When the great ones pass time stops for a moment. In the worlds of show business and charitable endeavors, Paul Newman was as big as they get.
Newman's loss — he died Friday at 83 after a long battle with cancer — transcends that of a major movie star who headlined more than 50 films and garnered 10 Academy Award nominations. His entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to help the less fortunate led to the creation of his Newman's Own food company, which as of 2007 had donated $175 million to charitable causes established by Newman and others. Clearly this man was much more than just a movie star.
The actor's connection to the sports world is defined by his longtime love of auto racing as a driver and team owner on the open-wheel circuit. His teams have won 107 races and eight series championships in the past 26 years.
Then there are the memorable movie roles, such as his portrayal of the legendary pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson in the 1961 classic "The Hustler" and reprised in 1987's "The Color of Money," which earned the actor his first Oscar. And who could forget Newman's take on the life of the great middleweight fighter Rocky Graziano in 1956's "Somebody Up There Likes Me
But as columnist Terry Frei notes in an appreciation today on ESPN.com, Newman's sports legacy on the big screen may be best defined in his spot-on role as hockey throwback Reg Dunlop in George Roy Hill's 1977 cult classic "Slap Shot
If ever there was a film that celebrated an actor at the top of his career in a role that few could have taken on with such aplomb, it's Newman as Dunlop in "Slap Shot." Read Frei's commentary. On behalf of all Newman fans, we thank him for remembering. Now it's time to get out the DVD.
