USA Sports Deaths: 2007 Quiz | USA by Year

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In four consecutive Olympic Games, this track and field athlete won a gold medal in each one. He died at the age of 71 in 2007. Who was this star discus athlete?

Answer: Al Oerter

Al won his Gold's in the 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968 Olympics in the discus competition. He died of a heart attack on October 1. Oerter was the first Olympic athlete in the world to win four consecutive Gold's in the same event. U.S. track star Carl Lewis later also accomplished this feat in a same event.

2. He was a Yankee Hall of Famer, and went to nine World Series with the team. After retiring in 1956, he later became their broadcasting voice to New York fans. Owner George Steinbrenner said after his death, "I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop." Who was this that died just short of his 90th birthday?

Answer: Phil Rizzuto

Phil played in 13 seasons from 1941-1956, losing some to war. Nine of those seasons resulted in World Series appearances, and his Yankees won seven of those. His only losses came from the 1942 Cardinals and 1955 Dodgers. Hitting only 38 home runs in his career, he had two to his credit in series play. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, and died in August 2007.

3. One of the lowest-keyed NFL coaches in history, he took a team to three Super Bowl victories in his career. Who was this that died at the age of 75 of leukemia on July 30?

Answer: Bill Walsh

Walsh was an assistant offensive coach in San Diego before becoming head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. That 1979 team also saw a rookie by the name of Joe Montana. Walsh had been called a 'genius' by many, and showed this season after season, as retiring with a 92-59-1 career record in 1988.

In the postseason he was 10-4. Walsh took the 49ers to three Super Bowl titles. Walsh was also given credit for mentoring quarterback Dan Fouts as a young QB in San Diego. Ironically, both Fouts and Walsh were inducted together into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1993.

4. After a tremendous hit by Oakland Raider Jack Tatum in 1978, the rest of this wide receiver's life was spent in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic. He died in April at the age of 55. Who was this NFL patriot?

Answer: Darryl Stingley

Not just a patriot, but a real Patriot. Darryl was a 1973 first round pick from Purdue. His only postseason appearance was against Oakland in the 1976 AFC Divisional playoff, losing to the Raiders 24-21. Stingley's autopsy revealed many contributory factors in his death, including bronchial pneumonia, quadriplegia, spinal cord injury, and coronary atherosclerosis.

5. Nascar and the auto racing world took a hit in 2007, losing which former champion?

Answer: Benny Parsons

Benny was the 1973 champion, driving on a shoestring budget in a non-sponsored Chevrolet. He won that championship over Cale Yarborough. Parsons was the first Nascar driver to break the 200mph mark in qualifying. He won the 1975 Daytona 500, the prince of races, and had back-to-back victories at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1979 and 1980.

After crawling out of the car for good, Benny became a Nascar broadcaster. Ironically, Benny went from taxi driver to Nascar champion. He died January 16 at the age of 65.

6. Before becoming a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints, this man was also an assistant under the great Tom Landry. His son later became a NFL head coach of the 49ers also. Who was this that the sports world lost on November 11?

Answer: Dick Nolan

As a player, Dick was a defensive back. He was head coach for 12 seasons, retiring with a 69-82-5 record. His final season was with the 0-12 Saints in 1980. Dick Nolan was 75 when he died. Dick's son Mike, took the helm of the 2005 49ers for the first time, ending the season with a 4-12 record.

7. On June 23, Major League baseball lost a save specialist, who was runner-up for saves in the National League four times in the 1990s. Who was this that made him name with the Giants?

Answer: Rod Beck

In 704 career games, Beck never started even one. Although never seeing a World Series game in his 13 seasons, he was selected to the all-star game three times while playing in two. Rod spent seven seasons in San Francisco from 1991-1997. In 2004, he left the Padres for a drug rehabilitation issue, never to return to the game. Beck died at the age of 38.

8. An institution himself, this 57-season Grambling State football coach died in April at the age of 88. Who was this great?

Answer: Eddie Robinson

At the age of 22 in 1941, Eddie took the next 57 Grambling seasons to a 408-165-15 record. Robinson retired in 1997, and his 408 wins set a collegiate record at any level until that was broken in 2003. Eddie had Alzheimer's disease for some time before his death.

9. The Father of Nascar, who was chairman to the sport for 31 years, died in June 2007 at the age of 74. Who was this?

Answer: Bill France Jr.

Running a small southern racing circuit, France Jr. turned it into what Nascar is today. He replaced his father as chairman in 1972. Like his father, France Jr. never backed down from a driver and always made decisions on what was good for the sport. Bill Jr's son Brian, took over the chairmanship in 2003.

10. This 10-season Philadelphia Phillie infielder later went on to manage the club. He was a member of their 1980 championship team. Who was this that died on March 8, at the age of 59?

Answer: John Vukovich

The others never managed. John played his career, mostly as a Phillie from 1971-1982, missing the 1978 season. He never led the league or even the team in anything, and retired with a .161 average. He managed the team for only one season in 1988.

Source: Author Nightmare

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USA Sports Deaths: 2007 Trivia Quiz

All multiple choice to pay tribute to those sports figures in the U.S. who died in 2007. I hope that you are not shocked by any! :-)

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