KYLE Rote played his entire 11-year pro career, most of them as a star, from 1951 through 1961, with the New York Giants.

A first-round pick from SMU, where he was a double-threat running back, he arrived in New York already a football hero of national renown. He eventually became, with the Giants, a receiver known for wounded slowness, great timing patterns and even greater hands. In 1960, in 11 games, he caught 42 passes, 10 for TDs, and averaged 18 yards per catch, no fumbles.

He also had an after-hours, party-hard presence in New York City, as well as a local and national post-football sportscasting career.

Kyle Rote died Wednesday night. His death was reported on the wires mid-day Thursday, meaning too late to have been reported in that day’s newspapers.

I don’t know if it’s a generational thing or a news judgment thing, but by Thursday evening’s rush hour – with hundreds of thousands of people tuned to radios for the first time since morning rush hour – Rote’s passing was either ignored or used as “and this final note” filler.

On the 5:40 update on sports-radio WFAN, Rote’s passing was the last item addressed. Just a quick mention.

The 5:45 sports news insert on all-news WCBS-AM did not mention a word about Rote. Not one word.

The 6 p.m. sports news update on ESPN Radio-New York made no mention of Rote. Not one word.

The 6:15 sports news insert on all-news WINS threw in Rote’s death as the segment’s last item.

Far bigger news during Thursday’s rush hour was that the Jets would play an exhibition game against the Ravens that night, and that Jets’ placekicker John Hall may sit it out with an injury.

If Kyle Rote had been forced to miss a Giants’ regular-season game with an injury, now that would have been news.

Had Rote’s passing been ignored or treated as filler by only one of the four aforementioned New York radio stations in rush hour, we could ignore that as an unfortunate oversight, perhaps relative kids at the wheel. But four out of four? There’s something wrong.