To Absent Friends - Gino Marchetti

Gino Marchetti

1926-2019

First, the facts about Pro Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti, who died earlier this week at the age of 93.

Marchetti played pro football for fourteen seasons from 1952 through 1966, all with the Baltimore Colts franchise.  He virtually redefined to position of defensive end in the game.  He played in eleven pro bowls, on two NFL championship teams,  was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972, and was selected to both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary teams.  "He revolutionized the way you play that position in the NFL", said his one time coach, Don Shula.

He made a key play late in the game in the 1958 title game that allowed the Colts to get the ball back from the Giants and drive the field to tie the game and send it into overtime, the first time that had ever happened. The Colts won that game in overtime.  That game has been called the "greatest game ever played", and it is universally accepted that that game served as the springboard that allowed the NFL and pro football to leap past all other sports to become the behemoth among all American sports leagues that it has become.

Shortly after that 1958 title game, Marchetti secured a loan from Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom that allowed him to open a small hamburger restaurant in the Baltimore area.  Gino's became highly successful, eventually having franchised restaurants in over 400 locations, and ended up being sold to the Marriott Corporation in 1982 for $48 million.

And on top of all of that, Marchetti was a very handsome guy to boot.  Look at that photo at the top of this post.

So, all in all, a highly successful life and one worth celebrating and remembering, but I probably wasn't going to write this post until I heard Tony Kornheiser discussing Marchetti on his podcast earlier in the week.  He said that the  producer of PTI asked if they wanted to mention Marchetti's passing on the show, and they decided not to for the simple reason that it would be an incredibly small portion of the PTI audience who would have any idea at all as to just who Gino Marchetti was.  Now I suppose you could say that that is precisely why you SHOULD have mentioned it, but the point is still well taken.  When you live a long life, as Marchetti did, you end up surviving everyone who might remember you.  

Me, I'll turn 68 later this year, and I certainly remember the name Gino Marchetti, and probably saw him play on television back in the day, but I can't honestly say "yeah, I remember seeing Marchetti play for the Colts."  The Baltimore Colts, that is, and an even sadder irony is that there is no doubt an entire generation or two of football fans who have no recollection of the Baltimore Colts,  much less any memory of one of their greatest players ever.

I'm not sure what point that I am trying to make here, but it brings to mind this quote my pal Dan Bonk throws at me from time to time from that famous football scout from the Old Roman League....

RIP Gino Marchetti.

Marchetti zeros in on Bart Starr