Seeing a monkey smashing a bunch of bones with another bone, then seeing one of the shards spinning upwards towards the sky and seamlessly transforming into a space satellite is – weird.
My spouse and I watched “Barbie” two nights ago, and the movie opened by paying homage to that very scene. The way they did it was very tongue in cheek.
That scene is from “2001: A Space Odyssey”, a movie I saw a few times in the ‘80s, although it was made in 1968, and it brings back some memories. The biggest one is that I never really understood the end of the movie, but we’ll get to that.
Night time on CBC The first time I saw “2001: A Space Odyssey”, I was maybe 10 years old. I was flipping channels and I came upon this scene of monkeys milling around. It caught my interest enough to keep watching. Suddenly, one of the monkeys started bashing a bunch of bones with a bone like a hammer and, pretty soon, we were seeing the view in outer space.
I found it odd then, and ended up watching something else. One of the things I did, which was easy to do in the three channel universe, is flipped to other channels when the show I was watching was in commercials. So I periodically flipped back to “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
The last time was right near the end. There was this astronaut in his orange space suit walking on what looked like a black and white checkerboard floor. Soon he was turning into a baby.
I was so confused.
Grade 8 science One of the units that I, and my good friend David Perlich looked forward to in Grade 8 science was the unit on space. Dave and I had a common interest in science fiction and space. We had even written science fiction stories in Grade 6 and part of Grade 7, and sold them to our classmates. It was a series we called “Space Search”, and it was based on “Star Trek”.
Mr. Matson was our science teacher. He decided one of the ways to demonstrate space, and some of the stuff we were studying, would be to have us watch “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
So, we gathered in his room one day, and watched the first hour or so of the movie. That part of the movie really did illustrate life in space, and it was really interesting.
However, class ended before we saw the rest of the movie. Beyond that, Mr. Matson said, it really did not show much more that was related to our science class.
I was really hoping to see the rest of the movie. I recall hoping if I saw it when I was older, I would understand the ending.
I suspect other students had also asked Mr. Matson about seeing the rest of the movie. So he actually set it up for us to watch during our lunch hour.
So, again, we gathered in his room, and watched it. Sadly, it really did not shed much light on the subject for me. I still didn’t get the ending.
I think we asked Mr. Matson, and he didn’t have any answers for us either.
Sequel time A couple years after that, my sister and I went to see the sequel to “2001: A Space Odyssey”. It was called “2010: The Year We Make Contact”, and came out in 1984.
Interestingly, the thrust of the plot involves a mission to find out what actually happened in deep space. In the end, I still really didn’t understand what happened at the end of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, but I did like its sequel.
Parting thoughts I checked out Wikipedia to see if it had a succinct explanation for the end of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and it detailed a number of possibilities.
I was just glad I was not the only one who could make no sense of the ending.
He was a solid quarterback who helped take one team to a Grey Cup championship, resurrected the fortunes of another, then came off the bench to a lead a third to a Grey Cup championship.
I recall a lot of memorable moments about Joe Barnes that span the entire decade of the 1980s.
It is fitting on Grey Cup Sunday, with Montreal making their first appearance in more than a decade, that I reflect on the first Grey Cup I ever saw because it involved Montreal.
Joe Barnes was the starting quarterback for the Alouettes that day.
That began a long association with a player who became one of my favourite CFL quarterbacks ever.
The years before Joe Barnes played college football at Texas Tech and had the drawl to match. He was taken in the 13th round of the 1974 NFL Draft by Chicago and played two games for the Bears that year.
In 1976 he signed with the Montreal Alouettes and would play the better part of four seasons with them, closing out the decade.
He began by splitting playing time with fellow quarterback Sonny Wade. Barnes was a scrambler who could use his legs either to extend a play or gain a first down.
In 1976, Barnes appeared in 13 games, when the CFL still played a 16-game schedule. He completed 29 of 56 passes for 392 yards, one touchdown and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The Alouettes finished third in the East Division with a 7-8-1 record, and were shut out in the East Division Semi-Final by a score of 23-0.
In 1977, he played in eight games, completing 77 of 141 passes for 991 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for a career-high 485 yards and three touchdowns on 61 carries. The Alouettes finished first in the East with a record of 11-5, then beat Ottawa 21-18 in the East Final, and won the Grey Cup in the infamous “Ice Bowl” game, by a score of 41-6.
The 1978 season saw Joe Barnes largely become the starting quarterback, starting 12 games while Sonny Wade started four. Barnes completed 72 of 137 passes for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and rushed for 147 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. Montreal finished second in the East Division with an 8-7-1 record. They defeated Hamilton 35-20 in the East Semi Final and Ottawa by a score of 21-16 in the East Final, before losing in the Grey Cup to Edmonton by a score of 20-13.
Barnes was the unchallenged starting quarterback in 1979, starting all 16 regular season games for the Alouettes, where he completed 163 of 305 passes for 2,456 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 269 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries. Montreal finished first in the East Division with an 11-4-1 record. They defeated Ottawa by a 17-6 score in the East Final, before losing to Edmonton for the second straight year in the Grey Cup, this year by a score of 17-9.
As the 1980s dawned, Joe Barnes and his Montreal Alouettes had a great run, making three Grey Cups in his first four years in the league, winning one and coming within a touchdown the other two times.
The 1979 Grey Cup would be the last one Montreal played in until the year 2000, but Joe Barnes would go on to have a lot of success in the 1980s.
Restoring Rider pride Joe Barnes began the 1980 season as Montreal’s starter, playing the first six games of the season. He completed 37 of 75 passes for 403 yards, no touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 74 yards on 20 carries. Montreal soured on Barnes, replaced him with quarterback Gerry Dattilio. Later, they shipped Barnes to the lowly Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for defensive back Al Chorney.
Barnes played in 10 games for the Riders, completing 106 of 205 yards for 1,322 yards, eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 17 yards and a touchdown. The Riders had signed quarterback John Hufnagel from the Calgary Stampeders before the start of the season, so when Barnes arrived in Regina he shared playing time with Hufnagel. Saskatchewan was 1-5 when Barnes arrived, and finished the season with a record of 2-14, and last in the West Division.
However, things turned around for the Riders the next year. Saskatchewan hired Joe Faragalli, the offensive line coach for the Grey Cup champion Edmonton Eskimos, as their coach for the 1981 season, and he brought a new attitude to Regina.
Barnes and Hufnagel platooned at quarterback in 1981, and were affectionately dubbed “Barnagel”. They helped turn around the fortunes of the Riders, along with a defence that was much improved.
The Riders went from that 2-14 record in 1980, to a much-improved and respectable 9-7 record. Unfortunately, in the tough and highly competitive West Division, the Riders finished fourth, one game out of the playoffs. Had the cross-over that exists now, existed then, Sasaktachewan would have easily made the playoffs. In the East Division, Ottawa finished second with a 5-11 record and Montreal was third with a 3-13 record. They both made the playoffs and the Riders didn’t. Yet, Ottawa went on to shock everyone by coming within a field goal of winning the Grey Cup.
Barnes played in all 16 games for the Riders, completing 151 out of 290 passes for 2,130 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
However, the best was yet to come for Joe Barnes as he was on the move again before the start of the next season.
Argo blue In 1981, the Toronto Argonauts had finished with the worst record in the Canadian Football League, winning just two out of 16 games. By contrast, the last place team in the CFL West, the Calgary Stampeders, had finished 6-10.
The Argonauts re-tooled very quickly for the 1982 season, hiring Bob O’Billovich as their head coach, and Mouse Davis as their offensive coordinator. Davis had pioneered his “run and shoot” offence at Portland State, and was implementing it in Toronto. It emphasized the pass, relied on unlimited motion, and a quicker tempo.
