The Senator Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Sad news. One of the toughest RBs to ever lace up the cleats, he fought off cancer for several years. Wish RW would get over past differences & put Cookie (and Lou Saban) up on The Wall. RIP
dwight in philly Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) Sad news. One of the toughest RBs to ever lace up the cleats, he fought off cancer for several years. Wish RW would get over past differences & put Cookie (and Lou Saban) up on The Wall. RIP truly agree, ralph should have gotten over the differences. in cookie's case however, it may have been partially cookie's fault also. i had heard they made overtures to him, but he put a price tag on his agreeing to show up. Edited January 10, 2011 by dwight in philly
Helpmenow Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 You can't stop him without a solid shot. The longer the game goes, the more effective Cookie becomes." Holub, the 225-pound Kansas City linebacker, says: "If you hit him low, he works on you with his knees. If you hit him high, you get a stiff-arm. You have to hit him around the middle and clamp your arms around him or he'll tear your arms off. If he gets through a hole at the line of scrimmage, it's hell on the linebackers." Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1076725/3/index.htm#ixzz1AeaSBKn2 There is nobody who was that feared. Beast Mode is a child.
yungmack Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Had he played a continuous ten years with one team, without the off-the-field distractions, I truly believe he would have gone down as the greatest back in history. A couple of interesting things about Cookie: Paul Brown signed him out of high schoolthen hid him in Canada where he learned to play -- and excel at --rugby. And he was one of the AFL players who forced the league to move its pro bowl game from New Orleans because of the racial climate there. That was a huge event at the time, first because pro players never, ever went up against owners at that time. And secondly, because black players were supposed to be just grateful they were even allowed to play the pro game at all. Jack Kemp and other white players joined in the "rebellion." Meanwhile, over in the NFL, the status quo ante prevailed. The Redskins, for example, didn't even have a black player until 1968. Guys like Cookie made the AFL cool, great, and by the time of the merger, the better league. I'd like to imagine that when he died, a chorus went up in The Afterworld of "Lookie, lookie, here comes Cookie."
Buftex Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) I was born in 1965, so I am too young to remember Cookie. All I know, my brother, 8 years older, and my old man, always said he was the greatest Bill of all time. My dad, a police officer, who was privy to a lot of then unknown insider info/gossip on OJ Simpson (the hero of my youth)always assured me that Gilchrist was twice the player Simpson was...I can't verify that, but I like to think it is true...I have heard Larry Felser, on more than one occasion, say that Cookie Gilchrist was every bit the football player that Jim Brown was. Larry's better days might be behind him, but he was as up close to pro football in that era as anyone...I will take his word on that. I have been a fan of those 60's teams, the ones I am too young to remember, because, in my mind, they could do no wrong...Cookie sounds like he was quite a character. Outspoken, flamboyant, he always wanted to make sure he got his. And who could blame him, given the times he played. Funny, if you watch the 1964 Bills highlight real (glorified propaganda pieces for the teams)the narrator, as bland and generic as they were, always makes reference to Cookies' love of money. I don't blame the man, but, it is sad, in some ways, that his contract demands, particularly in a time when black athletes were still viewed unfavorably by so many, may have obscured how great a player he is remembered as, and, may have affected his career...alas, a sad day, as the men who made up those iconic AFL Bills teams diminish in number...RIP Cookie Gilchrist... Edited January 10, 2011 by Buftex
Golden Wheels Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 RIP Cookie. A genuine badass on the field. A man with a tremendous amount of pride. Sometimes that pride and stubbornness brought him trouble, but his role in the boycott of the 1965 AFL all star game in New Orleans should not be forgotten. The black players were not getting equal treatment or accomodations, and Cookie was one of the players who led a united front against prejudicial treatment. http://uareasuperstar2.net/65Boycott.html
Bufcomments Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 RIP Cookie My Pops always said Cookie was the best back the Bills ever had...OJ included. Never saw him play so I guess ill take his word on it. Now can we get him on the Wall of Fame????
Helpmenow Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 RIP Cookie My Pops always said Cookie was the best back the Bills ever had...OJ included. Never saw him play so I guess ill take his word on it. Now can we get him on the Wall of Fame???? Ole man wilson won't let him on. Give it up.
BuffaloBud Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Wish I could have seen him play. For the old timers, who would have compared to him in todays game? Goodspeed.
dwight in philly Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Wish I could have seen him play. For the old timers, who would have compared to him in todays game? Goodspeed. that is an interesting question!, ickey woods comes to mind, but that was 20 years ago, today, michael turner?
dollars 2 donuts Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 RIP, Cookie, and here's hoping you can go up on the wall.
Marv's Neighbor Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 that is an interesting question!, ickey woods comes to mind, but that was 20 years ago, today, michael turner? Maybe Earl Campbell? RIP Cookie!
dwight in philly Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Maybe Earl Campbell? RIP Cookie! yep! that is probably the best comparison!
Bob in STL Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 I saw him play many times at the Rock Pile. Huge loss. He was a beast on the field and a good guy all around. I was young and Gilchrist, Kemp, Dubenion and Sestak were my heros. Rest in peace Cookie. Ditto. We had an awesome team back then and Cookie was the best all around football player in the league. ANY league. He could run, catch and throw. He could (and did) kick-off and tackle. He really loved to block and when he did he literally blew people up. RIP You can't stop him without a solid shot. The longer the game goes, the more effective Cookie becomes." Holub, the 225-pound Kansas City linebacker, says: "If you hit him low, he works on you with his knees. If you hit him high, you get a stiff-arm. You have to hit him around the middle and clamp your arms around him or he'll tear your arms off. If he gets through a hole at the line of scrimmage, it's hell on the linebackers." Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1076725/3/index.htm#ixzz1AeaSBKn2 There is nobody who was that feared. Beast Mode is a child. Beast Mode is no Cookie. Earl Campbell was the closest I have seen to him. He loved to hit people and at the time he was bigger than most of the LB's in the league. I recall a game against the Jets, Cookie was running into the end zone and he slowed down, changed direction, and ran directly at a Jets saftey ... just to run him over before he scored!!!
Bills4154 Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 http://blogs.buffalonews.com/billboard/2011/01/cookie-gilcrhist-is-dead.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fbuffalonews%2Fbillboard+%28BillBoard%29 RIP Cookie Gilchrist. Died at 75 this AM. As tough a runner as we will ever see. Thanks for leading us to the championship in 64.. RIP Cookie! You were an outstanding runner in your era.
BuffaloBud Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Attached is an article from 2007 Pittsburgh Tribune - Linky
ShelfromNJ Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 RIP. I remember him carrying 3 tacklers on his back and still made 4 to 5 yards. He was a Jim Brown type runner and he may have been better. I saw both play and if Cookie played entirely in the NFL I am sure he would be in the HOF.
boyst Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) Sad day to lose a member of our wall of fame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeQYK59rMmY Found this... Edited January 10, 2011 by jboyst62
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