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Post by chicago77 on Jun 26, 2019 21:52:08 GMT -5
2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Bears, so the Chicago Tribune has put together their list of the 100 greatest Bears players, and has an article about one player each day. Bill Osmanski is #77 on that list. www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/history/ct-spt-bears-best-players-bill-osmanski-20190621-20190621-4vgvxf67dvb3znfwc4kgqqctlq-story.htmlMy only Osmanski memory: My freshman or sophomore year, Bullet Bill was honored at halftime of a football game. The emcee asked Bill about one of his games, leading Bill to launch into a detailed play by play description. He was so enthusiastic that the crowd began egging him on, so he kept going, delaying the start of the second half. Eventually the emcee had to wrestle the microphone away from him so the game could continue.
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Post by hchoops on Jun 26, 2019 21:56:43 GMT -5
Thanks Fine last paragraph in that link
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jun 26, 2019 22:54:26 GMT -5
2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Bears, so the Chicago Tribune has put together their list of the 100 greatest Bears players, and has an article about one player each day. Bill Osmanski is #77 on that list. www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/history/ct-spt-bears-best-players-bill-osmanski-20190621-20190621-4vgvxf67dvb3znfwc4kgqqctlq-story.htmlMy only Osmanski memory: My freshman or sophomore year, Bullet Bill was honored at halftime of a football game. The emcee asked Bill about one of his games, leading Bill to launch into a detailed play by play description. He was so enthusiastic that the crowd began egging him on, so he kept going, delaying the start of the second half. Eventually the emcee had to wrestle the microphone away from him so the game could continue. I was at that game--he went on and on and on. I seem to remember that he also talked about how his Mother didn't want him to play football. Heckuva running back.... I went to a few HC Club of Chicago gatherings when I lived there. Dr Osmanski attended them as did George Connor. My friends in the group said that Bill would grab you by the forearm and say that he had a story to tell.
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Post by beaven302 on Jun 27, 2019 12:55:15 GMT -5
I recall meeting Bill Osmanski at a party in Evanston, IL, back in the fall of 1967 when I was a graduate student at Northwestern. The owner of a large, old Evanston home where I rented a room got me a job mixing drinks at the aforementioned party. When I met Osmanski, my tactless twenty-one-year-old self promptly commented that he was the coach when HC lost to BC 76-0. He said, "Oh, that," and then explained how he had received little support from the HC administration.
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Post by hchoops on Jun 27, 2019 12:58:15 GMT -5
You are fortunate that you were not body slammed
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Post by jkh67 on Jun 27, 2019 21:16:46 GMT -5
2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Bears, so the Chicago Tribune has put together their list of the 100 greatest Bears players, and has an article about one player each day. Bill Osmanski is #77 on that list. www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/history/ct-spt-bears-best-players-bill-osmanski-20190621-20190621-4vgvxf67dvb3znfwc4kgqqctlq-story.htmlMy only Osmanski memory: My freshman or sophomore year, Bullet Bill was honored at halftime of a football game. The emcee asked Bill about one of his games, leading Bill to launch into a detailed play by play description. He was so enthusiastic that the crowd began egging him on, so he kept going, delaying the start of the second half. Eventually the emcee had to wrestle the microphone away from him so the game could continue. I'm happy to report that Osmanski was before my time on the Hill. But he was the gold standard in my time there (1963-1967) and I don't think that's changed since. I love the combination of an outstanding collegiate and pro career with a life-long career as a dentist affiliated with Northwestern. If that's not the paradigm for HC athletics, I don't know what is.
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Post by thecrossisback on Jun 28, 2019 20:40:56 GMT -5
I have an autograph book from the whole 1937 HC football team that went 8-0-2. Osmanski is in it.
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Post by longsuffering on Jun 28, 2019 21:58:11 GMT -5
2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Bears, so the Chicago Tribune has put together their list of the 100 greatest Bears players, and has an article about one player each day. Bill Osmanski is #77 on that list. www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/history/ct-spt-bears-best-players-bill-osmanski-20190621-20190621-4vgvxf67dvb3znfwc4kgqqctlq-story.htmlMy only Osmanski memory: My freshman or sophomore year, Bullet Bill was honored at halftime of a football game. The emcee asked Bill about one of his games, leading Bill to launch into a detailed play by play description. He was so enthusiastic that the crowd began egging him on, so he kept going, delaying the start of the second half. Eventually the emcee had to wrestle the microphone away from him so the game could continue. I'm happy to report that Osmanski was before my time on the Hill. But he was the gold standard in my time there (1963-1967) and I don't think that's changed since. I love the combination of an outstanding collegiate and pro career with a life-long career as a dentist affiliated with Northwestern. If that's not the paradigm for HC athletics, I don't know what is. Somewhat similar to Dr. George Kaftan?
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Post by Tom on Jun 29, 2019 8:54:15 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing.
My grandfather (class of 16) was a high school teacher of Osmanski's down in RI, Supposedly he steered Osmanski to HC. My grandfather died that summer before Osmanski's freshman year. My dad used to tell stories of Osmanski coming to the house and reading to him and my aunts while he was at HC. He stayed in touch with my grandmother to the day she died.
I met Dr Osmanski once. It was at Fr Hart's funeral. Dr Osmanski somehow made it in from Chicago even though there was a bad snowstorm. I was with my father and he introduced himself to Dr Osmanski.
