"North Dallas Forty" Author Has Died

"Former National Football League player Peter Gent, whose book about the seamier side of pro football was made into the movie, North Dallas Forty, has died in his native Michigan. He was 69."  You can read more at CBS News HERE.

I remember seeing the 1979 film adaptation (starring Nick Notle as the aging wide receiver relying on painkillers to stay competitive) on TV sometime in the early 1980s and being totally blown away as a kid by the revelation of the sordid side of the NFL.  In fact, when I first heard last Friday about the revelations concerning Walter Payton's dark side, particularly his reliance on painkillers, North Dallas Forty was the first thing that came to mind.

Being a fan of Monday Night Football even as a kid in the early 1980s, I was also amazed to learn that the aging 'Dandy' Don Meredith was allegedly the basis for the 'girl on each arm' quarterback in the film.