Byron Nelson

golf-forums.net
Promoting golf discussion.

Main

Date: 26 Sep 2006 13:18:08
From: JJVP
Subject: Byron Nelson - RIP

DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.

Known as "Lord Byron" because of his elegant swing and gentle manner,
Nelson won 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45 then at the age of 34
retired after the 1946 season to spend more time on his Texas ranch.

Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
Morning News.

The namesake of the Byron Nelson Classic, Nelson was joined by Tiger
Woods at fifth on the all-time career victory list with 52 wins.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2603645

JJVP

Date: 29 Sep 2006 12:28:31
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com wrote:
> spinn@home.com wrote:
> > Bobby Knight wrote:
> > > On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
> [snip]
> > > Are you stupid?
> > >
> > >
> > At a boy booby...or is it ATTABOY booby you dickhead
>
>
> You guys do realize that you've taken a thread about
> Byron Nelson's death and turned it into another one of your
> juvinile pissing contests right? Mr. Nelson. Probably one
> of the kindest, most honorable people the game, and the
> world, may have ever known. The irony is so thick
> you could cut it with a knife. Dose the phrase "stop
> it" mean anything to this bunch?

I apologize for my rude and very juvinile posts...

Date: 28 Sep 2006 07:02:55
From: Thor
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

"R&B" wrote:
[Byron Nelson tales snipped]

Wow. I think this is the first time I actually read an entire post of
yours.

:-)

-- Thor (a man with a short attention span)

Date: 28 Sep 2006 07:37:18
From: long&left
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

Thor wrote:
> "R&B" wrote:
> [Byron Nelson tales snipped]
>
> Wow. I think this is the first time I actually read an entire post of
> yours.
>
> :-)
>
> -- Thor (a man with a short attention span)
>

LOL...ya know, when I was reading it I got about 1/2 way down and
thought to myself "this is really interesting" and had to scroll back to
the top to verify who wrote it...

Dave (a man with no attention span)

Date: 28 Sep 2006 07:02:31
From: oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

spinn@home.com wrote:
> Bobby Knight wrote:
> > On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
[snip]
> > Are you stupid?
> >
> >
> At a boy booby...or is it ATTABOY booby you dickhead

You guys do realize that you've taken a thread about
Byron Nelson's death and turned it into another one of your
juvinile pissing contests right? Mr. Nelson. Probably one
of the kindest, most honorable people the game, and the
world, may have ever known. The irony is so thick
you could cut it with a knife. Dose the phrase "stop
it" mean anything to this bunch?

Date: 28 Sep 2006 09:19:59
From: MnMikew
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

<oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com > wrote in message
news:1159452151.259441.93030@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> spinn@home.com wrote:
>> Bobby Knight wrote:
>> > On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
> [snip]
>> > Are you stupid?
>> >
>> >
>> At a boy booby...or is it ATTABOY booby you dickhead
>
>
> You guys do realize that you've taken a thread about
> Byron Nelson's death and turned it into another one of your
> juvinile pissing contests right? Mr. Nelson. Probably one
> of the kindest, most honorable people the game, and the
> world, may have ever known. The irony is so thick
> you could cut it with a knife. Dose the phrase "stop
> it" mean anything to this bunch?
>
There's a new troll in town(spinn).

Date: 28 Sep 2006 09:36:20
From: Miss Anne Thrope
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Elegant swing and gentle manner?

I called him Lord Byron because I wanted to see him nailed to a cross.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 23:38:21
From: daveholo
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

Date: 27 Sep 2006 16:34:46
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Howard Brazee wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> >that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>
> I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
> game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
> tournaments have given back to the world).
>
> How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
> receive?

I completely agree with you ... Byron was a true philanthropist and
humaitarian who touched lives ourside the world of golf .

Date: 27 Sep 2006 15:46:21
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Bobby Knight wrote:
> On 27 Sep 2006 11:45:30 -0700, "Larry Bud" <larrybud2002@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >Bobby Knight wrote:
> >> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:11:26 GMT, Howard Brazee <howard@brazee.net>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
> >> >wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> >> >>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
> >> >
> >> >I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
> >> >game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
> >> >tournaments have given back to the world).
> >> >
> >> >How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
> >> >receive?
> >>
> >> You might try thinking.
> >
> >Translation: "I have no idea. Don't ever question anything I say".
>
> Translation: " I'm so stupid that I don't understand a simple
> statement either".
>
> This isn't rocket science...try to figure out that determination for
> yourself.
> --

YOu are such an opinionated old cunt that it is truly comical...

Date: 27 Sep 2006 18:22:41
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On 27 Sep 2006 15:46:21 -0700, spinn@home.com wrote:

>
>Bobby Knight wrote:

>> This isn't rocket science...try to figure out that determination for
>> yourself.
>> --
>
>
>YOu are such an opinionated old cunt that it is truly comical...
So you couldn't figure it out either, huh? Figures.
___,
\o

Date: 27 Sep 2006 15:40:24
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Bobby Knight wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
>
> >>
> >>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
> >>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
> >>>> ___,
> <clip>
> >Are you saying people like Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd, Gary Player,
> >Kathy Withworth, etc. are just money grabbing punks? I followed
> >Trevino and Floyd around a few years ago in a senior event
> >and they couldn't have been more accomadating to the fans.
>
> I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> that gave back MORE to the game than he received.

Billy boob... you have not coutered Zuke but merely repeated your self
in 3 consecutive posts. ...

>
> Are you stupid?
>
>
At a boy booby...or is it ATTABOY booby you dickhead

Date: 27 Sep 2006 22:12:47
From: William A. T. Clark
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

In article <1159396824.433629.49040@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com >,
spinn@home.com wrote:

> Bobby Knight wrote:
> > On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
> >
> > >On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
> >
> > >>
> > >>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
> > >>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
> > >>>> ___,
> > <clip>
> > >Are you saying people like Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd, Gary Player,
> > >Kathy Withworth, etc. are just money grabbing punks? I followed
> > >Trevino and Floyd around a few years ago in a senior event
> > >and they couldn't have been more accomadating to the fans.
> >
> > I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> > that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>
>
>
> Billy boob... you have not coutered Zuke but merely repeated your self
> in 3 consecutive posts. ...
>
> >
> > Are you stupid?

