Buffalo Barbarian Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Seattle to win it all...just because. PTR ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Great player, great name. RIP Cookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinegun12 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 RIP Cookie, not old enough to have seen you play but know that you are a Bills legend. I've had a few people ask if that is Cookie in my avatar (it's Jim Braxton, the non murdering RB of the 70s) but maybe I'll have to change it over to honor him! We sure could use a few hard nosed players like Cookie on our team now. Seattle to win it all...just because. PTR What did I miss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AReed Deep For 7 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 this was a bummer to see today. im wayyyy to young to have seen him play for buffalo (22 yrs old), but on the double disc dvd "history of the bills" there was a story about him running over the safety for New England, and knocking him unconcious. than walking back to the sideline all the NE players were trying to revive their man. i guess when he walked back he said "who the F*** is next?!?!" it was by far my favorite story on the dvd, tim russert had the biggest smile ever telling part of that story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Wish I could have seen him play. For the old timers, who would have compared to him in todays game? Goodspeed. There is no one in today's game who compares. He excelled at every sport he tried, and excelled at every position on the football field. The closest persons to him would be Jim Thorpe and Jim Brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starrymessenger Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 To this day, Cookie is a legend in Canada. His name always comes up in "greatest player" debates. Jack Kemp said Cookie was the greatest football player he ever saw. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Bill Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 A greater player and story than most people know. Worth the research for the those of us who don't know. RIP. Respect and Honor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Blizzard Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Looky Looky, there goes Cookie . . . RIP, Mr. Gilchrist . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Sad day to lose a member of our wall of fame. youtube.com/watch?v=HeQYK59rMmY Found this... Look at timne slot 2:43. That guy looks just like me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevWarRifleman Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Had he played a continuous ten years with one team, without the off-the-field distractions, I truly believe he would have gone down as the greatest back in history. A couple of interesting things about Cookie: Paul Brown signed him out of high schoolthen hid him in Canada where he learned to play -- and excel at --rugby. And he was one of the AFL players who forced the league to move its pro bowl game from New Orleans because of the racial climate there. That was a huge event at the time, first because pro players never, ever went up against owners at that time. And secondly, because black players were supposed to be just grateful they were even allowed to play the pro game at all. Jack Kemp and other white players joined in the "rebellion." Meanwhile, over in the NFL, the status quo ante prevailed. The Redskins, for example, didn't even have a black player until 1968. Guys like Cookie made the AFL cool, great, and by the time of the merger, the better league. I'd like to imagine that when he died, a chorus went up in The Afterworld of "Lookie, lookie, here comes Cookie." youngmack, I'd like to make a correction about the Redskins. You're right about the Skins being the last NFL team to have a black player. But it was Bobby Mitchell, in a trade w/ Cleveland, that came to the Skins in 1962. I followed the Bills and Cleveland at the time. The Redskins were, at the time the only NFL team in the south, and they were still holding onto those old southern attitudes. But yes, we'll miss Cookie, RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipster19 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) R.I.P. Cookie. I'm sorry that I never got to see him play, he sounds like the type of RB that I love to watch. It's a sad day for Bills' fans, we lost a brethren today. Edited January 11, 2011 by Tipster19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seq004 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Thanks for all you did for the Bills Cookie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manateefan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I didn't really start following football until the late 1960s. But I have read about the history of the Buffalo Bills. Everything I have read said that Cookie was as good as Jim Brown. But Cookie rocked the boat so it affected his career and Jim Brown didn't until his football career was over. Then he became an advocate for equality. Cookie stood up for his convictions about segregation and the treatment of blacks in the early 60s. Cookie should be on the "Wall" but wouldn't come to Buffalo unless paid. Do I blame him? Maybe. But at the time he played players made dirt and most had jobs off season. Look at the pay scale today. And look how many get in trouble and somehow get back in the league after being suspended and making even more money (Ricky Williams, Michael Vick, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Wish RW would get over past differences & put Cookie (and Lou Saban) up on The Wall. RIP Wish he would have. You win Ralph. Congratulations. You can't stop him without a solid shot. The longer the game goes, the more effective Cookie becomes." Holub, the 225-pound Kansas City linebacker, says: "If you hit him low, he works on you with his knees. If you hit him high, you get a stiff-arm. You have to hit him around the middle and clamp your arms around him or he'll tear your arms off. If he gets through