RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper, the man who made WWF

There are heroes. There are villians. There are anti-heroes. And then there are legends.

Roddy Piper was all four. And he was amazing at being all four.

And let's face it, if it weren't for him, the WWF -- now the WWE -- wouldn't have become the machine it is today.

Yes, Hulk Hogan carried the ball as Vince McMahon made his move nationally. But it was Piper who made watching Hogan interesting.

Seriously, think back to that era. Who else had the ability, skills and -- most importantly -- charisma to stand toe-to-toe with Hogan, Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper and every other entertainer that became part of that big Rock and Wrestling connection? Sure there were guys who could go, and they played their roles as cast (Iron Sheik, Volkoff, etc.). But would they have launched a national brand? I think not.

He had verbal timing that was unmatched. He wasn't a super muscled guy, he was someone you could relate to. He was the guy who, if you met him, you were sure you were meeting the guy -- not the character he was in the ring. The one you could have a beer with -- you couldn't have a beer with Hogan, he was too much of a hero to be hanging out at some bar (even though, in retrospect, he obviously did). He was foreign, but not in a way that was meant to scare you like the really evil guys from Iran or Russia or "Parts Unknown."

And he was able to be the guy who could slide into the role as hero, but never in a way that made you uncomfortable -- he was Stone Cold Steve Austin before Stone Cold. He was a guy who spoke his mind and if you agreed with him, great. If not, be prepared to get a coconut broke on your head or a fire extinguisher fired in your face.

Think about the performers today, and who are the guys that are going to be the ones who last in our minds. John Cena is Hogan, and he's good at his job. But who are the guys who the fans find interesting? The ones who are "real"? Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson), who may not be the talker that others are, but is real and has been embraced because of it. Dolph Ziggler -- @HeelZiggler -- a guy who the fans love, is considered a "face" but has never really taken that hero role. And then there was CM Punk, probably the most like Piper, except he found a way to walk away on his own terms.

RIP Hot Rod. Thanks for entertaining us. Let the bagpipes welcome you home.

End of the ECHL Era for the Ontario Reign -- Jason Christie

There's always a little bit of information left over when you put together season ending stories. Here's some of the quotes that didn't make the paper in our Reign finale and the conversation with Justin Kemp. 

Coach Jason Christie is a general on the ice and behind the bench.

But even a general can have his cracks.

The Reign's coach the past four seasons, his future in Ontario immediately was changed when Ontario's move into the American Hockey League was made official. Where minor league coaches are just like the players in that they're always looking to move up, Christie had the double duty of keeping his team focused on the final two months also while knowing that when the season was over, the job he currently held -- that of ECHL coach in Ontario -- would no longer be needed.

Not that he ever let on.

"Obviously, I always felt like I was in a great community. I’ll sit down with Darren (this)week and we’ll go from there. At the end it wouldn’t be fair if I was thinking anything different from what the players thought. That it’s now. Any job, you can’t really look ahead any, you have to completely focus on the task at hand. Losing Harpo (former assistant coach Mark Hardy, who got a job in the American Hockey League) this year, and just solo, it was kind of a thing of keep moving forward, day by day. I had to approach it like that. It wouldn’t be fair to the players if there were any concern at all."

And he said he never saw his players attention waver during the final two months either.

"I have to give the guys a lot of props for that. There was no hesitation, there was no thought – they came to play for the Ontario Reign. And I have to give them props for that for sure."

Not that everything was wine and roses at the start for the coach, who started his tenure by cleaning house, earning some scorn. 

"When I first came in here, I let go some of the guys, I got a lot of backlash from it. (a different reporter) wrote a pretty harsh, one-sided interview that we just had to put aside. And Harpo and I put our nose down, and we just brought a great group of people in here to play the game. Hats go off to the players who showed up here each and every day."

But being in Southern California the past four years, Christie has seen the sport of hockey grow -- both across the region, and in Ontario, also thanks in part to the efforts of his players.

"I used to play against Long Beach and that. Anaheim Ducks winning the Stanley Cup, the LA Kings winning the Stanley Cup, and so it’s brought a bunch of success. My kids are in the game of hockey. They play, and they go to school, and there’s just as much LA Kings Anaheim Ducks as there is Dodgers and Angels. That says a lot for the game to hockey.

