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Norm Van Brocklin

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Football Player

The Resume

    (March 15, 1926-May 2, 1983)
    Born in Parade, South Dakota
    Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1949-57) and <10166>Philadelphia Eagles (1958-60)
    23,611 passing yards
    173 touchdowns
    Nine-time Pro Bowler (1950-55,1958-60)
    NFL MVP (1960)
    Head coach of the Minnesota Vikings (1961-66) and Atlanta Falcons (1968-74)
    66 wins, 100 losses, 7 ties
    Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1966) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1971)

Why he might be annoying:

    He threw six interceptions in the NFL Championship Game (1955), contributing to a 38-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
    He announced his retirement from football (January, 1958), only to change his mind four months later.
    As the Vikings head coach, he had a contentious relationship with quarterback Fran Tarkenton, culminating in Van Brocklin's resignation and Tarkenton's trade to the New York Giants.
    Asked during a post-loss interview about his 'fighting spirit,' he replied, 'Do you want to fight me? Anyone who wants to fight me, stand up!' (He was let go by the Falcons the next day.)
    He smoked heavily, which contributed to his later health problems.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He served in the US Navy during World War II.
    He set a single-game record (still unbroken as of 2021) with 554 passing yards (September 28, 1951).
    He coached the Falcons to their first winning season (7-6-1 in 1971).
    After he had a brain tumor removed, he joked to the press, 'It was a brain transplant. They gave me a sportswriter's brain, to make sure I got one that hadn't been used.' (1981)

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying