Rob Parker gone!

[betterREDthandead 58]

Hallelujah.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090...p;rssfeed=RSS01

I thought the News the day after the Packers game was Parker-less. They must have quietly shuffled him off to be a copy boy. How fitting that the last column from the guy who wrote "Hank Aaron is a coward" is a humble-pie apology. I remember his very first column at the News - he wrote about how a journalism teacher he once had told him to "stick the knife in and turn it" or something along those lines, and that's what he intended to do. Not an auspicious start.

I put this here because upon reflection, I can't think of a single hockey column he wrote. Anyone wants to prove me wrong and I'm happy to put it in GD for a wider audience.

[vangvace 12]

Glad he's gone though

Forever 9: Mr. Hockey's 80th birthday well worth a celebration PDF

Written by Rob Parker/ Detroit News

There could be tears.

At least, that's what Gordie Howe thinks about his 80th birthday bash at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday before the Red Wings-Predators game.

"I'll be biting lip," said Howe, who was born March 31, 1928, in Floral, Saskatchewan. "I know I will.

"It's pretty nice, to me. It's like a wedding, being at the altar with your wife-to-be and being choked up."

In honor of Howe, known widely as Mr. Hockey, the Red Wings players, coaches and general manager Ken Holland will join Howe on the ice for a special presentation and ceremonial puck-drop. All fans attending the game will receive a commemorative Gordie Howe photo card. And, yes, Karen Newman will sing "Happy Birthday."

Howe's family, including NHL veterans Marty and Mark, are expected to attend, too.

"I haven't thought about it, not really," Howe said recently when asked to reflect on the big 8-0. "I just know it's coming in a hurry.

"I know a lot of people never make it to 70, so somebody upstairs is being pretty nice to me."

And Howe. Old No. 9 might not be able to take long trips like he used to, but he said he feels pretty good.

Life tinged with sadness

Unfortunately, Howe's wife, Colleen, isn't doing as well. She is suffering from Pick's Disease, an incurable neurological disease that causes dementia. It's at the point that Colleen doesn't even call Gordie by name anymore.

"She's a sick lady," said Howe, who met his wife at the Olympia and married her in 1953. "She can't walk.

"The kids, Marty and Mark, will come home for a few days and she doesn't remember them. That's brutal. I'd rather get hit in the head myself."

Whenever life today is hard to deal with, Howe can reflect on the glory days when his wife was healthy and he was the best hockey player on Earth. In all, Howe played 32 professional seasons, from age 17 to 52.

"I was just happy I played long enough to meet a nice girl at the Olympia," said Howe, who made his NHL debut in 1946 at 18.

Howe led the Wings to four Stanley Cups (1950, '52, '54, '55) and to first place in regular-season play for seven consecutive years (1948-49 through 1954-55).

"Our franchise has had a great deal of success and Gordie symbolizes it," retired Wings star and current vice president Steve Yzerman said. "He's the cornerstone of that history. Fortunately, it's great to come to Joe Louis Arena and see a Gordie, Alex Delveccio and Ted Lindsay in the building."

Howe and linemates Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay were known collectively as "The Production Line." The moniker was for their scoring ability and an allusion to Detroit's auto factories.

Howe and Lindsay were so tight back in the day that they lived together, even briefly after Lindsay married.

"We were together for years," Howe said. "Every ride in the car was a conversation. It wasn't about girls or dancing. It was about the hockey game."

A special memory

You might think Howe's greatest moment came in a big game, probably en route to winning a Stanley Cup. Nope, it actually was the first time his mom and dad got to watch him play in the NHL -- in 1965.

"The biggest thrill I ever had was the night they were honoring me and mom and dad were there," Howe said. "They had never seen me play professional hockey.

"They sat right up behind us, it was my night and I was quite nervous. They gave me a car and when I opened the door, they were sitting in the backseat."

When asked about his worst moment in the game, Howe didn't hesitate. "I have lots of those, but the best thing is to forget them," he said.

