Begal as I remember it wanted Bart out as coach, as many Packer fans did, he like all Packer fans had nothing but respect for Bart as a human and a player. I could be wrong, after all this all happened 30/35 years ago. I remember listening to the post game radio shows and Begal and his sidekick were merciless on Bart the coach.
Long live Bart.
Surely the Packers planned for this contingency and will be prepared.
I can't imagine Starr walking to mid-field in bad weather conditions, but they can get him close with a cart. Also think a cart is good for having support people; Cherry, Bart Jr., maybe even Bert himself. Or Kramer would be an excellent choice, IMHO.
I believe before weather was even a factor I read that the plan was to cart Bart to midfield.
I hope Bart makes it. It will do me good to see him again.
Good for Bart. I can't wait to hear the thunderous reception on Thursday.
We need some more puritanical hand wringing in this ****ing country over stem cell research.
I can't even read the articles with a dry eye...
If NBC cuts away at the half for local news...
I think the reason Bart Starr is so loved by the packer faithful is when, as a coach, he finally failed to satisfy our demand for success, he returned the vitriol and pettiness with the same civility and grace with which he accepted the accolades. He forgave us for being dicks.
Brett Favre just returned it in kind and we resent him for that. He really is just a guy.
I've never met him but I can confidently say Bart Starr is a better man than me.
I can't even read the articles with a dry eye...
Me neither and I never witnessed the man play. I just know that he is one hell of a man and we need more of him in this ****** up world we live in. He is the type of man children should be proud to look up to. I can't say that about most athletes today.
Thursday forecast. Rain. Sleet. Snow. Tears. And the longest loudest ovation anyone will ever have the pleasure of watching. I've tried imagining how loud it's going to be when Bart comes out of the tunnel. I know I'm completely underselling it.
I think of Bart driving down Oneida today and seeing the place he made famous.
George Halas "Vince. He was great"
Vince "No George. Better. He's the greatest Packer ever"
Could see that conversation happening tomorrow night. Followed by Vince breaking down.
30 years ago ESPN aired a play about Lombardi, I still have it on VHS tape somewhere. Lombardi talked of the players he found when he came to GB, of Starr he said, "a 17th round draft pick, a third string QB, on a last place team, there was nothing wrong with his arm, all he needed was some confidence". Lombardi / Starr, a perfect marriage!
When you consider everything Bart Starr has faced head on with class during his life the final drive of the Ice Bowl must have come off like a stroll down Main Street to him. The man is remarkable. He really is.
So, two homecomings. But, I think Bart will get the biggest ovation. I read the book "America's Quarterback, Bart Starr" awhile back. Good read.
I could identify with the Mariucci video since I'm close to his age. Back in the 60's in central Ohio the Browns were on tv quite a lot and a lot of kids were Browns fans (Hey, they were decent then) and the Bengals weren't around yet. But, when I saw the Packers on tv that's when I became a life-long fan. And, Bart was my favorite player. When we played backyard football, some kids were Sonny, Johnny or Fran. I always wanted to be Bart. Can't think of a better 17th round NFL draft pick. He was and is my hero.
Great pull.
The very best players, the champions, lift up those around them, by example.
The very best people do the same.
Thanks again for the ride, Mr. Starr.
Thanks for the ride Bart. Thanks for the ride.
I could identify with the Mariucci video since I'm close to his age.
Mooch is eight months older than I am. Look at the emotion that thinking about Bart prompts from him.
Unlike Mooch I've never met Bart, worked for the Packers or ascended to leadership positions in the league.
But thinking about Bart, especially since his strokes, makes me more emotional than anything not involving my immediate family.
#Bartlivesmatter.
That article is fantastic and says so much. Great find Chilli. Thanks!
Thank Bart. Crazy to think how many lives that man touched. Just by being a good guy.
I was 9 and at summer practice. We stopped inside Lambeau and there was this guy running laps around the top of the stadium. It was the coach - Bart Starr. When he was done doing laps, he gave me an autograph. I didn't really get it then, but it's a chill moment for me now.
They better show the half time show with Bart - the best Packer,
"It just felt good, and right, to see Bart. It always felt good to see Bart, to know that a person of that caliber existed. It was like seeing the Grand Canyon again, or Mount Rushmore, sturdy, unchanging, consistent. I still can't figure out precisely what motivates Bart to be the person that he is, but maybe, in the long run, that doesn't really matter. What matters is just the person he is, the excellence he displays in so many aspects of his life." No, that's not from Thursday, although it could have been. That's from Jerry Kramer's "Distant Replay" in 1985. True then, true now. Thanks, Jerry. Well said.
"I could identify with the Mariucci video since I'm close to his age. Back in the 60's in central Ohio the Browns were on tv quite a lot and a lot of kids were Browns fans (Hey, they were decent then) and the Bengals weren't around yet. But, when I saw the Packers on tv that's when I became a life-long fan. And, Bart was my favorite player."
