10 Sporting Icons IMHO

Since you're reading this, you're well aware that I am somewhat active on Social Media. There are numerous "challenges" flying around Facebook, many of which I avoid like the plague ... or Corona virus. One struck me as an interesting exercise so I decided that I would give it a go. Essentially, I was tasked with identifying 10 Sports Icons, at least in my opinion ... something I love to share ... giggle. What follows is a synopsis of the 10 posts and my reasoning for the choices. Since I have plans for all of these posts, I wanted to include this in the library, since I had previously shared only through Facebook.


Post #1 - Michael Jordan, NBA GOAT
Likely spurred by my gorging on the docu-series "The Last Dance" that chronicles Jordan's basketball career, culminating in 6 NBA championships, 6 MVPs, 5 Championship MVPs, 9 All-NBA Defensive team, and 10 scoring titles, my agreement with Jordan's status as GOAT makes him an easy icon to identify. Although basketball has dropped below rugby to a close 2nd in my preferred choice of sporting activities as I aged, it still catapults me back in time to those years watching Jordan do his thing on "live" TV. While some will argue the GOAT label, I will always marvel at his ability to take over and will his teams to incredible performances.


Post #2 - Steve Hansen, Head Coach NZ All Blacks

As I said, as the years rolled by, I changed my preferences for spectator sporting events, perching rugby atop the personal pedestal. During that transformation, my appreciation for the game, its players + coaches, and its excellence was fuelled synchronously with the emergence of the New Zealand All Blacks as the premiere rugby nation. No band wagons here, but rather an extreme appreciation for the manner in which they staked their claim to the throne, the process they applied, and the many great teachings that came from it. Leading the charge for much of that success was head coach Steve Hansen, an ex-police officer who's brilliance was only overshadowed by his stoicism.

Post #3 - Dean Smith + Roy Williams of UNC

If we can all agree that MJ is in the top 3 of all time ... He's the GOAT but I'm being nice ... then, IMHO, you have to give props to his coaches. Having said that, I have to admit that I'm a DIE HARD Tar Heels fan and Dean Smith tops my list of college coaches. While his X's and O's were ground-breaking, it is the team building that I am most appreciative of. One of the simplest building blocks of team camaraderie is the NC finger ... No, not that finger ... or the acknowledgement of a team mate for creating a basket for you. Again, since I am admittedly a die hard, having Roy Williams, a Dean Smith protege, take over the reins of the program was the best case scenario.
Neat story ... I've met Roy Williams! I was coaching an AAU team based out of Toronto and we were at the Charlie Webber tournament down in Washington. We were playing at Georgetown and ol' Roy was there for some reason, scouting a good guess. Anyway, I took it upon myself to introduce myself ... What did I have to lose ... and he actually complimented me on my style of coaching. Roy Williams had noticed me? And liked what I was doing? Wow, I'm floored!

Post #4 - Dan Carter + Richie McCaw, All Blacks greats

Referring back to Post #2, I have admitted that I am a HUGE fan of the way the NZ All Blacks go about their business. It makes perfect sense then, at least to me, to acknowledge the contributions of both Richie McCaw and Dan Carter and their legendary deeds. McCaw captained the AB's for 110 of the 148 test matches he played in, winning 2 consecutive RWC's in 2011 and 2015. He also was named Player of the Year 3 times, sharing the record with team mate Dan Carter. Carter shares all of the AB accolades with McCaw, adding in his own feather as Leading Scorer in Test Match history. When you combine a legendary coach with two incredible players like McCaw and Carter, you'd think you've got it made, but the AB's are WAY more than that. 10 of the 19 POY awards have gone to AB's, an unmatched feat and a great reason for their sustained success.

Post #5 - Wayne Gretzky, NHL GOAT

Although Brantford, ON, would not be considered a small town, it wasn't always that way, so when "lil' Gretter" was honing his soon to be legendary status as a youngster, the community was all twitchy about this kid who was lighting up the local leagues. Of course, the nay sayers felt he was a "flash in the pan" but they soon "ate crow" as the Great One continued his domination first in the OHL then, ultimately, in the NHL, according to Wikipedia, "At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records." I will freely admit that I'm not a "hockey guy" but I did spend goodly portions of my May and June watching the NHL playoffs when Edmonton was the apple of Canada's eye. 