"But again, I think it’s different, because our fan base really rallied around us. I think they enjoyed how the team played. The group of guys we had that are in the community day in and day out. The school appearances, the going to meet kids at Dave and Busters and just those little things, a lot of shoulder to shoulder time with Ontario Reign players."

End of the ECHL Era for the Ontario Reign -- Justin Kemp

There's always a little bit of information left over when you put together season ending stories. Here's some of the quotes that didn't make the paper in our Reign finale and the conversation with Justin Kemp. 

Justin Kemp may have left his post with the Reign when the team announced its move into the American Hockey League. He was a regular visitor at the games, and still visited with the team in the locker room area.

But it was definitely a different experience, he said.

"I mean it is definitely different, because you’re watching it as a fan as opposed to an employee of the team. At the same time I still felt the expectations for the fans, for the team itself, hockey ops staff, of course the front office staff. From that aspect, not a lot changed. Certainly my passion and desire to win never wavered. In some ways it was kind of nice because I had the opportunity to sit back and watch it and take advantage and just enjoy it from a hockey standpoint without any of the other distractions."

One of the hallmarks of the Reign over the last few years has been the addition of players from Southern California. From contract players such as Kyle Bigos to players such as Matt White, Dennis Brown and CJ Stretch, the ECHL version of the Reign allowed local players a chance to play at home.

It wasn't by design, as coach Jason Christie was able to track down the best players for his squad, but it didn't hurt the bottom line, either, Kemp said.

"I think it was probably Jason finding the right guys. But any time you can find a quality player that’s in your own back yard, that’s a plus. In the 20 years or so that I’ve been in this business, I’ve seen so much growth in the terms of the number of players that have come out of Southern California who have played at some sort of professional level. You have some legitimate talent now. It’s not just a novelty any more to have a player on your roster, like a Kyle Bigos, for instance, from right here in Upland. That’s not an accident. He’s a legitimate player, especially for this league and spent some time up in the American League. If you see it’s between two players one of which is local and one isn’t, yeah, there’s all kinds of reasons why you would do that, none of which are smaller than the fact you might get more fans in the building. But, let’s face it, we’re an American-run business, it’s cheaper, more economical to have an American player than a Canadian player."

As far as Kemp's future, it's still in the air. But he's done resting and is itching to take on a new challenge.

“At this point, I’ve realized I don’t think what I anticipated is how hard it is to figure out what it is that’s going to trigger your interest after having something that’s been as fulfilling as this over the last near decade,” he said. “I kind of thought I’ll take a month off and I’ll be ready to jump back into something. Mentally I’m ready to jump back into something, because I’m not used to having time on my hands like this. But it’s really important for me to find the right fit.

“I think to have an opportunity to start up another franchise somewhere or even help resurrect an existing franchise somewhere, would be something of interest to me. If not, something completely outside of team sports but involves growing another business. I’ve looked at a bunch of different things, but nothing has caught just yet. But I’m trying to be patient and methodical about it. I’m confident that at some point here, before this year is out, something will fall into place.”

End of the ECHL Era for the Ontario Reign -- Derek Couture

There's always a little bit of information left over when you put together season ending stories. Here's some of the quotes that didn't make the paper in our Reign finale and the conversation with Justin Kemp.

The biggest thing that didn't make the final cut was information about Derek Couture. The Reign captain told me before the playoffs started that he was unsure about his future in hockey. Nothing's changed.

"I don’t know. I mean, this game is crazy, like I’ve said before. You know, you can tell yourself you’re prepared to walk away from it, but when it comes down to it, maybe you’re not ready and you’ll play this game until someone says ‘Hey, it’s time to hang ‘em up.’ "

He missed the Reign's final game due to a suspension incurred in a Game 6 altercation. He received a match penalty for his actions.

"To me, it was a fight. It was a hockey fight. And, maybe the league or the ref didn’t think it was a fight. But whenever you’re engaged one on one with a guy, he knew he was in a fight. Whether you want to fight back or not, it’s up to him."

And not being able to play in the deciding game was painful for the veteran.

"You don’t even know. There was a lot that was going through my mind at the time. One, you never want to watch the game. But two, I was a little disappointed and I don’t know. It kind of felt like I was letting the team down by getting suspended there. But it’s hockey, man. Things happen. Emotions are running high, especially in the playoffs."

Coach Jason Christie had nothing but praise for the work his captain has done over the past four years. 

