Some fans want ashes scattered at sports sites
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There are other reasons organizations discourage the spreading of ashes.
"It probably happens and we sort of turn a blind eye if people are discreet,'' said Rich Dalrymple, spokesman for the Dallas Cowboys. "But we don't really feel it's appropriate. And besides, these things have a way of turning into elaborate ceremonies and we don't want a stream of hearses pulling up to the stadium.''
Al Everest, now the special teams coach for the San Francisco 49ers, ran into - and around - the Cowboys' no scattering policy years ago.
Everest's namesake uncle Al, was a big Cowboy fan and knew his football-oriented family - his brother Andy was a coach and his nephews played and coached football - would always think of him when they saw Texas Stadium if his ashes were scattered there.
"I'd had his ashes for a couple of years and my sister Kathy and brother Tom finally decided to do something about it,'' Al Everest said. "There might have been some liquid refreshment involved, but they took Uncle Al's ashes to the stadium and scattered them on the flowers outside the gate. It worked: I never see the Cowboys but what I think of Uncle Al.''
When Conrad Rehling, who coached the University of Alabama golf team for 17 years and was a member of the College Golf Coaches Hall of Fame, died, his daughters moved quickly to see that his last wishes would be carried out.
Half of Rehling's ashes were scattered off the practice tee at the Alabama facility, said Jay Seawell, the current Tide coach. The rest were taken care of by golfer Jerry Pate, who played for Rehling before turning pro.
"I had never spread anyone's ashes before, and at first it seemed kind of eerie,'' Pate said. "But when I had the opportunity to spread Conrad's it was a real honor.''
As requested by his old coach, Pate spread the ashes on the golf course at St. Andrews, while at the British Open.
"Later my son showed me a picture he had found that my wife took of Conrad and me at Swilkin Bridge in 1972,'' Pate said. "I had forgotten all about it, but that's exactly where I scattered his ashes.''
Golf courses appear to be among the favorite sports venues for ashes scattering.
At the Furman University course there have been dozens of departed golfers' ashes scattered along the greens, said Willie Miller, who has run the golf club for the past dozen years.
Unlike Alabama's Seawell, who mused that Rehling's ashes might be helping his highly rated team, Miller doesn't count on the spirits of departed golfers to help Furman.
"Not at all,'' he said. "I know how they played.''
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