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History of the A's |
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And The Band Played On |
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ROYAL
RECEPTION TENDERED THE ATHLETICS ATHLETICS
ACCORDED
ROUSING
WELCOME
BY
MONSTER
TURNOUT CROWD
OF
OVER
10,000 ROARS NOISY
CELEBRATION
TO
CHAMPS MAYOR
DALEY
IN
CIVIC
GREETINGS PARADE
MAKES
“WHOOPEE”
AS BANDS
BLARE, CROWDS
CHEER The St. Catharines
Standard Monday
October 27, 1941 Dyed-in-the-wool lacrosse fans
who never miss a game and folks who don’t know one end of a lacrosse
stick from the other stood shoulder-to-shoulder Saturday to extend a
rousing home-coming welcome to a gallant organization, the Athletics, who
brought the Mann Cup, Canadian senior lacrosse championship trophy, to St.
Catharines for the third time in four years. An estimated 10,000 persons
lined the uptown streets to cheer the champions as they paraded from the
C.N.R. depot around the business section and back to Memorial Park where
the official reception took place. The parade was comparatively short but
it was noisy. Celebrating folks literally
painted the town for the happy occasion, not red, but double-blue, the
famous colors of the Athletics. There were double-blue streamers, signs,
sweaters, and even some enthusiast paraphrased a song about the light and
dark blue. Receptions for the victorious
Athletics are getting to be commonplace—and as one follower put it
Saturday night, “It isn’t every night that we can welcome the
Athletics home with the Mann Cup, but it sure seems like it”—but
Saturday night’s welcome was just as enthusiastic and noisy as in 1938
and 1940 when the home-bred club brought the Mann Cup back to town. In
1939, though they were defeated at the Pacific coast, the public welcomed
them home. Fire siren stop poles along St.
Paul Street screamed for several minutes, horns honked, celebrants waved
and shouted and noise-makers of all sorts were effectively used in the
celebration which continued from shortly past 10 o’clock to nearly
midnight. Grouped in a large van,
decorated for the occasion, Coach Arthur Brown and members of the
champions, were the feature attraction in the parade. Wives, mothers and
friends of the players rode in private autos and officials of the club and
other citizens who had also accompanied the club were in the parade. There
was music from two bands, a mock float of the Richmond Farmers defeated in
the Mann Cup series by the Athletics and trucks in which various minor
lacrosse organizations were transported. E.T. Sandell and Thomas
Garriock were masters of ceremonies at Memorial Park where Mayor Charles
Daley, speaking on behalf of the citizens, said the enthusiasm and turnout
for the home-coming was an indication of what the public thought of the
club. Harry J. Carmichael, Dominion
government wartime production executive, and noted sportsman, called for
three cheers and a tiger for the boys whom, he said, “have brought more
glory to St. Catharines than any other organization that ever existed.” “It’s a proud night for the
Athletics and the citizens” congratulated Judge J. G. S. Stanbury. He
spoke of rumors that some of the boys might retire from the lacrosse field
and he added “but we will want the boys to line up again next season.” Alderman A. E. Coombs said the
reception “was a wonderful demonstration.” The majority of the players
spoke briefly over CKTB and the public address system. There were hints of
difficulties experienced in the series when slim Billy Fitzgerald said:
“It is the greatest victory we ever attained because we won it the hard
way.” Coach Brown said: “No team ever could try harder and do better
than they did.” Sportscaster Rex Stimers added: “They defeated a good
team and two so-called referees.” HIGH-LIGHTS OF
ATHLETICS CUP TRIUMPH CHAMPS TOO
MODEST FOR PUBLIC; ART BROWN TELLS OF COAST GAMES They come from near and far
when St. Catharines turns out en masse to welcome her champions in the
realm of sport and Saturday night was no exception, as Canada’s national
game of lacrosse held fullest sway. The monster turn-out could only be
approximated, but it could have been anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 that
watched the parade from the various vantage points along the line of the
parade. There is, however, a bit of
difference in the spark of elation that affects the home-coming when the
series is played in the east and west. The public recalls the roaring
masses of 1938, on the very eve of the Athletics first triumph. It is then