Post #6 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar, NBA's Milwaukee and Los Angeles Lakers

I am a child of the 60's but didn't become an NBA fan until the 70's so the players that I grew up emulating on the playground were of a totally different era than today's NBA fans. Easily one of my favourite players and, TBH, the reason I remain a Lakers fan is Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He got a bit of a bad rap early on in his career for being his own man, a little different than the typical NBA star. I saw that as a good thing, and I loved watching him mold with the wide variety of players the front office enlisted for him to play with. When the inevitable retirement time approached, I watched with great admiration as he humbly received all the adoration.

Post #7 - Youth Leaders I admire: Paul Connelly, Ron Andrews, Paul Pendakis, Martin Carl, Wayne Dawkins, Roy Rana, John Daggett, Suche James, Sam Loucks

I have been blessed with a wide variety of experiences that have been loosely tied to the common theme of sport for youths. These 9 gentlemen ... and I already took the heat on Social Media for the lack of females - more on that soon ... have IMHO been incredible role models of how to invest yourself in a passion and convince your audience to follow, despite the effort and energy it takes. The group can be sorted into various activities:
Personal = Ron Andrews
Rugby = Paul Connelly, Paul Pendakis and John Daggett
Basketball = Roy Rana, Wayne Dawkins and Suche James
Community = Martin Carl and Sam Loucks

I have written at length about the debt I owe Ron both for his friendship ... invaluable ... and for his coaching guidance, especially in rugby. I could rehash it all here but suffice it to say that it is a debt that I can never hope to repay, save for paying it forward in hopes of continuing for the sake of future athletes.

Specifically looking at rugby, Paul Connelly (Uxbridge / Rugby Canada), Paul Pendakis (Saltfleet) and John Daggett (Georgian College) have each, in their own way, contributed to the person I have become. Connelly and Pendakis were the faces of heated rivalries with Central, culminating in some epic OFSAA battles over the years, but they were also tremendous examples of how integrity fuelled by passion can achieve results that were awe-inspiring. Even though we were rivals on the pitch, their willingness to grow a friendship off the pitch left an indelible mark on me.

John Daggett holds a special place in my heart for the growing friendship that we have built through our continuing partnership through GS State Rugby. Second only to Ron, John is the epitome of rugby ambassador, wrapped up in talent, and tied with great humanity.

Basketball was my first love, both as a player and as a coach. As I learned my trade, Roy Rana, Wayne Dawkins and Suche James each took turns teaching me, either directly or indirectly, how it can be done at the highest level. By far, Roy has ridden the train the farthest, and none were happier for him than I was when it was announced that he had finally realized his dream of coaching in the NBA when he was hired by the Sacramento Kings. To me, however, the value he gifted to youth through his tireless efforts at CW Jeffery's / Eastern Commerce and the Toronto Mission, were the stuff of legends. I will always be grateful for allowing this country bumpkin into the fold to work alongside him. Both Wayne and Suche granted me wisdom without ever knowing they gave as I watched them from afar build their impact and influence in very different ways. Wayne's Phase ONE program grew from the proverbial acorn into a mighty oak-like prep program, allowing some of the GTA's brightest to achieve goals that were once the stuff of dreams. One the few occasions we worked together ... Like his Canada All Star Game ... gave me an insider's front row seat for Wayne's passionate advocation of the Canada's great potential as a basketball nation. Suche's tireless drive at the helm of Frontenac HS rise to be considered one of the premiere high school programs in Ontario, in addition to his leadership at the OFSAA level demonstrated to me clearly the impact a person with a clear focus coupled with honour and passion could have.

Martin and Sam flat out did everything for their school communities, so much so that their names are synonymous with their schools. Martin primarily coached boy's football, girl's hockey and girl's softball but it is his role as organizer of tournaments, fundraisers and sports councils that he was best known for, some well so that on his passing recently, the outcry of grief spread far and wide. Quick to smile, crack a joke or acknowledge the positive, Martin was also not afraid to provoke an animated discussion, but never left it without ensuring that all sides were content. Sam primarily coached boy's football, basketball and rugby but he is best known for jumping behind the bench of any activity that his school needed him for. Passionate and driven, Sam is a "glass half full" guy who has a personality that lights up any conversation. Both Martin and Sam always place the best interests of their kids at the forefront of all decisions, ensuring that their school provided the best for its students.