Naah, he's too busy coutering people.

William Clark

Date: 27 Sep 2006 18:22:10
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On 27 Sep 2006 15:40:24 -0700, spinn@home.com wrote:

>
>Bobby Knight wrote:

>> Are you stupid?
>>
>>
>At a boy booby...or is it ATTABOY booby you dickhead

Notice that I don't have to ask if you're stupid. It's obvious.
___,
\o

Date: 27 Sep 2006 11:45:30
From: Larry Bud
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Bobby Knight wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:11:26 GMT, Howard Brazee <howard@brazee.net>
> wrote:
>
> >On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
> >wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> >>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
> >
> >I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
> >game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
> >tournaments have given back to the world).
> >
> >How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
> >receive?
>
> You might try thinking.

Translation: "I have no idea. Don't ever question anything I say".

Date: 27 Sep 2006 13:56:16
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On 27 Sep 2006 11:45:30 -0700, "Larry Bud" <larrybud2002@yahoo.com >
wrote:

>
>Bobby Knight wrote:
>> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:11:26 GMT, Howard Brazee <howard@brazee.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
>> >>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>> >
>> >I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
>> >game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
>> >tournaments have given back to the world).
>> >
>> >How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
>> >receive?
>>
>> You might try thinking.
>
>Translation: "I have no idea. Don't ever question anything I say".

Translation: " I'm so stupid that I don't understand a simple
statement either".

This isn't rocket science...try to figure out that determination for
yourself.
--
___,
\o

Date: 27 Sep 2006 11:26:20
From: oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Zuke wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006, oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com wrote:
[snip]
> > But
> > for many, many years the Nelson Classic raised more money
> > for charity than any other of the Tour events. And as a point
> > of comparison, the one the frequently appeared dead last,
> > or near last, was Arnold Palmer's. This despite the fact that
> > one of the Charities is the Winnie Plamer hospital.
>
> That might be the difference between oil money and strip mall money.

Ha! Yeah, I'd at least agree one could read way too much into
this. Arnie raises money for his various charities in various ways.
One would need to know the totality of what the various tournaments
economic and charitable environment is to make and deep judgements.

> No doubt Nelson was a great guy.

What is interesting is that so many folks over the decades
have come to that conclusions, even fairly young folks who
knew little of him in his days of playing OR announcing.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 10:18:30
From: Zuke
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006, oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com wrote:

>
> Zuke wrote:
>> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
> [snip]
>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
>>> ___,
>>
>> I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
>> top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
>> they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
>> playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.
>
> I think it's more of a case of the "...than they received" part.
> Mr. Nelson did alright but compared to many who followed
> him, he received vastly less, and gave practically until death.
> It may not have been true in the last couple of years, those
> Thunderbirds collect alot of money out in Pheonix. But
> for many, many years the Nelson Classic raised more money
> for charity than any other of the Tour events. And as a point
> of comparison, the one the frequently appeared dead last,
> or near last, was Arnold Palmer's. This despite the fact that
> one of the Charities is the Winnie Plamer hospital.

That might be the difference between oil money and strip mall money.

No doubt Nelson was a great guy.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 06:59:05
From: oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Zuke wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
[snip]
> > A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
> > gave more back to the game than he received.
> > ___,
>
> I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
> top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
> they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
> playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.

I think it's more of a case of the "...than they received" part.
Mr. Nelson did alright but compared to many who followed
him, he received vastly less, and gave practically until death.
It may not have been true in the last couple of years, those
Thunderbirds collect alot of money out in Pheonix. But
for many, many years the Nelson Classic raised more money
for charity than any other of the Tour events. And as a point
of comparison, the one the frequently appeared dead last,
or near last, was Arnold Palmer's. This despite the fact that
one of the Charities is the Winnie Plamer hospital.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 05:40:21
From: annika1980
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Bobby Knight wrote:
> I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
> that gave back MORE to the game than he received.

Hey, what about Nicklaus?

OK, bad example.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 05:38:29
From: annika1980
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

bill-o wrote:
> Thank you Randy for making me smile after a difficult day.

> bill-o

Couldn't make any putts?

Date: 27 Sep 2006 19:44:34
From: bill-o
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

On 27-Sep-2006, "annika1980" <annika1980@aol.com > wrote:

> Couldn't make any putts?

Couldn't even get on the course
--
bill-o

A "gimme" can best be defined as an agreement between
two golfers neither of whom can putt very well.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 04:05:15
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

