My So Very Clever thoughts regarding Stephanie Meyer will have to be tabled at least for the day. I am officially in mourning. A man I’ve known for 20 years (yes, I am old) has died today- prematurely. We met when I was 17 he was, mmm, 24 I was in high school and he played for the Detroit Red Wings. We had the same doctor and managed to strike up a friendship. Yes, friendship. Anything more would have been a felony.
He was about to go to prison for drug possession coming over the Canada/U.S. border (don't ever do this) and I was trying to figure out relational dynamics in my small town (I still have not- there or anywhere). It was a natural bond between one of the most feared enforcers in NHL history and the captain of the cheerleading team.
At the time, I wasn’t even that big a fan- other than of local celebrity players like the Hatchers, Mike Modano and Bobby Reynolds. Bob Probert changed all of that. He quickly became a kind, gentle and protective older brother-type. We were pen pals (Facebook friends with pens and paper) while he was in prison. He’d tell me how fun it was to tease the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" dude (yes, a real murderer)- they’d sidle up to his cell and make chainsaw noises (ah, prison) and I’d cry over having no dates. He’d explain what he was learning from Jim Bakker (former evangelist) and I’d explain my competition schedule for cheerleading and how I was fitting in my new obsession with hockey.
When he was released- I was off to college and he was committed to proving he was as big a bad ass on the ice without a cocaine addiction as he was with.
He made sure he picked out some roller blades for me before I left so I could get around. Though at the time roller blades were just a training tool for hockey players, he knew how big Michigan State was. So Very Clever of him and not only was I able to outmaneuver the freshman 15, I was able to cover great distances in record time.
It wasn’t long before we lost touch and it made me sad. I tried to write him through the Red Wings- but if you’ve ever written to a celebrity … I was absolutely overjoyed to run into him when I was 25 and we were able to catch up.
Life as a former athlete is difficult for the best and brightest. For those who have battled addiction, it's not so bright. After retiring from the Chicago Blackhawks, Bob took some commentating jobs, but I think some bad decisions might have caused him to take another path.
So, Bob Probert collapsed on a boat in Lake St. Clair today and has died. My heart clenched (I must say that particular lake holds some amazing memories of my young adulthood) when I realized the potential domino affect of that first bad decision he made. There is a press conference tonight, during which his family will reveal the cause of death. We all die of cardiac arrest, but I fear his was, in some way, drug related.
I’m left with some thoughts today. The game of hockey has changed since the days of Kevin Hatcher, Joey Kocur, Claude Lemieux, Bob Probert and Derian Hatcher. There is still fire in temper and rivalry, but they are no longer the grudge matches they were. In those days, it was almost like the mafia- you didn’t mess with one’s family, or if you did, you were taken out. If you look on YouTube, being taken out by one of the Hatchers, Bob or Joey was a critical situation.
Back when Al MacInnis was the last dude to put ON a helmet- it was freaking dangerous to mess with the "family" of an enforcer. Wow. It makes me sad- but injuries to players like Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau remind me helmets and protection of the head are indeed important. Hell, Brenden Morrow will remove your helmet for you and then kick your ass, no problem.
I just had to reflect a bit of the changing of the guard. So many changes typical of an off season- I was nursing the loss of Marty Turco only to be hit with andactual personal tragedy.
Is it hockey season yet? Football? Gosh, I freaking HATE July. And it’s not just because Dallas is one mile from the sun. So Very Clever Girls- if your guy is over 35 and a true hockey fan, break it to him gently.
For now, I am thankful to have immortalized Bob in my own way, as he has a cameo in my first novel, "Consumed," due out in December of this year. My new author website I share with my co-author, Alisa, will be up soon.
I am sorry to hear about the loss of an old friend.
ReplyDeleteRandi-
ReplyDeleteThank you so much and thanks for reading.
X
CG
Dammit. I have to admit, I always got a perverse kick out of seeing the scratch reasons for Canadian games the Wings played. Somewhere along the list, Probert's name would show up - reason: Immigration. As far as I know, he's the only player to have that dubious honor.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how I didn't learn while we were at MSU that you KNEW him. Between him and the iron fists of Kocur, I loved that version of our team - even when they were still BAD. They had fire and heart, and you could see they were a team just looking for a reason to turn into something great.
And I remember those blades of yours - at the time, you and I were of the dozen or so people at MSU with them. I remember jumping the stairs at Holmes to shocked faces, and being able to recognize - by face - every other skater on campus. Two years later, we were lost in a sea of roller-waddlers. Which also caused rules to be created about blades in class. Dammit. And I'm happy to learn, even belatedly, how you came by them.
I share in your sorrow as we lose a great player, and you've lost a friend.
MD-
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes, he was truly a character. Despite what some thought or knew of him, he was a gentleman and lived by a flock mentality. Once you were part of his "flock" you were protected.
He decided I was part of that flock and he was so very concerned about me walking around at night on campus, knowing I couldn't have my car. He reassured me that I wouldn't always be an "ugly duckling" telling me the boys in high school were fools- haha. He was such a sweet person.
xo
CG