Post #8 - Kayla Alexander, Megan + Kaili Lukan - The 3 most successful females I've coached

Kayla, Megan and Kaili are all Barrie Central Alumni that I had an opportunity to work with, a fact that I am very proud of. Having said that, these young women are cut from the same cloth as passionate, determined, focused, and driven to excel while being humble, caring and considerate at the same time. Kayla is the first born of Joe and Audrey Alexander and, interestingly, Joe and I faced each other on the court a few times during our own high school careers. Kayla took to basketball like a duck to water, eventually willing it to provide her with a gateway to the world after a stellar, record setting career at Syracuse, followed by a (so far) 7 year career in the WNBA and regular stints with Canada's National team. On top of that hectic schedule, she has recently thrown her hat into the world of children's books. Megan and Kaili are two parts of a 3 sister family that Central was blessed to have provided a training ground for, the oldest being Alyska. Their mother Marg was a outstanding athlete, an alumni of Canada Basketball, while their father John ... in a small world story ... was a varsity football star at St Mary's. While the girls inherited some genetic gifts, it was the mental side of competition that separated them from other great athletes and, IMHO, what allowed them to effectively make the switch from elite basketball to elite rugby. Perhaps the highest compliment I can give Marg and John is that their three daughters are incredible human beings with sparkling personalities while being different from each other. I've been blessed with coaching a number of great female athletes, but without insulting others, these three were pretty special.

Post #9 - Taylor Paris - Most successful male athlete I have coached

Taylor is the youngest brother of an incredibly athletic set of four brothers, a fact that likely contributed to his ultimate level of success, IMHO. Just like the Lukans, Cheryl and Marco Paris raised four very different sons, parental victory, and Taylor benefitted immensely from trying to compete with his 3 older brothers in a variety of skills and capabilities. I may insult some of the hundreds of players I've coached, but Tay is my choice as the most successful rugby player that I have ever coached. A quick Google search will provide the details of his success ... and there are many ... but what I value most is his sincere friendship. Having said that, Tay always has been, and continues to be, an incredible rugby player, possessing the rare combination of speed, agility, strength, power, toughness, focus, resilience and intelligence. A more likeable guy may exist, but I've not been blessed with that privilege.

Post #10 - Terry "Doc" Porter + Steve Nash - My FAV Canadian athletes

I would be willing to bet that if you asked any athlete who has had some success who was their favourite athlete, I'd bet you'd give the same answer as I would ... my father. In all honesty, my father was a high school stuuuud starring in multiple activities, even drawing the attention of the pros in both baseball and hockey, but football was his love and he parlayed that passion into a Hall of Fame career at Queen's University. While a pro career would have been a possibility, he chose medicine to be the way he would leave his mark on the world, eventually building a solid gold reputation for the impact he had on thousands of patients. A large part of the reason I feel I excelled in sports was thanks to my father, both Nature and Nurture. In an ultimate accolade, his high school team mates established the Terry "Doc" Porter Award, an annual recognition of excellence for graduating East York CI students. I've written about it before, but in a neat twist of fate, the inaugural recipient was an athlete who played rugby for me at Georgian College.
My favourite Canadian athlete whom I've never met is without a question Victoria's Steve Nash. An incredible high school athlete in basketball, soccer and rugby, Nash is the only Canadian named as the NBA's MVP, a feat he accomplished twice! it would have been truly Canadian of me to name Wayne Gretzky as my favourite, what with hockey being a religion in Canada, but I'm not a big hockey fan so my favourite has to love what I love. Besides, with all due respect to the Great One, basketball is embraced by more of the planet than hockey, so IMHO, Nash trumps Gretzky.

My blog, my rules.

The neat thing about this exercise, now that it's done, was to think deeply about what I value at this point in my life, and how that is exemplified in the wide assortment of successful individuals I have come to either know or be aware of. There's an expansive collection of people enshrined in this post ... and there's an equally expansive collection who weren't included.

I'll have to think of a way to write about them some time.