Rest In Peace George Atkinson

[Raider727]

[Jeevo]

Another piece of the legendary years passes. RIP.

[Attyla]

Another piece of the legendary years passes. RIP.

I never met but one member of the Soul Patrol. I met Tatum, but George was always interesting to me and would have loved to pick his brain a bit. I am feeling a bit old at the moment having learned of his passing this morning.

[erickench]

He and Jack Tatum were the most feared safety tandem in football. Rest in peace.

They sure were. They crippled people for life.

[mranquales]

Peace Be the Journey.

[Raider727]

The Hitman: George Atkinson

[Raider727]

[ALLRAIDERWORLD21]

Rest In Peace George. Another Old School Raider joins Al

[RaiderandBulldog]

He was a lot of fun to watch when he gave interviews for NFL Films.

Rip Raider legend.

[RunOverByHubbard]

Well, another Raider from the good 'ol days and the days we were almost always winning. I have told this story before, but not for a long time and probably not on this Forum. Here you go:

My best friend was a grad student at Stanford U. in the mid-70's. He worked for the student radio station (FM 90.1). He got a press pass in order to go to the summer training camp in Santa Rosa (for you older guys, remember the El Rancho Tropicana?). He carried around a cassette tape recorder and asked questions of all kinds of players with the supposed purpose being to cover the team for the Stanford community. Hah! He did it just to hang out with the Raiders and tell me about it. I was going to school back East at the time, so he mailed me the cassette tapes so i could hear the interviews. Anyway, the one with Atkinson was amazing. Among other things he said this (and I can am pretty sure I remember 90% of it):

George: "Tatum and I have a contest every year during the regular season. Whoever knocks out the most opponents wins the bet." My friend: "How do you knock them out?" George:" you got to hit 'em high (and emphasis in a low voice and with a lot of feeling on "high").

Later, I mused: what if Chuck Noll had that tape in the lawsuit brought by Atkinson (for slander) against Noll for calling Atkinson and Tatum "a criminal element" in the NFL. I mean, the words he spoke to my friend made it clear that they were out to hurt people. But meanwhile, RIP George.

[Jeevo]

Well, another Raider from the good 'ol days and the days we were almost always winning. I have told this story before, but not for a long time and probably not on this Forum. Here you go:

My best friend was a grad student at Stanford U. in the mid-70's. He worked for the student radio station (FM 90.1). He got a press pass in order to go to the summer training camp in Santa Rosa (for you older guys, remember the El Rancho Tropicana?). He carried around a cassette tape recorder and asked questions of all kinds of players with the supposed purpose being to cover the team for the Stanford community. Hah! He did it just to hang out with the Raiders and tell me about it. I was going to school back East at the time, so he mailed me the cassette tapes so i could hear the interviews. Anyway, the one with Atkinson was amazing. Among other things he said this (and I can am pretty sure I remember 90% of it):

George: "Tatum and I have a contest every year during the regular season. Whoever knocks out the most opponents wins the bet." My friend: "How do you knock them out?" George:" you got to hit 'em high (and emphasis in a low voice and with a lot of feeling on "high").

Later, I mused: what if Chuck Noll had that tape in the lawsuit brought by Atkinson (for slander) against Noll for calling Atkinson and Tatum "a criminal element" in the NFL. I mean, the words he spoke to my friend made it clear that they were out to hurt people. But meanwhile, RIP George.

One of my daughter's ex basketball coaches once contacted the local paper of a small bedroom commmunity and asked if he could get press credentials to write a story on a local kid trying to make it in the NBA. They agreed and he then started trying to get access to a Lakers game during the Showtime years and was successful after a relatively short period of time. He took his sister as a photographer and had full press access, dressing room after the game, etc.. They were on the floor just behind one of the baskets for the game. He was a huge Magic fan in particular and Lakers in general. There was no local kid trying to make it at the time. I wish I would have been as resourceful.

[Attyla]

One of my daughter's ex basketball coaches once contacted the local paper of a small bedroom commmunity and asked if he could get press credentials to write a story on a local kid trying to make it in the NBA. They agreed and he then started trying to get access to a Lakers game during the Showtime years and was successful after a relatively short period of time. He took his sister as a photographer and had full press access, dressing room after the game, etc.. They were on the floor just behind one of the baskets for the game. He was a huge Magic fan in particular and Lakers in general. There was no local kid trying to make it at the time. I wish I would have been as resourceful.

piggy back off of here. You moderate a Raiders news source and you want to get a press pass. I bet you could make that stick

[raiderboyron]

piggy back off of here. You moderate a Raiders news source and you want to get a press pass. I bet you could make that stick

It worked really well. We had a member at FIB that did just that and got her press pass! Sidelines reporting and she was the photographer also. Plus press box. Don't remember about locker room access.