Greg Willard

[FromWayDowntown]

Greg Willard was scheduled to be one of the three officials who called Game 6 of the Spurs/Thunder series last week. He fell ill and was unable to work the game, leaving the woefully inexperienced Rodney Mott to take his place. While I don't know that Willard working Game 6 would have made much of a difference, as someone who keeps apprised about who the officials are and their quality, I had a bad feeling about Game 6 when I saw that change announced.

The other night, I heard the ESPN guys talking about Willard being hospitalized for the illness that kept him out of Game 6.

Today, he announced that the illness that made him miss Game 6 was pancreatic cancer.

Whatever you think of the guys who call games -- and I tend to think pretty highly of Willard (as do others, including Jeff Van Gundy) -- cancer absolutely sucks.

[timvp]

Yeah, I just read that. The Spurs had bad luck when they got a replacement ref for their biggest game of the season. But on the "bad luck" scale, getting a bad whistle doesn't compare with pancreatic cancer.

Good luck, ref :tu

[ChumpDumper]

All part of Stern's plan.

Wake up, sheeple!

[alucardthereaper]

Faith played a cruel game on us and the ref.Cancer is a serious matter and hope he get's well...

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

All part of Stern's plan.

Wake up, sheeple!

Ooh...bad taste.

[mbass]

Yeah, I just read that. The Spurs had bad luck when they got a replacement ref for their biggest game of the season. But on the "bad luck" scale, getting a bad whistle doesn't compare with pancreatic cancer.

Good luck, ref :tu

Pancreatic cancer probably has the lowest survival rate of all cancers - something in the neighborhood of 5%. Big time bad luck.

[Darius Bieber]

Something a lot more important than professional sports. Hope all the best for him, his friends and his family.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Pancreatic cancer probably has the lowest survival rate of all cancers - something in the neighborhood of 5%. Big time bad luck.

Yeah, there's a good chance Willard will be dead before you get your next tax refund. Shit is quick and lethal.

[Spurs Brazil]

Good luck Wilard

[ElNono]

hope he can beat it...

[DeadlyDynasty]

R.i.p.

[KaiRMD1]

That4 4sucks, hope he's strong enough to combat it and they caught it early

[100%duncan]

Dayum. Hurtin the good guys.

[phxspurfan]

Love and prayers, man.

[Legacy]

Something a lot more important than professional sports. Hope all the best for him, his friends and his family.


Love and prayers, man.


:tu

[blkroadrunners]

I wish him the best. God speed.

[TE]

:depressed
Hope he fights it and beats the odds.

Cancer can eat a dick tbh. It takes a lot of good people on this earth.

[spurs10]

If I had anymore complaints about the awful officiating of game 6, I will now keep them to myself. I can only hope the absolute best for Mr.Wllard and his family against that horrible disease....

[PublicOption]

All part of Stern's plan.

Wake up, sheeple!


http://www.thumpernewman.com/rigged_nba.htm

[PublicOption]

Uneducated blacks and teens.

[Legacy]

if i had anymore complaints about the awful officiating of game 6, i will now keep them to myself. I can only hope the absolute best for mr.wllard and his family against that horrible disease....

Ditto. :(

[TampaDude]

Yeah, there's a good chance Willard will be dead before you get your next tax refund. Shit is quick and lethal.

The reason pancreatic cancer is so deadly is because there are generally no symptoms until the cancer is Stage IV, and by then you're pretty much doomed.

There are new tests in the works that can detect it in its early stages. Early detection will save thousands of lives every year.

Best of luck to Greg Willard. Hopefully he pulls through. :toast

[foodie2]

The reason pancreatic cancer is so deadly is because there are generally no symptoms until the cancer is Stage IV, and by then you're pretty much doomed.

There are new tests in the works that can detect it in its early stages. Early detection will save thousands of lives every year.

Best of luck to Greg Willard. Hopefully he pulls through. :toast

My mother died of pancreatic cancer 9 years ago. She hung on for 18 months but it was not good.

[Sean Cagney]

CANCER SUCKS! I guess prevent it now because in the future it is likely alot of us will get it in these day and ages. Get will Willard! BTW to the man Foodie above my Aunt had a form of stomach cancer which is hard as hell to cure (Forget the name now), she held on for over a year but it was not pretty like you said! Misrable last year.

[Spur|n|Austin]

http://www.thumpernewman.com/rigged_nba.htm

Stop posting that horribly written website.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

My mother died of pancreatic cancer 9 years ago. She hung on for 18 months but it was not good.

I always thought that if I got a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, I would just put my affairs in order and go straight into hospice for the good drugs. With a type so lethal, all you do with chemo/rad is make yourself feel much worse. Not sure a few extra months of misery is worth it. Sorry about your mom.

[boutons_deux]

pancreatic and brain cancer are gameover, 90%+ mortality at 5 years, although the docs will exploit your insurance company or taxpayers for a few $100K, knowing better than anybody that there's no hope.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Damn, that's horrible. A great teacher here died of pancreatic cancer a few years back. As others have said it's a diagnosis you never want to hear. Early detection is so important in beating cancer no matter what the type and as a few here have noted it's all but impossible right now to catch this early.

[dylankerouac]

Get well Willard.

[FromWayDowntown]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9125924/longtime-nba-referee-greg-willard-dies-california-54

[hater]

All part of Stern's plan.

Wake up, sheeple!

:wow

[FromWayDowntown]

Willard had become one of the league's best officials in the last few years and always struck me as a credit to a much maligned profession. He didn't have the flamboyance of many of his peers; he was just a guy who steadily improved his craft and left as one of the elite of the elite.

Cancer sucks.

[taps]

Gosh,

worst news possible. My love goes out to his family and spirit.

[hater]

RIP

54 is pretty damn young

[DapDaGenius]

RIP...RIP...RIP...RIP

[KaiRMD1]

That sucks, rest in peace good sir

[loveforthegame]

RIP. Sad news.

[phxspurfan]

RIP

[KenziE]

RIP

[jjktkk]

R.I.P.

[J_Paco]

My condolences to Mr. Willard's family and friends. Pancreatic cancer is almost a virtual death nail everytime.

R.I.P. - Greg Willard

[ElNono]

rip