Evil Knievel – #mancrushmonday

Wikipedia has a great bio on Evil, and you can read more about his exploits here:

But here’s a few snippets.

Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel (/ˈiːvəl kᵻˈniːvəl/;[1] October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Over his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps, and, in 1974, a canyon jump across Snake River Canyon (which failed) in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[2] He died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida in 2007, aged 69.

One of Evel’s qualities was that he had great pride in his core values. Throughout his career (and later life), he would repeatedly talk about the importance of “keeping his word”.[39] He stated that although he knew he may not successfully make a jump or even survive the canyon jump, he followed through with each stunt because he gave his word that he would. Prior to the canyon jump, Knievel stated, “If someone says to you, ‘that guy should have never jumped the canyon. You knew if he did, that he’d lose his life and that he was crazy.’ Do me a favor. Tell him that you saw me here and regardless of what I was, that you knew me, and that I kept my word.”[citation needed]

In the documentary Last of the Gladiators, Knievel discussed the crash of a 1970 Pepsi-Cola sponsored jump in Yakima, Washington. Knievel knew the jump was questionable, but stated, “I went ahead and did it anyway. When you give your word to somebody that you’re going to do something, you’ve gotta do it.” In the 1971 biopic, George Hamilton (as Evel) emphasizes in the opening monologue that a man does not go back on his word.

Knievel would regularly share his anti-drug message, as it was another one of his core values.[40] Knievel would preach an anti-drug message to children and adults before each of his stunts. One organization that Knievel regularly slammed for being drug dealers was the Hells Angels.[6] A near-riot erupted on March 3, 1971, at the Cow Palace when a tire-iron (or Coke can according to the Hells Angels) was thrown at Knievel during his stunt show, and Knievel and a majority of the spectators fought back, sending three of the fifteen Hells Angels to the hospital. He also starred in a motion picture, Viva Knievel!, in which his character (himself) foils a drug lord’s attempt to smuggle narcotics into the United States.

If you have some time to kill – check out this Evel Knievel Biography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BshVh5AiqP8