The death of Dylan McKay

It is not often I write about celebrity deaths. Most celebrities, even athletes, have very little impact on my life. There are, however, a few exceptions:  Lou Gehrig, Pete Sampras, Paul O'Neil, Nick Lachey and Luke Perry. The big "five" as you might call my short list are the exception. Anything these celebrities/athletes go through, I am on top of it. I'd like to think that nothing escapes this fan.  These five are always on my radar. Sadly, up until March 4th, my list only had one deceased member on it (Gehrig--who was overwhelmingly the oldest on the list). Now, Luke Perry has joined Lou and for the first time in my life, I am mourning the death of a person I never met.
I grew up in the 90's, when 90210 was the show. I admit I was caught up in the hype from the moment I first saw the show...but that moment didn't come when the show premiered in 1990. I was only 7 years old at that time and my parents did not allow me to watch 90210. When I was in high school, around 1996, reruns of the show began coming on TV, and my parents skeptically but willingly allowed me to start tuning in to episodes of the famous zip code. I still remember seeing Luke Perry's character, Dylan McKay, for the first time. I thought I was in love. He was the guy I wanted to date! He liked poetry. He surfed. Dylan McKay instantly became one of my favorite characters of all time.  It's true Luke was really a teen idol and that elevated his stardom beyond what he probably even expected. The older I got and the more I followed Luke's career, I realized he was more than just a pretty face. You rarely heard anything about him in the media. Before social media and even before the Internet became prevalent in our society, Luke's face was plastered over teen magazines. You had to dig to find any information about him. When I went away to college, I took my Luke Perry pillow with me. I left my puzzle wall-sized picture of him behind in my childhood bedroom. Luke stayed with me when I bought my new apartment, where I proudly displayed the puzzle in my dining area for seven years. When I got married, my husband even wondered what my captivation with Mr. Perry was all about. I even wanted to name one of our sons Luke. Luke means "light" and that name sure suited the actor best (though his real name is Coy).
There was something so very special about this man, not just his portrayal of Dylan McKay the ultimate bad boy with a poetic side. That in itself was great. But Luke the actor, the person, was somewhat just as mysterious as his 90210 character. Perhaps that's what really drew me to Luke. He was the Sampras of the entertainment world. He flew under the radar and was overshadowed by many other handsome men, similar to Paul O'Neil on the World Series winning Yankee teams. Luke was a raw talent from Ohio, just like 98 degrees' Nick Lachey. He was humble, like the Iron Horse himself Lou Gehrig. Tragically and ironically, Luke's life was cut short just like Lou's life. Luke Perry embodied all the traits I would come to love and know about my most admired famous men. Still, he was an individual----with a family of his own. My heart breaks for his closest family and friends. What I knew of Luke can't compare to what they knew of the real Luke Perry. To me, he was just a dream, someone to inspire and touch my heart from a distance. Luke Perry, may you rest in peace. You were pulled away too soon.

Old 90210 post

In honor of Luke Perry, I am sharing a post I wrote in 2009:

One year from today the date on the calendar will read: 90210. In honor of my favorite show, I thought I would dedicate a blog entry to the athletic themes and professional athletes appearing throughout the ten year reign of 90210.

The first glimpse of sport I remember from the early high school years was in episode two, “The Green Room”. Brandon and Brenda Walsh discovered their companion Dylan’s love for surfing. Brandon often accompanied Dylan McKay and his female friend, “Betty” on their surfing ventures. The Walsh twins would perform CPR and rescue Betty during a surfing accident later in the episode. It was the first of many heroic gestures of the series by Brandon. Brandon could be seen roller blading in the summer or riding a bike when his car didn’t do the job. Early in the series, viewers also learned about Brandon’s love for the game of hockey. Growing up in Minnesota exposed the high school heartthrob to the ice. He even briefly dated an ice skater after he moved to Beverly Hills, but the relationship did not last long. Brandon flirted with basketball in season one too. He tried out for the Beverly Hills High team with his friend, Steve Sanders. Brandon and Steve grew suspicious of the more talented players brought in from out of district. Steve was quite athletic and very into sports. He nailed a halftime shot at an LA Lakers game later on in high school. Brandon, on the other hand, was more successful as a sports writer. He depicted several football games and covered all the Varsity sports at the Sports Editor of the “Beverly Blaze.” In season two’s “Competitive Edge” episode, he exposed the rampant steroid use in the school’s corrupt athletic department. Brandon wasn’t always a whistleblower. He would take the field again when he and Dylan volunteered to coach a local Little League team. Dylan was not your typical jock but was an ocean lover. He taught his stepsister, Erica, how to swim and got into a surfing accident in season two. His buddy Brandon was more of a gym rat, especially when he was picking up women in season four. Brandon also studiously strapped on the ice skates in Season 7 for a charity hockey event. Cam Neely appeared in the episode “Face-Off”, where Brandon competed against Tom Miller. Tom was hot for Brandon’s ex-girlfriend, Kelly Taylor.

Football was the focus during season six. Donna Martin began dating the quarterback of California University, Joe Bradley. Joe’s professional idol, Steve Young, made a cameo on 90210 during the season six Thanksgiving episode. Quarterback Bradley had some major heart problems that threatened his football career, however. He would not go on to the NFL like Young. The Rose Bowl parade was featured in the episode, “Turn Back The Clock”. Donna made the final cut of the Tournament Of Roses and sat on the float New Years’ Day. Winter in Beverly Hills during the characters’ junior year in college was eventful sporting-wise. The group took a ski trip in “All This and Mary Too”. Susan Keats challenged her boyfriend Brandon to a ski race. The couple left their designated run and ended up getting lost in the cold weather. Steve took to the squash/racquetball courts near the end of season six with his pal, Prince Carl. The rich Carl also participated in polo and the group made an effort to watch him play.

Other athletes made guest appearances on 90210. Olympic gymnast, Kerri Strugg complained about her college schedule in front of an awe-stricken David Silver during registration. Howie Long greeted Steve and Brandon at the LA airport in the first episode of the fifth season. The most criticized athlete of the last decade, Barry Bonds, had a goofy stint on the show. Bonds appeared as a celebrity friend of Rush Sanders in a golf outing in his pre-BALCO days. Matthew Perry portrayed an athlete in the episode, “April is the Cruelest Month”. Perry played the part of the high school’s number one tennis player who secretly wanted to kill his father. Talk about dramatic. Many of the main characters swung the racquet too. Brandon, Steve and Valerie all took part in the great game during the spectacular series. In season eight, Noah Hunter related to his dad only through baseball. After his father committed suicide, Noah took an autographed ball and smacked it through a set of trees in anger. Gina Kincaid was introduced in season nine as Donna’s stepsister. Gina, a former ice skater, developed more intense issues than competing once she moved to the famous zipcode.

I hope you enjoyed my little article. It was enjoyable for me to reflect on such a terrific show.

Parting points: “I like your butt…I mean your bike”—Brenda Walsh to Dylan McKay