Notable deaths from the sporting world

January & February

 Jan. 1 -- John Steadman, who chronicled Baltimore's NFL teams for a half century and was one of the few sports writers to attend every Super Bowl, died at age 73. Steadman, a longtime columnist, attended every NFL game played by a Baltimore team since 1950 until December of 2000.

 Jan. 3 -- Marty Glickman, a track star who was pulled from the 1936 Berlin Olympics because he was Jewish and later enjoyed a long career as a broadcaster, died at age 83. Glickman starred in track and football at Syracuse and was selected for the Berlin Games. On the eve of the 400-meter relay, he and teammate Sam Stoller were pulled from the race. They were told by American team officials that because they were Jewish a victory would embarrass the host Nazis. Glickman first did college basketball doubleheaders from Madison Square Garden in 1945. He was the voice of the New York Knicks, NFL Giants and New York Jets. He also was the first voice of the NBA on network television, in 1954.

 Jan. 3 -- Jack Fleming, the former Pittsburgh Steelers announcer famous for his dramatic call of the "Immaculate Reception," died at age 77. Fleming's colorful descriptions of Jerry West as a collegian during 42 years of broadcasting West Virginia University football and basketball earned him a reputation among his peers as one of the best play-by-play men ever. Fleming announced four Super Bowls, numerous college bowl games, the 1960 Rome Olympics, and NCAA Final Fours.

 Jan. 3 -- Dr. Robert Kerr, a sports medicine specialist known as the "steroid guru" for supplying athletes with performance-enhancing drugs, died at age 65. Kerr was a controversial figure in the 1980s, when he talked openly about administering steroids to athletes.

 Jan. 4 -- Bob Snyder, who won three NFL championships with the Chicago Bears and later coached in the NFL and college, died at age 87. Snyder was a quarterback and placekicker for the Cleveland Rams and Chicago Bears. He helped the Bears to three championships, including the Bears 73-0 romp over Washington in the 1940 championship. He became the NFL's youngest coach in 1947 at age 34 with the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland. The Rams finished 6-6 that year.

 Jan. 6 -- Sigge Bergman, a top executive with skiing's governing body for more than 30 years, died at age 95. Bergman served as chairman of the International Ski Federation between 1946 and 1961. He was its secretary general from 1961 to 1979. Bergman worked as a sports official and represented Sweden during 13 Winter Olympics.

 Jan. 7 -- Kenny Durrett, described by many as the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Pittsburgh, died at age 52. Durrett was an All-American at La Salle and scored 1,679 points, an average of 23.7 per game. He led La Salle to the National Invitation Tournament in 1971.

 Jan. 7 -- Lowell Perry, a star football player at Michigan in the 1950s who became the first black assistant coach in the NFL after World War II, died at age 66.

 Jan. 11 -- Louis Krages, 51, a German racing car driver who won the Le Mans 24 Hour in 1985, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Krages also won the Daytona 24 Hours in 1991.

 Jan. 12 -- Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, who held the world record for the triple-jump and became Brazil's most successful Olympian, died at age 73. Da Silva is the only Brazilian to win two Olympic (1952 and 1956) gold medals.

 Jan. 12 -- Affirmed, the last winner of horse racing's Triple Crown, was euthanized at age 26. Affirmed was retired to stud in 1979 after a career in which he won 14 stakes races and more than $2.3 million. In winning the 1978 Triple Crown, Affirmed held off challenges by Alydar, who finished second in each race, coming closer to victory each time.

 Jan. 12 -- Jozsef Csermak, who emerged from obscurity to become the first athlete to throw the hammer over 60 meters, died at age 68. Csermak's gold-winning toss of 60.34 meters (197.97 feet) at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics broke the world record of 59.88 m (196.46 feet) set by fellow Hungarian Imre Nemeth two years earlier.

 Jan. 19 -- Andy Dudish, who played for Georgia in the 1943 Rose Bowl and spent three seasons in the NFL, died at age 82. Dudish was a halfback, cornerback and punt returner for the Bulldogs who beat UCLA 9-0 in the 1943 Rose Bowl.

