not.

j/k

RIP coach

 

[Pariah]

Holy cow. I didn't know he was sick.

He defines "football genius," and he did it with class.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Thanks Trey.

Bill Walsh was one of the NFL's elite head coaches...as innovative and precise as any coach, ever. The job he did with Joe Montana and the 49ers will always be legendary. Furthermore, he was a first-class human being...as highly competitive as he was, there wasn't a malevolent bone in his body. A true giant has fallen today...but his spirit and will to win will live on forever. RIP, Coach.

Nicely said... I would also add that as great of a job as he did with Montana, he was equally responsible for Steve Young's acension to greatness... I know first-hand how Steve felt about Coach Walsh and credits him for guiding him through his early torments as back-up to Montana, as well as teaching him to become the HOFer he later became.

Was never a 9er fan, however, I always held a huge amount of respect for what Walsh accomplished and for the total class act he was off the field.
This is sad news indeed...

 

[Mulli]

82, how do you know first hand? You know Steve Young?

 

[Mitch]

Everything you say is dead on. A good friend of mine had this to say:

"When I was 9 years old, I got to watch the Niners DESTROY the Rams 30-3 up at Candlestick in the 1990 Conference Championship game. I had never been to the Stick before.

Afterward, my friend and I were waiting for the players and coaches to come out so we could say hi and get an autograph. Walsh came out, and was immediately swarmed by media members. He saw my buddy and I, all wide eyed and totally decked out in Niner gear, and made all of the media wait while he talked to us for about 5 minutes."

That's the kind of man he was. The football world as a whole has lost one of it's greatest sons, both on and off the field.

That's a great story, SactownSunsFan!...funny but the younger generation these days will probably remember him more for his Coors Light press conference commercials...

It would be fairly safe to say that if there was a Mount Rushmore of NFL Head Coaches...Bill Walsh would be one of the four...I am going to write a new thread about this, but in the meantime, think of which 4 coaches you would have chisled there.

 

[Ryanwb]

82, how do you know first hand? You know Steve Young?

Every Mormon kid this side of the Mississippi has met Steve Young

 

[Mulli]

Every Mormon kid this side of the Mississippi has met Steve Young

Ah yes.

 

[Gambit]

I bet even know he and Paul Brown are rounding up guys for a quick game

Sleep well, old warrior

 

[82CardsGrad]

82, how do you know first hand? You know Steve Young?

Have known Steve and competed against he and his brother Mike since 9th grade...
Steve is 2 years my senior. But as a 10th grader (Steve was a 12th grader), I faced him in baseball in our Sr. Babe Ruth league. He threw GAS!
In high school, I got "invited" to move up from JV to varsity in 10th grade, along with 3 other kids, for the final 3 games of the season... I played WR and CB (was 170 pounds soaking wet back then....). Steve of course was our QB. All we did was run the wishbone back then and of course, Steve was the fastest kid on the planet, so he would keep the ball on all option plays, sprint around the end and run for a TD on just about every possession...
He was in the Valley about 9 mos. ago speaking at the Biltmore. I caught up with him there... Turns out he's actually in the Valley quite often as he married a girl from Scottsdale, and he's a partner in a private investment firm that has offices here in the valley...

 

[SactownSunsFan]

That's a great story, SactownSunsFan!...funny but the younger generation these days will probably remember him more for his Coors Light press conference commercials...

It would be fairly safe to say that if there was a Mount Rushmore of NFL Head Coaches...Bill Walsh would be one of the four...I am going to write a new thread about this, but in the meantime, think of which 4 coaches you would have chisled there.

Lombardi, Walsh, Halas, Landry

 

[82CardsGrad]

Lombardi, Walsh, Halas, Landry

Chuck Knoll perhaps??

 

[82CardsGrad]

Every Mormon kid this side of the Mississippi has met Steve Young

Wow... now that's funny!! I have been accused of alot of things over my 43 years... But NEVER a mormon... not that there's anything wrong with that.
Of course, if by "this side", you mean Greenwich, CT - well then you just might be onto something!!