Why Do Sports Matter II? The Case of T. Linden

Why Do Sports Matter? Part II of II

Click here for my rambling Part I

I am not afraid to admit that I can be an emotional person at times. As a "man", society implies that we should be able to hide our emotions and be a "rock". Whatever that means. However, before you think I am a weeping willow and that I cry at every opportunity, I feel I need to clarify the weird specific scenarios where my emotions get the best of me.

I don't get emotional during sappy movies. I found Titanic to be completely absurd and I could not understand why everyone was crying around me. I do not like feeling manipulated by a movie, such as Patch Adams, which I deem to be "emotional pornography". I felt bad when Marissa died in "The OC" not because she died, but because I actually chuckled a bit (I know, terrible!) because I thought her character was so idiotic. Some supposed books that are sad elicit little emotion from me. I do not get affected by the usual sappy stories.

However, stories about sacrifice, friendship, and selflessness get me every time. I cannot help but get teary-eyed every time I read about Terry Fox. Last year, I was watching the really bad Canadian movie of Terry Fox and I was laughing at how bad the acting was, yet 15 minutes later I got a bit teary-eyed in a scene with Terry and his friend arguing on the road. I couldn't help but getting teary-eyed when I watched this video clip about Chris Paul (NBA basketball player) scoring 61 points in a high school game in tribute to his deceased 61 year old grandfather. After seeing this video years ago, Chris Paul became one of my favourite players and I don't know how for the life of me, an NBA executive (like the Atlanta Hawks) could have passed over this impressive young man in the NBA draft after seeing this clip. I can't watch Schindler's List anymore because of the scene where Oskar Schindler questions himself of what he could have done more even after saving the lives of so many. I remember trying not to tear up at the end of "The Return of the King" when Aragorn and the rest of Gondor kneel down to the four hobbits. I was overcome thinking about the four hobbits' long journey and their selfless acts to help the others. I get frustrated at times because I feel like there is no rhyme and reason at times with when I get emotional. Frankly, it is a bit embarrassing which situations get me choked up.

So there I was on April 5, 2008, at home by myself wiping away some tears from my eyes at the end of a CBC Hockey Night in Canada broadcast at the age of 32. What a wimp. I even laughed at how stupid I must have looked, but when Jarome Iginla and the Calgary Flames formed that line-up to shake hands with Trevor Linden, I couldn't help myself. This was a player that gave his heart to our city. He was a player that tried his best to be selfless. He was a man that I looked up to in my younger years and respected in my older years.

I have attended many Canucks games over the years, but Wednesday's retirement ceremony is one of the most anticipated games of my life. Somehow, I feel like I owe it to Trevor Linden to applaud him for how much we appreciated his work on the team and in the community over the years. I want to somehow let him know that sports matters and he matters to us. I cannot wait to be there to see his jersey retired.

So, why do we have such an attachment to this man in this day and age where winning is everything? He has never won a Stanley Cup. He never won a major NHL award. In fact, you could argue that his career was not that impressive from a statistics stand point, especially when you compare him to Mike Modano who is still playing at a high level right now even though they were both drafted one spot away from each other. I think the fact that he is so well liked in this city is a bit of a miracle. He is proof that if you do things the right way and if you treat people with respect that you can still be popular in this day and age of me-first self-promoting idiots like Terrell Owens or Sean Avery. T. Linden as I liked to call him did things the right way.

Trevor Linden: The First Meeting

I don't remember what the exact month (but it felt like fall) or the exact date, but I know the first time I met Trevor Linden in person was in 1989-1990. Though the date is vague, the details of my first meeting with Trevor Linden are vivid. I was in grade eight and I remember walking by the Safeway on 64th Avenue and Scott Road in North Delta, when I noticed an innocuous poster announcing that Trevor Linden would be appearing on a Saturday to sign autographs. I had been a loyal Canuck follower for years, but it had been tough as a child following a bunch of perennial losers that got their plates repeatedly handed to them by the heavyweights of the Smythe Division. The Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers toyed with the teams that I grew up with and as a fan I never knew what it felt like to cheer for true superstars like a Wayne Gretzky or a Lanny McDonald. Sure we had Stan Smyl and Tony Tanti, but the sort of players were hard-working at best.

When Trevor Linden came to town, I was just one of many people that gravitated to this young man. Linden fit the mold of a hard working Canuck, but he possessed more skill. After coming in second place in the Calder Trophy voting, Vancouverites felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that we finally had a player that might truly become the superstar that we have never had.

I remember walking by myself to the Safeway, since it was very close to my house. This day was forever etched into my mind, because it was proof of exactly how much Trevor Linden had won over the hearts of a city so quickly. I remember the line-up snaking around the brown brick building of Safeway going right around the corner and turning down 64th Avenue. I felt like all the participants involved could not have predicted how big a turn-out there would be. I remember waiting in line for well over an hour before I entered the doors and saw that the lineup stretched up to the produce section where there was a single table with a gangly guy sitting there. Trevor Linden looked skinny to me.