 Jan. 20 -- Eddie Donovan, the general manager who helped build the New York Knicks' two championship teams in the 1970s, died at age 78. Donovan was general manager of the Knicks from 1963-70, acquiring Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Cazzie Russell and Phil Jackson.

 Jan. 22 -- Tommie Agee, the center fielder who made two of the greatest catches in World Series history to help the New York Mets win their unexpected title in 1969, died at age 58. Agee spent 12 seasons in the major leagues with Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, the Mets, Houston and St. Louis, finishing with a .255 career average, 130 home runs and 433 RBIs.

 Jan. 26 -- Al McGuire, the Hall of Fame coach who took his love of basketball from the streets of New York to the NCAA championship and the broadcast booth, died at age 72. McGuire was one of college basketball's most successful coaches leading Marquette to 11 postseason appearances, capped with an NCAA title in 1977. McGuire finished with a career coaching record of 405-143, including a 295-80 mark at Marquette. He joined NBC after winning the NCAA title, and his constant banter with fellow analyst Billy Packer became a staple for college basketball fans.

 Jan. 26 -- Diane Whipple, 33, St. Mary's College lacrosse coach, died after a vicious dog attack in the hallway of her apartment building. Whipple was a two-time first team All-American lacrosse player at Penn State and was named NCAA National Player of the Year in 1990. She was on the Penn State squads that captured the NCAA Championships in 1987 and 1989.

 Jan. 27 -- Oklahoma State basketball players, Nate Fleming and Dan Lawson, six staffers and broadcasters associated with the program were killed in a plane crash in Byers, Colo.

 Jan. 28 -- Curt Blefary, the 1965 American League Rookie of the Year, died at age 57. Blefary, a member of the Baltimore Orioles team that won the 1966 World Series, played eight seasons in the major leagues with three other teams.

 Feb. 2 -- Carol Anne Letheren, one of the few female members of the International Olympic Committee and a key figure for Canada in international amateur sports, died at age 58. Letheren, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Association, was appointed to the IOC in 1990. She served as COA president from 1990-94 and was its chief officer from 1994 until her death.

 Feb. 4 -- Eddie Parker, the legendary pool player known as "Fast Eddie" and the inspiration for the movie "The Hustler," died at a pool tournament in Texas at age 69. Parker was one of the best money players in pocket billiards.

 Feb. 4 -- Alois Lipburger, 44, the coach of Austria's ski jumping team was killed in a car accident returning home from a World Cup event in Germany.

 Feb. 5 -- Theodore M. O'Leary, a former player at Kansas and one of the last links to basketball inventor James Naismith, died at age 90. O'Leary, who took a class taught by Naismith at Kansas, led the Big Six in scoring, was an All-America in 1931-32 under coach Phog Allen and was the No. 1 player on the school's tennis team.

 Feb. 11 -- Raymond Lewis, a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973, died at age 48. Lewis, a 6-foot-1 guard, never played in the NBA despite a spectacular career at Cal State Los Angeles. As a college freshman, he once scored 73 points in a game against UC Santa Barbara.

 Feb. 12 -- Tiberio Mitri, a former European middleweight boxing champion who unsuccessfully challenged Jake La Motta for the world title, died at age 74. Mitri was European champion from 1949-1950 and again in 1954. He went the distance with Jake La Motta, losing in a decision in a 1950 title bout at New York's Madison Square Garden.

 Feb. 16 -- Bob Buhl, who helped pitch the Milwaukee Braves to the 1957 World Series title and later set a major league record for futility at the plate, died at age 72. Buhl went 0-for-70 as a hitter for the Braves and Chicago Cubs in 1962, the most at-bats in a single season without a hit. Buhl was 166-132 with a 3.55 ERA from 1953-1967 with Milwaukee, the Cubs and Philadelphia.