that fandom is in its most receptive mood, when the series is played at
Toronto and loyal supporters of the team and citizenry can view the
victory. When the series is contested in
the west, any time up to a week must elapse before the conquering heroes
return and just a little bit of the resultant glamour had departed in the
meantime. Past history shows that the original Mann Cup win was the
“rousingest” affair of the three celebrations that marked the capture
of the famous silverware-possibly because it was the first such trophy in
city history. There were high-lights to
Saturday night’s mammoth public function, but Athletics, for the most
part, were inclined to take their triumph in stride, as modest champions
should. Some of them were too reticent for the nature of the celebration
and had to almost be forced to reply to demands for re-introduction to the
admiring citizens. Tenor of the united remarks was that the boys were glad
to be home and also that there is no other city in Canada they love like
St. Catharines. Capt. Carl Madsen caused the
biggest laugh with his opinion that “the west must have figured us as
‘all wet,’ because it rained every day we were there.” As chief
orator of the team, he is likely priming up for the series of dinners,
etc., facing the club during the next few weeks. Then, there will be no
diet restrictions on the players and hosts should be well prepared for the
“scoring” in advance. The float attracting the most
attention in the parade was the trailer from Wells Garage, bearing the
nucleus of Richmond Farmers, the unsuccessful challengers. Arrayed in
green and white and various decorated placards, they represented the
opinions of the Garden City toward the officiating that prevailed west and
at that, probably did the coast club more justice than they merited and
bestowed on the double-blue visitors from Eastern Canada. Coach Art Brown, modest and
unassuming to his usual degree, commented on the cup series. He admitted
that it was the most stubbornly battled in Athletics history and that his
boys had to play their best to win out. It was no trophy that could be
predicted, even to the fifth and final game that retained the Sir Donald
Mann honors for the east, and thrice for the double blues. He said Athletics were so keyed
up before the deciding struggle that they paced up and down, like leashed
wildcats, for fully an hour in the Hotel Devonshire quarters. At the arena
the tension had worn off a bit, but the management had difficulty
restraining the players. Apparently Art Brown has the “Rockne touch,”
as the team entered the grim battle with the needed spur in the opening
half and turned it into victory then and there. Of the second and
nerve-wracking test, it was either ignorance of O.L.A. rules or deliberate
violation of them that caused the upsurge of Athletics protests. The
western block play was not the strong objection, but the permitted policy
of Richmond players “winding” their sticks around the A’s and
holding to blue jerseys with the other clutching hand that caused all the
rumpus and near-riot. Those tactics are not tolerated
in the east and when used are promptly penalized. Nor could Jack McDonald,
Gene Dopp, Peter Lally or east solons do anything about it. Jim McConaghy
was the boss and he interpreted the rules and the pair of officials obeyed
them—until Art Brown threatened to forego the cup trials and return
home. After that, better judgment prevailed and likewise justice with it. Pres.-Elect Gene Dopp can do
the same thing, if he wishes, during his term of office. Richmond hopes to
come east next fall. They have a young speedy team and not what western
scribes reported as being smaller and lighter than Athletics. Farmers
bulked just as big and could play just as rough as officiating permitted.
Yet, in tribute to both clubs, there was not an injury to mar the
five-game series and as cup finals went could be classified as free from
unduly rough play or deliberate tactics to injure a rival. Athletics, as often stated,
were and are modest champions in their triumphs. They will more or less be
absorbed into routine work and sport during the winter and neither
Secretary Dan Millar nor Coach Art Brown would speak of the 1942 season.
If senior O.L.A. operates as usual, Athletics will defend their four-time
Globe Shield and triple Mann Cup, but they can regard closure of the 1941
year with pride in their greatest comeback in the annals of sport and know
that St. Catharines still respects their artistry in the realm of
lacrosse. |