Toronto had a solid quarterback in Condredge Holloway, but then made a trade with Saskatchewan, acquiring Joe Barnes in exchange for defensive back Marcellus Greene. Once more, Barnes would be platooning with another quality quarterback.
The Argonauts had one of the greatest turn arounds in CFL history, finishing the 1982 with a record of 9-6-1, good enough for first place in the East Division. They defeated Ottawa in the East Final by a score of 44-7, but the clock struck midnight for Cinderella. The Argonauts ran into the juggernaut Edmonton Eskimos, who had won the previous four Grey Cups and were appearing in their ninth Grey Cup in 10 years. They defeated Toronto by a score of 32-16, but the game was not lost on the Argos. They would be back in 1983.
Condredge Holloway had an exceptional season, winning the league’s most valuable player award, but Barnes served as Holloway’s back up for that year. Appearing in 10 games, he completed 26 of 61 passes for 322 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 36 yards on seven carries.
Things would be very different the next season.
Coming off the bench The Toronto Argonauts attacked the 1983 season with a vengeance, finishing with the best record in the CFL at 12-4. Finishing first in the East Division gave them a first round bye and a date with Hamilton in the East Division Final, which they won by a score of 41-36.
Barnes and Holloway became a true platoon that season, passing for more than 5,000 combined yards. Barnes completed 149 of 271 passes for 2,274 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while rushing for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. Meanwhile, Holloway passed for 3,184 yards.
Holloway started the Grey Cup. However, trailing 17-7 at halftime, O’Billovich called on Barnes to come off the bench in the second half. He responded, moving the ball into field-goal range three times only to have kicker Hank Ilesic miss three field goals. Two went for singles to cut the Lion lead to 17-9. He later made a field goal, making the score 17-12.
With four minutes left, Barnes again had the Argos on the move. They scored with 2:44 to play as Barnes found Cedric Minter in the end zone for a touchdown and an 18-17 lead. Toronto went for a two-point conversion to extend their lead to three points, but their attempt failed.
B.C. had one more chance but the Argonaut defence held firm, forced the Lions to punt, and Barnes pretty much ran out the clock, leaving B.C. with one last hail mary that fell incomplete.
For his efforts, Joe Barnes was named the Grey Cup most valuable player on offence, as he helped Toronto end a championship drought that dated back to 1952.
The next year, the 1984 season, Barnes had an even better regular season, completing 231 of 378 passes for a career-high 3,128 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while rushing for 278 yards and three touchdowns on 52 carries. He was also named an East Division All-star. Toronto again finished first in the East Division with a 9-6-1 record, but were upended by Hamilton in the East Final by a score of 14-13, as the Tiger-Cats advanced to the Grey Cup, only to get thrashed 47-17 by Winnipeg.
Before the start of the 1985 season, Joe Barnes was on the move again, as the Argonauts traded him to Calgary for defensive end Walter Ballard, offensive lineman Jeff Inglis, and a draft pick.
Cowtown quarterback The Stampeders had a disastrous 1985 season that ended with the real possibility they may fold before the start of the 1986 season. Very little seemed to go right for Calgary that season.
Statistically, Barnes had a good season with the Stampeders. He appeared in 11 games, completing 212 of 362 passes for 2,864 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, while rushing for 198 yards on 42 carries.
One bright spot was a Saturday night game at B.C. Place, where Barnes engineered an upset of the eventual Grey Cup champion Lions.
However, the Stampeders decided to go in another direction and, after 11 games, traded Barnes back to where it all started – Montreal.
Same place, different name The Alouettes had folded and been replaced by the Montreal Concordes by the time Joe Barnes arrived to finish the 1985 season. He appeared in four games, completing 53 of 91 passes for 568 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries.
The Alouettes made the playoffs in 1985, finishing second in the East Division with a record of 8-8, and defeated Ottawa in the East Semi-final before losing to Hamilton in the East Final.
Barnes was back in Montreal for the 1986 season when they were once again the Alouettes, appearing in seven games where he completed 44 of 82 passes for 454 yards, one touchdown and seven interceptions, while rushing for 14 yards on six carries.
He retired shortly after that.
Parting thoughts Initially, I didn’t really like anything about the Montreal Alouettes, including Joe Barnes, but that quickly changed. I really came to enjoy the way he played when he helped return the Saskatchewan Roughriders to respectability, then came off the bench to lead the Toronto Argonauts to the Grey Cup championship.
When he played for my beloved Stampeders, I rested my hopes on the possibility he could do the same thing in Calgary he had done in Regina.
That didn’t quite work out, but he gave me one of my best football memories with that shocking upset of the B.C, Lions in Vancouver.
Put it all together, and I think Joe Barnes was a great clutch quarterback.
She was the acid tongued, wise cracking waitress at the Boston bar known simply as Cheers. The woman married to a man who was killed by a zamboni.
She was Carla Tortelli, played by the indomitable Rhea Perlman.
Beyond her time on “Cheers”, Perlman had some other interesting projects and had a very interesting husband.
Today my spouse and I watched “Barbie” and there was Rhea Perlman playing the creator of Barbie, older, more laid back, and calmer, yet still very good.
It reminded me of her time as Carla Tortelli and more.
My boyfriend’s back Rhea Perlman had some bit parts and TV movies in the 1970s. Her first notable role was in the sitcom “Taxi” where she played Zena Sherman, the mousey girlfriend of taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma, played by Danny De Vito. She appeared in five episodes of “Taxi” as Zena from 1979 until the series ended in 1982.
The year 1982 turned out to be big one for Rhea Perlman.
Not only did she marry Danny De Vito in real life, but she landed the role that would bring her into living rooms across North America for the next decade.
“Cheers” to you Perlman landed the role of Carla Tortelli on “Cheers”, a new sitcom on NBC in 1982. Carla was a wisecracking barmaid. I read in “TV Guide” she was described as a female version of Louie De Palma.
Carla was an equal opportunity tormentor, mocking everyone, but saving her best for Diane Chambers, played by Shelley Long.
The show was not that popular in its first season, and did not appear on the peasant vision dial in the Fall of 1982 as it did on cable. I actually only could read one or two-sentence episode descriptions of it in “TV Guide”. Eventually it appeared on Channel 7 and, once it gained popularity in subsequent seasons, was scooped up by CTV Channel 13.
Rhea Perlman played Carla Tortelli for 11 seasons on “Cheers” from 1982 to 1993. For her efforts, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy 10 of the 11 seasons, only missing out in 1992. She won it four times – in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989.
She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress six times – 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1992.
Perlman also played the role of Carla Tortelli on episodes of “St. Elsewhere”; “The Tortellis”, which was a “Cheers” spin-off centring on Carla’s greasy ex-husband; “The Simpsons”; and “Frasier”, which was another spin-off of “Cheers”.
Wikipedia reveals that, in 2011, Carla Tortelli was named by NBC as one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
The years after Perlman had another interesting role in the ‘80s, starring in an episode of “Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories” with Danny De Vito as her character’s husband.
In the 1990s and beyond, she continued to act in movies such as “Canadian Bacon”; “Matilda”; and “Barbie”. She was also in a lot of television shows such as “Blossom”; “Sesame Street”; “The Critic”; “Pearl”, where she played the title character for 22 episodes; “”Mad About You”; “Ally McBeal”; “Becker”, where she played opposite Ted Danson, her “Cheers” co-star; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Hung” for four episodes; “Hot in Cleveland”; “Mom”; “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”; “The Goldbergs”; “Harley Quinn”; and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, opposite Danny De Vito.