 Feb. 18 -- Dale Earnhardt, the greatest stock car star of his era, was killed in a crash on the last turn of the last lap of the Daytona 500 as he tried to protect Michael Waltrip's victory. The accident happened a half-mile from the finish of the NASCAR season-opener as Earnhardt's newest driver, Waltrip, and son Dale Earnhardt Jr. were in front racing toward what should have been the most triumphant moment in the brief history of Dale Earnhardt Inc.

 Feb. 18 -- Eddie Mathews, Hall of Famer who teamed with Hank Aaron to give the Milwaukee Braves their only World Series championship, died at age 69. Mathews hit 512 home runs and was the only person to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. The third baseman, who played in 10 All-Star games, also appeared on the first cover of Sports Illustrated in 1954.

 Feb. 19 -- Roland "Rolle" Stoltz, one of Sweden's greatest ice hockey personalities, died at age 69. He joined the Stockholm team Djurgaarden in 1955 and won six consecutive gold medals in the Swedish premier league between 1958 and 1963. He helped Sweden win the world championship in 1957 and 1962.

 Feb. 19 -- Joe Morris, the longtime bowling star who organized the first of the fabled "beer teams" in the 1930s, died at age 93. Under Norris' captaincy, Stroh's won the 1934 American Bowling Congress Tournament, and captured five National Match Game championships between 1934 and 1945. He added two more ABC Tournament titles with the Tri-Par Radio team. In 1994, at age 86, Norris became the oldest bowler in ABC Tournament history to roll a 300 game.

 Feb. 19 -- Guy Rodgers who played with two of the league's giants -- Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- died at age 65. Rodgers was a two-time All-American at Temple. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors, who were led by Chamberlain, for four years in Philadelphia, then moved to San Francisco when the team became the Golden State Warriors. His final NBA season was 1969-70, when he and Abdul-Jabbar -- then known as Lew Alcindor -- were Milwaukee teammates. A left-hander with sensational ball-handling skills, Rodgers led the league in assists twice, with averages of 10.4 in 1962-63 and 11.2 in 1966-67.

 Feb. 20 -- Bill Rigney, a former baseball player and the first manager of the San Francisco Giants, died at age 83. Rigney was an infielder with the New York Giants from 1946-53 and was the team's manager from 1956-60. Rigney later managed the Los Angeles Angels (1961-69), winning the 1962 American League Manager of the Year award, and the Minnesota Twins (1970-72), leading them to the 1970 AL West title.

 Feb. 21 -- Clifford "Fido" Purpur, a North Dakota hockey pioneer and a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, died at age 88. Purpur played for Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis in the NHL from 1934 to 1945, and later took up coaching.

 Feb. 25 -- Sir Donald Bradman, the world's greatest cricketer, died at age 92. The former Australian captain compiled 6,996 runs in an unrivaled test career average of 99.94 from 52 matches spanning 20 years. At the age of 91, he was named the Australian Sportsman of the Century at a ceremony in 1999. His career average remained 40 to 50 runs per inning higher than others considered merely as "greats." South African Graeme Pollock came closest with an average of 60.97.

 Feb. 26 -- Devaughn Darling, 18, a linebacker at Florida State died following an offseason workout at the school. Darling started on special teams last season as a freshman.

 Feb. 26 -- Cole Pittman, defensive end at Texas, died in a one-car accident about 100 miles northeast of Austin.

 Feb. 26 -- Duke Nalon, who began racing during the 1930s and twice started the Indianapolis 500 from the pole position, died at age 87. Nalon came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a riding mechanic for Johnny Sawyer in 1937. In 1949 he captured the pole and led the first 23 laps before a fiery crash took him out of racing for two years. He won the pole again in 1951. His last start at Indianapolis was in 1953, when he finished 11th.

 Feb. 27 -- Stan Cullis, the strict disciplinarian who transformed Wolverhampton Wolves into one of the most respected names in European soccer, died at age 85. Cullis was a talented center-back who played 12 times for England and also captained the national team. Cullis was Wolves manager for 16 years between 1948 and '64, leading the central English team to the league championship in 1954, 1958 and 1959. The Wolves also won the FA Cup in 1949 and 1960.