Giving Rodney the respect he deserves

Rodney Dangerfield dead at 82

Actor and comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who had a heart valve replaced Aug. 25, died Tuesday in Los Angeles at the age of 82.

We've lost a comedic legend. The great Rodney Dangerfield past away today. He never recovered from the heart valve replacement surgery he had on Aug. 25.

Before going into the hospital, Rodney was asked how long he would be in. He said (I'm paraphrasing), "If things don't go well, not very long." There's the classic Dangerfield wit.

Unfortunately, Rodney suffered a stroke shortly after surgery and remained in the hospital for more than a month -- most of the time in a coma.

MSNBC is running poll, asking people what their favorite Rodney role was. There are 10 choices on the list, but it really comes down to "Caddyshack" and "Back to School" -- both classics. "Caddyshack" is the better movie, but had an ensemble cast. "Back to School" was a better showcase for Rodney. I'm hoping both will be replayed continuously on cable somewhere in the days ahead.