Former NFL kicking great Dempsey dies from COVID-19
Former NFL kicker Tom Dempsey, who played in the NFL despite being born without toes on his kicking foot and made a record 63yard field goal, died late Saturday while struggling with complications from the new coronavirus, his daughter said. He was 73.
The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate first reported Dempsey’s death. Ashley Dempsey said Sunday that her father, who has resided in an assisted living home for several years after being diagnosed with dementia, tested positive for the coronavirus a little more than a week ago.
The Orleans Parish coroner has yet to release an official cause of death.
Dempsey’s game-winning field goal against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970, stood as an NFL record for 43 years until the Broncos’ Matt Prater broke it with a 64-yarder in Denver in 2013.
Dempsey spent 11 seasons in the NFL: His first two seasons were with New Orleans (1969-70), the next four with Philadelphia, then two with the Los Angeles Rams, one with the Houston Oilers and the final two with Buffalo. He retired after the 1979 season.
“Tom’s life spoke directly to the power of the human spirit and exemplified his resolute determination to not allow setbacks to impede following his dreams and aspirations,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “He exemplified the same fight and fortitude in recent years as he battled valiantly against illnesses but never wavered and kept his trademark sense of humor.”
Dempsey was born in Milwaukee without four fingers on his right hand and without toes on his right foot. He kicked straight on with a flat-front shoe that drew protests from some who saw the specially made kicking shoe as an unfair advantage. Former Dallas Cowboys President Tex Schramm compared the shoe to “the head of a golf club.”
But Dempsey would counter by saying he was merely doing the best he could to use the foot with which he was born, and for the most part, NFL officials, including then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, agreed. Still, in 1977, the NFL passed what is widely known as the “The Dempsey Rule,” mandating that shoes worn by players with “an artificial limb on his kicking leg must have a kicking surface that conforms to that of a normal kicking shoe.”
• Bobby Mitchell, the speedy late 1950s and ‘60s NFL offensive star for the Cleveland Browns and Washington has died. He was 84.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame said Sunday night that Mitchell’s family said he died in the afternoon. The Hall of Fame didn’t provide other details.
Motorsports
THIRD TIME THE VIRTUAL CHARM FOR BYRON >> William Byron led the most laps in NASCAR’s first two virtual races and had nothing to show for his gaming skills. The third time out, he got the win.
Byron easily won the iRacing event Sunday at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, where NASCAR would have been really racing before the coronavirus pandemic caused sports to shut down.
“Some things are different but a lot of things are similar and this is a racetrack I’ve always enjoyed coming to,” Byron said. “It’s fun to have some pressure on iRacing; I usually just run it to have some fun and get better.”
NASCAR changed the format this week and started with single-car qualifying to set the field for a pair of 50-lap heat races. Those heat races determined the starting order. Byron started from the pole and was never challenged.
The entertainment again came from the drivers, most of whom streamed their gaming experiences for fans to eavesdrop on the action and the arguing. Clint Bowyer was the in-race reporter and again delivered a hilarious performance.
“I got Bubbaed!” Bowyer shouted after he was moved out of line by Bubba Wallace. “I need a beer really badly.”
Wallace appeared to “rage quit” the race after the incident. “That’s why I don’t take this (crap) serious. Peace out,” Wallace said on his gaming stream.
After fans ripped him on Twitter, he laughed at how seriously some are taking iRacing with his response.
“I ruined so many peoples day by quitting ... a video game,” he wrote. “Bahaha. A video game. Damn quarantine life is rough.” He also admitted to rage quitting in a second post.
Blue-Emu, one of Wallace’s sponsors, was apparently not pleased. “Bye bye Bubba. We’re interested in drivers, not quitters,” said a tweet on the account of the topical pain reliever cream.
Odds & ends
• Texas moved quickly to hire a new women’s basketball coach, luring Vic Schaefer away from powerhouse Mississippi State on Sunday.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte announced the move by tweeting a picture of himself with Schaefer and his family holding up the “Hook’em Horns” hand signal. Del Conte did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
• Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans will enter the NBA draft and forego his final two seasons of eligibility. He said Sunday the “time is now” to pursue his dream of playing professionally.
• Illinois sophomore guard Alan Griffin has committed to transfer to Syracuse. The 6-foot-5 native of Ossining, N.Y., will have two years of eligibility with the Orange.
• Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said Sunday he secured more than 10,000 N95 masks and is donating them to the Indiana State Department of Health. Healthcare workers across the nation are in dire need of the masks and other personal protective.