Evel Knievel, (October 17, 1938 - November 30, 2007)

[Darth Fanboy]

Link.

Legendary Stuntman Evel Knievel Dead At Age 69
CLEARWATER, Fla. (CBS) ―

Evel Knievel, the hard-living motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.

Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.

Immortalized in the Washington's Smithsonian Institution as "America's Legendary Daredevil," Knievel was best known for a failed 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered cycle and a spectacular crash at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. He suffered nearly 40 broken bones before he retired in 1980.

Although he dropped off the pop culture radar in the '80s, Knievel always had fans and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years. In later years he still made a good living selling his autographs and endorsing products. Thousands came to Butte, Mont., every year as his legend was celebrated during the "Evel Knievel Days" festival.

"They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives," Knievel said. "People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner."

His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel's trademarked image in a popular West music video.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[The Grim Squeaker]

Damn...

[Darth Wong]

He lived to 69. That's a pretty damned good run for someone who treated his life like it was expendable.

[Havok]

Wow. This guy was my hero when I was a little kid. The reason I ride motorcycles, and the reason I don't jump them. This makes me sad... like something was taken away from my childhood. He is a legend and I will miss him.

And for all you not in the know, take a look at the bikes that he jumped with. These aren't factory built , super light customs, designed for jumping like today's "daredevils" use. They are HEAVY and SLOW, basically stock bikes with a few off the shelf parts.

Evil did it first and Evil did it best. As a text message I just got goes... "Long live the King!"

[Julhelm]

I read in a bike mag that he supposedly had so much metal in him after all his crashes that he had to stay at least 100 meters from the nearest magnet.

[Broomstick]

Given that he was living in constant pain and suffering, at a certain level this is a bit of a relief. A classic case of "If I knew I was going to live this long I'd have taken better care of my body".

And I doubt the bit about the magnets. The worst that would happen is that he could stick refrigerator magnets on himself at strategic locations, but I doubt even that (although in some cases facial prosthetics are held in place by implanted magnets).

Getting him too close to an MRI machine, however, could be quite problematic.

[Kanastrous]

Standing next to him in an open field during a thunderstorm sounds kind of unsafe, too.

[Raw Shark]

Evel

[KhyronTheBackstabber]

R.I.P #1

[The Yosemite Bear]

well another part of my childhood is gone. that wire doll and his cycle were the best toys ever.

[Flagg]

Wasn't he a wifebeating asshole?

[Phantasee]

Oh man, that's sad. He was an icon, I remember my cousin watching tapes of him when I was a kid. I didn't really know what was going on, until I saw him flying through the air.

Flagg: It was hilarious to read that after the rest of the posts in this thread.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Wasn't he a wifebeating asshole?

yes, when I was on drugs and alcohol, like willie nelson and johnny cash, he had a thing for more than one kind of speed, and was by all accounts a very nasty drunk. Fortunatly he cleaned up after a couple times in jail, including a very savage beating of someone with a baseball bat.

like Willie and Johnny he became a much better person after he stopped using the speed.

[NeoGoomba]

Haha I'm pretty sure he beat his manager with the bat. I don't remember why though. Truly, he lived the dream of office workers everywhere.

Oh yeah, and the whole jumping thing, thats neat too I suppose.

[Patrick Degan]

Another childhood icon gone.

[nickolay1]

Looks like he found jesus just a few months prior to his death. Why can't god claim all of his worshipers so quickly?

[Flagg]

Flagg: It was hilarious to read that after the rest of the posts in this thread.

What can I say? I despise wifebeating fucktards.

[nickolay1]

It should also be noted that this parasite required a liver transplant upon acquiring Hepatitis C due to his willfully negligent stunts. That probably means that somebody died due to one less liver being available...

In other words, good riddance. It's too bad that he didn't earn a Darwin award early in his career, before reproducing.

[Broomstick]

It should also be noted that this parasite required a liver transplant upon acquiring Hepatitis C due to his willfully negligent stunts. That probably means that somebody died due to one less liver being available...

That's a bit harsh - you know, if thousands of people hadn't been willing to pay to see this guy do his stunts it's doubtful he would have kept upping the ante. A lot of the reason people turned out was because the danger was real.

"Willfully negligent" is also, IMHO, a bit out of line - a lot of prep work went into those stunts. It's basically a circus performance and not much different from people who juggle flaming torches, fly in airshows, walk high wires, or swing on the trapeze. Or movie stuntmen. Fact is, there's a risk involved in that sort of work. Not every job is as safe as deskwork.

Calling him a "parasite" goes a bit far, although I am quite willing to call him an asshole for some of the shit he did along the way.

By the time he needed the new liver he had largely cleaned up his act, although he never was a saint.

In other words, good riddance. It's too bad that he didn't earn a Darwin award early in his career, before reproducing.

Most of his descendants are pretty normal people. One of his sons followed in his dad's footsteps, although I don't think Bobby has injured himself nearly so often.