Parting thoughts It had been a long time since I had seen Rhea Perlman, when I saw her in “Barbie”. It was good to see she was not playing some knock-off or variation of Carla Tortelli. It showed she hasn’t been typecast, which is a great thing.
Still, she will forever be connected to Carla Tortelli, because that is the signature role of her career.
And NBC got it right – it is one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
From left are Ernest Borgnine, who played Dominic Santini; Jan Maichael-Vincent, who played Stringfellow Hawke; and Alex Cotf, who played Archangel, in the television series "Airwolf".
Imagine a helicopter that was so powerful it could do battle with jet airplanes. Now imagine if that helicopter fell into the wrong hands? Not an enemy nation. Worse, a crazed scientist and mercenary?
That was the premise for “Airwolf”, a series that I really enjoyed when it started on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial in 1984.
When I was writing about “Quantum Leap” recently, and “Magnum P.I.” before that, both shows created by Donald Belisario.
His other great TV series came to mind – “Airwolf”.
The other two have been rebooted and I have been a faithful watcher of both since they debuted.
I am not sure if “Airwolf” will be rebooted.
Whether it will be or not, I still have some great memories of a show that began – gulp – 40 years ago.
The actor It was billed as an epic, and it was. “Winds of War” was a sprawling epic television miniseries about the Henrys, an American naval family at the dawn of the Second World War. It took place in a number of countries and, when broadcast, spanned a full week, starting on a Sunday and concluding the following Sunday.
It aired when I was in Grade 8, starting in February of 1983
At the heart of “Winds of War” was Byron Henry, the eldest son. He was brooding, quiet but not shy, and unsettled. He was played by a young actor, I had never really seen before, named Jan-Michael Vincent, and he was excellent as Byron Henry.
Months after “Winds of War” aired, I was at my sister’s place in Lethbridge. She had “The TV Times” from the “Lethbridge Herald”, lying on her coffee table, so I started thumbing through it. I liked the small articles and bits of information about TV shows and actors.
I came across this item that mentioned Jan-Michael Vincent. He was in production of a new weekly television series that was set to air early the next year, so 1984.
It was called “Airwolf”.
The super helicopter Airwolf, in the TV show of the same name.
Source: https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/
2014/10/airwolf-at-30-pilot-episode.html
(May be subject to copyright)
The pilot of a pilot I did not realize this, because I watched the two-hour pilot for “Airwolf” on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial, which had no ties to NFL football. However, in the States, “Airwolf” aired after the Super Bowl in January of 1984, so just over 40 years ago.
That makes sense, because I do recall settling in to watch it on a Sunday night at 9 p.m. Because it was a school night, I had to go to bed at 10 p.m., halfway through the show.
My sister was staying with us, and she filled me in on what happened in the end.
I do recall the plot very well.
“Airwolf” is an attack helicopter created by Dr. Charles Henry Moffett, capable of taking down airplanes. Moffett and his crew are set to give a demonstration of “Airwolf” to “The Firm”, a branch of the Central Intelligence Agency. As the demonstration begins, Moffett goes rogue. He opens fire on the viewing stand before he and his crew steal “Airwolf”. He takes refuge in Libya, destroying military targets for the Libyans.
One of the men who should have died in the assault on the viewing stand is an operative code-named “Archangel”. He is left blind in one eye and wearing a patch, and needs the use of a cane to walk. He also knows the one person able to retrieve “Airwolf”.
Stringfellow Hawke, is a highly-skilled chopper pilot trained during the Vietnam War. He is a recluse, living by himself in a cabin in the woods where he plays the cello, mourns a girlfriend who died in an accident, misses his brother St. John Hawke who is missing in action in Vietnam, and enjoys all the classic paintings on his walls left to him by his late grandfather.
And he was a test pilot when “Airwolf” was being developed.
“Archangel” pays him a visit, asking him to go get “Airwolf”. Hawke at first balks, but agrees to in exchange for “The Firm” finding his brother. He is also a pilot for Santini Air, owned by Dominic Santini, who was a friend of Hawke’s parents who were killed when Hawke was 12. They are on a job when Hawke tells Dominic about the offer from “The Firm”. They return to Hawke’s cabin only to discover all the art work is gone. “Archangel” advises Hawke it was taken as insurance he will recover “Airwolf”. Hawke enlists Dominic’s help who in turn shows him a place he can hide a large object – like a helicopter.
While this is all going on, Hawke falls for Gabrielle, an operative working with “Archangel”. Unfortunately, she falls into the hands of Moffet, who tortures and kills her. “Archangel” had warned Gabrielle before she met Hawke. He has trouble getting close to people because everyone he gets close to dies.
Blinded by rage and grief, Hawke and Dominic not only seize “Airwolf”, but Hawke unleashes a series of rockets on Moffet.
He also keeps “Airwolf”. He will fly missions for “The Firm” in exchange for information on St. John until, ultimately, they find him.
Stringfellow Hawke was played by Jan Michael-Vincent. What was a pleasant surprise was that renowned actor Ernest Borgnine played Dominic Santini. Borgnine who was a pretty big actor at the time, including an Oscar winning role in “Marty” for best actor in 1956.
What made the pilot so good was it was dark, moreso than your average adventure show of the 1980s
I finally did get to see how it ended in an odd way. It was the summer of 1990, and I was living in res at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, working there as a live-in Residence Life Assistant, and going to summer school. One day, I was talking to my friend Sean Drake, and we decided to rent a movie. We went to a video store on Whyte Avenue and saw it – the “Airwolf” movie. It was actually the pilot, but it had been released as a theatrical movie in some places. We decided to rent it, and neither of us was disappointed.
A few years ago, I bought “Airwolf” on DVD, and the pilot actually stands up pretty well. It was good TV.
The show I was thrilled “Airwolf” was going to be a regular series. It too was on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial on Friday nights, I believe, and I watched it that first season. For some strange reason, it seemed I was always watching while eating taco chips my Mom bought at Nutters in Lethbridge, on a TV I had in my bedroom.
That first season lasted 12 episodes. I recall worrying that it would be cancelled. The question for me was, would “Airwolf” be renewed for another season.
It was the last part of Grade 9, so the Spring of 1984, when I saw on “Entertainment Tonight” that “Airwolf” had been picked up for the Fall schedule for a full season.
I was friends with Shawn Kingston back then, and we both watched “Airwolf.” I may have even watched an episode with him during a sleep over. He had cable TV. The next day at school, I rejoiced, and found Shawn Kingston in front of the trophy cabinet at St. Joe’s, to tell him “Airwolf” had been renewed for another season.
It would last two more years, the 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 seasons. Over time, I did lose interest in the show, partly because I was doing other things Friday nights.
I do recall watching an episode at my brother’s – Dominic talked about a friend turning bad and how his guts got twisted tighter and tighter until they were like barbed wire. There was another episode where Hawke has someone trapped. Just before he is killed in an explosion, he blurts out “I know where St. John is.”
The fourth season “Airwolf” was cancelled at the end of the 1985-1986 when I finished Grade 11, and I never gave it another thought.
Two years later, I was living in res at the University of Alberta when something odd happened. One of the girls on our floor, named Louisa, was from Nanton, which really isn’t that far from our home town. She got a letter from her sister, and one of the things she told Louisa was they were shooting an episode of “Airwolf” in Nanton.
I thought that a bit odd, but again didn’t give it any thought.
That Spring, I went back to the farm for the summer and discovered, playing on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial, was none other than “Airwolf”.