"R&B" wrote:
> "JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com> wrote ...
> > DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> > in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> > including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 94.
>
>
> I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Byron Nelson on
> several occasions, dating back to my days working at KRLD-AM in Dallas,
> which, for many years, did radio play-by-play of the Byron Nelson Classic
> even before radio play-by-play of PGA TOUR events became a national
> endeavor.
>
> Here are a few of my favorite Byron Nelson memories...
>
> It was 1994, and KRLD was getting ready to air its annual play-by-play
> broadcast of the Nelson for its Dallas-Fort Worth listening audience. I was
> deployed to the TPC at Las Colinas to meet up with Byron Nelson and ride the
> course with him, with a tape recorder so I could record him voicing a series
> of 18 audio "flyovers," describing each hole and how best to play it, which
> we would later use during the broadcast.
>
> During the course of that afternoon, we had a chance to visit about golf and
> life in general. He shared a few thoughts about his life on TOUR in much
> earlier days, and I picked his brain about some of the differences between
> the courses he played on in his day and the pristine conditions the pros
> enjoy today. I also got an impromptu golf lesson from him, something I'll
> always remember (although it didn't do me much good at the time through no
> fault of his). He was, of course, professional in every way doing those
> voiceovers, as his years in broadcasting working with Chris Schenkel at
> ABC-TV calling golf came back to him as if it was just yesterday. He did
> every one of the 18 holes' audio "flyovers" in one take.
>
> A few weeks later, when all the season ticket holders received their special
> gifts from the tournament, Mr. Nelson made it a point to give me one of the
> gifts that the season ticket holders received -- a limited edition (number
> engraved) Cleveland putter that was a replica of the one he used in 1945.
> It's the only putter I've kept in my collection all these years, and I'll
> never get rid of it.
>
> That 1994 tournament was haunted by torrential rains, and was eventually
> shortened to just 36 holes (won by Neal Lancaster in a 6-man playoff),
> prompting some of us in the local media to coin that year's event "The Half
> Nelson." I will never forget the sky opening up on us Saturday afternoon,
> as play was suspended just as I was doing play-by-play on the 14th hole,
> about as far from the clubhouse as one could possibly be. Walking alongside
> me was my technical engineer, whose job was to carry a "ti" unit (a
> wireless transmission device that would send the signal of my play-by-play
> back to the receiver at our main broadcast position). Along with the ti
> unit, this poor engineer also had to carry a metal antennae, which extended
> about 10 feet up in the air from his belt-pack. When the rain let up and
> lightning abated just enough for us to feel safe high-tailing it back to the
> clubhouse, we ran as fast as we could, as I was facetiously yelling to
> anyone who would listen, "Peanuts! Popcorn! Lightining Rods!" (My
> engineer probably didn't see the humor in that. And in fact, I later
> learned that he broke his ankle on the trek back to the clubhouse. What a
> trooper!)
>
> When we got inside the Media Center, who was there waiting for us but none
> other than Byron Nelson, who had walked down from his upstairs perch to make
> sure everyone in the media was safe. We were all stuck in that room for a
> while, as Irving Police were not letting anyone leave while a tornado passed
> right over the golf course. Mr. Nelson just sat there in the Media Room and
> chatted with us and dozens of other media hacks who came by to say hello.
>
> In the next couple of years, I bumped into Mr. Nelson (that's what everyone
> called him) on a few occasions in the pro shop at the TPC at Las Colinas
> when I was playing the course or just there on a business lunch with someone
> at the club. Despite the fact that I barely knew him and had only spent a
> very short amount of time with him, he remembered me each time by name and
> went out of his way to say hello and offer a handshake. He just couldn't be
> nicer.
>
> One day when I was there to interview him, after the interview was over, he
> was milling about, "working the room" (as he often would), saying hello to
> friends, I sat down and visited for a few minutes with his beloved wife,
> Peggy. Peggy shared with me a story about her husband, and said it was
> something that he would never share with anyone as it could have seemed like
> braggadoccio. But the story went like this. (Forgive me, as some of the
> details are fuzzy now, but the essence is still the same.) It was sometime
> around the late 1940s or in the 1950s, and True Temper had summoned several
> PGA TOUR players to a facility (in Hollywood or New York or, really, I don't
> recall where) to film multiple sequences of their golf swings which they'd
> hoped to compile together into some kind of composite of the "ideal" golf
> swing for development of their soon-to-be-built robotic golf club testing
> robot. About a dozen pros attended this filming, and Byron Nelson was among
> them. He stood on the platform and took several swings with a driver, a
> 5-iron and a wedge. And then, once the filming was concluded, he flew home
> to Texas. A few days later, he received a phone call from one of the men
> responsible for filming the sequences, and was asked to return for a second
> film shoot. The man informed Mr. Nelson that some of the film of his swing
> sequences had mysteriously disappeared or was lost, and that they'd need him
> to come back for a second film session. So he agreed to fly back a couple
> days later. In the interim, the producers discovered -- much to their
> amazement -- that none of the film of Nelson's swing sequences had been lost
> at all. Instead, when they'd super-imposed all the various swings he'd made
> with a particular club, each of his swings was so precisely identical that
> the resulting composite was indistinguishable from a single swing sequence.
> There was simply no discernible deviation from swing to swing, and it had
> produced the illusion, when all the swings were superimposed on top of one
> another, that there was only one swing. None of the other pros they'd
> filmed even came close to that feat. They phoned him in Texas to call off
> his return flight, and decided at that moment to name the swing robot after
> him -- what we now know as the Iron Byron.
>
> In 1995, I attended the annual Salesmanship Club of Dallas luncheon, where
> they would honor Mr. Nelson, announce the final earnings from the previous
> year's tournament for the local Salesmanship Club charities, and set forth
> their goals for the next tournament. I had previously had the opportunity
> to tour both the Salesmanship Club's East Texas camp for troubled youth, as
> well as their Dallas inner-city school for urban kids from troubled
> families. Mr. Nelson spoke passionately at that luncheon about the work
> done by the Salesmanship Club, most of which was made possible by his golf
> tournament. The Byron Nelson Classic has, for as long as I can remember,
> lapped the PGA TOUR field in terms of charity funds raised (at one time, it
> raised nearly double the amount of the #2 tournament in terms of charity
> monies raised), and much of the reason for that is the goodwill Mr. Nelson
> created in his hometown, and because he was so beloved by the men in the red
> pants who call themselves the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
>
> But my most memorable encounter with Byron Nelson, and the one that I think
> best exemplifies what a gentleman he was, happened in 1997. I'd just left
> Dallas to take a job as the lead play-by-play announcer for PGA TOUR Radio
> in Atlanta. Grant Boone, who was our play-by-play anchor at the time (and
> later went on to anchor play-by-play telecasts for The Golf Channel in 2000
> and 2001), and I were in Dallas to cover the Byron Nelson Classic. Before
> the trip, Grant had arranged an interview with Mr. Nelson. It was really
> quite a coup for us to be granted an interview with Mr. Nelson, considering
> that demands on his time during tournament week were at their peak. Grant
> and I sat down with Mr. Nelson in one of the club's ballrooms, and Grant hit
> the record button on the tape deck and began his interview. Byron Nelson
> was always quite the storyteller, and he didn't disappoint. He gave us one
> of the best interviews we've ever been fortunate enough do. It went on for
> about 45 minutes, as Mr. Nelson just talked and talked and told story after
> fascinating story. It was just rekable.
>
> When it was over, we thanked him, packed up the recording equipment and
> started to head back to our hotel. On the way to the parking lot, Grant
> checked the tape and -- to his horror -- realized that he had not recorded
> any of the interview. He looked like a ghost, as his face turned white as a
> sheet. In a moment of sheer panic, neither of us knew quite what to do, but
> we knew that our employer was expecting an interview with Byron Nelson.
> Grant said to me, "I have to go back and ask him to do it again."
>
> "There's not a chance in hell," I said. "He's too busy this week. You're
> S.O.L, buddy."
>
> Undaunted, and with his tail tucked decidedly between his legs, Grant
> returned to the clubhouse (with me following far enough behind to enable me
> to convey with my body language, "I don't know that guy") and located Mr.
> Nelson. I watched, horrified, and frankly, embarrassed for Grant, as he
> explained what had happened. And Byron Nelson not only did the one thing I
> never would have thought he would do, but he did it with a level of grace
> and compassion that no one in their wildest dreams could have imagined. Mr.
> Nelson told Grant that he remembered from his years of doing broadcasting
> that this sort of thing happens all the time, and led Grant and me back into
> the ballroom where we sat down to do another interview, and Mr. Nelson gave
> us another unforgettable 45 minutes.
>
> He didn't repeat a single story he'd told the first time around. The man
> had a lifetime's worth of stories to tell without ever running out of
> different things to talk about. We got our interview. And when it was
> over, Mr. Nelson even had the reserve patience to wait while Grant
> checked -- and I double-checked -- the tape to make sure it captured the
> conversation this time. He never seemed rushed, never seemed put out by our
> mistake, never seemed the least bit annoyed. He just shared more stories,
> and when it was over, he shook our hands and thanked us again. HE thanked
> US.
>
> I have never known anyone to have an unkind word to say about Mr. Nelson,
> and if they ever did, I would assume they were delusional. To say that
> Byron Nelson demonstrated himself to be a complete gentleman every time I
> encountered him would be a crass understatement. He was always nothing if
> not cordial, welcoming and kind to everyone he met. And as that last story
> clearly demonstrates, was willing to go out of his way to help others.
>
> We should all be so fortunate to leave behind such a legacy.
>
> He will be sorely missed, and I consider myself blessed to have crossed his
> path.
>
> Randy

I am in awe of your Lord Byron tales. RIP. Thank you Randy

Date: 27 Sep 2006 00:11:38
From: johnty
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

Nice one.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 05:15:38
From: The poster formerly known as Colleyville Alan
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

"JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1159301888.395327.25240@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>
> Known as "Lord Byron" because of his elegant swing and gentle manner,
> Nelson won 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45 then at the age of 34
> retired after the 1946 season to spend more time on his Texas ranch.
>
> Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
> Morning News.
>
> The namesake of the Byron Nelson Classic, Nelson was joined by Tiger
> Woods at fifth on the all-time career victory list with 52 wins.
>
> Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2603645
>
> JJVP

Sorry to see him go.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 21:16:46
From: sjh
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

"R&B" wrote:
> He didn't repeat a single story he'd told the first time around. The man
> had a lifetime's worth of stories to tell without ever running out of
> different things to talk about. We got our interview. And when it was
> over, Mr. Nelson even had the reserve patience to wait while Grant
> checked -- and I double-checked -- the tape to make sure it captured the
> conversation this time. He never seemed rushed, never seemed put out by our
> mistake, never seemed the least bit annoyed. He just shared more stories,
> and when it was over, he shook our hands and thanked us again. HE thanked
> US.
>
> I have never known anyone to have an unkind word to say about Mr. Nelson,
> and if they ever did, I would assume they were delusional. To say that
> Byron Nelson demonstrated himself to be a complete gentleman every time I
> encountered him would be a crass understatement. He was always nothing if
> not cordial, welcoming and kind to everyone he met. And as that last story
> clearly demonstrates, was willing to go out of his way to help others.
>
> We should all be so fortunate to leave behind such a legacy.
>
> He will be sorely missed, and I consider myself blessed to have crossed his
> path.
>
> Randy

Great story Randy, thanks.

RIP Mr. Nelson.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55
From: Zuke
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:

> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:34:04 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
>
>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
>>> ___,
>>
>> I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
>> top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
>> they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
>> playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.
>
>
> I say it because it's true. He's done all of the above since he was
> 34, and retired, and much of it for free. That's 60 years.
>
> If you think that today's pros are playing pro ams, and giving
> clinics for nothing you're pretty naive.
>
> You have to remember the paltry amount of money he earned in
> comparison to today's purses. If nothing else, his tournament has
> raised more for charity than any other, and he's been a great
> ambassador for the sport. Only Arnie approaches him in the respect
> that pro golf has shown him.
>
I don't consider taking money having anything to do with
"giving back to the game". I consider treating other people
with respect and entertaining us to be "giving back to the game".

Are you saying people like Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd, Gary Player,
Kathy Withworth, etc. are just money grabbing punks? I followed
Trevino and Floyd around a few years ago in a senior event
and they couldn't have been more accomadating to the fans.

You have a negative attitude if you ask me.

If you are just going on money, Tiger Woods has probably given more
of his money to charities than almost any golfer in history.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:05:55 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:

>>
>>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
>>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
>>>> ___,
<clip >
>Are you saying people like Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd, Gary Player,
>Kathy Withworth, etc. are just money grabbing punks? I followed
>Trevino and Floyd around a few years ago in a senior event
>and they couldn't have been more accomadating to the fans.

I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>
>You have a negative attitude if you ask me.
>
In the first place, no one asked you. Secondly, I made a positive
statement about a great man.

>If you are just going on money, Tiger Woods has probably given more
>of his money to charities than almost any golfer in history.

Are you stupid?
Sorry, rhetorical question.

Read what I said...one of the few, not the only.
___,
\o

Date: 27 Sep 2006 13:11:26
From: Howard Brazee
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net >
wrote:

>
>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.

I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
tournaments have given back to the world).

How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
receive?

Date: 28 Sep 2006 03:58:43
From: The poster formerly known as Colleyville Alan
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

7"Howard Brazee" <howard@brazee.net > wrote in message
news:evtkh250s3u7tqp9i1rbb39bp15i341tl3@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
>>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>
> I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
> game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
> tournaments have given back to the world).
>
> How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
> receive?