[nickolay1]

"Willfully negligent" is also, IMHO, a bit out of line - a lot of prep work went into those stunts. It's basically a circus performance and not much different from people who juggle flaming torches, fly in airshows, walk high wires, or swing on the trapeze. Or movie stuntmen. Fact is, there's a risk involved in that sort of work. Not every job is as safe as deskwork.

How many jugglers, airshow pilots, or movie stuntmen do you know who suffered 40 broken bones throughout their careers? Judging by that figure, the number of total injuries was probably significantly higher. He willfully placed himself into, as you noted, real danger, and was rewarded with real injuries. Fuck, even a goddamned lab rat would learn after the first few instances...

Calling him a "parasite" goes a bit far

That's exactly the term for him -- all he did was provide entertainment. However, it was the kind of entertainment that probably inspired many to attempt similarly imbecilic acts -- and led to as many injuries and likely even some deaths. A few of his wankers have revealed their presences in this very thread, in fact.

although I am quite willing to call him an asshole for some of the shit he did along the way.

He was more than just a mere asshole. His crimes are known to have ranged from burglary to poaching.

By the time he needed the new liver he had largely cleaned up his act, although he never was a saint.

Good for him, though the fact remains that the need arose due to his sheer recklessness.

[Broomstick]

"Willfully negligent" is also, IMHO, a bit out of line - a lot of prep work went into those stunts. It's basically a circus performance and not much different from people who juggle flaming torches, fly in airshows, walk high wires, or swing on the trapeze. Or movie stuntmen. Fact is, there's a risk involved in that sort of work. Not every job is as safe as deskwork.

How many jugglers, airshow pilots, or movie stuntmen do you know who suffered 40 broken bones throughout their careers? Judging by that figure, the number of total injuries was probably significantly higher. He willfully placed himself into, as you noted, real danger, and was rewarded with real injuries. Fuck, even a goddamned lab rat would learn after the first few instances...

Well, let's see...

I know OF "fire-eaters" who have had gas explosions inside their lungs... jugglers getting burns or severe lacerations from sharp objects... quite a few sword swallowers have punched their stomachs or torn their esophagus... most of the Flying Wallendas have died from falling off their tightropes... a certain number of movie stuntmen died every year in on the job accidents... and as for airshow pilots, when they screw up they're lucky if they only have broken bones as opposed to Fiery Flaming Death. Skydivers have been known to shatter multiple bones on a bad landing, requiring extensive reconstructive work.

The only professional airshow pilot I've ever met has had several dozen broken bones, but that's because he suffers from osteoporosis and not from crashes. He did, however, manage to set himself and his airplane on fire at least once, though.

If I recall, Jackie Chan has experienced quite a few broken bones in his career because until recently he did most if not all of his own stunts.

Calling him a "parasite" goes a bit far

That's exactly the term for him -- all he did was provide entertainment. However, it was the kind of entertainment that probably inspired many to attempt similarly imbecilic acts -- and led to as many injuries and likely even some deaths. A few of his wankers have revealed their presences in this very thread, in fact.

I would think the highly publicized injuries would do quite a bit to discourage imitation - Eval was hardly the only stunt man out there in the public eye, and the footage of his fuck ups is seen more often than that of his successes.

Sure, he provided only entertainment, but our society is willing to pay big bucks for entertainment.

although I am quite willing to call him an asshole for some of the shit he did along the way.

He was more than just a mere asshole. His crimes are known to have ranged from burglary to poaching.

You forgot the attempted murder charge from beating someone with a baseball bat. I never said he was a saint, or even a good guy.

By the time he needed the new liver he had largely cleaned up his act, although he never was a saint.

Good for him, though the fact remains that the need arose due to his sheer recklessness.

No, he needed one because back in the 1970's blood screening didn't eliminate Hepatitis C as well as it does now. Catching Hep C was one of the few sucky things that happened to him that was NOT his fault.

[Sidewinder]

Fortunatly he cleaned up after a couple times in jail, including a very savage beating of someone with a baseball bat.

I watched a special on Knievel on the History or Discovery Channel (I don't remember which). Apparently, the "victim" had published a tell-all book about Knievel, in which he accused the daredevil of beating and insulting his mother, among other things. I can't say I feel much sympathy for a guy who'd insult someone like that.

[Flagg]

Fortunatly he cleaned up after a couple times in jail, including a very savage beating of someone with a baseball bat.

I watched a special on Knievel on the History or Discovery Channel (I don't remember which). Apparently, the "victim" had published a tell-all book about Knievel, in which he accused the daredevil of beating and insulting his mother, among other things. I can't say I feel much sympathy for a guy who'd insult someone like that.

Did he beat and insult his mother? Because that sounds alot like something a wifebeating asshole like him would do.

[Sidewinder]

Did he beat and insult his mother? Because that sounds alot like something a wifebeating asshole like him would do.

Knievel claims the accusations were all lies. (I admit Knievel himself may be lying about whether or not he beat and insulted his mother, but I'm giving him the benefit of a doubt.)

[The Yosemite Bear]

Also of note amoung Ballet dancers / circus performers who have over 40 broken bones. Hong Kong Opera red pants clowns. A training process that can be fatal, and produced Jackie Chan and many others.