I only saw commercials, never an episode but did find out some things. Gone were Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. In their place were Barry Van Dyke playing St. John Hawke who had been located, and Michele Scarabelli as a niece of Dominic’s. It didn’t sound that interesting to me and was gone as soon as it arrived.
Parting thoughts A the dawn of the modern Internet, I had told my good friend Mark Saxton about the really cool, interesting things you could find on the world wide web. How you could use it for serious research and education. Then, one day, I was on campus and ran into Mark and a friend of his.
He told me later he had been telling his friend about what I said about the Internet.
I was in a hurry that day. When I walked back, Mark said he had just been telling his friend about what I said about the serious uses of the Internet.
At that moment, I said, “I can’t talk now, I’ve got to see the ‘Airwolf’ website.”
So much for serious research. Mark reminded me of that story many times.
Even 30 years ago, I had an interest in the show.
That never waned, as I bought the first three seasons on DVD, and watched the pilot again.
The story always intrigued me, because I love that cold war, spy, thriller story line. I also love the fact Hawke is a Vietnam veteran, a tortured soul, and on a relentless quest to find his brother.
It is just a great story line.
Given I think the re-boots of “Magnum P.I.” and “Quantum Leap” have been handled well, I would be intrigued by a re-boot of “Airwolf”, Donald Belisario’s other great show.
It would be neat to see what modern special effects could for the show.
He was the first left-handed college quarterback I saw play, handing the ball off to a Heisman Trophy winner on an epic, game-winning drive.
The name Paul MacDonald came across my e-mail, and it immediately took me back to Paul McDonald, who played a pivotal role in the first Rose Bowl I ever watched.
He would go on to a serviceable NFL career, and was probably the first left-handed quarterback I ever saw play.
Rose Bowl upset I started watching American college football on New Year’s Day 1980, with the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial.
The Rose Bowl was up first and, not that I noticed at the time, it was legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg’s first Rose Bowl too.
The game featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, champions of the Big 10 Conference, and ranked number one in the country, against the University of Southern California, or USC, Trojans, champions of the Pac-10 Conference, and also unbeaten with a record of 10-0-1. With a win, the Buckeyes would most likely be voted national champions.
The Trojans featured Heisman Trophy winner Charles White, who had amassed more than 2,050 yards rushing in 12 games. Playing quarterback for the Trojans was Paul McDonald. He became the Trojans’ starter the previous season, helping them to a share of the 1978 national championship with Alabama.
Now, 1979 was McDonald’s senior year and he made the most of it, passing for 2,223 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was a second team All-American and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.
McDonald would lead the Trojans to an upset of the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, as USC won the game 17-16 with a late touchdown by White. The Trojans would finish second in the country, due to a tie they had against Stanford earlier in the season.
Wikipedia reveals McDonald finished his college career with a 22-1-1 record in his two years as a starter, holding the NCAA record for the lowest interception percentage in a career. It was 2.3 per cent with 13 interceptions in 561 attempts. In 2005, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary award, presented to six distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates.
Going pro Paul McDonald entered the 1980 NFL Draft where he was selected in the fourth round and 109th overall by the Cleveland Browns. It was the same team that had drafted his college teammate Charles White.
He would spend four years backing up Brian Sipe.
Sipe was a solid starter who helped the Browns to the playoffs in 1980. There, he threw an ill-advised pass into the end zone that was intercepted, and forever after called the “Mistake on the lake”. That was McDonald’s first season backing up Sipe.
The first time I saw Paul McDonald play in a Browns uniform, and only time actually, was in 1982. It was a Sunday afternoon and my cousins from Lethbridge were visiting. We turned the TV and flipped through the channels – which did not take long because there were only three.
We came upon the Browns playing on CTV, Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. My cousins weren’t into sports at all then, and just kept talking as I settled in to the last few minutes of the game.
Much to my surprise Paul McDonald was playing quarterback for the Browns. I wasn’t even sure it was the same player I saw a couple years earlier in the Rose Bowl – until he rolled out to throw the ball.
He was left-handed. It had to be the same Paul McDonald.
I recall him trying to rally the Browns late, but falling short.
Still, it was cool to see he had made the NFL. Back then, I had little access to information on the farm.It was not as easy to follow the trajectory of players once they finished college, as it is now with no end of information available on the Internet.
It turns out, McDonald filled in for an injured Brian Sipe the last three games of the 1982 season, winning two, losing one, and helping the Browns make the playoffs. That year, a strike shortened the season. Consequently, the playoffs were expanded to 16 teams, eight in each conference. Cleveland squeaked in with a 4-5 record and were the eighth seed. They played the Raiders again, who were the number one seed. McDonald started, and the result was the same as two years earlier. The Raiders won by a score of 27-10, as McDonald threw for 281 yards and one touchdowns but no interceptions.
I missed the game because my family went to Lethbridge to shop for groceries.
Sipe regained his starting job in 1983 then, in 1984, bolted for the upstart United States Football League.
This was Paul McDonald’s opportunity. He was given the starting job for the 1984 season. He turned in a 5-11 record, which is likely why I never saw him play that year. He threw for 3,472 yards and 14 touchdowns, but was intercepted 23 times and sacked an incredible 53 times.
He did have some highlights though. Wikipedia reveals he threw for a career-high 320 yards and went 23 of 37 for a percentage of 62.2 and one touchdown against New England. Against New Orleans he had a career-high 75 percent completion rate, going 18 out of 24. He also completed 13 consecutive passes against the Houston Oilers.
However, his time had passed. In 1985, the Browns had Gary Danielson and took Bernie Kosar in the supplemental draft, dropping McDonald to third string. The next year, 1986, Cleveland acquired Mike Pagel, and McDonald was waived by the Browns.
He ended his time in Cleveland passing for 5,269 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions.
He signed with Seattle in July of 1986 but was cut when they decided to only keep two quarterbacks. He caught on with Dallas in November of 1986, but never played a down with the Cowboys.
He was released in August of 1988, and retired soon after.
Parting thoughts It is interesting how success in college can, or cannot, translate into success at the professional level. On the surface, Paul McDonald had junior and senior seasons many college quarterbacks dream about.He won a share of one national championship, came within a game of another championship, and lost just one start in those two seasons.
When he got his chance to start in the NFL, he went 5-11. On the surface, that is a failure.
Yet, when I was reading about McDonald, I noticed something. At USC, he had Anthony Munoz blocking for him at tackle. He would be drafted third overall in the same draft as McDonald, and go on to a hall of fame career in the NFL. Conversely, when McDonald went 5-11, he was sacked 53 times.
Obviously, the Browns had trouble giving him time in the pocket to throw.
Nevertheless, he had a stellar college career.
I only saw him play once, but he played well, showing leadership and poise in engineering an upset of the number one team in the country.
He also introduced me to the idea of a left-handed quarterback. It was so neat to see a quarterback doing things differently than every other quarterback.
Put that all together, and those are some cool football memories.
He was the number one pick in the 1987 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and would go on to be part of a blockbuster trade, and captain the Montreal Canadiens.
But for me, Pierre Turgeon will be the first draft pick who was my age – sort of.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame yesterday, and it reminded me of the time he entered the league, and what he would become.
High school confidential Growing up, I operated with two birthdays. Because I was a year ahead in school, my high school graduation year did not match my birth year. I was born in 1970 and should have graduated high school in 1988, but I graduated in 1987.
All my friends and classmates were born in 1969. Because every activity outside the school was based on age not grade, I would be put in with the kids born in 1970, who were a grade behind me and I really didn’t know that well. My friend and neighbour Mike was in the same boat, so we started to lie about our birthday, putting 1969 as our birth year.
Even to this day, when people want to know my age they will ask what year I graduated. I have to tell them the days don’t match.
