Sad news from two very different families this weekend, as Bob Sheeran and Paul McIlhenny both passed away on Saturday.Sheeran was the longtime voice of William & Mary football, retiring just this fall after 28 seasons and 460 consecutive games on the Tribe radio network. I remember him for his distinctive exclamations when Tribe runners got loose - his "woop, woop" uniquely marked W&M games from any others. What I hadn't known before reading his obituary on the William & Mary athletics site, is that he was a third-generation W&M graduate, a former Sports Information Director at the school, and one of the founders of the W&M Quarterback Club.
Pour out something spicy for McIlhenny, the scion of the family that created and maintains the Tabasco dynasty. More than any single person, McIlhenny is responsible for allowing us to eat stuff with a kick. Without him and his family, the peppery sauces of South Louisiana may never have spread beyond their local area, and we'd be stuck with the bland food legacy of the Europeans that founded our country. (Note: I'm not a culinary historian, so this might be taking liberty with certain things, like, for example, facts. But I choose to believe my version of events.)Both men were 68 years old at the time of their death. Give a little "woop, woop" tomorrow as you shake a little Tabasco on your eggs.
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