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It was Tuesday evening and Gerry James was sitting at a book-piled desk at McNally Robinson Grant Park, looking a decade younger than the 77 he turns today. Beside him was his West Coast golfing pal and biographer, Ron Smith, the man most responsible for the pile of books on the desk. Gerry disliked Grant because, in his view, he treated Canadians as second-class players.
And as a kid, his real father figure was never really there for him. Gerry grew up at as a latch-key kid in a clapboard house at Beaverbrook St.
Gerry finally had a male figure to look up to, but that male figure had become an abusive alcoholic. Yet, as a hard-hitting forward, Gerry would go on to reprise his role as a guy who protected his Maple Leaf teammates. And he would score touchdowns as a Bomber running back in ways that his father never did. Who knows where I would have ended up without it. Where he ended up, for most of the years after his release by the Bombers, was in Yorkton, Sask. I had long wondered why Gerry James never returned to live in Winnipeg, where he had been such a big name. Reading the book gives a sense of why.
Gerry still sounds angry, even bitter, about the way the Bombers released him in a salary dispute and how it took decades before the football club began to appreciate what he and the rest of his teammates gave the city. It was the feeling Bud Grant, the Bombers and all his sporting achievements never seemed to give him, either. But I found Gerry seems to have a sense of peace — playing golf with the boys and growing ornamental grass on Vancouver Island. And, above all, being the kind of father and husband of nearly 60 years that would make his Dynamite dad proud.
Gerry James is a figure ripped right out of yellowing sports pages of yore — a hard-driving two-sport pro athlete with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Blue Bombers from an era when men were men. The youngest player ever to play in the CFL at 17, and the winner of four Grey Cups, James will be celebrated today on his 77th birthday as the honorary captain when the Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg. Once asked by hockey coach Turk Broda to send a message to tough guy Howie Young, James came back to the bench only to have Broda exclaim: But James is from a more simple time when pro athletes earned no more than their plumber neighbour or drywaller brother-in-law.
But I used to work on reconstructing muscle patterns between the hockey and football seasons. The James biography by Smith, a former Vancouver Island University creative writing and English teacher, is well-researched and engaging. Although James is best remembered on the Prairies, even here in his adopted province of B. Former Bombers and, later, Vikings NFL coach Grant is remembered by James as a coach who favoured American players over Canadians but who was so thoroughly brilliant he would phone the weather office at halftime to inquire about the conditions to expect in the second half.
James took many of the lessons learned from coaches he played under, in both football and hockey, and became a successful coach in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. His reputation had preceded him, even though the juniors had a rather sketchy idea of hockey timelines. The years may have now passed, but not the competitive fires.
When James was recently asked to help out a Nanaimo old-timers hockey team, he came armed with stopwatch and diagrams detailing breakout patterns — far more than this group needed at their level. Stan Tinker wrote to me when he heard that I was writing a biography of Gerry. He told me that he had written to Gerry in the late 50s asking for his autograph. He had never received a reply. In those days athletes received many such requests but the cost to reply was prohibitive.
In any case, Stan had remained a devoted fan and asked if he could get a signed copy of the book. Since then he has sent Gerry a copy of an image Gerry thought was lost and the above letter. His response is eloquent and passionate and has made one older athlete a very happy man. When I was growing up, Gerry James was one of my sports heroes. I drew and coloured the gridiron on a cardboard approximately 18 by 12 inches to the scale only an 8 year old could draw complete with yard lines and end zones. For four years until we got a TV my parents would find me lying on the floor, listening to the game and tracking the play by play with a button that I would move up and down my gridiron along with each play as it transpired.
What nostalgic memories this book brought back of a football and hockey hero we all wanted to emulate. But this well-written book by Ron Smith brought out more than the life and mind of an athlete and superhero of the era. James handled these before the days of the entitled and high priced pro athlete provides life lessons to us all no matter what our generation. There is something here for the nostalgic and also for those who just want to have their values of honesty, integrity and dedication to a goal, whether in sports or life reinforced.
James, congratulations on your career and thank you for finally sharing a part of you we wanted to know. Smith, congratulations on a book which captures and presents the essence of a man I admire still. I highly recommend Kid Dynamite for all who want to be inspired.
I had no idea that you were an author of several books and articles. I will have to obtain one of your books since I have become an avid reader mostly mysteries , since my retirement. We will have to discuss this one day in the hot tub. Your email address will not be published. Gerry posing with his Biography. If you can call one man and his two little boys a lineup. None of this is the way I imagined the boyhood of one of my boyhood heroes.
Which only made what he said in all the more compelling. But once a sporting warrior, always a sporting warrior. However, today — Grey Cup Day with the Bombers playing, it seems appropriate I should send something out to you to let you know how much I enjoyed your tribute.
Firstly, right off the bat, the cover design is extremely well conceived and very intriguing for even those who do not know of Gerry James. It certainly grabs your attention right away. Two great photos of Gerry in his prime … the Bombers picture I have never seen before.
This is such a well written book and an obvious labour of love dedicated to someone you can call a dear friend. That makes your words so very special and personal. It gave me much insight into Gerry the athlete and person, then and now. There are many things I learned which were very interesting. This was a very important element of the book. You answered many questions for me such as the missing season, the broken hand in the Grey Cup, the leg injury, the rushing title controversy.
I had no idea the man had to go through something like that. Several segments were very poignant. His decision to sit out the team picture when, although unable to play for much of that season, he still was THE star of the Bombers.
The Nanaimo Redmen segment was very touching. It is the common story of once famous athletes who had universal recognition for brief periods in their lives who are now still loved by many but forgotten by most. It is a feeling common folk such as I cannot begin to understand. The same goes for his release by the Bombers before the season.
The Tex Coulter article was a valuable addition to the book. I recall his stories of CFL stars in the Saturday paper and also his drawings of some players. I used to read these with my Dad. Gerry at 18 actually carried the ball more than Casey that day — 12 to 4! Your book portrayed Casey as a perfect mentor.
By the way the picture I sent you shows Gerry with a mark on the bridge of his nose and I always thought he played his entire career without a faceguard. Unfollow goalie book to stop getting updates on your eBay Feed. You'll receive email and Feed alerts when new items arrive. Turn off email alerts.
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