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The tributes and memories continued to pour in Wednesday for John Madden, as impactful and iconic a football figure spanning several generations — as a successful coach, beloved broadcaster and video-game namesake — as we’ve ever seen.

With the year winding down this week, Madden became the most recent sporting legend to pass away in 2021, both on the national and the local scene.

Here are a few thoughts on some of the most notable figures the sports world has lost over the past 12 months, including a few who greatly left their marks on the New York scene: