At the end of each year, the TV stations run a list of notable people who died during the previous 12 months.

For me, one name stood out on the 2007 list.

The man who inspired the greatest toy I ever had as child died last year. He was 69.

Robert Craig Knievel was the ballsiest sonofabitch to ever ride a motorcycle. Evel. My man! At the age of 10, I was proud owner of the plastic windup toy that whirred off a ramp and was perfect for jumping things like the bushes at the end of my parents' concrete front porch.

I remember early on, seeing some of his jumps on ABC's "Wide World of Sports." The hype. The buildup. The booming voice of HOW-ard CO-sell. What more could a kid want to see?

If you could line it up -- side-by-side or end-to-end -- Evel would probably jump it. Cars, buses, trucks, dumpsters -- or, most famously, the Caesars Palace fountains -- Evel was ready to show 'em his red white and blue sequined ass flying high over the top.

Daredevils with the self-promoting hucksterism of Knievel are a thing of the past. These young punks on super lightweight motocross bikes can do stunts that make Evel's jumps look like ... well, your father's motorcycle stunts.

And they don't need to set up fictional corporations, pose as TV executives and otherwise trick networks into showing their stunts, as Knievel did to get the Caesars jump green lighted.

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Posted by Z_boy on Jan. 2, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (report)

Evel was my guy, too. I had the toy motorcycle as well, the one with the serrated plastic strip that you'd push all the way through the slot, then quickly pull back to get those tires going prior to release. Oh, man, I loved that toy. From there, I progressed to my bicycle. The most I ever jumped over was some sticks -- but hey, I did this without a helmet.

Posted by Scotsmen3913 on Jan. 2, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (report)

Evel was a huge part of my childhood much to my parents' dismay. I still bear a scar on the back of my right hand from a Evel inspired bike jump with my Schwinn Stingray. I had all the toys as well and in recent years began collecting them again. There will never be another icon like him. Different era, different attitudes. Thanks for the article Czabe! Viva Knievel!