KRC Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 This season, I have been writing a series of articles for National Football Post focusing on players from past years. This week, my focus is on Daryle Lamonica. Where Are They Now: Daryle Lamonica I have had a lot of fun talking with these players and there are more articles to come. Previous editions included: Eddie Meador Ace Parker Bill Bergey Mick Tingelhoff Andy Russell Future editions will include players like Maxie Baughan, Jim Ray Smith and Harold Jackson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Ken, a very nice article. I had no idea Lamonica still came back to Buffalo or that he had no hard feelings towards the city or the team. Man, that was about the worst trade in Bills history. We can only fantasize how things would have gone had Lamonica replaced Kemp in the late 60s. Thanks for the read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Ken, a very nice article. I had no idea Lamonica still came back to Buffalo or that he had no hard feelings towards the city or the team. Man, that was about the worst trade in Bills history. We can only fantasize how things would have gone had Lamonica replaced Kemp in the late 60s. Thanks for the read. He will be back in Buffalo for the Chiefs game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Great stuff, thanks for sharing that, Ken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SactoBillFan Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 That's a very good read. Well written. And interesting. Lamonica was a little before my time, but I'm happy to reconnect with the past greats once in a while. Puts things in perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eme123 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 That was an awesome read! Well done Ken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Great article. One note - the Bills did not play in the 1963 championship game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Nice read. I remember Al Davis being asked about his chances of getting Jim Kelly when the USFL was folding. He said no chance, Ralph Wilson still hadn't forgiven him for Daryle Lamonica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Fontes Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW-Daryle-Lamonica-The-Mad-2628069.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Another great job, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 It is still amazing to me that many players of that time period had to create a second career, and became successful at it, after football. Would many today be able to be this successful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Thanks KRC. Excellent. I enjoyed reading the article on Tingelhoff, a player I had not known of previously who played for several years and didn't miss any games at center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowery4 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Nice! Worst trade ever, seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurman#1 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Ken, great article. Thanks so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 It is still amazing to me that many players of that time period had to create a second career, and became successful at it, after football. Would many today be able to be this successful? Started a trucking company in Alaska? I'd like to hear about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Thanks KRC. Excellent. I enjoyed reading the article on Tingelhoff, a player I had not known of previously who played for several years and didn't miss any games at center. Don't be shocked if Tingelhoff is one of the seniors candidates for the PFHOF next year (Class of 2015). He almost made it this year. He should have been in the HOF by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcatty Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Nice! Worst trade ever, seriously. Not only was it one of the worst trades made by any team, it signaled the start of the Bills' long demise as a team. By that time, Saban was gone, and Joe Collier, the Bills's defensive coordinator was named head coach. We were so bad under him that we became eligible for the first overall pick in the draft, chosing O.J. By the time we took O.J., Collier was gone, and we had Oakland's head coach. That was Al Davis's second fleecing of our team. Looking back on some of these things historically, one can see the start of a long series of poor decision making by Wilson, and his employees. The 70's were extremly painful, save a short time when Saban returned for his second stint. As a young teen-ager, I can vivdly recall Lamonica, and his slow, long release. However, he was very capable, and on many occasions Saban put him in games during the second half to "bail" out Jackie Kemp. That's exactly what he had the penchant for doing, and he was quite sucessful. There were many of us in the stands who believed that Lamonica deserved to be the starter. I'm still sick over the trade, and wince when I recall seeing him throw a bomb to Warren Wells, or Cliff Branch (I think I have their names accurately). On top of that I still gag when hearing Howard Cosell rave about him as the "mad bomber" ! It hurst to be a Bills fan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 It's very nice writing, but it's not really about where he is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Excellent article. And the idea of a Hall of the Very Good is first rate. So many players like Lamonica who we admire greatly but might not make it to the Hall of Fame. Nice job, not only on the article but on the research in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Growing up in Cheektowaga, my best friend was a huge Lamonica fan. So much so that he became a Raiders fan when Lamonica was traded. To this day, he still follows the Raiders more than he follows the Bills. He considers the Lamonica trade the biggest blunder the Bills FO ever made. It seems like Lamonica is a sweetheart of a man who's sincerely grateful for the good things that have come his way. Ken - thanks for the link and excellent article. Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Did anybody else ever hear the rumor that Lamonica was traded because he was having an affair with at least one of the coach's wives?................This article does nothing to make me think that isn't true. The trade came totally out of the blue, after he was told he was going to be starting and he was all pumped up for the season. I had always thought that he probably asked for the trade so that he could finally start. Now I might have to believe the rumor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Did anybody else ever hear the rumor that Lamonica was traded because he was having an affair with at least one of the coach's wives?................This article does nothing to make me think that isn't true. The trade came totally out of the blue, after he was told he was going to be starting and he was all pumped up for the season. I had always thought that he probably asked for the trade so that he could finally start. Now I might have to believe the rumor! Yes, that was the story at the time, one that of course, considering the times, was never publicly mentioned. However, what I heard was that it was teammates wives (plural). Never heard about a coach's wife. Darn, too bad Larry Felser isn't around; he would know the story for sure. Anybody connected enough to Van Miller to ask him about this? As a young teen-ager, I can vivdly recall Lamonica, and his slow, long release. However, he was very capable, and on many occasions Saban put him in games during the second half to "bail" out Jackie Kemp. That's exactly what he had the penchant for doing, and he was quite sucessful. There were many of us in the stands who believed that Lamonica deserved to be the starter. I'm still sick over the trade, and wince when I recall seeing him throw a bomb to Warren Wells, or Cliff Branch (I think I have their names accurately). On top of that I still gag when hearing Howard Cosell rave about him as the "mad bomber" ! It hurst to be a Bills fan! That's totally accurate. Also, Ed Rutkowski was the "emergency QB." I was at a game at the old Rockpile where the fans were booing Kemp and shouting out "Bring in Lamonica." Finally Saban did exactly that. And he did as bad a job as Kemp. So the fans started chanting, "Bring in Rutkowski!" I seem to remember that he did. Great days, great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Charlie Smith, Warren Wells and fred B helped too. Eddie was the Qb at oakland game if i remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I hate to be that guy here, but... The first-ever Little League World Series in Hershey Park? It's always been played in Williamsport. Brian Sipe played in the LLWS for El Cajon, CA in 1961. In Williamsport. Daryle Lamonica never played in the LLWS. However, if you Google "Daryle Lamonica Little League World Series" you get a whole page of results, most of which use the same quote, refer to HersheyPark, and were published several years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 I hate to be that guy here, but... The first-ever Little League World Series in Hershey Park? It's always been played in Williamsport. Brian Sipe played in the LLWS for El Cajon, CA in 1961. In Williamsport. Daryle Lamonica never played in the LLWS. However, if you Google "Daryle Lamonica Little League World Series" you get a whole page of results, most of which use the same quote, refer to HersheyPark, and were published several years ago. That is what he told me. I didn't even ask him about it. He volunteered the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 That is what he told me. I didn't even ask him about it. He volunteered the information. Possibly Pony League, which was founded in Washington, PA and which plays its World Series in Washington Park. Those leagues don't keep records the way Little League does though (see here) so it's hard to verify claims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Possibly Pony League, which was founded in Washington, PA and which plays its World Series in Washington Park. Those leagues don't keep records the way Little League does though (see here) so it's hard to verify claims. It is possible. The next time I talk to him, I will ask him about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 It is possible. The next time I talk to him, I will ask him about it. Ask him about the affairs with the players' wives, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I remember when I was teaching at Furman in SC, Billy Shaw (who lived not far off) came to talk to the FCA chapter. What a genuinely nice Christian gentleman he was. After the presentation, I had a chance to chat with him and ask him to sign my Bills sweatshirt (he had just gotten into the HOF). I asked him about Kemp and Lamonica, and he had good things to say about them both, only adding, "Daryle was a little wild back then, not as mature as Jack. He needed a change of scenery to settle down." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Ask him about the affairs with the players' wives, too! Got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLynchTrain Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 "Lamonica continued, “There were no agents back then. I got to talk to both Ralph Wilson Junior and Senior the night before I was traded. Mr. Wilson Sr. said, ‘You will be our starting quarterback coming back this year.’" I never knew Ralph's father was involved with the Bills. You learn something new everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I was surprised by that, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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