12/21/24
February 08, 2015
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
There are dividing lines in time of hockey viewership that are defined by who you believe the greatest player of all time is:
Cyclone Taylor, Joe Malone, Howie Morenz, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky
Most hockey people understand that Wayne Gretzky's dominance is what defines him as the greatest of all time, but everyone also understands there is a reason only one player has ever been known as "Mr. Hockey".
Keith Olbermann has run a bunch of updates/tributes to him over the past couple of months.
The account of his health taking a bad turn.
Howe getting better and photos with fans.
posted by grum@work at 03:16 PM on February 08, 2015
Somehow the idea of Gordie Howe being a mere mortal is repugnant to me. This story of a recent tribute to him had me alternately smiling and nearly in tears of sadness. My brother-in-law, Bob, who worked at one time for the Michigan League of Credit Unions, told a story about his encounter with Howe at some sort of business get together. Bob told of bumping into something as he got up from the banquet table without looking to see what was around him. He says that the contact nearly knocked him down, and at first he thought he had bumped into a post or something else really solid. It turned out to be Gordie Howe, and yes, it was a solid object. Bob apologized, and he says that Howe sort of chuckled, said something about not worrying about it, but Bob was convinced that Howe was secretly thinking that he had taken and dished out a few thousand harder hits than that.