The Kid meets Angelo Mosca

Last night, October 7, at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Tour was the guest of Larry Robertson and the Canadian Football Research Society at the game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the home team, Hamilton Tiger Cats. We were seated in the central tent in the southern end zone and treated to the game and a delicious buffet. As soon as we arrived at our table another Hall of Famer, Angelo Mosca, dropped by to see the Kid.

Angelo: "Gerry, it's so great to meet someone who's even older than me."

The Kid rolled his eyes and punched Angelo affectionately in the ribs. However, there was little time for the two to properly exchange their books, complete with thoughtful inscriptions, or to reminisce about their playing days. Angelo's fans are legion in Hamilton and he was soon beseiged by requests for photos and autographs. One of these fans, Luigiana Vella, was kind enough to send me a couple of photos of Gerry and Angelo (and Larry, Luigiana's cousin, who is a member of the CFRS). These photos are safe and sound in my gmail account waiting for me to access them at the appropriate time (which would be NOW!. However, try as I might, I currently lack the savy to publish the photos on the blog. Perhaps in a later post?) (Oct 11 EDIT- a photo should now be seen above).

As Rob Morrallee, Office Manager at the Hall says, "these men (Gerry, Angelo, et al) are the cream of the crop. They are the top .01 per cent of all of the hundreds of thousands of men who have ever played in the CFL." Sometimes, late at night, when Rob passes the central room at the Hall where the heads of all the members sit row upon row, he thinks he "can even hear them talking to each other."

In an aside to Luigiana, Angelo said about Gerry, "He's the best football player I ever played against."

Later, when Luigiana recounted the above to Gerry, he refused to believe her.

Luigiana: "It's true. He really said that!"

Later, in the second half, Luigiana asked the Kid: "Are you cold?"

The Kid: "No!"

Luigiana: "I didn't ask if you were OLD. I asked whether or not you were COLD. I would have lent you my  TiCat scarf, although being an old Blue Bomber I don't suppose you would have worn it?"

The Kid: "I'm not COLD."

Actually, it is a little difficult to believe that the Kid could have been cold. The temperatures in Hamilton continue to hover around 23 degrees C. There was no wind blowing off Lake Ontario last night. The percussion band kept rhythmically drumming, the cheer leading kids in front of us kept shaking their golden pompoms and the fans in the stands carried on drinking beer and cheering their TiCats in a losing cause.

On the drive back to the Hotel, Larry Robertson recounted some of his experiences recording the play by play descriptions of CFL games at Ivor Wynne Stadium on a manual typewriter, typing on Gestetner (sp?) forms. During an especially cold and foggy playoff game in late November, the statistical team in the open air press box were dutifully recording their accounts of the tied game when Saskatchewan (?) scored a touchdown in the dying seconds. A great cheer rose from the statisticians whereupon their chief immediately rose and gave them a lecture on the importance of their being impartial. Whereupon the statisticians all rose and threatened to quit. They had been cheering the fact that there was going to be NO OVERTIME.

This morning Gerry and Ron are at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame meeting with the Canadian Football Research Society. I took the opportunity to sleep in and update the blog. Later today we are going to be signing books in the Concourse of the Copps Coliseum at 5pm before the hockey game between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Rochester Americans.

Before signing off, the Author asked me to send a special "hello" to Tour followers, Edwin and Mary Webb, in Wokingham, Berkshire.

a pui tardi, Pat

Football Hall of Fame Photos

How about that? Here are the photos I promised.
It's simple when you know how.

Photo #1 Tom Casey; Photo #2 Tom Casey; Photo #3 Gerry; Photo #4 Gerry's Dad Eddie "Dynamite" James; Photo #5 Stained Glass Mural; Photo #6 Tom Casey; Photo #7 Statue outside the Football Hall of Fame; Photo #8 Gerry and Ron Miming statue; Photo #9 Self-explanatory.

Next lesson: How to add captions to the photos.

BOOK REVIEWS

If you would like to read reviews of Kid Dynamite just go to http://www.oolichan.com/  click on Kid Dynamite, scroll down to reviews and click on the ones you want.  I particularly like the review in Saskatchewan Lifestyles where James Shares Stories.

If I can figure out how to upload the photos I took at the Football Hall of Fame this morning I will do so.

