My latest poll allowed readers to choose Evel Knievel as the biggest jerk, and now I feel really bad about it. Evel Knievel died today at the age of 69. A sad day.
Over his career, Knievel was said to have broken practically every bone in his body — some multiple times. With his red-white-and-blue jumpsuits, shock of hair and stone-faced mein, he was a fixture on ABC’s program “Wide World of Sports” in the 1970s, his stunts perennial ratings-grabbers.
Needless to say, I’m removing him as one of the choices from the poll, and I have to hand it to the my readers on their foresight–not one person had chosen him and I’m currently tied for the lead. How fitting.
My absolute favorite toy as a little kid was the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle. I’d wind it up as fast as it would go and send Evel flying up a ramp made out of an album cover and the phone book.
Thanks for entertaining us for all those years!
What’s nice is that no one chose Evel. I didn’t choose him because of his huge balls. I didn’t choose Burt Reynolds because he went to FSU, but I think he’s still alive.
I would totally vote for you, but I am not sure what might happen to you if I vote…if you can kill EK just by putting in your poll, then imagine what an actual vote might do to you. I can’t risk it.
I had an Evel Knievel lunch box when I was a kid, and to show you how old school I am, it was metal, like my head.