04/19/24
December 07, 2009
Broncos' biggest fan, Barrel Man, dies at 69: McKernan, better known as Barrel Man, died in his sleep Saturday morning of lung failure. He was 69.
“His worst experience was in San Diego, when someone tried to shove him down the stairs, but he loved going to Oakland Raiders' games where he would get to hang out with Raider Ron and other mascots in the Black Hole. They protected him to the point of escorting him to the rest room,” Todd McKernan said.
Why would it have been less admirable if Barrel Man made a little money off his fame?
I don't read it that way. I read it as money (or fame) wasn't why he did it; he did it to support his team. He became famous but it wasn't what he set out to do. He just loved the Broncos and dressing in a barrel was the way he thought he could show it best.
Here locally, we have a guy affectionately named "Conehead" (he wears a Dan Akroyd-style conehead on his head to every game and does laps, getting the fans involved.)
He cheers for several of the local junior hockey teams and was definitely the biggest fan of our short-lived AHL team. As a result, he's a regular on local radio and TV sports programs, has been allowed as assistant coach for a game for virtually any team he cheered for and even got in a period of goaltending with the AHL team in an exhibition intra-squad game. He doesn't go looking for any of these things, however, they just find him because he really, really loves his hockey teams.
I guess it's just awesome when someone unknowingly gets recognized for their passion.
posted by dfleming at 10:46 AM on December 07, 2009
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posted by BornIcon at 11:07 AM on December 07, 2009
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posted by tommybiden at 11:40 AM on December 07, 2009
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posted by geekyguy at 11:49 AM on December 07, 2009
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posted by yzelda4045 at 11:53 AM on December 07, 2009
From the article: "Tim was a was a model of decorum."
Except for coming to football games naked, save a barrel, that is.
posted by holden at 12:11 PM on December 07, 2009
I bet he was a barrel of laughs. Get it? Because he was known as Barrel M.....sigh!
/runs and hides
posted by BornIcon at 01:47 PM on December 07, 2009
(_)
posted by yerfatma at 01:59 PM on December 07, 2009
posted by holden at 02:06 PM on December 07, 2009
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posted by irunfromclones at 02:57 PM on December 07, 2009
Lung failure? Shitty way to go...
Was reading about him only recently.
RIP Barrel Man!
posted by Drood at 12:11 AM on December 08, 2009
RIP, Barrel Man. That was a bad look, but you wore it as well as it possibly could be worn. I love the anecdote about how the craziest Raider fans would look out for him on road trips.
A quote from a Broncos exec: "The No. 1 neat thing about him was that he was not about using this as a tool for making money. It was all about supporting the team."
The sentiment's well-intended, but I hate quotes like this. Why would it have been less admirable if Barrel Man made a little money off his fame? NFL teams do everything they can to squeeze the last dollar out of their most loyal fans.