I bring up all of this because when I was growing up, professional hockey players were always so much older than me. Finally, in 1987, I was kind of excited because the players who were draft eligible were my age.
Well, my grade anyway.
Draft day The Buffalo Sabres held the first overall pick for the 1987 draft, and the top prospect was Pierre Turgeon. I had not really heard of him, because he played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and back then we didn’t see them play. I also had no access to TSN, to watch the news from the junior leagues. We got news from the Western Hockey League because we had the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a local team playing in the WHL.
That Christmas, 1986, I also didn’t pay attention to the World Junior Hockey Championship as I usually do, for some reason. That was the year Canada and the Soviet Union got into a bench-clearing brawl with the Soviets. Turgeon was on that team.
All I really knew was he was the younger brother of Sylvain Turgeon, who had been drafted second overall in the 1983 NHL Draft, and was carving out a nice career with the Hartford Whalers.
Come draft day, the Buffalo Sabres were true to form and took Pierre Turgeon first overall.
Turning pro Turgeon would make an immediate impact. He scored 14 goals and added 28 assists for 42 points in the 1987-1988 season, his rookie year, and helped the Sabres make the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The following season, 1988-1989, he scored 34 goals and assisted on 54 others for 88 points. His production increased again in his third season. During that 1989-1990 campaign, he notched 40 goals and added 66 assists for 106 points. His efforts earned him a spot in the 1990 All-Star Game too.
Along the way he acquired the nickname “Sneaky Pete” as well.
As the 1980s receded into the distance, the future looked very bright for Pierre Turgeon.
The years after Turgeon would keep on playing until 2007, a total of 20 seasons in the NHL with Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Montreal, St. Louis, Dallas, and Colorado.
In October of 1991, the Sabres engineered a blockbuster trade with the New York Islanders. The Sabres sent Turgeon, Benoit Hogue, Uwe Krupp and Dave McLIwain to the Islanders in exchange for Pat LaFontaine, Randy Wood and Randy Hiller.
During the 1992-1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, he led the Islanders past the Washington Capitals. They eliminated the Capitals in six games. At the end of Game 6, Turgeon was celebrating a goal when Dale Hunter hit him hard into the boards from behind, separating Turgeon’s shoulder and forcing him to miss much of their second round series with the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Hunter received a 21-game suspension for the cheap shot. The Islanders beat the Penguins but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the conference final. That was due mostly to the fact Turgeon was nowhere near 100 per cent. The Canadiens would go on to win the Stanley Cup, the last time to date they have won the championship.
Coincidentally, Turgeon would be traded to the Canadiens two years later along with Vladimir Malakhov in exchange for Kirk Muller, Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby. The following season, the 1995-1996 year, Turgeon was named captain of the Canadiens after existing captain Mike Keane went to the Colorado Avalanche.
In October of 1996, Turgeon was on the move again this time going to St. Louis with Rory Fitzpatrick and Craig Conroy in exchange for Murray Baron, Shayne Corson, and a draft pick.
On July 1, 2001 Turgeon signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars, staying there until August 3, 2005 when he signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche.
On November 8, 2005, Turgeon scored his 500th career goal.
He retired from the NHL in September of 2007, after playing a total of 1,294 games, recording 515 goals and 812 assists for 1,327 points. He also appeared in 109 playoff games, notching 35 goals and 62 assists for 97 points.
Parting thoughts I always had a soft spot for Pierre Turgeon because my good friend Mark A. Saxton was a big Buffalo Sabres fan. He wore a Turgeon Number 77 jersey and was loyal to that team throughout the early 1990s when we watched hockey together.
Interestingly Mark, like myself, was born in 1970 but graduated high school in 1987, so Turgeon was the first draft pick that was his age as well – sort of.
That like of Turgeon intensified after that cheap shot from Hunter hobbled him for the remainder of the playoffs.
There were those who said Turgeon wasn’t that tough, but I will tell you, he proved them wrong in 1993. He sat out six games with that separated shoulder but returned to the line up, through sheer guts and gall.
So Sneaky Pete, congratulations on your selection to the Hockey Hall Of Fame – from the class of 1987.
Coach Bobby Knight, at left, hugs player Steve Alford after their Indiana
Hoosiers won the men's college basketball national championship in 1987.
Source: https://www.indystar.com
(May be subject to copyright)
It’s actually kind of hard to believe he’s gone. Bobby Knight seemed invincible when he was the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Tough, intimidating, relentless, he was just like the teams that played on the court for him.
Although, I really only got to know him in the 1990s, I knew his team in 1987.
I was thinking about that team, as well as a book I read about Knight and the Hoosiers, when I heard today that he died recently.
Prelude I couldn’t really follow college basketball. We had no cable TV on the farm, no access to the sports section of a newspaper, and were reliant on sports news from local TV stations that were heavy on hockey, football, baseball, and some professional basketball.
It was only when I got to high school in the Fall of 1984 that I heard more about college basketball. Even then it was primarily the national championship, in particular Villanova shocking Georgetown for the 1985 title. By Grade 11, I had seen some games when I visited my brother who had cable TV in Calgary, including a memorable tilt between Georgia Tech and Duke, and was accumulating some knowledge. Incidentally, that year Louisville upset Duke for the national championship.
I had also become good friends with Chris Vining who lived in Coaldale and had cable television.
In Grade 12, things were going to be different
Destiny During that 1986-1987 college basketball season, in November of 1986, I saw this movie that became not only an instant classic, but one of my all-time favourites.
“Hoosiers” was based on the true story of a tiny school in Indiana in the 1950s who beat all odds and won the state championship. The state of Indiana, and its deeply rooted basketball culture, are almost like a character in the movie.
Fast forward to the NCAA basketball championship tournament in March of 1987. By then, I had seen some more games, including Syracuse who was led by this big Greek player named Rony Seikaly.
Well, I was able to follow the tournament more in 1987, to the point I knew who the Final Four teams were. Syracuse and Rony Seikaly were going to play Providence, and Indiana was going to play the upstart University of Nevada at Las Vegas Running Rebels. Everybody called them UNLV though.
Vining invited me over to watch the games, I couldn’t make the first semi-final, but we heard about it when we tuned in for the Syracuse-Providence game. Indiana had beaten UNLV and was awaiting the winner of the Orangemen and Fryers in the national championship game.
That would have been my only chance to see Indiana, but I missed it.
Syracuse went on to defeat Providence and face the Hoosiers for the championship. It came down to the wire and Indiana’s Keith Smart sank the winning basket over Rony Seikaly to give the Hoosiers the title.
I never made the connection until I saw a year-end sports show that looked back on the top stories of 1987. The announcer said Indiana seemed to be a team of destiny. After all they had a movie made about their state, with their name on it, and they won the national championship.
That is pretty cool.
The coach of that Indiana Hoosiers basketball team was named Bobby Knight.
Getting to know you It would be another four years before I learned more about Bobby Knight. It was the 1991-1992 school year and I was living in res at the University of Alberta. I had a lot of access to cable TV and really got into the 1992 NCAA tournament.
We had a student pub called The Ship that had one big screen TV and a lot of little ones scattered around. It was open all the time, day or night, so I watched a lot of the tournament in the Ship by myself.
Indiana was making a run and advanced all the way to the Final Four, led by a guard named Damon Bailey. That’s where I met Coach Bobby Knight, and learned just how successful he had been. He coached the Hoosiers to the 1976 title, and the 1982 championship, where his captain was Isaiah Thomas. Overall, he coached the Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000.
