NE_REVIVAL
Footballguy
I'm old enough to remember this tragedy.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/06/29/joe-delaney-died-37-years-ago-today/
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/06/29/joe-delaney-died-37-years-ago-today/
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RIP Joe Delaney (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter NE_REVIVAL
- Start date
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I was going to say "again" but never mind. It sucks he died - but he went out with the ultimate selfless act.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
Such an incredibly sad story, but man....how do you stand there and do nothing while kids drowned? Very brave, & really tragic.
I'm old enough to remember it but I don't remember it actually happening because I did not know about for almost 2 months after it happened. Can you imagine that in today's world? I was 11 soon to be 12, spending the summer with a friend in Mexico, obviously no internet and neither my friends house in Mexico or my own house had ESPN yet. I did not find out until late August when I was reading a preseason mag and when I went to Chiefs write up they casually mentioned need to replace him Delaney since he had passed and I was so confused. Actually took me days to piece together what happened, which was one of the most heroic acts I've still ever heard about.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
I knew about the 1st part. The latter is just....dammit. Hate to see a second chance wasted like that. Makes Joe’s heroic effort no less so though of course.
Stompin' Tom Connors
Footballguy
A lot of thought went through my head being reminded of this tragic loss:
1) What Joe Delaney could have been. The guy was only a few years into his career when he died trying to save these kids. Overcame his father's objections about him playing the sport to become a standout All American at a AA school, raising his stock to a second round pick. Then he went on to become a dynamo -- Pro Bowler, AFC RoY, set 4 Chiefs franchise records and helped them to their first winning season in almost a decade. His next season was shortened by strike and a detached retina injury, then he passed the next year.
2) We need more people like Joe Delaney in this day and age. Delaney was just that kind of guy -- he paid for the funeral of one of his teachers when he learned they couldn't afford it. The kind of guy who would rush into water to save kids when he himself couldn't swim.
3) Learning to swim is a life lesson that everyone should learn. The water the kids were in was only six feet deep. Maybe Joe thought he could handle that, but as an ex-competitive swimmer and lifeguard, you should never underestimate a body of water and even the most experienced swimmers can be drowned trying to save a drowning/panicked person. You can drown in just a thimbleful of water, let alone with a person clutching on to you in a life-or-death situation where they aren't thinking straight. I ardently believe everyone should learn how to swim -- it's a life skill, like reading, that should be taught right away to toddlers, getting them comfortable in the water, learning to float, and basic swimming. Like driving, it's a tool every adult should have.
1) What Joe Delaney could have been. The guy was only a few years into his career when he died trying to save these kids. Overcame his father's objections about him playing the sport to become a standout All American at a AA school, raising his stock to a second round pick. Then he went on to become a dynamo -- Pro Bowler, AFC RoY, set 4 Chiefs franchise records and helped them to their first winning season in almost a decade. His next season was shortened by strike and a detached retina injury, then he passed the next year.
2) We need more people like Joe Delaney in this day and age. Delaney was just that kind of guy -- he paid for the funeral of one of his teachers when he learned they couldn't afford it. The kind of guy who would rush into water to save kids when he himself couldn't swim.
3) Learning to swim is a life lesson that everyone should learn. The water the kids were in was only six feet deep. Maybe Joe thought he could handle that, but as an ex-competitive swimmer and lifeguard, you should never underestimate a body of water and even the most experienced swimmers can be drowned trying to save a drowning/panicked person. You can drown in just a thimbleful of water, let alone with a person clutching on to you in a life-or-death situation where they aren't thinking straight. I ardently believe everyone should learn how to swim -- it's a life skill, like reading, that should be taught right away to toddlers, getting them comfortable in the water, learning to float, and basic swimming. Like driving, it's a tool every adult should have.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
yep - my dad was a lifeguard in college. Used to tell us about how he had studied specialized forms of judo and jujitsu that were developed especially for lifeguards to learn to put holds on people who were drowning, because a panicked person will easily take you down with them by flailing around.
Stuff that had never occurred to me before.
