RIP Pele

Grant Lamontagne · **on:** December 30, 2022, 12:27:11 AM

At 82, soccer/football (..... star? Doesn't seem to do him justice- legend? Maybe, but still seems to fall short...) icon Pele has passed away.

While this may not affect most of us in NA, I am sure the whole rest of the world is feeling that loss.

RIP Pele.

Def

SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2022, 01:05:58 AM

I got to see him play back in 1976 and 1978 here in Minneapolis. He played for the New York Cosmos against the Minnesota Kicks in the old NASL.

https://www.thehistoryreader.com/cultural-history/nasl-soccer-the-rock-n-roll-years-of-the-minnesota-kicks/

RIP Pele

Adam5 · **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2022, 02:04:51 AM

Icon feels like the right label for Pelé. He had the same stature in North America that Ali and Jordan had in the rest of the world. An entire soccer league (NASL) rose and fell in popularity based on his participation. Though it did not include my small hometown at that time, the local youth soccer organization began in the 1970's primarily due to the attention Pelé brought to the sport in the US. I assume this occurred in other areas also. Personally, from that period I knew of only one American soccer player (Kyle Rote, Jr), and I only knew about him because I was watching Pelé play for the Cosmos.

RIP Pelé

Aloha · **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2022, 02:52:57 AM

When I was in grade school one teacher was from Columbia. All he ever let us play was football/soccer. I was not a fan. I then saw Pele play and boy was he exciting. Little SoCal kid out on the field trying to imitate him, so yes Icon is what I'd call him as well as Ambassador to the sport.

RIP

Barry Rowland · **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2022, 04:48:10 AM

I agree with Def, but if there was ever a name that anyone knows anywhere in the world associated with Football it was Pele. He was the definition of Icon indeed! What a terrible loss...RIP sir.