He had won all kinds of coaching honours including the Henry Iba Award in 1975 and 1989 as coach of the year voted on by the United States Basketball Writers Association; the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 1987; Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1975, 1976 and 1989; and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, and 1989. He also coached the United States Men’s Basketball team to gold in the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics.
In the book A few years ago I really got to know Bobby Knight through a book called “A Season on the Brink” by John Feinstein. I had bought it a couple years earlier in a massive book sale put on by the Lethbridge Public Library. One day it just spoke to me, so I pulled it out and read it.
I was not disappointed.
It chronicles Knight and the Hoosiers through the 1985-1986 season, and really goes behind the scenes. It shows Knight as a dedicated, intense, at times high strung, and emotional coach.
He plays head games with his players to try and get the best out of them. One example was ripping one of his team leaders and calling him the worst, and wishing Isaiah Thomas were still there. That player then talks to Thomas who tells him that Knight did the same thing to him when he played at Indiana.
The interesting thing is Knight seems to believe the histrionic and at times off the wall things he says. At that time, Damon Bailey was still in high school. Knight was disappointed enough in his own guards that he said Bailey could step in right then and play. Then he and his assistants go to see Bailey play. He’s good, but not college level yet. That would come, and Knight realized it. That was just the kind of coach he was.
The whole time I was reading “A Season the Brink” I kept thinking the same thing. The book was written a year too early, because the next year they won the national championship.
The cool thing was, I could see the seeds of that championship throughout “A Season on the Brink”.
The years after Bobby Knight would move on to Texas Tech where he coached the Red Raiders from 2001 to 2008. When he retired, he was the winningest coach in Division I college basketball history with a record 902 wins against 371 losses for a .709 winning percentage.
He died on November 1, 2023.
He was 83.
Parting thoughts Bobby Knight was a larger than life figure on the basketball court. He was renowned for his volatility. That included throwing a chair across the court, and getting into altercations with the police and players. An incident with a player ultimately cost him his job in 2000.
Yet, so many of his players have a fierce loyalty for him, Wikipedia describes it as “near fanatical devotion”.
After reading “A Season on the Brink”, I can see both sides of his personality.
If nothing else, he was a dynamic personality and I do recall him making fun of himself over throwing that chair.
You put it all together and Bobby Knight really is one of the greats.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to their fourth straight Grey Cup, and a big part of that is their defence. They are tough, intense, relentless, and outwork their opponents,
They are a reflection of their coach who was just as tough, intense, relentless and hard working when he played.
More than that, Bomber defensive coordinator Ritchie Hall was often the smallest player on the field when he patrolled the defensive backfield for the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the ‘80s.
Size didn’t matter for Hall.
He stood with giants on the field and now off it.
Size doesn’t matter Richie Hall stood five feet six inches tall, but that did not stop him from being a great two-sport player in high school, playing football and baseball. He played his college football at defensive back and receiver, for Colorado State from 1980 to 1982.
With the NFL looking for bigger players, Hall chose to test his luck north of the border and signed with the Calgary Stampeders in May of 1983.
This is when I first saw him play.
Stampeder success Hall’s rookie season was 1983, when he played in all 16 games for Calgary, intercepting four passes, recovering two fumbles, returning 50 punts for 561 yards and a touchdown, and returning one kick off for 12 yards.
For his efforts he was named a West Division and CFL all-star defensive back.
In 1984, he appeared in 16 games again, turning in two interceptions for 83 yards, 2.5 quarterback sacks, and two fumble recoveries for 25 yards. He also returned 37 punts for 316 yards.
In 1985, Hall played in 15 games, intercepting three passes for 74 yards, recording one sack, and returning 54 punts for 442 yards.
In 1986, he appeared in 16 games, recording eight interceptions for 166 yards, four sacks, returning one punt for 50 yards, and returning 16 punts for 260 yards. For his efforts, he was named a West Division all-star defensive back.
In 1987, the CFL increased its regular season schedule to 18 games and started keeping track of tackles. Hall appeared in all 18 games for the Stampeders, making 64 tackles, recording one sack, intercepting four passes for 35 yards, recovering one fumble, returning 64 punts for 738 yards, and returning seven missed field goals for 39 yards.
Saskatchewan bound The Stampeders traded Hall to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in May of 1988, and he was headed east. He suited up in all 18 games for the Riders in 1988, making 51 tackles, recording three quarterback sacks, intercepting two passes for four yards, recovering two fumbles returning them seven yards, and returning 68 punts for 503 yards. He was also named a West Division all-star for the third time in his career.
He ended the decade appearing in all 18 regular season games for Saskatchewan in 1989. He recorded 60 tackles and one quarterback sack, intercepted two passes for 11 yards, recovered one fumble, and returned 44 punts for 395 yards on his way to helping the Riders win the Grey Cup.
The years after Richie Hall would play two more years for the Riders before retiring after the 1991 season, earning West Division all-star honours again in 1990.
He would move into coaching in 1994 with Saskatchewan, where he handled the secondary from 1994 to 2000, then was defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2008. He moved on to Edmonton where he was head coach in 2009 and 2010, as well as the Eskimos’ defensive coordinator. It was back to Saskatchewan as defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2014, then in 2015 he moved to Winnipeg. There he was the Bombers’ defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2023, and a defensive coach from then on until the present time. He won Grey Cups as a coach with the Riders in 2007 and 2013 and two more as a coach with Winnipeg in 2019 and 2021.
Parting thoughts Richie Hall is one of the smallest players to ever play in the CFL, which makes his accomplishments as a player that much more impressive. He may have been small in stature, but he was big in heart, determination, perseverance and persistence. He always had a smile on his face and exuded this positive energy.
Off the field he has been loved wherever he has gone. The Internet is full of stories of places Richie Hall went and made a positive impact.
When he was playing with the Stampeders in the 1980s, they had a basketball team that would visit schools in the off-season and play their high school teams. That team played against my cousin’s team in Brooks, and he just raved about Richie Hall.
Hall was the smallest player on the basketball court too, but was a great player. More than that, he brought a positive message.
It says something that the first thing my cousin mentioned about that game was meeting Richie Hall.
That is just another example of how Hall may have been small in reality, but played and acted like a giant.
Is any team ever really unbeatable? It seems in the CFL, if you finish with the best record in history, you aren’t even going to make it to the Grey Cup, much less win it.
Twice now, teams have finished with records of 16 wins and two losses, the best record in the history of the league, and neither got the chance to even play in the Grey Cup.
That’s what happened to the Toronto Argonauts in this year’s CFL East Final when they were upset by the Montreal Alouettes.
As the drama unfolded, the announcers kept referring to the only other time a team finished 16-2. They too lost in the division final.
The year was 1989, it was the CFL West Division Final and it was the Edmonton Eskimos who seemed unbeatable.
Until the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat them.
The trade The Edmonton Eskimos won the Grey Cup in 1987 and were poised to start another dynasty. Then their star quarterback Matt Dunigan wanted out, and the Eskimos were able to engineer one of the greatest trades in CFL history.
In return for Dunigan, before the 1988 season, they got receiver Jim Sandusky, future considerations and a first round pick in the 1989 CFL Draft. Sandusky departed for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks for the 1989 season. However, Edmonton was able to strengthen every weakness they had going into 1989 and, where they were strong, players made them stronger. The future considerations they received were running back Reggie Taylor; defensive lineman Gregg Stumon; linebacker Jeff Braswell; and defensive back Andre Francis. The draft pick turned into defensive lineman Leroy Blugh.
Dunigan did lead the Lions to the West Division championship, defeating Edmonton in the West Final to go to the Grey Cup, where they lost a thriller to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Eskimos, who had already finished first in the West in 1988, built a juggernaut for 1989.