He seemed genuinely grateful that we introduced ourselves. He came across to 22 year old me as a class act
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Post by td128 on Jun 30, 2019 8:32:18 GMT -5
From sharing the news and details regarding the Ring of Honor ceremonies at Holy Cross, I have had the great good fortune of developing some very personal relationships with the individuals and/or their family members of those who have been inducted. I truly treasure these relationships. I do not believe that the individual who wrote me a note back in 2010 after the inaugural Ring of Honor induction, which was attended by her two sons and daughter, would mind if I shared her remarks with the Crusader faithful. I was saddened to learn that she passed a few years ago but I am pleased that she had this memory to take with her as she reconnected once again with her beloved who is undoubtedly the single greatest Crusader to grace the gridiron at Fitton Field.
Dear Larry,
Words can't thank you enough for your kindness and attention to my family. The weekend was one of the highlights of their lives. They came home appreciating Holy Cross and their Dad more than ever.
We are all so proud to know that Bill was selected to be in the inaugural Ring of Honor at Holy Cross. It would have meant so much to him. His success in life was all based on what he learned at Holy Cross and he believed that.
Thank you for everything, Larry. I enjoyed my short relationship with you.
Sincerely,
Mary Osmanski
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 30, 2019 8:55:12 GMT -5
The alums and family members of Holy Cross alums seem, without exception, to be "classy" people. Thanks for sharing this, Larry, as it re-affirms how important the Ring of Honor is and how much this honor is appreciated by those lucky few who get inducted.
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Post by rgs318 on Jun 30, 2019 9:00:03 GMT -5
One spin off from last year. Bergen Catholic has several students joining the HC class of 2024. The entry of two BC grads into the Ring of Honor may have played a role in that
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 30, 2019 9:04:15 GMT -5
Rob, I know with your affiliation to Bergen Catholic that you like to use "BC" shorthand for the high school but, geez, "BC" means Boston College to the vast majority of us and this admittedly out-of-context sentence is still startling.
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Post by rgs318 on Jun 30, 2019 9:10:33 GMT -5
Since I had already spelled out Bergen Catholic in that post, I used abbreviation after that. In the abstract “BC” could also refer to a current and former HC coach.
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 30, 2019 9:37:05 GMT -5
uh-huh and that's why I previously posted my pet peeve about abbreviations on Crossports. We should have a dictionary of abbreviations used and consistency of use among posters. English is a hard enough language with having the same word mean different things depending on context. These Crossports abbreviations are just icing on the cake. My biggest gripe is "HC." It should always mean Holy Cross and not "head coach" which would be fine is one uses lower case "hc." Can we all at least agree "BU" means Boston University and "BuckU" means Bucknell University? I mean, everyone except bison137 and his fellow Bison alums who get a waiver. And, yeah, Rob, I recognize you "got" me with the above.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jun 30, 2019 10:27:31 GMT -5
I always use lower case "bc" when I refer to the college in Chestnut Hill.
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 30, 2019 11:12:44 GMT -5
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Post by purplehaze on Jun 30, 2019 11:13:18 GMT -5
Rob, you must mean ‘class of 2023’ unless you have some inside info on early commitments for students arriving in August of 2020.
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Post by timholycross on Jun 30, 2019 18:54:25 GMT -5
I was told that prior to that season, Osmanski had recruited a great, very talented group of players but every recruited athlete was rejected by admissions. IMHO this was a very significant moment in HC football history, namely HC was not going to sell out, lower its standards for excellence in big-time football. After hearing this story from a Jesuit, I was very proud of the school. I admit that I never checked the veracity of the story but I doubt that any Jesuit would ever mislead a young student. In a way it does sound familiar, sort of? LoveHC Someone told me he was a dentist in Chicago 2 or 3 days a week and flew back here (which had to take 6-8 hours at the time, no jets) and coached the other days. Sounds strange, doesn't it, but maybe someone coaching college football in the late 40s having another job wasn't that unusual. Perhaps he was spread a bit too thin.
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Post by timholycross on Jun 30, 2019 18:57:27 GMT -5
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Post by hchoops on Jun 30, 2019 19:54:04 GMT -5
I was told that prior to that season, Osmanski had recruited a great, very talented group of players but every recruited athlete was rejected by admissions. IMHO this was a very significant moment in HC football history, namely HC was not going to sell out, lower its standards for excellence in big-time football. After hearing this story from a Jesuit, I was very proud of the school. I admit that I never checked the veracity of the story but I doubt that any Jesuit would ever mislead a young student. In a way it does sound familiar, sort of? LoveHC Someone told me he was a dentist in Chicago 2 or 3 days a week and flew back here (which had to take 6-8 hours at the time, no jets) and coached the other days. Sounds strange, doesn't it, but maybe someone coaching college football in the late 40s having another job wasn't that unusual. Perhaps he was spread a bit too thin. Dr. Eddie Anderson was also a part time physician while he coached HC into the early 60s.
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 1, 2019 3:41:31 GMT -5
Rob, you must mean ‘class of 2023’ unless you have some inside info on early commitments for students arriving in August of 2020. You are correct. They will be in the class of 2023.
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Post by nhteamer on Jul 1, 2019 19:22:19 GMT -5
Rob, I know with your affiliation to Bergen Catholic that you like to use "BC" shorthand for the high school but, geez, "BC" means Boston College to the vast majority of us and this admittedly out-of-context sentence is still startling. Bergen Catholic is a better school than CHHC
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