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Tarkenton
[ tahr-kuhn-tuhn ]
noun
- Francis Asbury Fran, born 1940, U.S. football player.
Example Sentences
Fran Tarkenton arrived in New York City exhausted, dispirited and maybe a little confused.
Win or lose, Tarkenton had made a pregame commitment to “Saturday Night Live,” NBC’s edgy, late-night comedy show that debuted a year earlier and turns 50 on Friday.
The lanky future Hall of Famer was unfazed by the football-themed cold open that featured John Belushi as coach and fellow “SNL” superstars Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd and Gilda Radner among Tarkenton’s teammates.
In keeping with his fearless playing style, Tarkenton dived in with abandon, using his opening monologue to unflinchingly belt out a version of “Feelings” that was flat as a Johnny Unitas haircut.
The way Tarkenton performed in that episode helped sell the idea of mining the sports world for future guest hosts that included Madden, Tom Brady, Bill Russell, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Wayne Gretzky and Howard Cosell.
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