George Carlin, 1937-2008. R.I.P.

I read this morning that comedian George Carlin had died of heart failure after entering a hospital in Santa Monica yesterday. He was 71. Last week, Carlin had been named the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The award will now be presented posthumously in November.

Carlin was perhaps best known for the "Seven Dirty Words You Never Say on TV" and formed the basis of the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court decision F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation. The Court ruled that such words are prohibited at hours when children are likely to view the programming. Of course, I'm sure many of those children hear those words uttered by their parents or in the schoolyard.

I best remember him as the first host of Saturday Night Live in October 1975.

In all honesty, I was not a huge fan of his humor and cared even less for his politics. I remember when he did a rant on golf calling it a racist sport. I think Tiger Woods shattered those notions beyond imagination.

But I did like Carlin's routine on baseball and football which can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YphEUaSLPjM.