Max McGee

JSonline.com File Photo

I saw this quick entry over at The Wisconsin Sports Bar last night after Game Six.

Former Packer great Max McGee died this afternoon when he fell while blowing leaves off his roof.

To say that I was stunned would be an understatement. There is a fuller report at JSonline.com HERE.

Max McGee, a record-setting receiver who helped the Green Bay Packers win five World Championships and later was a popular color commentator on the team's radio broadcasts, died Saturday at his home in Deephaven, Minn.

McGee was 75.

Emergency crews were called to McGee's residence at approximately 5:20 p.m. after a report that a man had fallen off his roof and was unconscious.

Life-saving measures were performed on McGee, but emergency personnel were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Max McGee and Jim Irwin entertaining voices during some bad years of Green Bay football. They are the reason I listen to the radio play-by-play while watching the television broadcasts. Nothing against Jim Hill and John Dockery, but Jim and Max were far more entertaining and informative than the #6 CBS team that seemed to have every Packer game.

You could tell that Max was having fun when he was working and I always thought that he was a bit more prepared than he let on to the audience.

A couple of my favorite Max stories:

The Replay Game: It was 1989 and the Packers were off to an uncharacteristically fast start -- If 4-4 can be considered fast. It was November 5 and they hosted the Bears at Lambeau Field. After a quick Packer touchdown, the Bears rallied and took a 13-7 lead. That was the score until the final seconds. Don Majkowski hit Sterling Sharpe with a touchdown pass after a scramble. But, a flag had been thrown on the play. The call was that Majkowski had crossed the line off scrimmage and the touchdown was nullified. The Bears would take over and would beat the Packers again.

But, this was a season with replay. The referee, who I think was Jerry Markbreit, announced that the replay official would be looking at the play.

During the long delay, Jim Irwin was describing what was happening and took a brief pause. Max took this opportunity to chime in with the following gem:

"I'll bet you a beer they reverse this."

They did reverse the call and the Packers won 14-13. I never heard if Max got that beer.

The Misheard Chant: The Packers were playing the Seattle Seahawks at Milwaukee County Stadium on December 9, 1990. I was driving a University of Wisconsin-Platteville car heading back to campus from Superior. Myself and three of my colleagues had been covering the Men's and Women's basketball teams on a road trip to UW-Stout and UW-Superior. After an overnight stay in Superior, we headed out on Sunday morning.

At noon we found the Packer game on the radio. The Packers fell behind badly. Majkowski had been hurt in a win over the Phoenix Cardinals and Anthony Dilweg was the starting QB against the Seahawks. But, we kept listening. We are Packer fans. It's what we do.

Dilweg did not look good and the Milwaukee crowd started a chant for Blair Kiel. KIEL! KIEL! KIEL!

Max hears the chant and quips:

"Are they chanting KIEL or KILL?"

Thank you, Max.