Juggernaut The 1989 Edmonton Eskimos were almost unbeatable. They won all nine of their home games at Commonwealth Stadium, and suffered just two defeats all year. One was to Toronto in the third week of the season, and other one was to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina in the 10th week of the season. They finished first in the West with a 16-2 record earning a bye to the West Final. They came into that game with seven straight wins including a 49-17 thrashing of the Riders in Edmonton in the last game of the regular season.
Edmonton had a lot of great players. Quarterback Tracy Ham who was the West Division and CFL most valuable player; linebacker Danny Bass was the West Division and CFL most outstanding defensive player; and centre Rod Connop who was the West Division and CFL most outstanding offensive lineman.
They filled the West Division and CFL all-star teams too. Making the CFL and West Division all-star teams were quarterback Tracy Ham; running back Reggie Taylor, who also led the league in rushing with 1,503 yards; slotback Craig Ellis; centre Rod Connop; defensive end Stewart Hill; linebacker Danny Bass; cornerback Stanley Blair; defensive backs Don Wilson and Enis Jackson; and Tony “The Wiz” hunter for special teams. West Division all-stars were offensive tackles Blake Dermott and Hector Pothier; defensive tackle Brett Williams; linebacker Larry Wruck; and cornerback Andre Francis.
Underdog Meanwhile in Regina, the Riders had finished third in the West with a 9-9 record. They would have to travel to Calgary to play the Stampeders in the West Semi-Final at McMahon Stadium. Calgary had finished one game ahead of Saskatchewan with a 10-8 record.
The Riders were not without some great players of their own.
They had CFL and West Division all-stars in running back Tim McCray; wide receiver Donald Narcisse; offensive guard Roger Aldag; linebacker Eddie Lowe; and place kicker Dave Ridgway. They had West Division all-stars in slotback Jeff Fairholm; defensive tackle James Curry; defensive end Bobby Jurasin; and safety Glen Suitor. They would also go on to have the coach of the year in John Gregory.
The Riders would go into McMahon Stadium and defeat the Stampeders by a score of 33-26.
They were headed to Edmonton to do what virtually no one thought possible – upset perhaps the best team in CFL history.
The match-up Edmonton was a well-balanced team. They had a suffocating defence with a strong line, linebackers and secondary.
Their offence was diverse as Tracey Ham could not only pass but was always a threat to run. Reggie Taylor led the league in rushing, and the slotbacks and wide receivers were outstanding.
Even on special teams they excelled. They had lost legendary return man Henry “Gizmo” Williams to the NFL, but Tony “The Wiz” Hunter not only filled in but was an all-star returner, and had more than 1,000 yards in punt returns.
They were coached by “Papa” Joe Faragalli who had previously coached the Riders and returned them briefly to respectability in 1981.
Incidentally, Edmonton also had Randy Ambrosie playing on the offensive line. He is the current commissioner of the CFL.
Saskatchewan was not without weapons in all three phases of the game themselves.
They had two quarterbacks who could run the offence, runningback Tim McCray who led the league with more than 2,000 all-purpose yards, two deadly slotbacks in Jeff Fairholm and Ray Elgard, outstanding wide receivers in Mark Guy and Donald Narcisse, and a solid offensive line anchored by Roger Aldag.
Their defensive front was also very effective at stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback, with the likes of Vince Goldsmith, one of my personal favourites; Chuck Klingbeil; Gary Lewis; and Bobby Jurasin. So was their linebacking corps led by Eddie Lowe, along with Dave Albright and Dan Rashovich. In fact, the Riders had led the league with 67 quarterback sacks.
Their secondary was also solid with Harry Skipper, Richie Hall, Larry Hogue and Glen Suitor. They also had the all-star place kicker in Dave Ridgway.
Saskatchewan was coached by John Gregory who would end up coach of the year in 1989.
The game The 1989 CFL West Division Final kicked off on Sunday, November 19 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The temperature was two degree Celsius, the field was wet and would become increasingly sloppy, and the head referee was Ken Lazaruk. The game was televised on the Canadian Football Network with Dave Hodge and Neil Lumsden calling the action, and Bob Irving back in the studio, presumably in Toronto. One of their top sponsors was Foster’s Lager Beer as well.
First quarter Ham marched the Eskimos down the field methodically on their first possession, capped off by a touchdown run by Reggie Taylor. Jerry Kauric’s convert made the score 7-0. The drove went seven plays and 69 yards, taking just over 2:30.
It all seemed too easy for the Eskimos, and looked like it may be a long day for the Riders.
That seemed more and more likely, as Kent Austin, who had led the league in completion percentage, couldn’t really move the Riders and Terry Baker had to punt the ball away.
Edmonton would score again, this time Kauric connecting on a field goal to make the score 10-0.
Austin then started moving the Riders down the field, resulting in a Dave Ridgway field goal making the score 10-3 for Edmonton.
Then something changed.
Saskatchewan began to blitz the quarterback. Their goal was to put pressure on Ham and, given he was still young and not that experienced, make him panic. They wanted to rattle him.
Before the end of the quarter Dan Rashovich got to Ham for their first sack, and a six-yard loss.
But, as the gun sounded to end the first quarter, Edmonton had dominated play.
Second quarter Edmonton started the second quarter by driving the ball deep into Saskatchewan territory, using a mix of pass and run.
With the ball on the Riders’ 24-yard line, Saskatchewan blitzed and sacked Ham, backing them up to the 30-yard line. Then, on the very next play, they brought the all-out blitz. Eddie Lowe hit Ham, knocked the ball loose and Dave Albright scooped it up, rumbling 70 yards for the touchdown. Ridgway’s convert tied the game at 10-10.
On Edmonton’s very next possession, Eddie Lowe turned in another big play, intercepting a Ham pass on Edmonton’s 48-yard line. Austin would waste little time, connecting with Ray Elgard in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Riders their first lead of the day. Another Ridgway convert made the score 17-10 for Saskatchewan. The drive was aided by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by Jeff Braswell, already his second of the game.
The Riders kept putting the heat on Ham, so much so announcer Dave Hodge said Saskatchewan decided they will live or die with the blitz.
Edmonton did move the ball again as Kauric connected on another field goal cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 17-13.
That set up a wild last three minutes of the first half.
The Riders drove into field goal range only to have Andre Francis block Ridgway’s kick attempt. Edmonton would get the ball but could not move it, and punted after two plays.
On the Riders’ next possession Gregg Stumon sacked Austin just as he was throwing the ball, and Stewart Hill picked off the errant pass on the Rider 34-yard line. Worse than that, the hit knocked Austin out of the game, pressing Tom Burgess into action for the rest of the game.
This was Edmonton’s chance. However, they could not capitalize as Saskatchewan got the ball back two plays later on a Glen Suitor interception with about a minute to play.
The Riders ran two plays and were faced with third and short in their own end. They gambled and barely made it to close out the half. Replays showed they got a favourable spot and really probably didn’t make it.
Going into halftime, the Cinderella from Saskatchewan had a 17-13 lead.
Third quarter Right off the bat Saskatchewan scored on a pass from Burgess to James Ellingson, only to have it called back on a holding penalty by Mike Anderson. The Riders were forced to punt soon after, in part due to a sack by Braswell.
Edmonton would take the lead back, as Ham scored on an option play. It was set up by a screen pass to Reggie Taylor that gained big yards with a face-masking call tacked on at the end. With Kauric’s convert Edmonton re-took the lead 20-17.
Then, with 5:08 to play in the quarter, Burgess connected with Fairholm down the left side for a touchdown. He would score a touchdown on a similar play a week later in the Grey Cup going the other way. Ridgway’s convert gave the Riders a 24-20 lead.
