January 2, 2010

 
      As always in a new year, this column remembers some who died during the old one.
 
     We lost Don Meredith, a wonderful quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, who threw fast balls faster than just about anyone.  And George Steinbrenner, the imperious owner of the imperious New York Yankees.
 
     We lost Robert Byrd, longest serving senator ever, a West Virginia Democrat who once endorsed racial segregation but mended his ways;  lost John Murtha, a Congressman from Pennsylvania who understood the politics of pork much better than most.  We lost Alexander Haig, who announced from the White House, "I'm in charge here," as Richard Nixon was resigning the presidency.  We lost Elizabeth Edwards, who battled an unfaithful husband and cancer, and, sadly, lost.
 
      We lost Daniel Schorr, a gifted reporter who made Nixon's "Enemies List;"  lost J.D. Salinger, a gifted writer;  Lena Horne, a gifted singer;   Billy Taylor, a pianist who helped give birth to modern jazz;  and Tony Curtis, whose name graced movie marquees for many years.
 
     Lost John Wooden, perhaps the most gifted basketball coach ever;  Bob Guccione who have us Penthouse, a magazine only some of us wanted. 
 
 
Oh--and we lost Paul, the octopus who correctly predicted all those World Cup soccer matches.  He was two.