Stay tuned.

The Tour Hits Hamilton Ontario!

Leaving Winnipeg with 8 cartons of books in tow, The Kid, The Author, and yours truly, headed south of the 49th to the United States. Immediately it became apparent that we were now in a foreign country: the gas was cheaper, the money was all the same colour and there were lots of Stars and Stripes flying from flag poles.

Once again we had to keep the pedal to the metal in order to arrive at our next book signing stop at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame tomorrow, October 7, between 4 & 6 pm. We arrived safely at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, just in front of the bus bearing the Blue Bombers who will be playing the Hamilton Ti-Cats tomorrow night. (We are going to the game.) I resisted the temptation to introduce the team to one of their former greats. I did not even shout out, "Go Bombers, Go." Perhaps that was because I was still somewhat in shock from TERRIFYING TOUR MOMENT #1: The Kid at the wheel of the Avalon negotiating the #2 Highway detour signs over bridges through downtown Duluth, Minnesota, lead footing it during rush hour. Or perhaps it was the after effects of the Calazone and red wine at Grandpa Tony's in Bay City, Michigan last night. For whatever reason, I displayed unusual decorum.

NOTABLE SITES MISSED as the Tour has pressed on:

#1. Margaret Laurence House in Neepawa, Manitoba; although we did meet a Christie Loganish kind of guy in the Dairy Queen there over the Incident with the Wasp.
      When The Kid swatted a wasp with a folded Sports Section of the local paper, an elderly man with alternate teeth missing and his left arm in a sling man shouted to the Kid from a nearby booth: "You got him! I saw him drop."
     The Kid bent down, picked up the wasp with the paper and replaced the paper on the shelf full of other newspapers. Christie got up and grabbed the newspaper. "You can't leave a dead wasp in a newspaper. It don't bother me but it might upset a lady, especially a pregnant lady. Some folks get really bothered by wasps, even dead ones, but not me. I can pick them up by the wing."
     As Christie picked up the paper the wasp, which was only stunned, crawled onto the shelf. Christie swatted the wasp dead, picked it up by its wing and deposited it in the garbage can. "Good thing I checked on it."
     The Kid rolled his eyes and said: "Yeah. Really good thing."

#2. Michael Moore's house in Flint. Michigan.
     This was probably another good thing, since the Kid is not a fan of Michael's and since the site of Michael Moore's birthplace and childhood home is probably derelict or demolished. And, although Michael is rumoured to be once again resident in Flint, if there is a new Michael Moore house, he would be living in it and therefore, it is unlikely that it would be open to the public.

TOUR DAY 14, October 3

Tonight The Kid is staying with friends in Winnipeg while The Author and I are staying in the Best Western Pembina Inn & Suites on the Pembina Highway courtesy of Gilles Landry the owner and manager. Monsieur Landry will be hosting the Tour again when we return on October 14 through October 22 when Gerry will be the honourary captain of the Blue Bombers for their game against Montreal.

Finding ourselves alone for the first time in a while The Author and I decided to go for an early evening walk along some of the quieter streets near the south bank of the Red River. A father and son were playing catch with a football out in their front yard, and we stopped to chat.

THE AUTHOR:  We're here on a book tour with a football player, a former Blue Bomber by the name of Gerry James. He played for the Bombers in the 50's and 60's. Ever heard of him?

THE DAD; No, I haven't heard of him but Bud Grant used to live just across the street. Just three houses down.

ME (to the Author after we have resumed our walk): Wow! Now what are the chances of our ending up on the street where Bud Grant used to live?

Does anyone remember what they used to say about Bud Grant?
God is not dead. He is alive and well and coaching the Minnesota Vikings.

(ps Don't tell Gerry I wrote this.)


As we prepare to leave the prairies and head south through the US en route to Hamilton Ontario I find myself musing about our days in Saskatchewan and how they kept taking me back to the first ten years of my own life,when I was once a Kid, too.

Evocative Prairie Sights and Sounds:

     water towers
     wind mills
     back yard vegetable gardens
     sloughs
     flies
     barn yard smells
     crab apple trees
     the wail of train whistles
     onion domed churches
     talk of snow for Hallowe'en

HOME OPENER Melville Millionaires

The Tour's visit to Melville coincided with the Millionaires' home opener in their brand new arena--the Horizon Credit Union Centre. The day was a nail biter for the team's president, Dawn Melnychuk. Would the new building pass all the inspections necessary so that the game could go ahead?

