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OT: RIP Tony Siragusa

Right. One of DBRHS most famous graduates. Family lived in Kenilworth for many years. Was part of the pipeline of D-1 players to Pitt when Bob Taylor was the HC.
Bob Taylor was an assistant coach at Colonia until he left for Kenilworth
 
I once watched him in a quad wrestling scrimmage pick up the Watchung Hills heavyweight off the mat (well over 300lbs, it was unlimited back then) and slam him. The entire gym stopped and wondered WTF just happened as the noise was so loud. Didn't play against Siragusa just the younger brother but Chalenski was one helluva RB to tackle at 6'4" 250lbs. That was an ice bath game afterwards.
 
Yeah. There were three at that time from Kenilworth. ...Goose, Chalenski, and the other one's name I can't recall right now.
Tony was one of a kind. Sad.
Was Chalenski the kid some parents wanted banned from little league because he struck out every kid every game?
 
Tiffany's ... Hilldside... best Ribs I ever had in NJ.
Goose.. what a great guy on the sidelines.. funny and entertaining. RIP brother !
 
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Yeah. There were three at that time from Kenilworth. ...Goose, Chalenski, and the other one's name I can't recall right now.
Tony was one of a kind. Sad.
There were quite a few. I think the others were Brett Miller and Brett Hubbinger earning scholarships too. Those teams crushed my school.

I remember a game at Kenilworth when I was a junior at NPHS. Siragusa and Chalenski did everything that day. Siragusa also kicked and punted I think. He took a fake punt, straight armed one of our guys into the first row and off he went for a TD. It was like something out of a bad Hollywood script.

RIP Goose. Total NJ legend.
 
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I once watched him in a quad wrestling scrimmage pick up the Watchung Hills heavyweight off the mat (well over 300lbs, it was unlimited back then) and slam him. The entire gym stopped and wondered WTF just happened as the noise was so loud. Didn't play against Siragusa just the younger brother but Chalenski was one helluva RB to tackle at 6'4" 250lbs. That was an ice bath game afterwards.
Was the Watchung Hills heavyweight Keith Sims who went to Iowa State and played for the Miami Dolphins? I think they were in HS at the same time.
 
Was the Watchung Hills heavyweight Keith Sims who went to Iowa State and played for the Miami Dolphins? I think they were in HS at the same time.
Could have been, I mean guys that size don't grow on trees and he was a huge black guy. I also remember Siragusa getting reamed out by a coach for screwing around right before the incident.
 
Could have been, I mean guys that size don't grow on trees and he was a huge black guy. I also remember Siragusa getting reamed out by a coach for screwing around right before the incident.
I bet that’s who it was. They were seniors when I was a junior. My school wrestled WRHS that year but we didn’t have a heavyweight to wrestle Sims.
 
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RIP Goose. Same age as me Played against him in high school and I worked at the old World of Sports in Kenilworth in high school. Those Brearley teams were awesome. I think Goose was all state football, wrestling and baseball (at least all county). One of my good friends was a waitress at Tiffany’s. Used to chat with him all the time. Loved him on the sidelines and he will be missed.
 
Yeah. There were three at that time from Kenilworth. ...Goose, Chalenski, and the other one's name I can't recall right now.
Tony was one of a kind. Sad.
Ed Miller and Scott Miller. Played softball with Goose, his brother Pete and Scott in Kenilwoth softball league. RIP
 
Bob Taylor was an assistant coach at Colonia until he left for Kenilworth
Funny story would talk to Bob Taylor and he said Tony would not last more than a year in the NFL he was too much of a screwball and joked around too much.. I still say one of the main reasons he stayed in the league so long was because of his ankles. If you ever got close to him he had the thickest most solid ankles I've ever seen.
 
There were quite a few. I think the others were Brett Miller and Brett Hubbinger earning scholarships too. Those teams crushed my school.

