My Latest Brush With Celebrity

Over the years I've met many people who would be classed as celebrities.

Back in my days as a radio annoucer most of my encouters would involve those in the music industry. I've mingled with such Canadian talent as Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo both at concerts and I ran into Jim Cuddy at a liquor store in Toronto and chatted with him.

I had an opportunity to go to the Juno Awards several times but the best was at the O'Keefe Centre (now the Hummingbird Centre) as the radio folks and entertainers all hobnobed in one lobby area. Some of the stars I met there included Celine Dion, Anne Murray, Roch Voisine, Rush and so many others.

The sports world people I've met or been around include Tie Domi, Doug Flutie, Bobby Orr, Curtis Joseph and from Hockey Night in Canada, Dick Irvine, Ron McLean, Don Cherry and I golfed in a charity tournament with Chris Cuthbert who is now with TSN. There have been so many it's hard to remember them all but it was fun to meet them all.

My latest brush with celebrity came this past Sunday when I attended a hockey game in Bowmanville. The Trenton Sting were playing Brampton and after the first intermission, I ventured back to my place on the rail to watch the game. Upon my return I found a woman with her leg up on the bar stretching. I thought to myself; "who the hell is this crazy person and why is she in my spot?"

I moved up beside her and she turned to me after dropping her leg and asked if she was in my spot. I told her it was ok and then I clued in. It was actress Goldie Hawn. She was there to watch Wyatt Russell, the goaltender for Brampton and son of actor Kurt Russell. Not a minute went by and walking up to stand next to Goldie was Kurt.

They inquired as to what I was doing and what stats I was keeping. They were both very nice and quite the cheerleaders for their team. I didn't want to be one of those creepy guys that would cling to them and be a bother so I located some fans from our team and moved over to them just a few feet away.

So that was my latest brush with celebrity. I really should have kept a list over the years of the celebrities I've met or seen in person. I did meet Billy Ray Cyrus once but I don't know if I'd include him on my list. Boy do I hate that Achy Breaky Heart song.

Family Values

As I've stated before, my family means a lot to me. I value the time I spend with any family members be it Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents (mine have all passed now) and so on.

There are a certain few relatives that for one reason or another have angered me a great deal over the years and I'm sure they know who they are. I won't get into that but suffice to say they've made it very difficult for me to forgive and forget and I haven't spoken to them in years. I have no plans to change that anytime soon either.

But there are other family members I spend a great deal of time with or I like to whenever possible, especially on my dad's side of the family.

Many of them are similar in a lot of ways but of course they have their own unique personalities that make our visits interesting. And the older I got, the more fun this time has become. Some of my cousins I don't see too often since they are spread out all across the country or lead busy lives but once a year it's good to catch up on things. Christmas isn't always that time but every few years it happens that the family gathers together to eat great food and share a lot of laughs.

Yes, I truly believe the older you get the more you understand the importance of family. Sure friends are great and a lot of fun but you can always count on family to be there when you really need them.

My parents have had the most influence in my life and I can honestly say I fear the day they are no longer with me. They've meant so much and have really been there for everything I've ever done and every up and down. My memories are filled with millions of little things and moments that I've shared with them. It's funny how the smallest thing can provide such a lasting memory.

As an example, I remember my mother helping out at my elementary school with the fluoride days or walking through a blizzard to walk myself and some other kid's home from school. I recall my dad letting me drive around in his transport while he worked and our afternoon break was a stop at the little drugstore downtown where we could get a meal of french fries and a pop. It also meant a great deal when I'd be playing football and even though he couldn't get off work, I'd see him stop the truck on the highway long enough to watch a bit of my game.

And that doesn't even scratch the surface for everything else they've done and sacrificed to feed me, dress me, get me home safely after a night of drinking with the guys. There was always love in our home. Sometimes my brother and I would step out of line and pay a penalty and we'd wonder where the love went, but looking back, even the punishment was a form of love and guidance to keep us on the right path.

And of course my brother Scott means a great deal to me also. He didn't always however. I'm not going to lie, there were times as kids I thought he hated me and I think I might have felt the same towards him. With five years difference between us it made it tough to be close as he didn't want his little brother tagging around after him. Oh boy did we have our confrontations over the years but the bruises healed and the scars faded.

The turning point in our relationship came when I made it clear to him that he could no longer pick on me or push me around. You see, there was that moment in time when my "big brother" was no longer the "biggest brother" and one quick toss of Scott into a pine tree turned the light bulb on in his brain and he realized he'd be better off having me as an ally.

Since that moment, everything changed for us and despite the fact he lives in Florida with his wife Erin (who I haven't had a good chance to torment yet) we get along better now then ever before. We're still very competitive with each other when we play computer games and cards but that's because we both hate losing.

