George Plimpton 1979 (id) (Guest)

George Ames Plimpton was born March 18th, 1927, he was probably better known as an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor, not a soccer player.

George was born in New York. He attended St. Bernard's School, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Daytona Beach High School, where he received his High School diploma before entering Harvard University in July 1944. He wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, was a member of the Hasty Pudding-Institute of 1770, Pi Eta and Phoenix-S.K. His field of concentration was English. Plimpton entered Harvard as a member of the Class of 1948, but didn't graduate until 1950 due to intervening military service.

His studies were interrupted by military service lasting from 1945 to 1948 during which he served as a tank driver in Italy for the U.S. Army. After graduating from Harvard, he attended King's College at Cambridge University in England. He earned a second bachelor's degree at Cambridge and took a master's in English there in 1952.

He also appeared in a number of feature films, as an extra and in cameo appearances. He had a small role in the Oscar-winning film, Good Will Hunting, playing a best-seller psychologist. He was also notable for his appearance in television commercials during the early 1980s. Among the most memorable are his role as spokesperson for Mattel's Intellivision in a blunt and aggressive ad campaign that advocated the superiority of their video games over those of their competitor, Atari 2600. He was also the host of the Disney Channel's Mouseterpiece Theater (a Masterpiece Theatre spoof which featured classic Disney cartoon shorts).

He appeared in an episode of The Simpsons, "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" as host of the "Spellympics" who attempts to talk Lisa Simpson into losing the spelling bee with the offer of a college scholarship at a 7 Sisters College and a hot plate: "It's perfect for soup!" he says. He also had a recurring role as the grandfather of the Dr. Carter character on the long-running NBC medical television series, ER.

Outside the literary world, George Plimpton was famous for competing in professional sporting events and then recording the experience from the point of view of an amateur. In 1960, prior to the second of baseball's two All-Star games, he pitched against the National League. His experience was captured in the book Out of My League. (He intended to face both line-ups, but tired badly and was relieved by Ralph Houk.) he then sparred for three rounds with boxing greats Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson, while on assignment for Sports Illustrated.

In 1963, George attended preseason training with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League as a backup quarterback and ran a few plays in an intrasquad scrimmage. These events were recalled in his best-known book Paper Lion which was later adapted into a feature film starring Alan Alda, released in 1968. Plimpton revisited pro football in 1972, this time joining the Baltimore Colts and seeing action in an exhibition game against his previous team, the Lions. These experiences served as the basis of another football book, Mad Ducks and Bears, although much of the book dealt with the off-field escapades of football friends such as Alex Karras and Bobby Layne. Another sports book, Open Net, saw him train as an ice hockey goalie with the Boston Bruins.

But, in February of 1979, he turned his hand to being a goalkeeper with the Rowdies during an Exhibition Game against the Moscow Dynamo team. During an eight-minute, five-a-side mini-game against the visiting Russians. He managed a credible 1.00 goals-against average. But, despite his efforts, and what some called an incredible save, the Rowdies lost 0-1.

George Plimpton died of natural causes at his apartment in New York City at the age of 76, on September 25th, 2003.
Shortly before his death, George wrote the libretto to a new family opera-musical entitled Animal Tales, in collaboration with Grethe Barrett Holby. The piece had been commissioned by Grethe Barrett Holby's Family Opera Initiative with composition by Kitty Brazelton. George explained Animal Tales by saying "I suppose in a mild way there is a lesson to be learned for the young, or the young at heart - the gumption to get out and try one's wings."