THE GREAT ONE IS 50!

I was never a Hockey Fan...


I grew up in Ontario and was not a sports fan in my youth. I was of the opinion that professional athletes got way too much money to chase a ball or a puck. I always figured that important jobs, like Doctor, Teacher, Child Care Giver, you know...the people that make a difference in our daily lives should make the big $$$. Not to mention...that people were wearing bags over their faces in the GTA to show their disdain for the ability (or lack there of) for the teams of the day (Leafs).


When I stopped being a self absorbed ass drinking away my twenties, and as I grew up, I realized the sacrifices that athletes make to dedicate their lives to their sport. I also gained a respect for the parents of these kids who have spent countless thousands of dollars, all of their time, and given up their own desires so that their kids can play these "games." 


Get to the point man!


The point that I am trying to make here is that even though I was 10 in 1980, prime age to watch Wayne Gretzky for his entire career, decimate every record in the book with reckless abandon, I didn't. *sighs heavily*


Today Gretzky turns 50 years old. And as the city of Edmonton celebrates like it's Christmas day, and the Hockey world, both the the League and the Media that covers it, pay homage to the greatest player to ever lace em up...I still have a hard time hearing & believing, the stats that was the Great One's life. I guess it's because I equate his numbers to the game I know and love today. When I hear a stat like 92 goals in a season, or four 200+ point seasons, or 50 goals in 39 games...it blows my mind!! Think about it for a sec...


Hard to contain my enthusiasm...


Edmontonians accustomed to this type of awesomeness and are less blown away by the sheer unbelievability of it all. My wife just laughed at me today as I rattled off some of the stats above, to her in an excited and totally awed tone. All she said was...you should've seen it. She's was born here and lived through it all, and I wish I could say that I had.


No one in the game today will ever score 92 goals. I shouldn't say never, but I can't imagine that happening in the league I watch. Can you? What about 50 goals in 39 games? Did we honestly think that Stamkos was going to achieve this? Or Crosby...Maybe someday, but I doubt it.


Something special...


One thing I will always remember about what Kevin Lowe said to me when I interviewed him for this blog and I asked him about scoring his first goal..."It was against Chicago and we were down 2-0 in the game. After I scored the goal, Gretz (Wayne Gretzky) skated over to congratulate me and whispered..."do you realize that was the first point the Oilers ever got?" It never occurred to me until he said that. But, you know I don't think of the goal as my first, or the Oilers first...I remember it being the goal that got Wayne Gretzky his first point! And to be tied to that moment, is something special."


So...Happy Birthday Gretzky! Thank-you for allowing me to be as excited as the rest of the world was, when you were breaking all those records and winning those cups that I stare at when I sit in the rink today...it finally dawned on me just how great you really were (are)! I hope that one day you will come back into the game in some capacity as it's not the same without you. Please let it be Edmonton!!


GO Oilers GO!