Red Storey, a classic larger-than-life character who won two Grey Cups as an athlete and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967 for his refereeing, died yesterday at age 88.
Born Roy Alvin Storey in Barrie, Ont., pretty much everyone called him Red. As a young man, he played hockey, lacrosse, baseball and football; however, football was his first love. He turned pro with the Toronto Argonauts at the age of 18. Legend has it he used to hitchhike between Barrie and Toronto when he played for the Argos.
Storey made football history in 1938 when he scored three touchdowns coming off the bench in the fourth quarter for the Argos against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, powering his team to a Grey Cup win -- a record that stands today. Storey won two Grey Cups with the Argos, but a knee injury in 1941 ended his football career.
By 1950, Storey had entered the NHL as a referee. Beliveau described him as fair, frank and a lot of fun. The league trusted Storey to referee in every Stanley Cup final between 1952 and 1958.
In 1955, Storey faced his biggest refereeing challenge: He dropped the puck at the Montreal Forum on the night of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard riot. NHL Commissioner Clarence Campbell had suspended the Canadiens start for the rest of the season and all of the playoffs. He then showed up at the Forum four days later to take in the St. Patrick's Day game against the Detroit Red Wings.
"It was very scary," Storey recalled years later. "I thought if someone lit a match, the whole place might explode."
As it was, the game ended in the first period when someone threw a tear gas bomb on the ice, and people started pelting Campbell with food, then physically assaulting him. People evacuated the forum and then the melee started working its way down Montreal's St. Catharine's Street. More than 60 people were arrested.
"There wouldn't have been any problem if that numbnuts had stayed home," Storey said, adding, "you know who I'm talking about."
Storey had a reason to call Campbell "numbnuts." In 1959, Campbell publicly said Storey had choked while refereeing a game at Chicago Stadium. Storey quit in a huff and never worked for the NHL again.
However, he stayed in hockey, doing broadcast commentary and participating in old-timers' games across North America. This is the era that I remember Red from. He was the equivalent of basketballs "Meadow Lark" Lemon. Complete with gimmicky wigs and bucket of confetti.
The Canadian Sports Hall of Fame inducted him as a member in 1986. In 1991, he was made a member of the Order of Canada. Storey did more than sports. He raised millions over his half-century of charity work -- money aimed at helping kids who were growing up as poor as he did.
"There are thousands of kids in Montreal who have milk every day because of Red Storey's milk fund. This man was absolutely larger than life," Burns said.
Tomorrow is St.Patrick's day and I'm sure more than a few pints will be hoisted in memory of Red and Boom Boom, who died Saturday.
Later,
Kenaz
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Unexpected Twist For Kennedy's Assassin
Robert F. Kennedy's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, comes up for parole again this week in a potential conflict of interest for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is married to RFK's niece.
Sirhan shot Kennedy to death at a Los Angeles hotel in 1968, minutes after the New York senator claimed victory in the California presidential primary. Four other people were also struck by bullets. Sirhan was arrested on the scene; Kennedy died early the next day.
Sirhan received a death sentence that was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional.
Sirhan claims he was hypnotized at the time and that a second gunman might have actually killed Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan's former attorney said that Sirhan could not have fired the fatal shot because he was out of range when it took place.
Questions about Sirhan's motives and rumors of a conspiracy lingered, and in 1975, the FBI appointed a special investigator to probe the claims that more than one gunman was involved. The investigation concluded that a conspiracy was possible but unlikely.
The assassin's parole hearing at Corcoran State Prison on Wednesday — the 13th since his conviction and the first since Schwarzenegger's election in 2003 — will be heard by two board members, one of whom was appointed by Schwarzenegger.
If the board recommends his release — an unlikely occurrence, experts say — the decision of whether to free Sirhan will fall to Schwarzenegger, setting up an unusual dilemma.
"Judges can recuse themselves, but this is not the kind of decision a governor can delegate," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.
The governor's press office declined to comment, saying it is highly unlikely the decision would fall to Schwarzenegger.
Sirhan's longtime lawyer died last year, and he has not chosen a new attorney.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Dahle, who will argue the state's case before the parole board, said there is little chance the decision would fall to the Republican governor. He conceded there is at least the appearance of a conflict.
"Obviously there's an issue. He's married to the Kennedy family," he said. "But he is not a member of the immediate family."
Schwarzenegger's wife is TV journalist Maria Shriver. Her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was a sister of RFK and President Kennedy.
Schwarzenegger and Shriver are occasional visitors to the Massachusetts home of Sen. Edward Kennedy, RFK's younger brother. As recently as last year, the California governor participated in a benefit for the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.
(This story is particularily interesting for the fact that I've had the opportunity to work on three film sets that dealt with the Kennady family, Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot(2001), Beauty and Power(2002), RFK(Little Brother,working title)(2002).)
Later,
Kenaz
Sirhan shot Kennedy to death at a Los Angeles hotel in 1968, minutes after the New York senator claimed victory in the California presidential primary. Four other people were also struck by bullets. Sirhan was arrested on the scene; Kennedy died early the next day.
Sirhan received a death sentence that was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional.
Sirhan claims he was hypnotized at the time and that a second gunman might have actually killed Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan's former attorney said that Sirhan could not have fired the fatal shot because he was out of range when it took place.
Questions about Sirhan's motives and rumors of a conspiracy lingered, and in 1975, the FBI appointed a special investigator to probe the claims that more than one gunman was involved. The investigation concluded that a conspiracy was possible but unlikely.
The assassin's parole hearing at Corcoran State Prison on Wednesday — the 13th since his conviction and the first since Schwarzenegger's election in 2003 — will be heard by two board members, one of whom was appointed by Schwarzenegger.
If the board recommends his release — an unlikely occurrence, experts say — the decision of whether to free Sirhan will fall to Schwarzenegger, setting up an unusual dilemma.
"Judges can recuse themselves, but this is not the kind of decision a governor can delegate," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.
The governor's press office declined to comment, saying it is highly unlikely the decision would fall to Schwarzenegger.
Sirhan's longtime lawyer died last year, and he has not chosen a new attorney.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Dahle, who will argue the state's case before the parole board, said there is little chance the decision would fall to the Republican governor. He conceded there is at least the appearance of a conflict.
"Obviously there's an issue. He's married to the Kennedy family," he said. "But he is not a member of the immediate family."
Schwarzenegger's wife is TV journalist Maria Shriver. Her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was a sister of RFK and President Kennedy.
Schwarzenegger and Shriver are occasional visitors to the Massachusetts home of Sen. Edward Kennedy, RFK's younger brother. As recently as last year, the California governor participated in a benefit for the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.
(This story is particularily interesting for the fact that I've had the opportunity to work on three film sets that dealt with the Kennady family, Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot(2001), Beauty and Power(2002), RFK(Little Brother,working title)(2002).)
Later,
Kenaz
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