That's great news. And who the hell would want the ring in the first place anyway? What are you going to do... walk around with the ring on your finger and then when somebody asks you if you appeared in a SB, you're gonna say, "Well, no, not really, but it's Larry Grantham's ring and I bought it on eBay because he had medical bills." I mean, come on. What a freakin' loser you'd have to be to even want to go there.
Oh, my gosh. A handwritten letter: "June 6th, 2009: Thanks so much for your contribution to help with my medical expenses. Words are inadequate to express my feelings of gratitude. Please accept this picture as a token of my appreciation. Larry Grantham, Jets #60, Super Bowl III"
I bumped the thread because I got a personal letter in the mail. What a sweet thing on his part, that he took the time to do that. I'm going to write back, and I wish him well.
Update: Great news, and good to hear!:smile: http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2009/07/former_ny_jets_linebacker_retu.html Former NY Jets linebacker Larry Grantham returns to Freedom House with health, Super Bowl III ring by Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger Wednesday July 15, 2009, 5:00 PM Jenny Vrentas/The Star-LedgerFormer Jets linebacker Larry Grantham (center) joined Freedom House CEO Fred Reihl (right) and program graduate Jesper Jensen (left) Wednesday at the annual golf tournament in Grantham's name. Wednesday morning at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Far Hills, former Jets linebacker Larry Grantham was signing autographs, posing for photos and willing to put his Super Bowl III ring in the hands of anyone who asked. "That's part of the deal," Grantham said. "If they want to look at it and hold it, they're more than welcome to." Freedom House, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Hunterdon County, was hosting its annual golf benefit named for Grantham, himself a recovering alcoholic and friend of the institution for more than a decade. But a few months ago, that sight -- a healthy Grantham reunited in New Jersey with many of his 1968 Jets teammates and his treasured Super Bowl ring -- seemed an impossibility. Grantham was home in northern Mississippi, facing health woes and financial worries after chemotherapy to treat his throat cancer and two hernia surgeries. To offset his daunting medical bills, he had placed his ring up for auction and was hours away from losing it. But Freedom House stepped in to help, returning the favor for the dozens of volunteer visits Grantham had made since 1998 and the more than $1.3 million raised for the foundation through the annual golf tournament in his name (Wednesday's event drew more than 200 people and was expected to generate about $50,000 in funds). The auction house sent the ring back, and the tens of thousands of dollars Freedom House collected for Grantham helped him answer his medical bills. Grantham's arrival in New Jersey this week with the ring securely on his right middle finger was the reward for Freedom House CEO Fred Reihl and associate director David Harry, who spearheaded the efforts. Grantham also got to see, for the first time, the three-quarters house that was dedicated in his name last summer. "I tried to get them not to name it that; if they'd have named it the Jet house, it would have been better," Grantham said. "But I got a big old rocking chair out on the front porch that says 'No. 60 Grantham' on the back of it. They told me I can come back and use the chair any time I want to." Grantham's poor health limited his visits over the past few years, but his cancer has been in remission since November and his surgical wounds have long since healed. He's still trying to regain his stamina with short runs on the treadmill every day. His motivation for the past few months was his goal of returning to this year's golf event, which with Grantham's help has become an annual reunion for the 1968 world champions. Grantham has given Freedom House his time and charity, but Freedom House has given him the chance to keep those 40-year old memories close to the surface. "There's a lot of thrills in life. A boy and a girl born. Grandkids," Grantham said. "But to stand under the goalposts of Shea Stadium on a Sunday afternoon, being introduced as the starting right linebacker of the New York Jets football team, was just an unbelievable thrill."
Yay! Great news! Thanks for posting that. I wanted to scan in the letter he wrote and host it, but my scanner died. I bought a new one, but I still haven't taken it out of the box. I will soon, though. It's holding up my art. Well, some of it. I SEE THERE'S NO MENTION OF THE NEW YORK JETS DOING ANYTHING TO HELP. Is it any wonder that we'll never know if Woody the cheapskate pitched in or not? Ohhhhhhhhh, anonymous. Right. Maybe that's where Larry David got the idea for 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. Did anyone see that episode? HAH. Anyway, it's nice to have a happy ending every once in a while - or at least a respite. Much luck to Mr. Grantham in the future.