I remember a game at Kenilworth when I was a junior at NPHS. Siragusa and Chalenski did everything that day. Siragusa also kicked and punted I think. He took a fake punt, straight armed one of our guys into the first row and off he went for a TD. It was like something out of a bad Hollywood script.

RIP Goose. Total NJ legend.
And there were two Chalenskis. Mike Chalenski who rhey called Big Chee and a younger brother Brian Chalenski who was of course labeled Little Chee.
 
Was Chalenski the kid some parents wanted banned from little league because he struck out every kid every game?
My introduction to high school basketball was a scrimmage against Chalenski and that Brearley team. They were not very good basketball payers but scrappy as hell. I was a 5'10 155 lb freshmen first guard off the bench. Got in and quickly found myself on a switch (mismatch) against a man chiseled from granite. Chalenski aggressively backed me down from 20. I am glad there was no social media and cell phones at the time because I am sure it would be a meme still in use today.
 
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Being a little older, I don’t get out as much as I used to, but going back six or seven years ago I stopper down at DJais in Belmar. Tony was there having a good time. I believe he may have been a regular in the place.
 
Related by marriage Wife’s cousin who I met once at a birthday party in Kenilworth. Had just ended playing. Great guy. Giant of a man
 
Goose was HS state champ in 88. Coached against him in pop Warner I think he coached Fairfield. His son was decent wrestler I think delbarton.
 
I recall reading somewhere that he chose to drove older, less expensive cars because he was not out to impress anyone. He just wanted to get the most out of his money and a modest way to drive around town. R.I.P. Big Guy!
 
Siragusa was personally responsible for an NFL rule change. In a playoff game v. Baltimore (?) he body slammed the QB, destroying his shoulder and knocking him out of the game. The backup QB came in and threw a pick six on the second play. Game over.

The league took the body slam out of the rulebook next season.
 
RIP. I was at the Superbowl when the Ravens beat the Giants. Hated the Ravens. Still liked him.
 
Siragusa was personally responsible for an NFL rule change. In a playoff game v. Baltimore (?) he body slammed the QB, destroying his shoulder and knocking him out of the game. The backup QB came in and threw a pick six on the second play. Game over.

The league took the body slam out of the rulebook next season.
Both the guys involved in that play are dead . RIP
 
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As a Giant fan I would still say the 85 Bears were the best defense ever

The other 3 were all close but not as dominant
 
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As a Giant fan I would still say the 85 Bears were the best defense ever

The other 3 were all close but not as dominant
They were very, very good. Think about some of the guys on that D- just the DL alone. And then you had those LBs. Come to think of it, there really wasn't weak spot to be found. But I'll say this, I think the Bears and Bucs had better offenses to work with than the Ravens that year.
 
Was at Galloping Hill Inn on Saturday getting my hot dog fix. I forgot that they have Goose pictures on the same wall as Gandolfini. That wall is now like a memorial.

On a positive note Galloping Hill Inn is back. Looks like they finally got a similar hot dog roll to what they used to have back in the 80's. They have been pretty inconsistent the last 10+ years, but if they keep that roll, they are back at #1 for me in the hot dog wars.
 
Was at Galloping Hill Inn on Saturday getting my hot dog fix. I forgot that they have Goose pictures on the same wall as Gandolfini. That wall is now like a memorial.

On a positive note Galloping Hill Inn is back. Looks like they finally got a similar hot dog roll to what they used to have back in the 80's. They have been pretty inconsistent the last 10+ years, but if they keep that roll, they are back at #1 for me in the hot dog wars.
Grew up in Elizabeth in the 50s and 60s just off Galloping Hill Road. Would get 2 burgers, fries, and a birch beer all for 95 cents!
 
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Grew up in Elizabeth in the 50s and 60s just off Galloping Hill Road. Would get 2 burgers, fries, and a birch beer all for 95 cents!
Same for me but in the 70s/80s. I still call it Peterson's. 2 complete, fries and birch beer. Wooden fork for the fries. Classic.
 
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