Mostly, Howe is talking about losing. Few wanted to win more than Howe. Nobody hated to lose as much. "I always tell the young players you must learn from your mistakes," he said.

And connecting with the young is a passion of Howe's, who along with Colleen started the Howe Foundation to aid children with physical and psychological needs.

"He's very energetic and upbeat," Yzerman said about Howe. "He enjoys being around people and hockey. He really likes being around the game still. That's neat."

What isn't is that Howe doesn't skate anymore. He has two artificial knees.

The last time Howe played professionally was 1997 -- his sixth decade in the game. He signed a one-game contract with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL. At almost 70, Howe skated a shift. "I had one last shift," he said. "It was fun."

So is watching Chris Chelios near Howe's NHL record for most games played. Howe played 1,767; Chelios has played 1,612.

"Good for him," said Howe, who ranks third all-time with 1,850 total points (801 goals and 1,049 assists). "I'm happy for him.

"If he was a miserable guy, then no, I wouldn't be happy. I told him when he breaks it that I would like to be there."

Sign right here

Howe isn't like a lot of older players, bitter because they never got to make the big money today's players enjoy. His first professional contract with the USHL's Omaha Knights paid $350 for the entire season -- and $50 of it was for signing. "Banks, in my day, didn't have as much money as some of the players are getting now," he laughed. "Now, they get $300,000 for signing."

They might sign for more, but probably not as muchas Howe.

He does many autograph sessions -- truthfully often for a fee ($75 for any flat item).

But he says he isn't sick of signing all those autographs. He still enjoys making people happy, even kids who don't really know who he is and what he's accomplished. "No, not at all," said Howe. "You get tired, but ..."

Strangely, it's his left arm that bothers him from arthritis. "You would have thought that the right one with the pen would hurt me," Howe said. "But it's the other one that hurt from leaning on it."

For sure, Howe's right hand might be sore after all the handshakes he gets on Sunday. He is ready for yet another special moment. A year ago, Howe was honored with a bronze statue in Joe Louis Arena. Still, nothing makes him more proud than people calling him Mr. Hockey. "It separates you apart from many," he said.

And that's fitting. There's only one Gordie Howe.

Happy Birthday, kid.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Glad he's gone though

That's proof enough for me. Did you actually sift through a bunch of Rob Parker articles to find that? That's more bad writing than I care to read in one night.

[Blood On The Ice 15]

Good, Great, Wonderful. :beerbuddy: :colorbounce: :carrot: :banana:

[BlueMonk 102]

Great news. The Marinelli comment was off-the-charts inappropriate, but he deserved to be fired because he's a terrible sportswriter and media personality. In short, he sucks. I'm glad he got fired. He was an embarrassment to Detroit sports journalism.

Now if we can just get rid of Drew Sharp and Jeff Riger, we'll be all set!

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Finally. I still remember his "Hockeytown is Dead" story a few years back.

[kylee 727]

yeah im glad he got fired.

is he still on the radio though?

i remember i was initially excited when "parker and the man" came back to detroit radio but then i realized how little hockey they talked on their show, and how out of touch he and mark wilson were, and that was enough for me.

[egroen 384]

I could not stand the Parker and the Man show. Rob Parker and Drew Sharp should get a room together and rant and rave until the cows come home about how bad sports suck in Detroit.

I don't think Parker should have been fired over that specific comment, but it was probably a conveniant excuse to get rid of someone who frankly just sucks.

[Chelios57 31]

The only DECENT thing about that article was the quotes from hockey players. That was maybe the worst written piece of crap I have ever read. I am so glad to hear he's gone. His Lion's comments were beyond inappropriate.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

At least something good happen to me today.

[Guest dekeyuk]

Check out our national NFL broadcasters ripping the crap out of Parker. There are so many uses of the word "jerk" I couldn't keep track: http://www.supermediablog.com/sports/rob-parker-suspended/

[BlakChamber 8]

My favorite moment involving Rob Parker...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog...rn=ncaaf,118247