Here is the formula: y = Integral[ Sqrt[ u / ( 1 - u ) , u] = - Sqrt[u (
1 - u )] - 1/2 * arccos( 2u - 1 ) + C+

Of course "y" represents the golfer in question and the constant "C" is the
second derivative of the evaporation rate of the Hibbard factor.

Date: 28 Sep 2006 10:21:05
From: Alan Murphy
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

"The poster formerly known as Colleyville Alan" <nospam@nospam.net > wrote
in message news:TLHSg.749$DU3.456@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> 7"Howard Brazee" <howard@brazee.net> wrote in message
> news:evtkh250s3u7tqp9i1rbb39bp15i341tl3@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
>>>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>>
>> I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
>> game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
>> tournaments have given back to the world).
>>
>> How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
>> receive?
>
> Here is the formula: y = Integral[ Sqrt[ u / ( 1 - u ) , u] = - Sqrt[u
> ( 1 - u )] - 1/2 * arccos( 2u - 1 ) + C+
>
> Of course "y" represents the golfer in question and the constant "C" is
> the second derivative of the evaporation rate of the Hibbard factor.

May I remind you that George has reappeared
in a current thread.....and u is?

Alan :-)

Date: 27 Sep 2006 08:16:37
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:11:26 GMT, Howard Brazee <howard@brazee.net >
wrote:

>On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:39:09 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>I'm saying that Byron Nelson is one of the few professional golfers
>>that gave back MORE to the game than he received.
>
>I'm curious. "The game" is not "the world", and giving back to the
>game isn't as laudable as giving back to the world. (Byron's
>tournaments have given back to the world).
>
>How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
>receive?

You might try thinking.
___,
\o

Date: 28 Sep 2006 09:58:42
From: Howard Brazee
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 08:16:37 -0500, Bobby Knight <bknight@conramp.net >
wrote:

>>How do we determine which pros gave back to the game more than they
>>receive?
>
>You might try thinking.

You believe there are only a few golfers who qualify. If the
majority are to be tarred with this brush, I want to know what
criteria you use to condemn them.

I wonder what percentage of name golfers contribute heavily to worthy
causes outside of golf. My impression is that this isn't
insignificant. But that is contributing to the world, for which I
laud them - not to the game. Probably the most widely known
contribution to the game is Tiger's program to bring inner-city
children to the game. I'm a sucker for kids and like this method of
giving back to the game.

As far as I can tell, Byron's major contribution to the game is by
being the right kind of person. He's a classy person - in the best
meaning of the word. Golf already had a "wealthy class" image.
Byron's class didn't fit that meaning - his class was more personal.
He bought his tractor, and then used his name to help make the world a
better place.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 03:05:47
From: Carbon
Subject: Re: Exactly WHY are we in IRAQ?

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:40:39 +0000, Frank Ketchum wrote:
> "Carbon" <nobrac@nospam.verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:pan.2006.09.26.19.26.17.444333@nospam.verizon.net...
>>
>> Incompetence. The ongoing instability in the Middle East has had and
>> will continue to have a big effect on the price of oil. Naturally this
>> is completely opposite to what Bush and his handlers expected, so it's
>> just another little detail they got wrong.
>
> Geez, you can't even keep your own conspiracy theories straight. Let me
> help. You are saying Bush and his handlers wanted the price to go down?
> But they are oil guys! I thought that was why we were in Iraq! Oil
> guys are benefitted by high oil prices, not low ones.

I'll type slower and you try to follow along. I never said that Bush and
his handlers had plans one way or the other regarding the price of oil.
What I said was they had naively expected to have stabilized the Middle
East by now. Obviously they have completely and totally failed at that. In
fact, they have given up on trying to control the country and have
retreated to Baghdad.

For the record, the Soviets did exactly the same thing when their invasion
of Afghanistan failed. By they end they were prisoners in a country they
supposedly controlled, refusing to leave Kabul for fear getting killed.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 22:45:00
From: Zuke
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, "R&B" wrote:

> "JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com> wrote ...
>> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
>> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
>> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 94.
>
>
> I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Byron Nelson on
> several occasions, dating back to my days working at KRLD-AM in Dallas,
> which, for many years, did radio play-by-play of the Byron Nelson Classic

Thanks for the stories. My dad played a set of Byron Nelson
Macgregor irons and woods all of his life. I still have the set
though it is missing a five iron and one of the woods is
cracked. Definitely not in pristine condition but, even better,
a lot of good rounds went into those grooves.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 22:42:34
From: Zuke
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Birdie Bill wrote:

>
> JJVP wrote:
>> Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
>> Morning News.
>
> I guess the Ryder Cup was the last straw.
>
>

Funny. Graveyard humor but funny.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 22:34:04
From: Zuke
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:

> On 26 Sep 2006 13:18:08 -0700, "JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
>> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
>> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>>
>> Known as "Lord Byron" because of his elegant swing and gentle manner,
>> Nelson won 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45 then at the age of 34
>> retired after the 1946 season to spend more time on his Texas ranch.
>>
>> Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
>> Morning News.
>>
>> The namesake of the Byron Nelson Classic, Nelson was joined by Tiger
>> Woods at fifth on the all-time career victory list with 52 wins.
>>
>> Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
>>
>> http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2603645
>>
>> JJVP
>
> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
> gave more back to the game than he received.
> ___,

I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 22:36:46
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:34:04 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:

>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
>> gave more back to the game than he received.
>> ___,
>
>I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
>top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
>they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
>playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.

I say it because it's true. He's done all of the above since he was
34, and retired, and much of it for free. That's 60 years.

If you think that today's pros are playing pro ams, and giving
clinics for nothing you're pretty naive.

You have to remember the paltry amount of money he earned in
comparison to today's purses. If nothing else, his tournament has
raised more for charity than any other, and he's been a great
ambassador for the sport. Only Arnie approaches him in the respect
that pro golf has shown him.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 04:46:27
From: The poster formerly known as Colleyville Alan
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

"Bobby Knight" <bknight@conramp.net > wrote in message
news:s0sjh29sv8vpoan6pp27lvie7l2elau5c3@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:34:04 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
>
snip
> You have to remember the paltry amount of money he earned in
> comparison to today's purses.

Paltry indeed. I read that in his last year of competition, he won the
French Open and the purse was not enough to pay his hotel bill.

