"'A true gentleman.' Something tells me you are going to be reading that phrase many times as the sporting world remembers Lamar Hunt.

"There quite simply has never been a more influential person in sports in the United States, and when it comes to soccer he was the pioneer, the innovator and the patriarch all rolled into one. And that statement was as true in 1966 as it is in 2006.

"This is a truly sad day for the soccer community and on behalf of the entire U.S. Soccer Federation family, we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the Hunt family on their loss. His passing will be felt in every corner of the sports world, just as his legacy will live forever."

--Sunil Gulati, President, U.S. Soccer