Charlie Spoonhaur gravely ill

[tornado]

Ex Valley coach and also ex-coach of UNLV & SLU Charlie Spoonhaur, who recently has done some broadcasting of Valley games, is very seriously ill and may require a lung transplant..
He is currently at Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100804/SPORTS0401/8040424/Spoonhour-battling-lung-disease

[LittleBrave]

Thoughts & prayers go out to Spoon.
Has been great for the college game.
Hope we get to hear him again on the MVC TV network.

[tornado]

Spoon does have a CaringBridge page if you know him or want to leave well wishes...

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charliespoonhour

but...the disease he has (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) does sometimes respond to aggressive medical treatment - and the plan to place Spoon on the "transplant waiting list" hopefully could be just a precaution.........


BTW -- my anecdote on Spoon....
I was sitting several years ago watching a Valley Tourney game between WSU & Indiana State, and halfway through
Charlie and his wife walked in and sat right behind me in a relatively empty section of fans whose team wasn't playing that session...
he was preparing for doing the broadcast of the next game but immediately struck up conversation with many of the fans nearby and was quite congenial and personable...
anyway....we were right down on the floor level at the end of the Indiana State bench, and the Sycamores were falling apart and falling way behind - which virtually always provokes antics from Royce Waltman --
who proceeded to throw tantrum after tantrum, using horribly foul language, and cursing out just about everyone and everything...
Then when a walk-on kid from Wichita (Ledford) launched a long 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock & it went in...Royce couldn't take it anymore...he thought Turg was running up the score...
so he charged down the bench to the end only a few feet in front of us, and vigorously slammed the Gatorade cooler causing everything to fly everywhere (fortunately not on us)...and Charlie simply and quietly said...
"I think I have seen enough and I have to be on TV shortly so I'd better get outta here..." and left........

[BUBrave28]

Charlie is a great guy, and does a fantastic job on MVC TV.

I met him outside of the WSU hotel at the Valley Tournament a couple of years ago. I recognized him so he said hello and talked with me and a couple other Bradley fans for a few minutes. Then saw him a year later in almost the exact same place and he said hello to us and remembered meeting us the year before!

Hope he beats this and can broadcast again soon.

[Bravesfan]

Spoon does have a CaringBridge page if you know him or want to leave well wishes...

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charliespoonhour

but...the disease he has (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) does sometimes respond to aggressive medical treatment - and the plan to place Spoon on the "transplant waiting list" hopefully could be just a precaution.........


BTW -- my anecdote on Spoon....
I was sitting several years ago watching a Valley Tourney game between WSU & Indiana State, and halfway through
Charlie and his wife walked in and sat right behind me in a relatively empty section of fans whose team wasn't playing that session...
he was preparing for doing the broadcast of the next game but immediately struck up conversation with many of the fans nearby and was quite congenial and personable...
anyway....we were right down on the floor level at the end of the Indiana State bench, and the Sycamores were falling apart and falling way behind - which virtually always provokes antics from Royce Waltman --
who proceeded to throw tantrum after tantrum, using horribly foul language, and cursing out just about everyone and everything...
Then when a walk-on kid from Wichita (Ledford) launched a long 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock & it went in...Royce couldn't take it anymore...he thought Turg was running up the score...
so he charged down the bench to the end only a few feet in front of us, and vigorously slammed the Gatorade cooler causing everything to fly everywhere (fortunately not on us)...and Charlie simply and quietly said...
"I think I have seen enough and I have to be on TV shortly so I'd better get outta here..." and left........

Sorry to hear this. I never met him, but I have enjoyed watching him over the years on the Valley network and he seems like a great guy. My thoughts and prayers go out to him.

[Chico]

I remember a roast where Spoon and my buddy Royce Elliott were participants. What a great and funny night.

[Da Coach]

Charlie Spoonhour underwent a lung transplant yesterday at the Duke University Medical Center. It was described as a success.-

http://www.ky3.com/news/local/spoon-100737069.html

http://blogs.news-leader.com/msu/2010/08/15/spoonhour-receives-lung-transplant/

[tornado]

wow - he didn't spend a whole ot of time on the waiting list...

[TylerDurden]

An update from the MSU facebook page:

From CaringBridge.com Wednesday on Charlie Spoonhour "Charlie has been released from the hospital and is doing well. He will stay in the Durham area for the next 4 to 6 months to continue his rehab assignments. He wants everyone to know that the letters, cards and well wishes have really been appreciated and have helped him stay optomistic about the future..."

[tornado]

Spoon is one of the really good guys who remains as well remembered many years after his career in the Valley as ever!

[tornado]

I remember a roast where Spoon and my buddy Royce Elliott were participants. What a great and funny night.

OT a little here but Peoria is gonna honor Royce Elliott - thanks WMBD for the report

http://www.1470wmbd.com/peoria-baseball-field-to-be-named-for-royce-elliott/