Posted on 10/11/2007 11:53:41 AM PDT by Soft Bigotry
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- The body of George Gipp, the Notre Dame football player who inspired the rallying cry "Win one for the Gipper," was exhumed recently for DNA testing in his Upper Peninsula hometown.
The test was sought by the Gipp family and met legal requirements, Houghton County Medical Examiner Dr. Dawn Nulf said Wednesday, although it angered some relatives who live in the area where Gipp was born and raised.
Nulf declined comment about why the request was made.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
I’m hopin’ its to clone Ronald Reagan! :^)
It’s cloning time!! I mean clobbering.. no .. cloning yeah that’s it.
Maybe.
“Nulf said she was contacted a couple of months ago by a family representative seeking the DNA test. She determined a court order was not required for the body to be exhumed. Instead, the family presented an affidavit that was approved by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department.
Nulf declined to identify the relative but referred a reporter to Mike Bynum, a sports author who has researched Gipp and attended the exhumation. Bynum said it was requested by Rick Frueh, whose grandmother was one of Gipp’s sisters.”
Wasn't George Gipp planning to play for the Chicago Cubs after he left Notre Dame?
I think I found the reason:
“My name is Ellen Weeks Easton - my mother is now 84 and I am anxiously trying to find friends or family members of George Gipp (yes, he played for Notre Dame) All my life I heard the story that my mother’s mother Eva Bright, South Bend had dated George while he was at Notre Dame. Eva had died at the age of 33 so I had never met her. My mother was only 16 when her mother, Eva passed away. She was raised by Eva’s mother (my great grandmother Lena bright). I knew Lena and remember conversations with her regarding my mother’s heritage. Lena had told me beyond a doubt that Eva got pregnant with my mother when she was 16. That was 1920. My mother was born Dec. 19, 4 days after Geo. died. My mom was born out of wedlock, obviously, and back in 1920 it was hush-hush. My Great grandmother Lena Bright (Cutter) 2nd marriage when she passed. She was a no nonsense woman and I remember her well!!! I just want to touch base with anyone else that is related to mom by that connection. She has always interested in finding out if there were anymore relatives. She had no siblings. Any info. would be greatly appreciated! Ellen Weeks Easton”
And the reply:
“To Ellen Weeks Easton,
I am editing a book for the family of George Gipp. I would like to talk to you about your mother, Bette L. Bright. There is a way to confirm if she is his daughter through DNA. Please contact me at mjbsports2@yahoo.com“
Those damn steroid/drug tests are getting a little out of hand.
Good work in that find!
Isn't that why he died - he got locked out after curfew? Of course, it didn't help that the coach played him while he was sick.
Ah, the ol’ shovel pass.
Best quip so far.
No body in the grave... because the Gipp is alive and well... he now goes by the name of Mr. Lou Holtz ;-)
That's the story. He lived in Washington Hall, which is now used for other functions, one of them being a performance hall. My son is a sophomore at Notre Dame and in the Concert Band; they say Gipp still haunts the place, and when we went to see my son play in Washington Hall, you couldn't help but notice the lights were flickering. :)
The Bston College fans on the thread will enjoy the t-shirt I saw while on campus at Notre Dame last week:
"What's the one thing Boston College students have that Notre Dame students don't?"
On the back: "A rejection letter."
Gipp died December 14, 1920, two weeks after being elected Notre Dame’s first All-American by Walter Camp. The apocryphal story of Gipp’s death begins when he returned to Notre Dame’s campus after curfew from a night out. Unable to gain entrance to his residence, Gipp went to the rear door of Washington Hall, the campus’ theatre building. Gipp was a steward for the building and knew the rear door was often unlocked. He usually spent such nights in the hall. On that night, however, the door was locked, and Gipp was forced to sleep outside. By the morning he had contracted pneumonia and eventually died from a related infection. It is more likely that Gipp contracted strep throat and pneumonia while giving punting lessons after his final game, November 20 against Northwestern University.
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