Me, too, Packy. On all counts... probably starting in November 1967 when CBS televised the Cleveland/Green Bay game from Milwaukee. Travis runs back 2 kickoffs for TDs (in the 1st quarter!!) and the Packers won 55-7. A fan before, a fanatic after!
I am so happy to see this.
Bart Starr got boost from Lambeau return
Bart Starr’s trip to Green Bay provided the boost his family was seeking.
Going into Thanksgiving Day, it wasn’t a given that the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback would be well enough to take part in the on-field halftime ceremony to unveil Brett Favre’s retired No. 4 on the north façade of Lambeau Field.
But Starr was able to participate, got through the night without any problems and according to his family is incrementally better now than he was two weeks ago in his recovery from two strokes and a heart attack sustained in September of 2014.
“We’ve seen continued cognitive improvement, little baby steps, that are very encouraging,” Starr’s son, Bart Jr., said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “The trip itself, being around the fans, being with Brett, being in Packer territory, definitely provided him a further boost, no question about that.”
Starr, 81, appeared alert and happy during the ceremony despite the cold and rainy night. While riding onto the field on a golf cart with his wife, Cherry, he smiled, waved and clapped to the crowd. He also hugged Favre and Favre’s wife, Deanna.
Starr's son said that even though the family left the Packers' game against the Chicago Bears game in the second half, his 81-year-old father was so engaged because of the events that he watched the game on television until its end.
For weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Starr’s family and therapists had talked to him about the ceremony as a way to motivate him in his physical rehabilitation three days a week. Starr Jr. said that work and the stimulation of the trip to Green Bay appear to have helped because his father is walking better than he was even two weeks ago.
“(By) the day before Thanksgiving he’d already made a lot of progress,” Starr Jr. said. “The purpose of the trip was to honor Brett Favre and reconnect with the fans with whom he has such a great relationship. But as a secondary benefit we were hopeful that what might take place did take place, and that’s continued progress. That’s something to celebrate.”
Along with physical rehabilitation that’s been part of his recovery, Starr about six weeks ago had the second of two experimental stem-cell treatments. Doctors performing the procedure told the family it would take anywhere from two months to six months for the full effects of the treatment to show.
“It certainly (helped) the first time,” Starr's son said of the treatments. “Optimistic it will this time as well. It will really be interesting to see where we are on February 9, right around Super Bowl time.”
As of now, Starr has no plans for more stem cell treatments or other medical procedures.
“I’m not even thinking about that at this point,” Starr's son said. “Right now we’re just trying to take the new found momentum that accelerated following the Thanksgiving appearance and go with that.”
Starr has no major events upcoming to use as goals for his rehabilitation, which the Favre ceremony had been. Starr Jr. said the NFL has talked of possibly bringing former Super Bowl MVPs to this season’s Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, and that if it does, his father’s odds would be much better for attending than they were three or four months ago.
But for now, the Starrs are looking to incorporate smaller pleasures into Bart’s life, such as going out for a meal or perhaps attending a University of Alabama basketball game.
“He hasn’t been able to do many of those things in the last 14 months.” Starr's son said. “I know he and mom went out to dinner just recently and he enjoyed it quite a bit. Little things that might seem mundane for you and me, go get a little snack somewhere, are a big deal if you haven’t been able to do it for over a year.”
pdougher@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @PeteDougherty.
God speed, Bart Starr.
There is no one better, as a QB or as a human being.
Two things.
Bart turns 82 today.
And his family releases some news (from JSO):
Former Packers quarterback Bart Starr suffered a broken hip in a fall at his home, according to a statement from his family released Saturday, but the Hall of Famer is "doing great."
Here is the statement the family released:
“Three days before Christmas, Bart fell in our bathroom and broke his hip. Thankfully, it is a minor break and surgery was not necessary. He will be in a wheelchair for six weeks. He is doing great now. He has no complaints of pain and is in good spirits. It is a bit of a setback, but we are confident he will have a quick and full recovery.
“Coming back to Green Bay for Brett's special day was great medicine for Bart and was a truly magical moment. The welcome he received will always be one of our most treasured memories. We give many thanks to all of our loyal friends and fans for your outpouring of love and support. You will always have a special place in our hearts.”
You are in our thoughts, Bart.
Just posted at USA Today:
Bart Starr won't attend Super Bowl 50
SAN FRANCISCO - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently offered a special invitation to the MVP of Super Bowls I and II.
He wanted Bart Starr and his wife Cherry to attend Super Bowl 50 with him on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“I wanted so much for Bart to be able to do that,” Cherry Starr told USA TODAY Sports by phone this week from their home in Alabama. “I would have given anything.”
Unfortunately, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback is on the mend from a broken hip and is unable to accept the invitation. It’s the latest sad turn in a string of recent health setbacks for him, but Starr, 82, has bounced back from worse and is bouncing back once more, Cherry Starr said. In the last year and a half, Starr suffered:
» Two strokes, a heart attack and several seizures in September 2014.
» A bronchial infection last summer with a heart rate that hit 200 beats a minute and nearly killed him.
» Frustrating limitations after each of those episodes, including barely being able to walk or feed himself.
Yet he still battled back with therapy and even tried experimental stem cell treatments in Mexico on two occasions.
His comeback attempt later seemed to peak last Thanksgiving, when he made a triumphant return to Green Bay for a ceremony honoring Brett Favre, another legendary former Packers quarterback.
“He’s very tough,” said Zeke Bratkowski, Starr’s backup quarterback with the Packers, including during those first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968. “He’s the ultimate gentleman, but he’s very physically tough. And he was that way when he played. He’s very mentally tough also.”
Now he’s showing it again after even more setbacks — a bout with the flu, another infection and the hip injury.
In December, Starr dropped his toothbrush at home and ended up breaking his hip when he fell trying to retrieve it. “It’s been a real setback for him,” Cherry Starr said. “It really has.”
The good news is it wasn’t a bad break. He’s been in a wheelchair for six weeks and is beginning therapy to stand up and walk. X-rays show he’s healing, and Starr hasn’t complained of any discomfort recently, said Cherry Starr, who noted her husband’s “very high pain threshold.”
“If his progress had continued at that point (of his hip injury), there’s no question we’d be out there with you right now (at the Super Bowl),” Cherry Starr said. “I wish we were. I’ve been a little bit sad knowing we can’t be there, and of course Roger has been so sweet checking in on us on a weekly basis. He’s just been so precious.”
The Starrs still have special plans this weekend. On Saturday in San Francisco, Bart Starr Jr. is scheduled to present the Bart Starr Award to Thomas Davis, the Carolina Panthers linebacker. Thomas is battling back from his own broken bone — in his arm — but plans to play in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos.
The Starr Award was created to “honor the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community,”
Meanwhile, Bart and Cherry Starr plan to watch Sunday’s game with Bratkowski and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, who are planning to drive from Florida to spend the weekend with them.
The couples have been friends for around five decades.
“I have nothing but great love for him,” Bratkowski told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s going through this physical thing, and I hope that he continues — after he gets through some of these setbacks — that he can continue to get up and work out, because he was making a lot of progress. … All of his teammates love him and are all very concerned, just hoping and praying things go and get more positive as he keeps going on.”
Another OUTSTANDING Bart Starr story. I wish I had done something like this.
looking good just now from Alabama 
Ammo's link not working for me.
Edit: working now...
Talkin2Phil posted:looking good just now from Alabama
Yup, thumbs up and a #1.
WOW! Never heard about this before.
Agree, Packy.
Original story at al.com sorely needs an edit but still.
Bart probably never would've been a Packer had that not happened.
Ben Starr raised one tough hombre. But we all knew that.
Amazing story about Starr's college days. Grateful he survived and revived his career.
Another recent update on Bart's health:
More stem cell treatments
Another update on Bart.
"As part of our 5-week driving trip around the country, my family had the wonderful opportunity to spend a hour with Bart Starr in Birmingham on Monday at his private fitness/rehab center. Bart Jr came over from the office to meet us first and was as gracious and pleasant as ever. It's amazing how Bart Jr has so many of the great attributes we all associate with his father. Bart's long-time assistant Leigh Ann gave my family a thorough update on Bart before meeting him. My kids are young (son 10, daughter 7, and son 17 months) and Leigh Ann wanted them to understand exactly what Bart has gone through and how to interact with him.
Since I work with Bart (at least until he became ill in 2014), I've been kept aware of Bart's health and recovery, but I was surprised at how well he is in person. He hasn't signed anything since becoming ill and will probably never sign anything again, but he was very alert and responsive both mentally and verbally. He understood nearly everything I or my family said to him and replied in his usual thoughtful and positive way. It's amazing that with all Bart has gone through (stroke-seizure-heart attack....and that was just the start), he is still so positive and encouraging to everyone.
He lit up when seeing my kids and was hugging them and letting them know how special they are. Attached are some photos. My son had just won the national championship in judo the week before and Bart was both congratulating him and letting him know that he will face many challenges down the road and that he should never give up. He spoke in slightly quieter tones than in the past, but he did speak clearly. He smiled and laughed often. He looked very good physically and continues to make progress in all aspects of his recovery. His quality of life is good. He still cares so much about everyone around him and still works to get better each day. He is positive, caring, cheerful, humble, and looking forward to the future. He is still Bart."
This was posted on a Facebook page by Rick Moncher (Bart's sports memorabilia rep). I don't know how I can link directly to this post, but this is the page:
https://www.facebook.com/diehardpackerfans/
There are some accompanying pictures and a better explanation of how they received it.