The signing session was supposed to only go for a couple of hours, but it seemed like the line-up never got shorter. I started getting nervous thinking that I would make my way up to the table only to see the time cut short. As I drew closer to the table, my eyes were transfixed on Trevor Linden. I could tell he was annoyed and agitated. I could see that his body language was one of annoyance as he recognized the fact that Safeway had lost control over the crowd and the line-up would not abate. However, even though I was a bit disappointed by his curt manner (he wasn't really smiling when he was signing things nor did he really make any small talk with many of the people as they got things signed) even as a simple-minded grade eight, I could understand why he was a bit unnerved. The autograph session was running well past the alloted time and here he was stuck in North Delta of all places. I could see Trevor Linden having a discussion with some of the people in charge and his displeasure was evident. The Safeway staff announced that Linden would only be signing one thing per person. But even with the chaos, Trevor Linden stayed for the entire time and made sure he finished signing for every person in line. The huge gathering of people was a barometer of how well liked Linden was. He just connected with us. I can't think of many other bonds out there in sports that matches the affection we have for this one individual.

How did I know it was 1989-1990 when I first met Trevor Linden? I remember the one item that I got Trevor Linden to autograph. It was his rookie card and the hockey card companies back then only released a player's rookie card the year after. I can conjure up the image of the card immediately as I write this. Linden has his helmet off with his back bent and his upper body supported by his stick resting on his knees. I remember looking at his signature on the rookie card and seeing the big swooshing "T" and the cursive "L" followed by a trail of little waves as if produced by a seismograph only to be punctuated by a small circle as if rising like the sun over the waves in the Pacific. I looked at that signature a lot and I felt an immense sense of satisfaction as I walked back home. I had gotten Trevor Linden to autograph his rookie card. It was my prized possession only surpassed by my Mario Lemieux rookie card.

Our Second Meeting Followed Quickly by Our Third Meeting

I met Trevor Linden two more times in person. Both were about 4 years ago when I was volunteering at Camp Goodtimes, a place for kids with cancer or recovering from cancer. Both years, Trevor Linden came out for one day with little fanfare. He drove himself up to the camp and immediately interacted with the kids. He was amazing with the kids and you could tell he just knew how to get along with them. There was no air of pretension and he was simply there to be involved and help out as he could. He participated in all the activities with the kids and I fully expected him to leave after an hour yet there he was staying right through the afternoon. I remember the second year that he came out, we had a giant mashed potato fight and there was Linden in the midst of it all slinging mashed potatoes back and forth with everybody. I have a great group photo of Linden and a bunch of us campers covered in mashed potatoes. I only wish I could find it as it was lost when my hard drive crashed this summer. You read all this stuff about athletes like Linden that say "He was a great guy" or "He is like a regular guy helping out" and you feel a bit skeptical towards these statements. Yet, seeing Trevor Linden in action for two summers, it was clear to me why he was such a positive force in our community. How could you not like this charismatic guy? And of course, he seemed so different from the first time I saw him in public many years ago.

After his last game in April, Linden was quoted as saying:
"You know, sometimes I ask myself that because I'm overwhelmed. I'm flattered. I feel extremely fortunate, blessed, the way things have gone. But I have to be honest with you: I ask myself that, too. Sometimes I almost feel kind of like: Who deserves this? I can't begin to say the effect it had on me. I'm a guy from Medicine Hat who played a game he loved, and to get that kind of response was really amazing."

And I think Trevor Linden is being much too modest. I feel glad knowing that for once we are giving someone recognition where it is due. Yes, he is just a sports athlete, but I think many Vancouverites will agree that he has been much more than that for us over the years. And that is why I know all of us will be completely eager to cheer Linden on and say that he does deserve it. T. Linden, we applaud you.

Some of My Favourite Memories of T. Linden:
A lot of them appear in this nice video montage from the Georgia Straight. I am sure there are plenty others that I have missed.
-Raising the Campbell Conference Trophy as the lid fell off. That was back before the stupid tradition where the players don't touch the trophy anymore.
-Scoring two goals in the finals of Game 7.
-Jim Robson's call of Trevor Linden during Game 6 of the 1994 playoffs. I get chills every time I hear Robson's call, "He'll be there, you know he will be there. Game seven. Madison Square Garden!"
-Seeing Trevor Linden come back to Vancouver.
-Scoring two goals last year against Calgary. That should have been enough to rally the Canucks into the playoffs. That was painful not seeing Linden get one more crack in the playoffs.
-The classy move by Iginla to form the traditional handshake line only done during the end of a playoffs series

Thanks for reading.