The Dean Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Just saw this on the TBD front page (I LOVE TBD): http://www.buffalonews.com/213/story/35015.html My old next-door neighbor, Larry Felser writes a nice tribute. Lookie lookie, here comes Cookie. The guy was AWESOME!
Bob in STL Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Just saw this on the TBD front page (I LOVE TBD): http://www.buffalonews.com/213/story/35015.html My old next-door neighbor, Larry Felser writes a nice tribute. Lookie lookie, here comes Cookie. The guy was AWESOME! I remember him. He was an amazing player. Simply the best runner, blocker, and tackler on the team. He loved to hit, he could catch, kick, and he even told Kemp he was a passer them Jack was . He played with a mean streak and was very controversial. He was a real character. Legend has it that to make a few extra bucks he sold Christmas trees in front of the old Rockpile before games. Ralph Wilson said he could do it but Lou Saban was not very happy about it. He would be an impact player in today's era. He could start at RB and at LB and be a Pro Bowl player. He was that good.
Marv's Neighbor Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I always thought he was a better over all player than Jim Brown. It's too bad he played before the league merger and didn't get more exposure to showcase his talent.
The Dean Posted March 18, 2007 Author Posted March 18, 2007 Strange, but true AFL stories: http://hometown.aol.com/bdkbubco/Stories1.html Here's an excerpt: He was a sports corporate spokesman before there were sports corporate spokesmen. And Cookie spoke for the corportation called Cookie Gilchrist Enterprises. Cookie sold Christmas trees outside War Memorial Stadium, the old home of the Bills. He sold Cookie Gilchrist earmuffs. He was working on a deal to drill for oil in northern Canada as well as mine copper in Zambia. Wherever there was a buck to made, there was Cookie. But whenever a deal went bad, there was Cookie also. In the general manager's or owner's office with his hand out, either wanting an advance on his salary or an outright raise. Once Gilchrist took himself out of a game because he had stayed out way too late the night before. That move promptly got him suspended by head coach Lou Saban. But quarterback Jack Kemp came to Cookie's rescue and got him reinstated before the 1964 Championship between the Bills and the defending champion Chargers. Cookie got traded to the Denver Broncos in 1965 and was late reporting to camp. He hadn't signed a contract and wanted to be traded to Oakland. He was fined and eventually reported (when 28 sportwriters for AFL cities were at the camp). There he held a press conference. Among the topics other than football was the 450 tons of tungsten that Cookie's corporation had just located on the estate of Lord Angusy in South Wales. Then Gilchrist went into his sales pitch to solicit investors. Despite the distraction that he caused, Cookie still turned in an All-AFL performance that season.
bdelma Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 My first impression of him was in 1964 watching smash people with that running style. A brute. Then a year later to traded to Denver for friggin Billy Joe.
The Dean Posted March 18, 2007 Author Posted March 18, 2007 This is really more of a Lou Saban story, but it has a Cookie reference. Really shows what the AFL and, particularly, the Bills was/were all about: Bills great Paul Maguire was asked about coach Lou Saban’s legendary motivational tactics. He recalled an offbeat moment in the locker room before the ‘64 AFL Championship Game. “The Chargers were in the tunnel, and the official comes in and tells us we’ve got five minutes. We’re waiting for Lou, and Lou never came. Finally Lou runs down the ramp and jumps up on the middle of the table and says, ‘Everything that’s been said has been said . . . So the only thing I can tell you guys now is heads down and toes up.’ Cookie Gilchrist opened the door and turned around and said, ’What the heck does that mean?’ And Saban said, ’How do I know? I’m as nervous as you are.’ And we started laughing. So we went down the steps into the tunnel. We were lined up alongside the Chargers. And I had just played four years with those guys, and our whole team was laughing . . . . John Hadl looked at me and said, ‘Gonna be that easy?’ And I said, ‘I can’t explain it to you, you’d never understand.’ “Lou didn’t have any idea what he was saying but he loosened the team up and we went out and beat the hell out of them.” Excerpted from Mark Gaughan, Buffalo News, June 12, 2005
ExWNYer Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Just saw this on the TBD front page (I LOVE TBD): http://www.buffalonews.com/213/story/35015.html My old next-door neighbor, Larry Felser writes a nice tribute. Lookie lookie, here comes Cookie. The guy was AWESOME! I read it, too. When I was a little kid, my dad used to regale me with stories of Cookie's exploits. Dad said GC was unbelievable. I was only a baby during his heyday and the Bills' AFL glory years so I missed out on seeing him. To this day, I wish I could have gotten to watch him play. It's too bad the way things have turned out for him but it's nice to see that he's letting go of his anger.
I 90 Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 My father's favorite Toronto Argonaut ( and a five time CFL all star). Sadly, according to Wikipedia, the only player to reject enshrinement in the CFL Hall of Fame. His story surely requires more telling than the odd Buffalo News/Toronto Star column.
Flbillsfan#1 Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I was a young boy when Cookie ran wild for the Bills. He is still my all time favorate Bills running back. I know first hand what he is going through as I have throat cancer myself. (I never smoked or chewed) I have responded to treatment so well my chance of survival went from 56% to 86%. I still have six weeks of radation & chemo treatment to go ( at least it is the off season ) I just hope Cookie is doing as well.
tennesseeboy Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I always thought he was a better over all player than Jim Brown. It's too bad he played before the league merger and didn't get more exposure to showcase his talent. Actually he didn't go to college and was cut by Cleveland Browns. Lost the job to jim Brown. He played linebacker and could easily have played offensive line as well as positions mentioned. In Canada I believe he was a punter as well... Without ANY doubt the best fullback we ever had.
tennesseeboy Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I was a young boy when Cookie ran wild for the Bills. He is still my all time favorate Bills running back. I know first hand what he is going through as I have throat cancer myself. (I never smoked or chewed) I have responded to treatment so well my chance of survival went from 56% to 86%. I still have six weeks of radation & chemo treatment to go ( at least it is the off season ) I just hope Cookie is doing as well. Hope BOTH of you do well....although I don't think you were half the fullback Cookie was!
oregonbbfan Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I too had the good fortune to see Cookie many times. He was brutal and I would not have liked to had to tackle him. I also saw Jim Brown and Cookie was a combination of him and Bettis. A fast, agile battering ram. You never had to worry when it was 4th and two. And correct, he had that nasty streak and would battle until he was piled on by more than one player. And , we won the Championship with him. God speed in overcoming the throat Cancer Cookie, Flbillsfan#1 as well as my friend Duggy going through the treatment now too.
bdelma Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 How about Cookie and Lou on the wall BILLS! What the hell are you waiting for. I know it takes two to tangle but come-on.
Bob in STL Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Actually he didn't go to college and was cut by Cleveland Browns. Lost the job to jim Brown. He played linebacker and could easily have played offensive line as well as positions mentioned. In Canada I believe he was a punter as well... Without ANY doubt the best fullback we ever had. I thought that Paul Brown tried to sneak Cookie on his roster after he finished high school and could not do it due to a rule that Brown himself initiated. So he sent him to the Canadian League with the hope of getting him back later. Cookie swore he would never play for Paul Brown and was essentially blackballed for the time. Meanwhile, Jim Brown came out of Syracuse after competing in a big time college program and went on to greatness. I am not sure Cookie and Jim Brown ever actually competed for a job, could be though. Could you imagine both of them in a backfield? Cookie as the fullback. He loved blocking and hitting. He was bigger than most guards and linebackers at that time. Not to mention way stronger and faster.
/dev/null Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I'm surprised nobody has mentioned his acting career yet...2 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies IMDB linky
PromoTheRobot Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I plan to e-mail the Bills and ask them to honor Cookie this season. Do it ASAP! First pre-season game if you have to. (Could sell more tickets.) Cookie may not last that long. Bring him to RWS so he can hear the fans cheer for him one more time. PTR
bdelma Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Ralph has the high hard one for Lou and Cookie. Turn the page old Man and do what the fans deserve!
Flbillsfan#1 Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 How about Cookie and Lou on the wall BILLS! What the hell are you waiting for. I know it takes two to tangle but come-on.I think All Bills Fans would love to see this C'mon Marv make it happen, if anyone can reason with Ralrh it's Marve. Thanks to everyone for there well wishes.
Bills4154 Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 I think All Bills Fans would love to see this C'mon Marv make it happen, if anyone can reason with Ralrh it's Marve. Thanks to everyone for there well wishes. Good luck to you flbillsfan and to Cookie. I thought that was a great article in the Buffalo News today by Larry Felser. Cookie was one h of a physical speciman and a great football player. Come on Ralph, Lou and Cookie on The Wall.
Bob in STL Posted March 18, 2007 Posted March 18, 2007 Good luck to you flbillsfan and to Cookie. I thought that was a great article in the Buffalo News today by Larry Felser. Cookie was one h of a physical speciman and a great football player. Come on Ralph, Lou and Cookie on The Wall. He was an amazing physical speciman, a great all around player and ... one of the first outspoken, controversial, head cases too. Back then Saban grew tired of his antics, by todays standards he just sounds like a pretty funny character. I thought there was a book and a movie in-work on his life, but in typical Cookie fasion, the projects were shelved because he want more money $.
Recommended Posts