Date: 27 Sep 2006 00:30:39
From: taltos
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

"Bobby Knight" <bknight@conramp.net > wrote in message
news:s0sjh29sv8vpoan6pp27lvie7l2elau5c3@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:34:04 -0400, Zuke <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Bobby Knight wrote:
>
>>> A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
>>> gave more back to the game than he received.
>>> ___,
>>
>>I don't know why you'd say that. It seems to me most of the
>>top pros give a lot back to the game. Most realize how fortunate
>>they are. People think it's easy flying around, giving clinics,
>>playing pro-ams. I bet it gets boring pretty quickly.
>
>
> I say it because it's true. He's done all of the above since he was
> 34, and retired, and much of it for free. That's 60 years.
>
> If you think that today's pros are playing pro ams, and giving
> clinics for nothing you're pretty naive.
>
> You have to remember the paltry amount of money he earned in
> comparison to today's purses. If nothing else, his tournament has
> raised more for charity than any other, and he's been a great
> ambassador for the sport. Only Arnie approaches him in the respect
> that pro golf has shown him.

>>>During his 11 win streak in WW2, he did not play for cash, he played for
>>>war bonds. In that year, he never finished out of the top ten. Wide
>>>fairways Byron, and rest at peace, you have deserved both. You will now
>>>be reunited with your friends and competitors. God Bless Sir. Paul

Date: 26 Sep 2006 20:17:04
From: \R&B\
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

"JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com > wrote ...
> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 94.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Byron Nelson on
several occasions, dating back to my days working at KRLD-AM in Dallas,
which, for many years, did radio play-by-play of the Byron Nelson Classic
even before radio play-by-play of PGA TOUR events became a national
endeavor.

Here are a few of my favorite Byron Nelson memories...

It was 1994, and KRLD was getting ready to air its annual play-by-play
broadcast of the Nelson for its Dallas-Fort Worth listening audience. I was
deployed to the TPC at Las Colinas to meet up with Byron Nelson and ride the
course with him, with a tape recorder so I could record him voicing a series
of 18 audio "flyovers," describing each hole and how best to play it, which
we would later use during the broadcast.

During the course of that afternoon, we had a chance to visit about golf and
life in general. He shared a few thoughts about his life on TOUR in much
earlier days, and I picked his brain about some of the differences between
the courses he played on in his day and the pristine conditions the pros
enjoy today. I also got an impromptu golf lesson from him, something I'll
always remember (although it didn't do me much good at the time through no
fault of his). He was, of course, professional in every way doing those
voiceovers, as his years in broadcasting working with Chris Schenkel at
ABC-TV calling golf came back to him as if it was just yesterday. He did
every one of the 18 holes' audio "flyovers" in one take.

A few weeks later, when all the season ticket holders received their special
gifts from the tournament, Mr. Nelson made it a point to give me one of the
gifts that the season ticket holders received -- a limited edition (number
engraved) Cleveland putter that was a replica of the one he used in 1945.
It's the only putter I've kept in my collection all these years, and I'll
never get rid of it.

That 1994 tournament was haunted by torrential rains, and was eventually
shortened to just 36 holes (won by Neal Lancaster in a 6-man playoff),
prompting some of us in the local media to coin that year's event "The Half
Nelson." I will never forget the sky opening up on us Saturday afternoon,
as play was suspended just as I was doing play-by-play on the 14th hole,
about as far from the clubhouse as one could possibly be. Walking alongside
me was my technical engineer, whose job was to carry a "ti" unit (a
wireless transmission device that would send the signal of my play-by-play
back to the receiver at our main broadcast position). Along with the ti
unit, this poor engineer also had to carry a metal antennae, which extended
about 10 feet up in the air from his belt-pack. When the rain let up and
lightning abated just enough for us to feel safe high-tailing it back to the
clubhouse, we ran as fast as we could, as I was facetiously yelling to
anyone who would listen, "Peanuts! Popcorn! Lightining Rods!" (My
engineer probably didn't see the humor in that. And in fact, I later
learned that he broke his ankle on the trek back to the clubhouse. What a
trooper!)

When we got inside the Media Center, who was there waiting for us but none
other than Byron Nelson, who had walked down from his upstairs perch to make
sure everyone in the media was safe. We were all stuck in that room for a
while, as Irving Police were not letting anyone leave while a tornado passed
right over the golf course. Mr. Nelson just sat there in the Media Room and
chatted with us and dozens of other media hacks who came by to say hello.

In the next couple of years, I bumped into Mr. Nelson (that's what everyone
called him) on a few occasions in the pro shop at the TPC at Las Colinas
when I was playing the course or just there on a business lunch with someone
at the club. Despite the fact that I barely knew him and had only spent a
very short amount of time with him, he remembered me each time by name and
went out of his way to say hello and offer a handshake. He just couldn't be
nicer.

One day when I was there to interview him, after the interview was over, he
was milling about, "working the room" (as he often would), saying hello to
friends, I sat down and visited for a few minutes with his beloved wife,
Peggy. Peggy shared with me a story about her husband, and said it was
something that he would never share with anyone as it could have seemed like
braggadoccio. But the story went like this. (Forgive me, as some of the
details are fuzzy now, but the essence is still the same.) It was sometime
around the late 1940s or in the 1950s, and True Temper had summoned several
PGA TOUR players to a facility (in Hollywood or New York or, really, I don't
recall where) to film multiple sequences of their golf swings which they'd
hoped to compile together into some kind of composite of the "ideal" golf
swing for development of their soon-to-be-built robotic golf club testing
robot. About a dozen pros attended this filming, and Byron Nelson was among
them. He stood on the platform and took several swings with a driver, a
5-iron and a wedge. And then, once the filming was concluded, he flew home
to Texas. A few days later, he received a phone call from one of the men
responsible for filming the sequences, and was asked to return for a second
film shoot. The man informed Mr. Nelson that some of the film of his swing
sequences had mysteriously disappeared or was lost, and that they'd need him
to come back for a second film session. So he agreed to fly back a couple
days later. In the interim, the producers discovered -- much to their
amazement -- that none of the film of Nelson's swing sequences had been lost
at all. Instead, when they'd super-imposed all the various swings he'd made
with a particular club, each of his swings was so precisely identical that
the resulting composite was indistinguishable from a single swing sequence.
There was simply no discernible deviation from swing to swing, and it had
produced the illusion, when all the swings were superimposed on top of one
another, that there was only one swing. None of the other pros they'd
filmed even came close to that feat. They phoned him in Texas to call off
his return flight, and decided at that moment to name the swing robot after
him -- what we now know as the Iron Byron.

