Today, we have lost Ingmar Bergman, famed film director, at 89, veteran TV talk show host Tom Snyder, at 71, due to leukemia, and Hall of Fame NFL coach Bill Walsh, at 75, also from leukemia.
While I barely knew Bergman's work, I am aware of its influence on other directors.
Snyder was far better than his critics would concede, and he was the first national TV host to have a show that started after midnight in the East with his ground-breaking Tomorrow show, which started in 1973 and lasted until he was canceled in 1982 to make room for David Letterman at NBC.
Letterman, a fan of Snyder's, brought him back to TV in 1995 at CBS to follow Letterman's 10:30 show. This lasted until snyder tired of the grind in 1998, replaced by Craig Kilborn. Tom will be missed by many who have fond memories of his risk-taking interviews.
Last, but maybe not least, we lose Bill Walsh, who changed the run-run-run mentality of the NFL with his brilliant offenses while coaching the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s. As a Bear fan, I HATED the Niners (except when they were beating Dallas), but I always respected his brilliance. Had he stayed past 1988, he would have been the first NFL coach to win five Super Bowls, IMO.
2 comments:
Bergmann wanted to seek life in fullness, which for him--as an atheist--meant to explore the God question. I was blown away when I saw The Seventh Seal in 2003. Winter Light should be must-seeing for all Pastors, religious workers and people of faith.
I never meshed with Snyder, but admittedly, he was unique and to be cherished as just that, especially in today's conform, conform, conform American Idol media.
Walsh made it possible to think that someone other than the Cowboys might win the Super Bowl from the NFC. He understood passing, really taking what Tarkenton did with Chuck Foreman and spreading it throughout an entire team (my bias, of course). I grew to like Joe Montana in spite of his attendance at that Indiana school of some renown. But I appreciated what Walsh did with the pass and thank heavens as I got sick and tired of watching handoffs to the latest battering ram trying to plow through Jack Lambert.
fwiw, monday was a double blow for film fans. not only did we lose ingmar bergman, but we also lost the great italian director michelangelo antonioni. (most famous movie = Blow-up.)
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