Post by aggierattler on Feb 3, 2009 16:58:14 GMT -5
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Bob Hayes' family feuding
07:11 AM CST on Tuesday, February 3, 2009
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
btownsend@dallasnews.com
Behind the still-fresh euphoria of Bob Hayes' election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a squabble has erupted among the late Cowboys receiver's loved ones.
Upon Hayes' election Saturday, Lucille Hester touched hearts across the country when she read a poignant letter purportedly written by her younger brother, Hayes, in 1999.
But in the aftermath, Hayes family members have waged an angry retort. They not only question the letter's validity, but assert that Hester is not actually Bob Hayes' sister.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's a phony," said Bob's brother, 71-year-old Ernest Hayes. "Nobody in his original family likes her, at all. The further she stays away from us, the better off she'll be."
Hester on Monday expressed shock at the allegations, reiterating that she did share the same biological father as Bob Hayes and that the letter she read was authentic. Two former Cowboys also recalled Bob Hayes introducing Hester as his sister.
"I guess the question is, 'Why are they doing this?' " Hester said. "I just don't know why. And I don't want to make this a distraction from such a beautiful event."
On-air allegation
On behalf of Ernest and numerous other family members, Bob Hayes' longtime friend and former business manager, Ted McIntosh, sent a letter of complaint late Sunday to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, expressing dismay that Hester represented Hayes in Tampa, Fla., site of the Hall of Fame vote and Super Bowl.
McIntosh on Sunday sent an email to The Dallas Morning News and other media outlets under the heading: "ATTENTION!!! Lucille Hester is not Bob Hayes' sister nor any relation to anyone in the family."
Also Sunday, McIntosh aired the family's charges on "The Fan" KRLD-FM (105.3), calling Hester "a perpetrator."
McIntosh said the letter he sent to Jones, and the e-mail sent to media outlets, was on behalf of Ernest, Hayes' sister Lena, Hayes' ex-wife Janice and son Bob Jr. of Dallas. Bob Jr. and Hayes' daughter, Dr. Westine Lodge of Jacksonville, did not immediately return phone calls.
Family tree
Bob Sr., Ernest and Lena had the same biological mother, Mary Robinson, who died last year. Ernest and Lena's biological father was Joseph Hayes, but Ernest acknowledges that while Joseph raised Bob he was not his biological father.
Hester said her biological father was George Sanders, who she said was Bob Hayes' biological father as well as Georgette Sanders'. Hester and Sanders said each of the three had different biological mothers.
All of the siblings, as well as Ernest and Lena, grew up a few blocks from one another in Jacksonville, Fla.
Georgette Sanders, 55, said from her home in Jacksonville that the Hayes family's claims make no sense because they all grew up knowing about one another.
"We've all been together, so I don't know what the objection is now," she said, adding that she, Bob and Lucille often visited father George Sanders' shoe-shine shop, together, before his death in 1977.
"It's very odd," she said. "Who's making the assumption that we're not kin? Who would do that? It's sad. This is supposed to be, and should be, a happy occasion for everyone."
Ernest Hayes said he remembers going to Lucille's home, with Bob, and playing as youngsters, but he says he never heard Bob refer to her as his sister.
"That sister stuff didn't come up until after the funeral," he said of Bob's 2002 death at age 59, from kidney failure.
Letter in question
It was soon after, he said, that Lucille produced the letter she read during Saturday's news conference, as well as a document she said placed her in charge of Bob's Super Bowl ring and two Olympic gold medals.
Ernest Hayes and McIntosh point out that Bob Hayes' signatures on the letter and documents do not match those on memorabilia he signed over the years.
McIntosh noted that the letter not only has several misspellings, but thanks Roger Staubach for all his great passes. "And any astute sportswriter of age would know that Don Meredith was the quarterback he would have thanked for throwing the passes," he said. "Now, he would have thanked Roger for all the things he did personally for him."
Hayes' most productive seasons came with Meredith in 1965-68, when he made 212 of his 371 career receptions.
