Evel Knievel Dead at 69
When it came to the end, neither the jumps nor the landings killed Evel Knievel. The last person you’d ever expect to die in his bed did, Nov. 30 at his condo in Clearwater, Fla., waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Mr. Knievel, (you have to pay him that respect), the motorcycle daredevil who made a fortune on revving a motorcycle and lifting its front wheel off terra firma, broke more than 35 bones, battled diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatitis, multiple brain traumas, two strokes and a liver transplant in his 69 action-packed years. We’re not sure as of yet which condition caused his death. Aside from being apparently made from steel, he wasn’t one to be modest either stating “They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives. People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser,” he told the Associated Press last year. “No king or prince has lived a better life. You’re looking at a guy who’s really done it all.”
He inspired a generation of kids (me included) to get out on their bikes and build their own ramps and jump things. Some have said that he was the original “reality television” and his stunts make the “Jackass” gang look like a bunch of pussies. He definitely was a one-of-a-kind and very much a man of his times. That time has come and gone, and now, so has he…..Hopefully he got his affairs in order before his sudden death. Rest in Peace Evel……and Robbie, here is my condolences.
