Two sport champion, Gene Conley, dead at 86.

When you think of two sport super stars in Atlanta..... yeah, the mind tends to wander over to dual personality known as Neon and Prime Time.

And rightfully so. Who can forget the media coverage of Deion leaving one sports venue after a game, sprinting to a waiting helicopter to be carried off to another stadium and the start of another game.
Deion managed a Super Bowl win with Dallas and the 49ers, but lost in his only World Series appearance with the Braves. He would've been the third athlete to capture championships in two of the four major sports.


Meet the second athlete to have accomplished that feat. Gene Conley.

Gene played baseball as a pitcher from 1952 until 1963.

 He pitched in three All Star games, 1954, 1959 and was the winning pitcher in 1955. He won the World Series with Milwaukee in 1957.

Gene played for the Phillies and Red Sox late in his baseball career, but we don't care about that. These fabulous Braves cards are from my own personal collection. Jealous?

Gene also played pro basketball as a center for the Boston Celtics.

(I don't have any of his basketball cards.... don't know if he even has any...)

He played the bouncy ball in 1952/53 and then from 1957 to 1964. He won NBA Championships in 1958, 59, 60.
Yeah. He played both sports at the same time. Awesome.


As immortalized on the back of his '56 Topps card... Gene stood 6'8"

Gene is the only athlete to play on three professional sports teams from the same city.
Boston Braves
Boston Red Sox
Boston Celtics

Gene was also the last living player to have played for both the Boston Braves and the Boston Red Sox.



Gene Conley 10.11.1930 - 04.07.2017

The Ned Braden of the 2011 NHL...

Most if not all of you know who Ned Braden is. He was the star player in the greatest sports movie ever made, Slapshot. Ned had a small problem. He was an outstanding skill player on a team of goons. And he refused to play the goon game. Despite being their best player, coach Reggie Dunlap benched him until he played a 'team game'.

 May I introduce you to Mr Tyler Seguin. The modern day Ned Braden. The #2 pick behind Taylor Hall has been a healthy scratch more often that not. Including every playoff game except the last two. Coach Julien says he "has not learned the Boston style of play" and... " he will not play the Bruin way." What he means is that Tyler....

 will not play like this. Dr Hook Tim McCracken.

 His hand forced by injuries, Julien hasa let Seguin play despite his lack of goonery... and Tyler has responded by scoring 3 goals and 3 assists in 2 games. By far Boston's most talented player, Tyler electrified the home crowd during a 4 point second period tonight on route to a 6-5 win over Tampa Bay.

Coach Julien has said with Patrice Bergeron returning for game 3, it's no guarantee that the inexperienced youngster will play.
He better.
If Boston wants to beat the more talented Lightning, they had better play Seguin, and they had better ride him the whole way.

Because if Tyler gets tired of the zoo.... it can only lead to this....

and I'm just not ready for that.