Scott and Erin recently came home for a visit for Labour Day weekend and it was nice to have a big brother around to do things with again. It only lasted a short time but he'll be back for Christmas and I'm sure I'll visit Florida again soon.

Family is important to me. Life is too short as it is and that's why spending time with the people you love shouldn't be taken for granted. Cherish the time you have with your family because it will end all too soon.

Hockey: Please Don't Change

Two teams strap on the blades and cover themselves in their protective gear as they prepare for battle on the frozen field. Back and forth they go, each struggling for an opportunity to give their team a lead while striving for a victory. Elbows rise, sticks slash, bodies are banged against an unforgiving wall but if the powers that be have their way, gone will be the one thing that truly makes the game of hockey the exciting sport it has always been.

I consider myself a hockey purist. Nothing thrills me more then seeing a team move the puck down the ice; completing the perfect passing play; finished off with a puck in the back of the net. Afterall, that is the object of the game...to score.

However, there has always been the game within the game. Teams genuinely disliking each other, players trash talking in the hopes it may give them an edge. And above all else, fighting was a part of the game. I say "was" because for some reason, the mama's boys in charge of overseeing our game have deemed fighting to be unnecessary.

I truly believe the smart people in control of the games destiny never actually played the game and can't understand why fighting should remain an important part of the sport. Honestly, when was the last time you went to a game and the fans booed because a fight broke out on the ice? I'm betting never.

Fighting has its place in hockey. As someone who has been around the game for a while, mostly at the Junior level, I have witnessed first hand how a little intimidation can turn a game or series around. Several years back a team I support was trailing in a series against a more skilled hockey club. After a bench clearing brawl took place and our team put the fear of the almighty in the opposition, they were done. They were skilled but after that they shied away from every hit and wouldn't battle for pucks in the corner. We ended up winning a championship that season.

Some would say it's a scare tactic that doesn't belong and to them I say grab your purse and spend your time watching figure skating instead.

Of course a donnybrook doesn't happen very often and I don't think it's something I'd want to see all the time. Ok, once or twice a year would be fun. No, I think every team should have two or three enforcers to get the job done. The problem is the enforcer is becoming a thing of the past because people think we need to see the smaller, faster, skilled players.

Call me crazy but I can remember watching plenty of skilled players long before the sissies took over running the show. Those players could either fight their own battles or they had teammates who would do that job.

Gordie Howe was one of the best hockey players of all time and he could take care of himself. Wayne Gretzky had Dave Semenko to protect him. Al Secord scored 30 goals and had over 300 penalty minutes in a season. Chris Nilan, Tie Domi, Tiger Williams, Dave Schultz and Tim Hunter all had high penalty numbers but still managed to contibiute on the scoresheet.

My point is, fighting and enforcers have their place in the game. It is a part of the sport I love and while I appreciate the skilled players like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin or Joe Thornton, I still enjoy watching guys like Donald Brashear, Brad May, Chris Neil and Steve Ott drop the gloves and settle things like men.

Last thoughts...when was the last time you saw a player seriously injured from a hockey fight? Now think about how often you see players badly injured by high sticks. I ask you, what is the bigger fish to fry?

Here's a fight video I thought you might enjoy. If not, then I'll try and find some exciting curling action for you next time.

Blue Jays Memory

It's hard to believe that its been 13 years since the Toronto Blue Jays won their last World Series. It doesn't seem that long ago.

Do you remember where you were when Joe Carter hit his historic series winning homerun? I do.

I'd like to say I was at the game but that wasn't the case. I did want to be in Toronto in case they did win to take part in all of the madness in the streets.

My friend Matt Goodman and I drove up to try and watch the game in a Toronto bar but they were all full. You couldn't find a seat or table anywhere on or just off Younge Street.

So we did the next best thing, we made our way down to the HMV Music store to watch the game with thousands of other fans on their massive screen on the front of the building. We were a little ways back but we could see the game and there was a van with huge speakers broadcasting the play-by-play on the radio.

It looked hopeless until the final inning when the Jays managed to rally. The police were standing by in riot gear and on horses waiting for something to happen. The police command post was just down the road from us as well.

When Joe Carter hit the homer to end the game and the series, the streets exploded in celebration. We were hugging and kissing people we didn't even know. People were smoking maijuanna next to cops and they didn't care. Nobody tried to riot or cause distruction. It was very peaceful but insane as well. Thousands of people quickly became tens of thousands and we were shoulder to shoulder on Younge Street barely able to move. You were at the mercy of the crowd and where it moved. You had to struggle to get out of the crowd and by the time we did we were two blocks south of where we started. It was an experience of a lifetime but I'd never do it again. The noise was deafening.

People were hanging from trees and street signs and traffic lights. To this day I still can't believe that many people were jammed into the downtown core and no real trouble happened.

Big Deck