The conflicting accounts appear to create a problem for the Hall of Fame, which must decide which family members to consult for Hayes' August induction. More immediately, the Hall class is always introduced at the Pro Bowl, which is this weekend. Deceased players typically are represented by family members.
McIntosh said what most bothered Ernest and Lena last weekend is that they did not receive a call from the Hall.
As for whether Hester and Bob Hayes are biological siblings, Florida birth records don't become public record until 100 years after birth. McIntosh said he doesn't believe the family possesses the birth record.
Defending Hester
Two of Hayes' Cowboys teammates, Robert Newhouse and Calvin Hill, said Monday that Bob had introduced Lucille Hester as his sister, and that they had never heard anything different.
"I got tickets for Ms. Hester to go to Cowboys games," said Newhouse, who after his playing career worked for the Dallas organization for 18 years, retiring as the director of alumni relations last April. "It was always 'sister' to me, as far as I knew."
Hill remembers meeting Hester during his playing days, and added that his father and George Sanders were friends.
"All I know is Lucille was by Bob as his sister to me. The thing that always impressed me was she always seemed to be in his corner, especially when he was going through his tough times. I don't know what the DNA is, but she seemed like a great sister to me."
Lucille Hester, 69, was traveling back from Tampa on Monday when news broke of the Hayes family's allegations.
Initially taken aback, she calmly pointed out that she raised the money for his mausoleum and never asked for, nor received, money from her brother, who reportedly was broke when he died.
"I have never, ever received a dime, a penny, anything from my brother," she said. "I would never, ever cash in on his name."
Responded Ernest Hayes: "Ego. She did it for ego. If Bob were alive today, he would have got on her case."
At the end of the 45-minute interview, Hester broke into sobs.
"I loved him," she said. "Had he not caught a pass, had he not run 100 yards, I loved Robert Lee Hayes. I loved him as my little brother, who was very vulnerable, who may have been taken advantage of. He knew I would never do that."
Staff researcher Molly Motley Blythe contributed to this report.
07:11 AM CST on Tuesday, February 3, 2009
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
btownsend@dallasnews.com
Behind the still-fresh euphoria of Bob Hayes' election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a squabble has erupted among the late Cowboys receiver's loved ones.
Upon Hayes' election Saturday, Lucille Hester touched hearts across the country when she read a poignant letter purportedly written by her younger brother, Hayes, in 1999.
But in the aftermath, Hayes family members have waged an angry retort. They not only question the letter's validity, but assert that Hester is not actually Bob Hayes' sister.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's a phony," said Bob's brother, 71-year-old Ernest Hayes. "Nobody in his original family likes her, at all. The further she stays away from us, the better off she'll be."
Hester on Monday expressed shock at the allegations, reiterating that she did share the same biological father as Bob Hayes and that the letter she read was authentic. Two former Cowboys also recalled Bob Hayes introducing Hester as his sister.
"I guess the question is, 'Why are they doing this?' " Hester said. "I just don't know why. And I don't want to make this a distraction from such a beautiful event."
On-air allegation
On behalf of Ernest and numerous other family members, Bob Hayes' longtime friend and former business manager, Ted McIntosh, sent a letter of complaint late Sunday to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, expressing dismay that Hester represented Hayes in Tampa, Fla., site of the Hall of Fame vote and Super Bowl.
McIntosh on Sunday sent an email to The Dallas Morning News and other media outlets under the heading: "ATTENTION!!! Lucille Hester is not Bob Hayes' sister nor any relation to anyone in the family."
Also Sunday, McIntosh aired the family's charges on "The Fan" KRLD-FM (105.3), calling Hester "a perpetrator."
McIntosh said the letter he sent to Jones, and the e-mail sent to media outlets, was on behalf of Ernest, Hayes' sister Lena, Hayes' ex-wife Janice and son Bob Jr. of Dallas. Bob Jr. and Hayes' daughter, Dr. Westine Lodge of Jacksonville, did not immediately return phone calls.
