Lamar Hunt

In the wee hours of the night, I saw online that Lamar Hunt had passed away. Football fans know that he was one of the great pioneers of professional football as owner of the Dallas Texans, who became the Kansas City Chiefs. He was perhaps the key person in the effort that led to the merger of the AFL and NFL. And he is the person who came up with the term "Super Bowl."

Above and beyond that, he was a total class act. He was an SMU alum, and that is primarily how I got to see his character. Also, one of his sons, Clark, was at SMU when I was there. SMU was full of rich kids and lots of very conspicuous consumption. Anyone who didn't already know Clark Hunt was the son of one of the richest men in the country would never have been able to tell from seeing him or being around him. Clark, who was on the soccer team, was certainly not your stereotypical rich kid. He drove a semi-beater car for starters, and he was a reflection of his father--humble, hard working, and straightforward.

Lamar Hunt's grace and generosity will be greatly missed.

If you are watching football on February 4, 2007--the date for the Super Bowl--take a moment to remember Lamar Hunt and appreciate what he did and who he was.