by Al McMordie
Wednesday, Sep 07, 2022I am saddened by the sudden passing of my close friend, and colleague, Larry Ness.
Larry got his start in the handicapping profession when he was hand-picked by Jim Feist to be a panelist on the Proline TV show, and the host of Sports Desk, another handicapping show. I recall watching those shows when I was a teenager, and always liked Larry the best -- not necessarily because he had the best win percentage, but because of his personality, his humor, and his overall manner.
Larry's skill-set went beyond handicapping. He had the best memory of sports trivia of anyone I knew. And he was so knowledgeable that he hosted a syndicated radio call-in show at Bally's in the early-to-mid 1990s. I even called him one night to chat about the NBA in 1993.
Fast forward to 2000 and another friend of mine, Wayne Root, asked me to join The Winning Edge TV show. Larry was part of the handicapping team, so I finally met Larry in person. We quickly became great friends, and I think I probably talked to Larry 6 or 7 days a week for the last 22 years (and usually multiple times a day).
In our handicapping business, we often give our strongest plays a "signature" title. Larry's signature release was his "Legend" play because -- whether or not Larry would want to admit it -- he was a handicapping Legend. Larry didn't have many Legend plays -- maybe just one or two a month -- but his final selection that he released this past Sunday was, indeed, a Legend play. It was on the Minnesota Twins +115 over the Chicago White Sox. Appropriately, it won. And Larry "Legend" Ness went out a Winner.
Rest in peace, Larry. You will be greatly missed.
Al McMordie
Larry got his start in the handicapping profession when he was hand-picked by Jim Feist to be a panelist on the Proline TV show, and the host of Sports Desk, another handicapping show. I recall watching those shows when I was a teenager, and always liked Larry the best -- not necessarily because he had the best win percentage, but because of his personality, his humor, and his overall manner.
Larry's skill-set went beyond handicapping. He had the best memory of sports trivia of anyone I knew. And he was so knowledgeable that he hosted a syndicated radio call-in show at Bally's in the early-to-mid 1990s. I even called him one night to chat about the NBA in 1993.
Fast forward to 2000 and another friend of mine, Wayne Root, asked me to join The Winning Edge TV show. Larry was part of the handicapping team, so I finally met Larry in person. We quickly became great friends, and I think I probably talked to Larry 6 or 7 days a week for the last 22 years (and usually multiple times a day).
In our handicapping business, we often give our strongest plays a "signature" title. Larry's signature release was his "Legend" play because -- whether or not Larry would want to admit it -- he was a handicapping Legend. Larry didn't have many Legend plays -- maybe just one or two a month -- but his final selection that he released this past Sunday was, indeed, a Legend play. It was on the Minnesota Twins +115 over the Chicago White Sox. Appropriately, it won. And Larry "Legend" Ness went out a Winner.
Rest in peace, Larry. You will be greatly missed.
Al McMordie
