Continued from WORLD WIDE HOCKEY TOUR –
This era was a time that furthered a lot of social change,
which also included sports. It started a trend to take the best players
available based on their skills and talent regardless of nationality. The idea
was that, if done properly, both styles could be blended together. Mekkar
wanted to give a shout out to those who really pioneered this pattern like
Borje Salming and others. The World Hockey Association was basically the first
star chef in the hockey world to truly mix those individual player ingredients (talents)
to form a great drink or meal (successful team). This would forever alter the
fastest game on ice as we know it. [billsportsmaps.com; whahockey.com; The
Hockey News; Playing Hockey The World Over … wha.htm; Wikipedia;
hcokeyfights.com]
Back home, Mekkar was taught that the World Championships
and Olympics were the real testing grounds to resolve this debate. Thus, the
priority on those huge events. The results from this tour would answer a number
of questions in Mekkar’s mind. Despite the fact the Selects were much less
experienced and younger than their professional counterparts. Mekkar thought
other matches against collegiate and major junior clubs later on in the
schedule would probably be a better indicator to test the Selects players at a
similar level. It turned out that the teenager was right on the money with his
analysis.
Not to discount another overlooked item by Mekkar and his
teammates regarding this jaunt through the North American continent. The small
expense and easy accessibility for the pro teams here to scout fresh, new, and
young talent. Potential draft selection by major league clubs all over the map was
already occurring but this is when the floodgates opened wide. In some cases
the farm team or one that trained and developed the player up through the young
ranks could be compensated. In other instances, the sports federations back in
that individual’s home nation would be bribed with a handsome sum of dough.
Then, that individual hockey rights were now owned by a particular franchise
for a specific amount of time. Not surprisingly every member of the Selects
squad was chosen, acquired, or put on some protected talent list in some form
or another. A few of the professional teams did this, even by some of the
Selects opponents on this tour that saw the future potential and were impressed
by their poise.
All of the home pro teams on this journey versus the Selects
were stubborn and staunch in their way and all wanted to make a show of
defending their turf as comparable to gang warfare. This was true especially
for players that were on the bubble of claiming, keeping, and not losing the
last few roster spots on their own squads. Since training camp had past and a
few of these teams were in the middle of their long season no one wanted to be
shipped off to the minors. Think of a peacock strutting their stuff to be the
most noticeable, attractive, and ultimately selected to stay with the big club,
as Mekkar referred to it. Mekkar was amused by all the posturing behavior and
had encountered this before. This activity of what is called talk, but talk is
cheap. Only results matter to Mekkar, everything else leading up to it is a
crock.
Mekkar also saw a couple more main positives that the newer
circuit brought to the realm of hockey. He was hoping to grow up fast enough
and take advantage of this competitive, rapidly changing atmosphere for himself
and his own personal benefit. The pay at home in the top league was a joke in
comparison to what he could possibly earn over here in North
America . On the other hand, some scouts had doubts about a
positive transition for Mekkar. Comments such as could he take all of the
punishment as an outsider trained in that other style of play? What about the
adjustment to much longer length of schedule? How would he fare come playoff
off time? Or would the youngster already be suffering from a number of injuries
to limit his effectiveness on the ice?
As the team bus was coming nearer to the San Diego International
Sports Arena, Mekkar looked out the window and saw a large advertising
billboard high in the sky which caught his eye. He strained to read the hockey
slogan on it. It said, “Mean. Mad, Menacing, Major League Mariners” on it with
the picture of a player and their logo. First of all, Mekkar thinks the San
Diego Mariners skating Sailor with a boat steering wheel in the background logo
is fantastic and one of the best in hockey history. [WHA San Diego Mariners Historical Site –
sdmariners.htm; whahockey.com; sportslogos.net; fanbase.com/San-Diego-Mariners;
Wikipedia] Mekkar thought to himself Oh, No! I hope they are not that type of
goon squad that we faced earlier. It was not supposed to be this type of rough
and tumble affair, well according to his own preliminary report and analysis.
Yet, you never know because this is the WHA. A nineteen seventies hockey
version of the wild, wild west trying to be different and at the same time
insert itself into the public sports consciousness. Mekkar needed a break from
that type of physical abuse especially to his now badly damaged paw. Next he
went deep into his memory bank and thought about home and how tough it was
living there. He recalled how you don’t get a second chance to make first
impression with a polar bear. The bear is either scared and flees or is desperate,
hungry, scared, surprised, or annoyed. In other words, the white beast could
look at you as a threat, an object to tear apart, or maybe as a snack. Since
they can usually sense, hear, and smell a human and depending on the great
white bear’s mood be violently aggressive and attack. After dwelling on this thought
Mekkar felt better and became inspired for that evening’s matchup.
Due to Mekkar’s pre-tour research he discovered a few items
about sports teams in San Diego .
He heard and read about statements, on more than one occasion, that clubs from America ’s Finest City
Nonetheless, when the Selects arrived to the arena, Mekkar
first went out to survey the rink itself. It was his normal custom, and part of
Mekkar’s pre-game ritual, for the specific scheduled game for that day or
evening. Mekkar noticed the uncluttered boards. In most rinks then used by
professional franchises in North America there
was little and sometimes no signage. Advertising logos did not surround the
rink at the highest levels, unlike today. The reasoning was that it was
considered so minor league and extremely unprofessional back then. Now, it is
the opposite perspective where the goal is to maximize all possible revenue
streams. Mekkar then saw there was something that resembled chicken-wire in
some areas, as he referred to it. Instead of Plexiglas, there were wire-mesh
gates in top of the dasher and boards surrounding the rink. It existed where
there might be protective netting or higher glass today. Mekkar shook his head
and did a double-take to focus and confirm what he thought he just observed.
Maybe, he was mistaken or hallucinating from the pain medications he was taking
like candy for the injuries. Added to that the extra alcohol mixed in to wash
them down or the fatigued state he was in. The tiredness had come back in full
force and was affecting his senses greatly along with the other factors. Mekkar
wanted to stay away from fans who could throw things or pour drinks on him
through the wire as it was common during this era. [The Rebel League: The Short
and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association by Ed Willes, 2005]
No comments:
Post a Comment