a hole at the line of scrimmage, it's hell on the linebackers." Read more: http://sportsillustr...m#ixzz1AeaSBKn2 There is nobody who was that feared. Beast Mode is a child. EJ Holub was a great player so he would know. Holub made All-AFL 5 times. He played both center and linebacker. BTW, I hear the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame is an unofficial AFL Hall of Fame…a must see destination for those who care about the history of the AFL and all its members. The displays and exhibits are supposed to be excellent. Too bad Ralph didn't think of doing something like that. The Hunt family puts Ralph to shame as far as setting a standard of excellence for a small market team. The Hunt family has also gone very far in honoring their own history…as well as the history of their contemporaries…the Buffalo BIlls, the Houston Oilers, the San Diego Chargers, the Denver Broncos, the Boston Patriots, the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Titans (Jets). Unlike Ralph, the Hunt family understands that by honoring your contemporaries and your associates, that you honor yourself. RIP Cookie, not old enough to have seen you play but know that you are a Bills legend. I've had a few people ask if that is Cookie in my avatar (it's Jim Braxton, the non murdering RB of the 70s) but maybe I'll have to change it over to honor him! We sure could use a few hard nosed players like Cookie on our team now. What did I miss? Good for you, Machinegun. Jim Braxton was also a great player who football history will never appreciate fully. Jim died at Roswell Park in the mid-80s of cancer. Such a very sad and emotional day for Buffalo Bills fans. RIP Cookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCBongo Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 RIP Cookie, thanks for the 64 championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 R.I.P. Cookie. Sad story of a guy who just never got over a feeling the world had screwed him over. I remember reading that back in the day John Madden considered Cookie one of the top two RB's in both the AFL/NFL combined in the decade of the 60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Maybe Earl Campbell? RIP Cookie! you nailed it Marvs neighbor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 this was a bummer to see today. im wayyyy to young to have seen him play for buffalo (22 yrs old), but on the double disc dvd "history of the bills" there was a story about him running over the safety for New England, and knocking him unconcious. than walking back to the sideline all the NE players were trying to revive their man. i guess when he walked back he said "who the F*** is next?!?!" it was by far my favorite story on the dvd, tim russert had the biggest smile ever telling part of that story. Check out TG's column on that story, via Paul Maguire. http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/24656/cookie-gilchrist-rumbled-right-until-the-end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Check out TG's column on that story, via Paul Maguire. http://espn.go.com/b...t-until-the-end Great piece. Thank you very much for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) RIP Cookie, not old enough to have seen you play but know that you are a Bills legend. I've had a few people ask if that is Cookie in my avatar (it's Jim Braxton, the non murdering RB of the 70s) but maybe I'll have to change it over to honor him! We sure could use a few hard nosed players like Cookie on our team now. What did I miss? Cookie, a zany individualist before that was more acceptable. Extraordinary talent, running, catching, blocking and even played LB while in the CFL, playing on both offense and defense. Should be on the Wall...... Edited January 11, 2011 by Spiderweb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Maybe the best pass blocking running back to ever play the game. Couple that with his records as a running back, his ability to catch passes, and his punting and kicking ability, and I would definitely say he was one of the four or five best football players in the history of the Buffalo Bills. I watched him and I watched Jim Brown (before the Bills Cleveland was the closest thing to a "Buffalo" team, and I gotta say Cookie is the ONLY runninng back who belongs in the same sentence with Jim Brown. If there is a Buffalo Bill who belongs in the hall of fame but isn't...its Cookie Gilchrist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stampede Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 just heard about Cookie's passing and had to make a comment. i have never lived in Buffalo and have only been there twice in my life for a game. i was born a Bills fan (because of my uncle) in 1964 and everything i knew about the Bills was taught to me by my uncle who passed in 1982 at the age 0f 38. i don't know how, but my uncle met Cookie on a couple of occasions and thought he was the best running back ever; he even insisted that the Bills could have beat the Packers in the first Super Bowl especially if Cookie was in the backfield. i wrote to him once while he was in the ALF but didn't receive a reply; not that i was expecting one. i just wanted to share with him how he was not forgotten and that many people still talk about him as one of the greatest running backs of all time for the Bills and the NFL. Cookies passing is that much closer to me because of my uncle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinegun12 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) Sad news. One of the toughest RBs to ever lace up the cleats, he fought off cancer for several years. Wish RW would get over past differences & put Cookie (and Lou Saban) up on The Wall. RIP I live in Pittsburgh now and there was a nice article in the Tribune Review today about Cookie (who is from the 'Burgh and died here) and in the article it says that Ralph Wilson visited Cookie last week (don't know how accurate) and that they buried the hatchet. I'm gonna look for a link right now, see if the article is posted on the net. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_717523.html At the bottom of the article it mentions the burying of the hatchet. Maybe RW didn't visit but it said they spoke. Edited January 11, 2011 by machinegun12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I live in Pittsburgh now and there was a nice article in the Tribune Review today about Cookie (who is from the 'Burgh and died here) and in the article it says that Ralph Wilson visited Cookie last week (don't know how accurate) and that they buried the hatchet. I'm gonna look for a link right now, see if the article is posted on the net. http://www.pittsburg...s/s_717523.html At the bottom of the article it mentions the burying of the hatchet. Maybe RW didn't visit but it said they spoke. They did. Very thoughful of the Boss! http://link.buffalobills.com/r/08CWG4C/PG0X/GDYEG/UHGM/Y8W0/2V/h Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancasterSteve Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Cookie may you be flying with the angels Here is some pics from the '64 team. For some reason the pics from the '65 team will not load. Those were the teams of my childhood and sweet years they were. Here: http://www.angelfire.com/nv/Billshistory/PHOTOS64.html Edited January 12, 2011 by LancasterSteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarMemorial Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Cookie will be missed. I remember our family moving to New Orleans and during the All Star game in '65, many black players were not allowed access to hotels and restaurants in town. Cookie was in the vanguard to boycott the game. It was eventually moved to somewhere in Texes (I think), That behavior was as much a shock to us, having just relocated, as it was for the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan72 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Maybe the best pass blocking running back to ever play the game. Couple that with his records as a running back, his ability to catch passes, and his punting and kicking ability, and I would definitely say he was one of the four or five best football players in the history of the Buffalo Bills. I watched him and I watched Jim Brown (before the Bills Cleveland was the closest thing to a "Buffalo" team, and I gotta say Cookie is the ONLY runninng back who belongs in the same sentence with Jim Brown. If there is a Buffalo Bill who belongs in the hall of fame but isn't...its Cookie Gilchrist. it is posts like these that keep me coming back to this forum... Man I wish I could have seen Cookie play live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancasterSteve Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_717523.html At the bottom of the article it mentions the burying of the hatchet. Maybe RW didn't visit but it said they spoke. From the article: "Former Bills cornerback Booker Edgerson claimed Gilchrist was "just as good or maybe even better" than Hall of Famer Jim Brown" I saw both play, quite a bit in fact. Cookie Gilchrist at War Memorial Stadium and when the Bills played away, the Bills and Browns on TV. In fact for those not around yet the Browns were the team seen on TV week after week in the WNY TV viewing area for years starting about 1955 or 56. Both Gilchirst and Brown were punishing runners down after down. In the December 8th, 1963 game against the NY Jets at War Memorial Stadium (which the Bills won 45-14) Cookie ran for a punishing 243 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. To this day still one of the greatest rushing feats by any Bills player in the 47 or 48 years I have been fortunate to see the Bills play. Even though the historic Civil Right legistration had been passed a year earlier; bigotry, discrimination and worse were still prevelent throughout our land. But worse, much worse in the South were the KKK controled many local and state governments. New Orleans and in the larger sense, the state of Louisiana were among the most corrupt in our nation. I remember seeing signs in many sourthern states like "whites only" in many places; water fountains, bathrooms and picnic areas to name but a few. Few if any whites were ever convicted in the south of 1965 for mudering blacks. Sometimes the KKK would kill whole families by burning their houses down while they slept and if they ran out, they were shot by the KKK. It was against this backdrop that Cookie Gilchrist started a boycott against playing the 1965 AFL Allstar game in NO. The article says "a bar" but in fact any black person was not even allowed to enter the many "whites only" bars not only in New Orleans but throughout the deep south. A very dark time in our nations history for sure. I hope it is true that Ralph Wilson saw Cookie and just wish that both he and Lou Saban were put on the Bills wall of fame before they passed on. Sad and ironic that the two men who were among the best at what they did for the Buffalo Bills (even though the two often feuded) are not in any way acknowledged for bringing the only football championships for the Bills team and Bills fans everywhere. RIP Cookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Cookie will be missed. I remember our family moving to New Orleans and during the All Star game in '65, many black players were not allowed access to hotels and restaurants in town. Cookie was in the vanguard to boycott the game. It was eventually moved to somewhere in Texes (I think), That behavior was as much a shock to us, having just relocated, as it was for the NFL. Nice 1st post and screen name. Welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagentqb Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) From the article: "Former Bills cornerback Booker Edgerson claimed Gilchrist was "just as good or maybe even better" than Hall of Famer Jim Brown" I saw both play, quite a bit in fact. Cookie Gilchrist at War Memorial Stadium and when the Bills played away, the Bills and Browns on TV. In fact for those not around yet the Browns were the team seen on TV week after week in the WNY TV viewing area for years starting about 1955 or 56. Both Gilchirst and Brown were punishing runners