The Tournament of Rick: Rnd 1 - BELL (NFL) vs BYRDSONG

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From the Sports I Bracket, it's the first round matchup of the tragedies.

The Matchup:

Ricky Bell

Ricky Lynn Bell (April 8, 1955 - November 28, 1984) younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was a former American professional football player who played running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982. Bell played football collegiately at USC. Bell was the first overall draft choice in the 1977 NFL Draft, selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pick has been called "gutsy", particularly by Athlon Sports, due to Tony Dorsett being projected as a better back than Bell, and due to the heart disease that shortened his career and eventually his life. In 1979, Bell enjoyed his finest season, rushing for 1,263 yards and leading the Buccaneers to the NFC Central Division crown. He led the Buccaneers to their first playoff win in franchise history that season by rushing for 142 yards on 38 carries scoring 2 touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bell died in 1984 of heart failure caused by dermatomyositis. Mario Van Peebles portrayed the player in the made for television movie, "A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story," which was based on Bell's illness.

VS

Ricky Birdsong

Ricky Byrdsong (June 24, 1956 – July 2, 1999) was an American former men's basketball coach for Northwestern University. Byrdsong coached the Wildcats from 1993 to 1997, leading them to a National Invitation Tournament berth in 1994. He had also been head coach at the University of Detroit and assistant coach at the University of Arizona, Eastern Illinois University, Western Michigan University and Iowa State University, his alma mater. He was murdered outside his Skokie, Illinois home in a hate crime committed by the Creativity Movement's Benjamin Nathaniel Smith. The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation was started after by Byrdsong's wife, Sherialyn Byrdsong, after his death. Its mission is to "arrest the growing epidemic of hate and violence in our society by and against our youth." The foundation holds a number of events in and around Evanston; the most well-known is the Race Against Hate, a 5,000-meter running race held annually in late June which race draws hundreds from Evanston, the Chicago area, and surrounding areas.


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