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A22 SPORTS
Friday 22 November 2019
Fred Cox, former Vikings kicker, dies at age 80

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For- team's Super Bowls, all de- there four times is an amaz-
mer Minnesota Vikings kick- feats. He kicked in 18 post- ing feat."
er Fred Cox, one of the last season games. Cox played fullback as well
of the straight-on place- The Vikings called Cox "one as kicked at Pitt. Drafted
kickers and a standout on of our proudest legends, by the Browns in the eighth
several conference cham- a respected teammate round in 1961, he sat out a
pionship teams, has died. and friend. Fred's football year because of a back in-
He was 80. career as the Vikings' all- jury. But he learned about
Cox's wife, Bonnie, notified time leading scorer set the NFL kicking from another
the Vikings' alumni affairs stage for a life where he Hall of Famer, Cleveland's
office of his death. Cox went on to achieve great Lou "The Toe" Groza, also a
had had been in hospice things in business and in his straight-on kicker.
care at his home in Monti- community. Fred's positive Minnesota acquired Cox in
cello northwest of the Twin energy, strength in his faith 1962, but cut him. He made
Cities because of kidney and passion for life will be the Vikings the next year
and heart problems. missed." and stuck for 15 seasons.
"My health is not good, ob- During his playing days he Bud Grant, who coached
viously," Cox told the Pio- also got a chiropractor's li- those Vikings squads, told
neer Press on Saturday in cense. the team's website that
an interview at his home. An All-Pro in 1969, Cox twice "Fred was the ultimate team
"I have kidneys that don't led the league in scoring player for us. He took part
work and a heart that while using a square-toed in all of our scout teams,
doesn't function, but other shoe to do his kicking. On playing running back or
than that I'm great." a team with several Hall whatever we asked of him.
Cox, who also co-created of Famers, including Fran He was a great asset to our
the Nerf football, scored Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan team, a true credit to the
a Minnesota-record 1,365 Page and Paul Krause, Cox team and his community.
points in his 15 seasons, of- also was a standout. If you saw those games, he
ten kicking in nasty condi- But he never earned a Su- always stood right next to
tions because the Vikings per Bowl victory, and once me on the sideline because
played outdoors during his In this Sept. 1997 file photo, former Minnesota Vikings kicker Fred said: he was such a big part of
career from 1963-77. When Cox holds his original Nerf football, among his other souvenir "The fans have never been what we were doing with
he retired, he was second balls, in Monticello, Minn.. able to live with the fact field position and knew the
in NFL history in scoring Associated Press that we lost four times," Cox game so well."
behind George Blanda — back — and had made 282 Cox was one of 11 Vikings said. "But the bottom line Cox is survived by Bonnie
who also played quarter- field goals. to play in all four of the is that for any team to get and four children.q

Snowboarding Continued from Page 18

have bankrolled a business Olympic medals — and the Games to the continent.
worth more than $1 billion mass-marketing behemoth At a bar in Pyeongchang,
annually — a big chunk of snowboarding was fast be- South Korea, not far from
which is spent on Burton coming. where snowboarding cel-
gear. "He saw himself as a stew- ebrated its 20th anniversary
"People take it for granted ard to snowboarding," at the Olympics last year,
now," said Pat Bridges, a Bridges said. "I'm not say- there was a wall filled with
longtime writer for Snow- ing he was infallible, or that Burton pictures and memo-
boarding Magazine, who he always made the right rabilia — as sure a sign as
has followed the industry choices. But at least that any of the global reach of
for decades. "They don't was always part of his cal- a company that remains
even realize that the name culus: 'What impact is this headquartered not far
'Burton' isn't a company. decision going to have on from where it was founded
It's a person. Obviously, it's snowboarding?'" in Carpenter's garage, in
In this March 8, 2012, file photo, Jake Burton Carpenter, the
creator of Burton Snowboards, center, speaks during a bill the biggest brand in snow- Though Burton is a private Londonderry, Vermont.
signing with Gov. Peter Shumlin, to the right of Burton, in Stowe, boarding. The man himself company that does not For all his financial success,
Vt. is even bigger." release financials, its an- folks were always more
Associated Press In 1998, and with Carpen- nual sales were north of likely to run into Carpenter
"I had a vision there was a cultured ski elite in Colora- ter's tacit blessing, the $500 million as of 2015. In wearing a snowsuit than a
sport there, that it was more do or California or, heaven Olympics got in on the act, addition to the hundreds sportscoat. He was a fan of
than just a sledding thing, forbid, the Swiss Alps. in hopes of injecting some of retail stores that sell the early morning backcountry
which is all it was then," Bur- But those riders were a youth into an older-skewing company's merchandise, rides, and he had to stay
ton said in a 2010 interview force of nature. And for program filled with ski jump- Burton has 30 flagship in good shape to keep up
with The Associated Press. all their risk-taking, rule- ers, bobsledders, figure shops in America and 11 with some of the company
For years, Burton's snow- breaking, sidewinding trips skaters and hockey players. more spread across Europe he rode with.
boards were largely down the mountain, they As the years passed, Car- and Asia — a burgeon- Burton sponsored pretty
snubbed at resorts — its spent money, too. Through- penter straddled the deli- ing market that Carpenter much every big name in
dimensions too untested, out the last decade, snow- cate line between the started developing a de- the business at one time
its riders too unrefined, its boarders have accounted "lifestyle sport" he'd helped cade ago, during a time or another— from Seth
danger all too real — and for more than 25 percent of create — one that pro- when the IOC was begin- Wescott to Shaun White,
many wouldn't allow them visitors to mountain resorts fessed to value fun over ning the process of award- from Kelly Clark to Chloe
to share the slopes with the in the United States. They winning, losing, money or ing three straight Winter Kim. q