by Barry Stagg
June 1995
Rex Murphy homers to right
The sanctity of the world of sports was severely violated the other evening when CBC News unleashed the cerebral talents of Newfoundland's own Rex Murphy upon the trials and tribulations of professional hockey and baseball. Rex was in fine form as he lambasted criticised and generally kicked and punched the entire world of fickle and shallow professional players and their ridiculously loyal fans.
During the Rex diatribe I felt both enlightened and in some ways chastened as I came to realize that Rex was not only agreeing with many of my own complaints about sports but unfortunately was also criticising the likes of this columnist who persists in paying attention to the ridiculous world of overpaid prima donnas.
So there you have it, Rex Murphy has come down and pronounced against all of us time wasters, fantasizers and general layabouts who are spending hour after hour, day after day, dream after dream watching our tarnished but effective heroes battling it out for the Stanley Cup and for that elusive World Series Championship.
My only problem with the worthy critic's complaints is that I have the sneaking suspicion that he may spend a time or two in front of the television chowing down on the latest scoring streak for Mats Sundin and the fistic feats of Quebec's Wendel Clark and the perennially suspended Bob Probert. Could this be true? Could Rex Murphy be a closet hockey fan? Maybe Rex Murphy is more than a closet hockey fan, maybe he is one of the biggest boosters of hockey and an out and out rowdy, devil- may -care, go- for- the- gunwales, sports worshipper that you can find, on or off the mainland? Anyway, by the time anybody gets to read this thing Rex and I and you and the Downhomer editorial staff and all of the other fanatical hockey fans in the country will know what has become of at least the first half of the NHL playoffs. However there will be another round waiting to surge past the summer solstice and make sure that Discovery Day does not go without at least one hockey game in the Stanley Cup finals.
To Rex and to all of those lovely people drawing a government salary down at CBC, I say switch on that t.v., have a look at the monitor overhead, get a big, heaping load of Don Cherry and see where your future lies. Old crusty geriatrics, contrary and mean and set in their ways are going to take hockey and blood sport over the genteel arts any day. The millennium is approaching and in the year 2000 there are rumours of a Second Coming. For dedicated followers of Man Alive, I must point out that this particular event relates to the anticipated return to action of Old Elbows, Gordie Howe, who will be a mere seventy-two years old then and just about ready to play on the line with a thirty something Wayne Gretzky. Gordie's grandchildren will be able to set the pace and Rex and the boys and girls in CBC's downtown palace can sit back and drink in the action to their hearts content.
Until next month, be proud, be prosperous.