Commitment to Permanent Wave

In what passes for good news for the NFL these days, a somewhat recently retired star has died of something other than a concussion, suicide, or hazing, as former Oakland Raider Todd Christensen has died of complications of liver surgery at the age of 57. In one of the odder pairings in NFL history, the teetotaling, goodie-two shoes Mormon ended up with league’s biggest renegade teams, to the benefit of both. The well-coiffed tight end made 5 straight All Pro Teams and won 2 Super Bowl rings with the Raiders, twice setting records for receptions in a season by a tight end. Unlike many of his Raiders teammates, who could rely on drinking and drugs to wreck their livers, Christensen’s troubles stemmed from a botched gall bladder operation.