Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Robert Gordon Orr
I'm not afraid to say that this tribute video gives me a mild case of the eye-sweats.
Just about anyone who was fortunate enough to have seen Bobby Orr play hockey will argue to the death that he was the greatest player to ever play the game. And the chances are, if you were to ask the consensus greatest player of all-time, Wayne Gretzky would probably tell you the same.
His numbers are absoloutely staggering: an unprecedented 8 Norris Trophies (I love the line delivered by Harry Howell when he won the Norris in 1967, quipping: "I might as well enjoy it now because I expect it's going to belong to Bobby Orr from now on"); winning the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe in the same year (first and only time it's ever happened); an incomprehensible +124 in the 1970-71 season (plus 124?); and perhamps most mind-boggling of all, winning the scoring title in 1970, as a defenseman... I mean, these are things that simply aren't supposed to happen.
Yet the kid from Parry Sound made them happen. He scored arguably the most famous goal in the history of professional hockey (second in my books only to Nikolai Borschevsky's '93 Game 7 overtime winner in Detroit), and his performance in the '76 Canada Cup on one leg is the stuff of which legends are made.
I remember a few years back on Coach's Corner when Don Cherry showed a highlight reel of some of Orr's most memorable plays. And the thing that struck me was how ridiculous Bobby made everyone else on the ice look. We're talking about the hundred or so best hockey players on the planet at the time, and they might as well have been me and the rest of the lads in the OTHL for all the chance they had of catching him. And the goalies were rendered unequivocally helpless. It was almost comical. They never had a prayer. And again: these were the best goalies in the world.
Gretzky was great. Lemieux was at times breathtaking. But neither of them could make the opposition look like a bunch of kids out on the pond they way #4 did. He was a man amongst boys.
Bonus Coverage: Bobby Orr on Don Cherry's Grapevine, taken from 1987. They really need to bring this show back. Love the concept of Grapes sitting up at the bar with Gerry Cheevers playing the role of Cherry's McMahon.
Click HERE for Part 1
Click HERE for Part 2
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3 comments:
You limp wristed twinkies are both wrong. What are you - products of the Dr Spock, feel good '60's? Both Orr and Gretzky were wimps compared to the true, original and still GREAT ONE - Gordie Howe.
Orr copied his name (Robert GORDON Orr)and Gretzky copied his number
99(or was he dyslexick)?
Put your helmets on and tighten your chin straps if you want to opine on this site.
The HAWK
Moose Jaw
Gordie Howe was a glorified Johnny Bucyk. Played hard, played long, strong, tough, winger. If he and Orr went into the corner for a puck, Gordie would come out with it, but....
Gordie Howe's jock strap would be on the ice if he ever tried to slow Orr down in open ice!
The Hammer
Boston
Great Random Plug:
(My brother received the following email from someone he hasn't heard from in more than 10 years)
I got the below as a forwarded e-mail today. You'd be happy to know that you're referred to as "some guy" and your brother as "some guy's brother". Anyway, I got it from a circle that I can't think of how it would overlap with you two, so I thought your bro might like to know he's got a pretty big readership.
Forward:
This is a link to some guy's brother’s blog. They’re from Toronto and funny as all hell. His blog contains various stuff (from nights out on the town in Boston, to Springsteen, to hockey, etc) and he’s hysterical. Anyway, check out this video and his blog on Bobby Orr – great lunchtime reading/watching:
http://seanmccallum.blogspot.com/2007/12/robert-gordon-orr.html
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