down after down. In the December 8th, 1963 game against the NY Jets at War Memorial Stadium (which the Bills won 45-14) Cookie ran for a punishing 243 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. To this day still one of the greatest rushing feats by any Bills player in the 47 or 48 years I have been fortunate to see the Bills play. Even though the historic Civil Right legistration had been passed a year earlier; bigotry, discrimination and worse were still prevelent throughout our land. But worse, much worse in the South were the KKK controled many local and state governments. New Orleans and in the larger sense, the state of Louisiana were among the most corrupt in our nation. I remember seeing signs in many sourthern states like "whites only" in many places; water fountains, bathrooms and picnic areas to name but a few. Few if any whites were ever convicted in the south of 1965 for mudering blacks. Sometimes the KKK would kill whole families by burning their houses down while they slept and if they ran out, they were shot by the KKK. It was against this backdrop that Cookie Gilchrist started a boycott against playing the 1965 AFL Allstar game in NO. The article says "a bar" but in fact any black person was not even allowed to enter the many "whites only" bars not only in New Orleans but throughout the deep south. A very dark time in our nations history for sure. I hope it is true that Ralph Wilson saw Cookie and just wish that both he and Lou Saban were put on the Bills wall of fame before they passed on. Sad and ironic that the two men who were among the best at what they did for the Buffalo Bills (even though the two often feuded) are not in any way acknowledged for bringing the only football championships for the Bills team and Bills fans everywhere. RIP Cookie I remember he also had about a 50 yard run near the end of that game that was called back by penalty.... Edited January 12, 2011 by bobm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 He needs to be on the ring of honor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gianelli Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 There's some great footage at this link, and some very interesting words from Cookie. He had a cease and desist order to prevent the Bills, Broncos, the NFL, and the t.v. networks from using his image, citing intellectual property rights. link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowgirlsFan Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 RIP Cookie! You were an outstanding runner in your era. I agree too!! He represented one of the first Buffalo Bills I watched with my Dad in the 60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancasterSteve Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I remember he also had about a 50 yard run near the end of that game that was called back by penalty.... You are correct. This happened on the Bills second last possesion. The last Bills possesion was kneel downs and Cookie Gilchrist was not sent back out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 just heard about Cookie's passing and had to make a comment. i have never lived in Buffalo and have only been there twice in my life for a game. i was born a Bills fan (because of my uncle) in 1964 and everything i knew about the Bills was taught to me by my uncle who passed in 1982 at the age 0f 38. i don't know how, but my uncle met Cookie on a couple of occasions and thought he was the best running back ever; he even insisted that the Bills could have beat the Packers in the first Super Bowl especially if Cookie was in the backfield. i wrote to him once while he was in the ALF but didn't receive a reply; not that i was expecting one. i just wanted to share with him how he was not forgotten and that many people still talk about him as one of the greatest running backs of all time for the Bills and the NFL. Cookies passing is that much closer to me because of my uncle. I share your uncle's view on the first superbowl. I thought the tandem of Cookie and Wray Carlton were outstanding power runners and our offensive line with Hall of Famer Billy Shaw would have given Kemp the opportunity to pass, and they would have been a very effective power running duo. Our defense had a fierce line and backer corps...Day, Sestak, Dunaway and McDole and Tracy Jacobs and Stratton. Byrd and Edgerson at corner and Saimes at safety..to this day I think the best AFL team that year was the Buffalo Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills99999 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 When my friends and I were kids, we all assumed Cookie was the dumbest player on the Bills because the spot on his football card for his college said "none" I know better now. 90% of the players who DID go to college are also dumb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I share your uncle's view on the first superbowl. I thought the tandem of Cookie and Wray Carlton were outstanding power runners and our offensive line with Hall of Famer Billy Shaw would have given Kemp the opportunity to pass, and they would have been a very effective power running duo. Our defense had a fierce line and backer corps...Day, Sestak, Dunaway and McDole and Tracy Jacobs and Stratton. Byrd and Edgerson at corner and Saimes at safety..to this day I think the best AFL team that year was the Buffalo Bills. I, too, share Stampede's uncles's view, with one exception. In '64, the Browns won the NFL title. That's who we would have played, had the merger been in place a couple years ealier. Just as the Packers could hold Brown to 50 yds. rushing in a title game, likely so would our defense and I'll go to my grave believeing we would have won that matchup. In '65, we no longer had Cookie -replaced by rookie Billy Joe. While we whooped the Chargers again in the AFL title game, I don't think we'd have beaten the Pack that year, nor the next year, when we fell at home to KC in our last title game until we played @ Cinci in '88-'89. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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