Family tree
Bob Sr., Ernest and Lena had the same biological mother, Mary Robinson, who died last year. Ernest and Lena's biological father was Joseph Hayes, but Ernest acknowledges that while Joseph raised Bob he was not his biological father.
Hester said her biological father was George Sanders, who she said was Bob Hayes' biological father as well as Georgette Sanders'. Hester and Sanders said each of the three had different biological mothers.
All of the siblings, as well as Ernest and Lena, grew up a few blocks from one another in Jacksonville, Fla.
Georgette Sanders, 55, said from her home in Jacksonville that the Hayes family's claims make no sense because they all grew up knowing about one another.
"We've all been together, so I don't know what the objection is now," she said, adding that she, Bob and Lucille often visited father George Sanders' shoe-shine shop, together, before his death in 1977.
"It's very odd," she said. "Who's making the assumption that we're not kin? Who would do that? It's sad. This is supposed to be, and should be, a happy occasion for everyone."
Ernest Hayes said he remembers going to Lucille's home, with Bob, and playing as youngsters, but he says he never heard Bob refer to her as his sister.
"That sister stuff didn't come up until after the funeral," he said of Bob's 2002 death at age 59, from kidney failure.
Letter in question
It was soon after, he said, that Lucille produced the letter she read during Saturday's news conference, as well as a document she said placed her in charge of Bob's Super Bowl ring and two Olympic gold medals.
Ernest Hayes and McIntosh point out that Bob Hayes' signatures on the letter and documents do not match those on memorabilia he signed over the years.
McIntosh noted that the letter not only has several misspellings, but thanks Roger Staubach for all his great passes. "And any astute sportswriter of age would know that Don Meredith was the quarterback he would have thanked for throwing the passes," he said. "Now, he would have thanked Roger for all the things he did personally for him."
Hayes' most productive seasons came with Meredith in 1965-68, when he made 212 of his 371 career receptions.
The conflicting accounts appear to create a problem for the Hall of Fame, which must decide which family members to consult for Hayes' August induction. More immediately, the Hall class is always introduced at the Pro Bowl, which is this weekend. Deceased players typically are represented by family members.
McIntosh said what most bothered Ernest and Lena last weekend is that they did not receive a call from the Hall.
As for whether Hester and Bob Hayes are biological siblings, Florida birth records don't become public record until 100 years after birth. McIntosh said he doesn't believe the family possesses the birth record.
Defending Hester
Two of Hayes' Cowboys teammates, Robert Newhouse and Calvin Hill, said Monday that Bob had introduced Lucille Hester as his sister, and that they had never heard anything different.
"I got tickets for Ms. Hester to go to Cowboys games," said Newhouse, who after his playing career worked for the Dallas organization for 18 years, retiring as the director of alumni relations last April. "It was always 'sister' to me, as far as I knew."
Hill remembers meeting Hester during his playing days, and added that his father and George Sanders were friends.
"All I know is Lucille was by Bob as his sister to me. The thing that always impressed me was she always seemed to be in his corner, especially when he was going through his tough times. I don't know what the DNA is, but she seemed like a great sister to me."
Lucille Hester, 69, was traveling back from Tampa on Monday when news broke of the Hayes family's allegations.
Initially taken aback, she calmly pointed out that she raised the money for his mausoleum and never asked for, nor received, money from her brother, who reportedly was broke when he died.
"I have never, ever received a dime, a penny, anything from my brother," she said. "I would never, ever cash in on his name."
Responded Ernest Hayes: "Ego. She did it for ego. If Bob were alive today, he would have got on her case."
At the end of the 45-minute interview, Hester broke into sobs.
"I loved him," she said. "Had he not caught a pass, had he not run 100 yards, I loved Robert Lee Hayes. I loved him as my little brother, who was very vulnerable, who may have been taken advantage of. He knew I would never do that."
Staff researcher Molly Motley Blythe contributed to this report.