In 1995, I attended the annual Salesmanship Club of Dallas luncheon, where
they would honor Mr. Nelson, announce the final earnings from the previous
year's tournament for the local Salesmanship Club charities, and set forth
their goals for the next tournament. I had previously had the opportunity
to tour both the Salesmanship Club's East Texas camp for troubled youth, as
well as their Dallas inner-city school for urban kids from troubled
families. Mr. Nelson spoke passionately at that luncheon about the work
done by the Salesmanship Club, most of which was made possible by his golf
tournament. The Byron Nelson Classic has, for as long as I can remember,
lapped the PGA TOUR field in terms of charity funds raised (at one time, it
raised nearly double the amount of the #2 tournament in terms of charity
monies raised), and much of the reason for that is the goodwill Mr. Nelson
created in his hometown, and because he was so beloved by the men in the red
pants who call themselves the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.

But my most memorable encounter with Byron Nelson, and the one that I think
best exemplifies what a gentleman he was, happened in 1997. I'd just left
Dallas to take a job as the lead play-by-play announcer for PGA TOUR Radio
in Atlanta. Grant Boone, who was our play-by-play anchor at the time (and
later went on to anchor play-by-play telecasts for The Golf Channel in 2000
and 2001), and I were in Dallas to cover the Byron Nelson Classic. Before
the trip, Grant had arranged an interview with Mr. Nelson. It was really
quite a coup for us to be granted an interview with Mr. Nelson, considering
that demands on his time during tournament week were at their peak. Grant
and I sat down with Mr. Nelson in one of the club's ballrooms, and Grant hit
the record button on the tape deck and began his interview. Byron Nelson
was always quite the storyteller, and he didn't disappoint. He gave us one
of the best interviews we've ever been fortunate enough do. It went on for
about 45 minutes, as Mr. Nelson just talked and talked and told story after
fascinating story. It was just rekable.

When it was over, we thanked him, packed up the recording equipment and
started to head back to our hotel. On the way to the parking lot, Grant
checked the tape and -- to his horror -- realized that he had not recorded
any of the interview. He looked like a ghost, as his face turned white as a
sheet. In a moment of sheer panic, neither of us knew quite what to do, but
we knew that our employer was expecting an interview with Byron Nelson.
Grant said to me, "I have to go back and ask him to do it again."

"There's not a chance in hell," I said. "He's too busy this week. You're
S.O.L, buddy."

Undaunted, and with his tail tucked decidedly between his legs, Grant
returned to the clubhouse (with me following far enough behind to enable me
to convey with my body language, "I don't know that guy") and located Mr.
Nelson. I watched, horrified, and frankly, embarrassed for Grant, as he
explained what had happened. And Byron Nelson not only did the one thing I
never would have thought he would do, but he did it with a level of grace
and compassion that no one in their wildest dreams could have imagined. Mr.
Nelson told Grant that he remembered from his years of doing broadcasting
that this sort of thing happens all the time, and led Grant and me back into
the ballroom where we sat down to do another interview, and Mr. Nelson gave
us another unforgettable 45 minutes.

He didn't repeat a single story he'd told the first time around. The man
had a lifetime's worth of stories to tell without ever running out of
different things to talk about. We got our interview. And when it was
over, Mr. Nelson even had the reserve patience to wait while Grant
checked -- and I double-checked -- the tape to make sure it captured the
conversation this time. He never seemed rushed, never seemed put out by our
mistake, never seemed the least bit annoyed. He just shared more stories,
and when it was over, he shook our hands and thanked us again. HE thanked
US.

I have never known anyone to have an unkind word to say about Mr. Nelson,
and if they ever did, I would assume they were delusional. To say that
Byron Nelson demonstrated himself to be a complete gentleman every time I
encountered him would be a crass understatement. He was always nothing if
not cordial, welcoming and kind to everyone he met. And as that last story
clearly demonstrates, was willing to go out of his way to help others.

We should all be so fortunate to leave behind such a legacy.

He will be sorely missed, and I consider myself blessed to have crossed his
path.

Randy

Date: 27 Sep 2006 07:12:11
From: bill-o
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

On 26-Sep-2006, "\"R&B\"" <noneofyourbusiness@all.com > wrote:

> Here are a few of my favorite Byron Nelson memories...

Thank you Randy for making me smile after a difficult day.

--
bill-o

A "gimme" can best be defined as an agreement between
two golfers neither of whom can putt very well.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 20:52:33
From: warren montgomery
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

>
> I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Byron Nelson on
> several occasions, dating back to my days working at KRLD-AM in Dallas,
> which, for many years, did radio play-by-play of the Byron Nelson Classic
> even before radio play-by-play of PGA TOUR events became a national
> endeavor.
>
Thanks for the great stories! I never met him, but my father did, and
talked about it for years. It was in one of those charity golf events where
Mr Nelson was giving a clinic and spent time with every participant. A real
class act. Ever since I've enjoyed watching the guy tee off in the first
group at Augusta and give his insights on the Masters and on his Texas
tournament and though I'd love to be as active at that age as he was. The
golf world lost a true ambassador.

--
Warren Montgomery (wamontgomery@att.net)
http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery

Date: 27 Sep 2006 01:39:22
From: Howard Brazee
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 20:17:04 -0400, "\"R&B\""
<noneofyourbusiness@all.com > wrote:

>Here are a few of my favorite Byron Nelson memories...