The team finally received a "thumbs up" for the game at noon but the facility will not be complete for another month or so. The convention centre and parts of the arena are still under construction and aren't open to the public as yet.

One of the most popular features of the building promises to be the rubberized walking track which circles the rink and seating area. The rubberized walking track is part of the Cardiac Care Centre which will have a full-time nurse on duty. The Cardiac Care Centre is going to partner with the University of Regina to moniter the success of the Centre's programs.

The entire facility is very much a community project and the arena was packed for the game. The excitement was palpable. The Millionaires were introduced one by one and each player skated onto the rink between two giant "sparklers". The intros and light show were followed by fireworks at centre ice. As the smoke cleared the official ceremonies featured the president of the SJHL, Bill Chow; sporting legend Kid Dynamite, Gerry James; Mayor Walter Streelowsky and Millionaires President, Dawn Melnychuk.  The speeches were brief and shortly the announcer pronounced:  Welcome to your new home.  GAME ON!


From Saskatchewan the tour shifts to Hamilton, Ontario with a "Signing at the Hall" from 4 - 6pm at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on October 7. The Tour will also be guests at the Hamilton Tiger Cat game in the evening thanks to Scott Mitchell, owner of the team.The next morning, on September 8, the Author and the Kid will attend a statisticians meeting, also at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. This meeting will be open to the public so everyone is welcome. Later in the day there will be a book signing in the concourse before the Hamilton Bulldogs' game against Rochester.  The final event scheduled for Hamilton will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame on October 11 at 6pm where Gerry and Ron will talk to a meeting of the Society for International Hockey Research.  Once again this meeting will be open to the public.  Hope to see you in Ontario.

Kid Dynamite Sweeps Through Saskatchewan

Sunday, October 2  "And on the 13th Tour Day they rested."

Three events in three days--Saskatoon, Estevan & Melville. Thousands of kilometers have passed under the Toyota's snow tires as the mercury in Saskatchewan thermometers holds steady in the mid twenties.

HELPFUL TIP for TRAVELLERS #1:  When selecting your route to Estevan do NOT select Highway 47 south from Highway 1 to Stoughton. The last time The Kid drove the route it might have been newly paved  but today it is primarily thick gravel with deep ruts relieved in sections by broken ashphalt. The sound of the gravel and pavement bits thrown up by our snow tires made continual, disturbing bangs on the undercarriage of the Avalon during the 80 km trek (or there abouts). South of Stoughton the highway is smooth and the landscape becomes increasingly dotted with "grasshoppers" (small oil derricks) pumping industriously. There were few crops planted this year in the area because of the extensive spring flooding. It seems, however, to have been a good year for ducks who happily paddle the abundant sloughs and ponds.

The Tour arrived in Estevan, the Energy City, on time with our exhaust system intact. We were graciously hosted by the Bruins Hockey Club at Days Inn and given a tour of Estevan's impressive new arena, Spectra Place, so-called thanks to the corporate sponsorship of the Spectra Credit Union. (I think perhaps I have coined a contemporary koan. Can one describe a credit union as corporate?) Spectra Place is owned by the City of Estevan whose slogan "Our City, Our Region, Your Legacy" is proudly displayed on the walls of the main foyer leading to the arena which is home to the Bruins whose motto Rich Tradition. Strong Future. seems to sum up the prevalent mood in Estevan. All 24 corporate boxes are fully leased for 10 years and the waiting list for the select boxes keeps growing.

HELPFUL TIP FOR TRAVELLERS #2. If travelling to Estevan be sure to book your accommodation three months in advance, for there is likely to be no room at Days Inn.

Hockey score after 2 periods: Estevan Bruins 7 Notre Dame Hounds 1

The highlight of the night was the visit to the book table by The Ice Team, four sixteen year old beauties, who toss treats etc. to the fans from the ice.

RON:       "I'm the Author."
GERRY:   "I'm the Book."
MEMBER OF THE ICE TEAM:  "I'll bet you two were real lady killers, eh?"