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Gerry James
From The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan:
Born in Regina on October 22, 1934, Gerry James was one of the last Canadian athletes to compete simultaneously in two professional sports. At age 17, he signed with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and joined the roster for the 1952 season. The first recipient of the Schenley All-Canadian Award in 1954, he won the trophy a second time in 1957 after sitting out the previous season. James helped the Blue Bombers to Grey Cup titles in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. He missed the 1963 CFL campaign, and played his last season of professional Football with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1964. He holds the CFL record for most post-season games played with thirty-six. Beginning in 1951, James played four seasons of junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros, winning the 1955 Memorial Cup championship over the Regina Pats. He earned a spot on the roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1955 to 1957, but split the following year between Toronto and the Rochester Americans minor league team before returning to the Blue Bombers. Although he missed the entire 1958-59 NHL season due to an injury sustained in a September 1958 CFL game, James won the 1959 Grey Cup with the Bombers and later helped the Maple Leafs reach the Stanley Cup final in April 1960. He became the only player in history to participate in the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup championships in the same season. After five seasons with the Leafs, James coached HC Davos in Switzerland and the Yorkton Terriers (1972–74, 1980–84), Melville Millionaires (1975–80), and Estevan Bruins (1984–87). He was also the Terriers’ owner from 1980 until 1984, and coach of the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors in 1987–88. Gerry James was inducted into the Canadian football Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Saskatchewan Sports Halls of Fame in 1994.
Let’s sum this up. A Memorial Cup, four Grey Cups, two Most Outstanding Canadian awards, and a Stanley Cup appearance. One thing that wasn’t mentioned, was that in 1958 he was runner-up to Maurice Richard as Canada’s Top Athlete.
When I mention his name to “die-hard” Blue Bombers fans, people shrug. The Bombers have never been very good at “glorifying” their alumni. I’d like to see that change, even though I’m a Roughriders fan.
Photo reblogged from National Post with 58 notes
Redrawing the NHL map
With the addition of Winnipeg to the National Hockey League landscape, it will put the Manitoba capital smack in the middle of the Southeast Division for the 2011-12 season. Multiple trips to Florida and North Carolina await.
The NHL will have to address the problem for the 2012-13 season and one proposal floating around on draft weekend had the league realigning into four divisions roughly based on the time zones.
We’ve made our best guess at a sample setup in the map above and we take a look at some of the possible implications. (Map: Mike Faille/National Post)
This is the worst article I’ve ever read on this subject. Not a single good solution was mentioned. The easiest way to fix the conferences and divisions while hurting the least amount of feelings is as follows.
- Move the Nashville Predators from the Central Division to the Southeast Division
- Move the Minnesota Wild to the Central Division
- Move the Winnipeg Jets to the Northwest Division
I’m not sure I need to explain why this works… but I’ll tell you this, this Matthew Scianitti dick just boiled my blood. The Red Wings/Blackhawks matchup is one of the longest running rivalries in sports history. Move Detroit into the East and you have five Orginal Six teams in a single conference, while leaving Chicago all on its lonesome.
To be honest, the conferences should be split up by North and South, meaning the Eastern Teams would have to travel laterally more often. Just think, Montreal and Boston would have to travel to Vancouver at least twice a season. It only seems fair considering the Western teams’ schedules the past 10 or so years, or how easy the East has had it… but the NHL doesn’t do “fair” very well, anyway.
Link reblogged from Queen Crash with 6 notes
Queen Crash: "Any name other than Jets risky? Fans' attachment to brand could be problem." →
If Winnipeg fans honestly reject their new NHL team because it’s not named the Jets, then maybe they don’t want a hockey team as badly as most of us thought. I completely understand wanting to see the Jets name brought back, but there are thousands of Atlanta Thrashers fans who would love to be in…
As an NHL fan who visited Winnipeg a lot as a child (but was not a fan of the team (Blackhawks since birth)) and now as an adult who lives in the city, I understand why they’re so passionate about keeping the name.
When the NHL pulled out of Winnipeg, it literally tore the heart of the city. Their WHA years are kept up on a pedestal, and Bobby Hull remains a legend in this city. Their NHL years have flashes of brilliance that they hold dear, from stars like Dale Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne, to character players like Thomas Steen, Randy Carlyle and Kris King.
The team didn’t leave because of a perpetually empty arena (ahem… southern-based perennial basement-dwellers), it left because the Canadian economy was in the shitter. Even Edmonton and Calgary almost picked up and left their cities.
They had huge rallies and fundraisers to keep the team in Winnipeg, but it all fell short. The Jets’ departure affected every single person, it wasn’t just a small group that wanted to keep them… the whole community tried to come together.
Local business owners and tycoons like the Richardsons and Aspers tried to pool as much money as possible to keep the team here. While negotiations were happening between the involved parties, thousands of Winnipeggers showed up at Portage and Main to hear the good news that the team wasn’t leaving… but they never got to hear that good news. They all went home with their heads hanging low.
Since then, the Jets cries have remained strong. Merchandise has always sold well. Everyone’s always felt “It’s just a matter of time.” Chipman made good on the NHL’s blunder 15 years later, finally giving the people their party on Portage and Main.
Winnipeg showed why they deserve a team. They did it by selling out in an instant. The least the NHL can do is give this city back its identity… its heart.