Thanks for sharing them with us.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 18:15:23
From: long&left
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

Date: 28 Sep 2006 04:15:47
From: Peter Strauss
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP (long, but worth it)

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:15:23 -0700, long&left <nospam@diespammers.com >
wrote:

> "R&B" wrote:
> > "JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com> wrote ...
> >> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> >> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> >> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 94.
> >
> >
> > I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Byron Nelson on
> > several occasions, dating back to my days working at KRLD-AM in Dallas,
> > which, for many years, did radio play-by-play of the Byron Nelson Classic
> > even before radio play-by-play of PGA TOUR events became a national
> > endeavor.
> >
> > Here are a few of my favorite Byron Nelson memories...
> >
>
> Randy, that was worth every word of the read. Thanks for sharing!

Amen to that. Thanks, Randy.
Nice tribute to a grand old man, indeed.

Peter

Date: 26 Sep 2006 15:33:16
From: Birdie Bill
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

JJVP wrote:
> Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
> Morning News.

I guess the Ryder Cup was the last straw.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 15:17:12
From: Dene
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

annika1980 wrote:
> JJVP wrote:
> > DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> > in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> > including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>
> I'm pretty good at thinking of bad things to say about people, but even
> I can't say anything bad about Lord Byron. A true gentleman in every
> sense of the word. He even took the time to pose with me for a photo at
> Augusta one year so I'm glad I got to shake his hand at least once. He
> was loved by all who met him.
>
> BTW, Byron was 94. He was the last of the modern Great Triumvirate
> (Hogan, Nelson, Snead) who were all born in 1912. His passing leaves
> Arnold Palmer as the most universally loved golfer on the planet. Lord
> Byron Nelson will be missed. Perhaps they'll leave an empty chair up on
> the platform above the 18th green during next year's Byron Nelson
> Classic.

Nice words. Did you see him Tee off on the 1st hole? Curious how far
he could hit it at 90+ ?? (IOW, how much farther than me).

-Greg

Date: 26 Sep 2006 18:12:03
From: RT
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Date: 26 Sep 2006 15:06:23
From: JJVP
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

JJVP wrote:
> annika1980 wrote:
> > JJVP wrote:
> > > DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> > > in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> > > including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
> >
> > I'm pretty good at thinking of bad things to say about people, but even
> > I can't say anything bad about Lord Byron. A true gentleman in every
> > sense of the word. He even took the time to pose with me for a photo at
> > Augusta one year so I'm glad I got to shake his hand at least once. He
> > was loved by all who met him.
> >
> > BTW, Byron was 94. He was the last of the modern Great Triumvirate
> > (Hogan, Nelson, Snead) who were all born in 1912. His passing leaves
> > Arnold Palmer as the most universally loved golfer on the planet. Lord
> > Byron Nelson will be missed. Perhaps they'll leave an empty chair up on
> > the platform above the 18th green during next year's Byron Nelson
> > Classic.
>
> "BTW, Byron was 94"
>
> This is the title of the article "Golf legend Byron Nelson dies at 94"
>
> Then the article text said he was 92. Guess the editor didn't check
> very closely.
>
> JJVP

Looks like they fixed it. It now says correctly he was 94 in the
article body.

JJVP

Date: 26 Sep 2006 15:04:31
From: JJVP
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

annika1980 wrote:
> JJVP wrote:
> > DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> > in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> > including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>
> I'm pretty good at thinking of bad things to say about people, but even
> I can't say anything bad about Lord Byron. A true gentleman in every
> sense of the word. He even took the time to pose with me for a photo at
> Augusta one year so I'm glad I got to shake his hand at least once. He
> was loved by all who met him.
>
> BTW, Byron was 94. He was the last of the modern Great Triumvirate
> (Hogan, Nelson, Snead) who were all born in 1912. His passing leaves
> Arnold Palmer as the most universally loved golfer on the planet. Lord
> Byron Nelson will be missed. Perhaps they'll leave an empty chair up on
> the platform above the 18th green during next year's Byron Nelson
> Classic.

"BTW, Byron was 94"

This is the title of the article "Golf legend Byron Nelson dies at 94"

Then the article text said he was 92. Guess the editor didn't check
very closely.

JJVP

Date: 26 Sep 2006 14:16:58
From: annika1980
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

JJVP wrote:
> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.

I'm pretty good at thinking of bad things to say about people, but even
I can't say anything bad about Lord Byron. A true gentleman in every
sense of the word. He even took the time to pose with me for a photo at
Augusta one year so I'm glad I got to shake his hand at least once. He
was loved by all who met him.

BTW, Byron was 94. He was the last of the modern Great Triumvirate
(Hogan, Nelson, Snead) who were all born in 1912. His passing leaves
Arnold Palmer as the most universally loved golfer on the planet. Lord
Byron Nelson will be missed. Perhaps they'll leave an empty chair up on
the platform above the 18th green during next year's Byron Nelson
Classic.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 15:39:42
From: Bobby Knight
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

On 26 Sep 2006 13:18:08 -0700, "JJVP" <jjvp10@gmail.com > wrote:

>DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
>in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
>including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>
>Known as "Lord Byron" because of his elegant swing and gentle manner,
>Nelson won 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45 then at the age of 34
>retired after the 1946 season to spend more time on his Texas ranch.
>
>Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
>Morning News.
>
>The namesake of the Byron Nelson Classic, Nelson was joined by Tiger
>Woods at fifth on the all-time career victory list with 52 wins.
>
>Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
>
>http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2603645
>
>JJVP

A giant among giants. He's one of the few professional golfers that
gave more back to the game than he received.
___,
\o

Date: 26 Sep 2006 13:35:48
From:
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

JJVP wrote:
> DALLAS -- Professional golfer Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year
> in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945,
> including 11 in a record row, died Tuesday. He was 92.
>
> Known as "Lord Byron" because of his elegant swing and gentle manner,
> Nelson won 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-45 then at the age of 34
> retired after the 1946 season to spend more time on his Texas ranch.
>
> Nelson died at his home around noon, a family friend told the Dallas
> Morning News.
>
> The namesake of the Byron Nelson Classic, Nelson was joined by Tiger
> Woods at fifth on the all-time career victory list with 52 wins.
>
> Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
>
> http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2603645
>
> JJVP

RIP, he was old.

Date: 26 Sep 2006 23:23:58
From: Rmc
Subject: Re: Byron Nelson - RIP

Your parents would be proud of your mathematical achievement.