View from the Cheap Seats is an extension of the newsroom, which is frequently a site of heated debate on topics ranging from the extremely serious to the utterly ridiculous. This web edition features the views of print edition columnists Thom Barker (Wednesday) and Calvin Daniels (Saturday), as well as web exclusive content by Michaela Miller (Thursday) and Devin Wilger (Friday).
This week: Was Gordie Howe Saskatchewan’s greatest sports hero?
The few
People die every day and, obviously, celebrities are no exception. So far, however, 2016 seems to be the year for losing the truly exceptional.
David Bowie, Prince and then Mohammad Ali followed all too quickly by Mr. Hockey.
In death, people tend to get built up. In rare cases, that is not the case because they are truly deserving of the accolades.
Gordie Howe is one of those cases. The true measure of greatness in your field is, perhaps, how long your records stand up.
A great example is golfer Byron Nelson. He still holds the record, set in 1945 for the most tournaments won in a single season (18) and most in a row (11).
Granted, the PGA Tour is not what it used to be. It might be impossible to beat those records, but it is still an accomplishment beyond compare.
At the time of his death last week, Howe had not played professional hockey since the 1979/80 season, but still held 11 NHL records. There are more if you include the WHA, but I am loathe to include those, so I will stick to NHL. And no, the publicity stunt of playing one game with the IHL’s Detroit Vipers at the age of 69 does not count.
Some of those may never be broken, such as 22 consecutive 20-goal seasons, 20 seasons in the Top 5 of overall scoring and oldest to lace ‘em up professionally—he retired at 52 after a season in which he still managed to muster 41 points.
Perhaps more significantly, he was, it seems, universally loved and respected, although his limelight days were pre-Twitter.
Of course, before we go too far with the accolades, it is prudent to remember that, by world standards, hockey is a minor sport. As far as hockey, Canada and, especially, Saskatchewan go, there is no question Howe belongs among, if not at the pinnacle of “greatest ever” discussions.
-Thom Barker
Better Things
While I think it’s sad that a famous man died, I cannot say that I think sports heroes or legends qualify as relevant heroes. I know my opinion will likely tick a good portion of people off since there is nothing better to do in Saskatchewan besides drink beer and watch sports, but it is my opinion nonetheless. This man was clearly talented and skilled in his profession, but that’s it. I don’t care who he played for over the years, how many goals he scored, etc. I don’t care to put much stock into the meaningless details of the sports world. Even with famous people that pass away in the realms of reality that I do like, I still don’t care. They didn’t care about anything but themselves, why should I waste my thoughts on them? They were good at what they did enough to warrant fame, that’s it. This man was a Saskatchewan-great, and I will respect that, but I just can’t care otherwise.
Michaela Miller
He was what we want to be
I didn’t grow up watching, or even liking hockey, so I can’t really give any perspective on Gordie Howe, hockey player. I was aware of who he was - it might actually be illegal to live in Canada and not know who Gordie Howe was - and always got the impression that off the ice he was a good person who everyone liked, which can be rare in someone who is not only famous but outright worshipped by fans.
So this actually required a bit of research, and in reading the obituaries there were frequently mentions of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick - a goal, an assist and a fight. Now I know why he’s so beloved in this country, one of his big achievements is something that describes the image Canada would like to present to the world. We are able to succeed – the goal – we help other people – the assist – and if necessary, we can knock you right on your behind. The international perspective of Canada as a nation of politeness applies to Howe’s persona off the ice, but really, we want to be seen as a country that is defined by the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Successful, helpful, but still violent when we have to be.
He is Saskatchewan’s greatest sports hero because he played the game in a manner that reflects our self-image.
-Devin Wilger
The tops
There are times the topic we chose for Cheap Seats confound me for a time.
Many are not nearly as easy to give a definitive answer to as it might appear.
That is not the case this week.
As a sports fan the passing of Gordie Howe was something I noted with obvious sadness, although he has lived a rather full life as they say.
Still when one of the true greats in a profession which has its stars in the public eye passes, it does not go unnoticed.
The recent passing of Muhamed Ali is another example. He was arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer, not just of his time, but ever.
In the case of Howe I’d argue he remains the greatest hockey player ever.
I’ll grant that his statistics have been eclipsed by the likes of Wayne Gretzky, but Gretzky played in one of the weakest eras in the history of the game.
Howe played in an era of six teams for the heyday of his career, a time when the league boasted some of its best net minders, he still excelled.
And on night Howe didn’t score, his toughness could sway a game, an element Gretzky never had.
But the question we posed is whether Howe is Saskatchewan’s greatest sports hero?
If you take the approach the hero has to somehow represent the province to be the hero you might argue for Sandra Schmirler in curling, Haley Wickenheiser in women’s hockey, or George Reed for his years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and all would be worthy of consideration.
But in Saskatchewan we have always revered those born here who went on to greatness beyond the province’s borders. It is kind of what we are noted for.
And Howe did just that. Born at tiny Floral, SK., he went on to carve the greatest career in the sport we as Canadians generally hold dearest — hockey.
And with his passing the brightest of sports lights in our province’s history has been extinguished.
- Calvin Daniels