On the ensuing kick off, tragedy struck for Edmonton again. Returner Keith Wright fumbled the ball and Saskatchewan recovered on the Eskimo 40-yard line.
Burgess capitalized quickly, as Elgard made a leaping catch in the end zone for a touchdown. With Ridgway’s convert, the Riders now led 31-20.
It would stay 31-20 as the whistle blew to end the third quarter.
Fourth quarter At the outset of the final 15 minutes, Lumsden asked if Edmonton could come back. They had led in virtually every game all year, and rarely had to come from behind.
He soon got his answer.
Kauric missed a field goal, but the ball went through the end zone for a single cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 31-21.
Lumsden then took some time in a break in the action to talk about the gloves Fairholm and the other Rider receivers wore. That was my introduction to the glass-cutter gloves they wore for years.
With 7:51 to play, the Riders looked to put the game away. Facing third down on the Edmonton one-yard line, they gambled but were turned away by the Eskimo defence. The ball was turned back over to their offence.
It was now or never, but Ham could just not move the ball. He kept trying deep passes to wide receivers that fell incomplete, neglecting his all-star slot receiver Craig Ellis.
Inexplicably, down 10 points with 2:24 to play, Edmonton chose to punt on their own 10-yard line. True they would have given the ball to Saskatchewan in prime field position if they gambled and lost, but they needed to score. Punting put a lot of pressure on their defence.
They never did score and, to punctuate the ending, Terry Baker’s punt with just over 20 seconds to play went out the side of the end zone for another single to make the final score 32-21.
David had felled Goliath.
The Riders had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in CFL history.
The announcers even said that right at that time.
Parting thoughts A week later the Riders hooked up with Hamilton in the 77th Grey Cup, winning on a late field goal by Ridgway in what many consider the best Grey Cup of all time.
It was a fitting end to a dream run by the Riders.
It just shows it is not how you start but how you finish No matter what the odds are for or against you, you still have to play the game.
The Riders proved that anything is possible on any given Sunday.
Eat it. Another One Rides the Bus. I love Rocky Road. Like a Surgeon. Fat, I’m fat.
I am not actually having a stroke, those are the names of just some of the songs that made “Weird” Al Yankovic a household name in the ‘80s.
It always amazed me how he could come up with such clever parodies.
I was thinking about him last night when my spouse and I watched “Weird: the Al Yankovic Story.”
It wasn’t really a documentary, or even based on true events. It was a parody of his life just like his songs are parodies of hit songs.
Still, he was another interesting part of the ‘80s, and I have of my own memories to go with that.
Can you do that? I had two thoughts the first time I heard this new song. it opened the same way as Michael Jackson’s hit “Beat it”, but had way different lyrics and a much more nasally singer. “Wow, is that ever creative”, was one thought. The other was, “Can he even do that?”
I always wondered if Weird Al Yankovic was violating any copyright laws with his parodies.
Just recently I discovered Weird Al did ask for permission, and would actually not do a parody if he did not receive permission.
In the beginning Although “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is a parody, it does share some actual history of the career of Weird Al.
He actually did get his start on Dr. Demento’s radio show. The first parody airing and garnering a favourable response was his take on “My Sharona” by The Knack. He called his version “My Bologna”.
He later followed up with “Another One Rides the Bus”, a parody of “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. That was popular enough in 1981 it got him his first television appearance on “The Tomorrow Show” with Tom Snyder.
In 1982, he recorded “I Love Rocky Road”, a parody of “I love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. A year later he released “Ricky”, which parodied “Mickey” by Toni Basil.
Then, in 1984, he released his second album ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D”.
It would change everything.
Three dimensional The first single from ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D” was “Eat it”, a parody of Michael Jackson’s megahit “Beat it”.
This is where I pick up “Weird” Al’s trail.
The song’s video was a parody of Jackson’s and, aided by exposure on MTV, “Eat it” went all the way to number 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. It was his highest charting single until 2006. It also peaked at number five in Canada, and topped the charts in Australia.
There were two other songs I recall from ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D”.
One was “I Lost on Jeopardy”, a parody of “Jeopardy” by the Greg Kihn Band, which my friend Chris Vining told me about long before I actually heard it. He lived in town and had cable so he watched a lot of MuchMusic where he saw stuff like this. “I Lost on Jeopardy” peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
The other was “This is the Life” which I saw only once on a video show, likely “Video Hits” because I tuned in part way through it.
Daring “Weird” Al’s next album “Dare to be Stupid” came out in 1985. The first single was “Like a Surgeon”, a parody of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”, that had a very funny video. While doing surgey, “Weird” Al pulls all kinds of stuff out of a patient’s stomach including a clock and a rubber chicken. The song went all the way to number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, but that would be the album’s only charting single.
Other releases, which I don’t recall hearing, but Wikipedia reveals are “I Want a New Duck”, a parody of “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News: and “One More Minute” which parodies an Elvis Presley doo-wap.
There was also “Hooked on Polkas” which is a polka medley parodying songs including “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top, “What’s Love Got to do With it” by Tina Turner, “Method of Modern Love” by Hall and Oates, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes, “We’re Not Gonna Take it” by Twisted Sister, “99 Luftballoons” by Nena, “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, “The Reflex” by Duran Duran, “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” by Quiet Riot,” and “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
He also released the title track “Dare to be Stupid” which was an original song.
Next up “Weird” Al kept on recording, releasing his fourth album “Polka Party!” in 1986. Again, I did not hear any of the singles, but read he released two – “Living with a Hernia” parodying James Brown’s “Living in America”, and “Christmas at Ground Zero”, an original song.
Neither charted, but things changed with his next album.
Not bad Yankovic’s next album was “Even Worse”, released in 1988. The first single was another Michael Jackson song parody. This time “Fat” parodies “Bad” and hit the charts, going to number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It had another great video too.
The other singles released were “Lasagne”, a parody of “La Bamba” by Los Lobos, and “I Think I’m a Clone Now”, a parody of “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany.
A single that I heard elsewhere was very clever. It was called “(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long”, a parody of George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You”. It makes fun of the fact Harrison does just keep repeating the same six words.
The end of the decade “Weird” Al ended the decade by releasing the motion picture “UHF”, which I never saw. He plays the manager of a local television station and the programs he airs.
The three singles released from the soundtrack for “UHF”, are the title track “UHF”, an original song; “Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies”, a parody of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits with the lyrics from the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies; and “Isle Thing”, a parody of “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc.
The years after “Weird” Al continues to record to this day. Some of the songs he has released are “Smells Like Nirvana”, which is a brilliant parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Amish Paradise”, a parody of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, and “The Saga Begins”, a parody of Don McLean’s “American Pie”, which tells the story of how Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” saga.
Yankovic also wrote and performed a lot of polka music. He has won five Grammy awards and been nominated a total of 16 times. He has won Grammy awards for Best Comedy Recording for “Eat it” in 1984; Best Concept Music Video for “Fat” in 1988; Best Comedy Album for “Poodle Hat” in 2003; Best Comedy Album for “Mandatory Fun” in 2014; and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for “Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic” in 2018.
He also won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” in 2023.
Parting thoughts What I have always loved most about “Weird” Al Yankovic is the boundless creativity he has. Not only are his lyrics clever parodies, but he just keeps on writing them. He doesn’t just focus on one type of music, or one particular period, he makes fun of everything.
My favourite example of his work is “The Saga Begins”. It perfectly tells the story of “Star Wars”, while being set to the perfect song. “Smells Like Nirvana” and “(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long” are two of my other favourites because they are making fun of the things we are all thinking of.