"He’s what you want to build your team around – a real pro. He’s been great. When we first came in here, Harpo (former assistant coach Mark Hardy) and I, there was a lot on his shoulders being the captain and setting what we want to build around. Hey, I have nothing but the utmost respect for how hard he played, what he brought to the organization, but him as a person."

It was a sentiment echoed by Justin Kemp.

"There’s no question. He was a true professional from day one. He kept the bar high. He is really one of those who practices what he preaches. He’s just a class act. He’s always a class act for this organization. You can see the difference when he’s in the lineup versus not. And I don’t think there’s any greater example of that then that Game 7 the other night when he was suspended. In fact that could have been the difference maker having him in that lineup. He’s actually been a cornerstone for this organization the last four years. He’s exactly the type of player that we like having represent us."

Christie, like his captain, is unsure about the future for the right winger.

"The thing about him, he only knows how to play one way, and is the age catching up to him? I don’t know. He has to play one way, that’s the only way he knows how to play. Unfortunately,it’s time right now, where he has to decide and it’s a tough. I feel for him, because it’s a tough thing to go through. I’ve been through as an ex-player, and when is when? He’s a first class person that I have nothing but obviously great things to whatever he does."

The Tears of the Clown

Everyone has that one "celebrity" whose death hits us harder than it should.
For many in my generation, it was Kurt Cobain. River Phoenix was a big one for others. Len Bias was a great cautionary tale for kids my age.
For me, however, none of them held a candle to Robin Williams. His death hurt. And a week out, it still hurts.
Aladdin is on my TV for the second time this weekend, as Disney is playing the movie in tribute on its various networks. And as much as my son and I laugh while watching, I know we're going to get to the end. And then he'll be gone again, with the heroic, but now tragic, line of "Genie, you're free." And the tears will come once more.
It's hard thinking that a celebrity would cause that kind of emotion. After all, it's not like I knew the man. He was just someone I saw on my TV and movie screens.
But he was more. From Mork to Popeye to the Genie to Mrs. Doubtfire, his manic genius was a huge part of the laughter in my life. How many times did you fire off one of his one liners from a movie? We quote his interactions with the Sgt. Major in "Good Morning, Vietnam" to this day.

Sgt. Major Dickerson: [Pointing to his rank insignia] What does three up and three down mean to you, airman?
Adrian Cronauer: End of an inning?

And it wasn't just those acting roles.
His standup comedy was legendary. Anytime he was on a talk show, it was worth stopping to watch -- even on Jay Leno's show. Look them up -- he's never not funny. I wore out a copy of his Live at the Met performance on cassette tape, and got a second one because I had to have it to listen to in my car. He would crack up fellow comics with his material. Track down some of his Comic Relief bits, as Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg tried -- and mostly failed -- to keep up. And then there was his bit "Inside the Actor's Studio" when he did a 10-15 minute improv riff using a woman's scarf. Epic.
Was everything he did great? No, and not all laugh out loud funny. But he still came back to laughter. And it was always great to see. Even his return to TV last fall on "The Crazy Ones" was funny. But it didn't play to Middle America, and so it didn't get a second season. 
And so I'm left to grieve this man I never met. Like the grieving process for those closest to us, the feeling will pass. But for now, I'd expect a few tears whenever I see his picture or run across him on video. RIP Robin. Thanks for the laughter.

ONTARIO REIGN POST-MORTEM QUOTES

There's only so much room in the newspaper for what was said in my season-ending interviews with the Reign staff. Here's what didn't make the final article:

FROM JASON CHRISTIE

On the season ending the way it did:

“It leaves that empty feeling in your stomach. It’s not what we wanted. It’s tough, even tougher this year with the movements we had, and we thought we had the horses this year. Obviously injuries down the stretch hurt us. Our goaltender sprained his ankle the first game. And we had Parker out. Overall, it was touch just losing Calla and Van de Moss, those guys are proven leaders.”

Injuries played a role, but...

"There’s no excuses. We lost. Give Stockton credit. They had some good players sent down from Bridgeport. And Hunt is probably one of the best leaders in the league. And you win with guys like that. And for us, we couldn’t sustain any pressure.”

On Mario Lamoureux leaving for Europe:

"You want them to play. He didn’t feel like he was getting the opportunity to move up. You’ve just got to move forward. In the ECHL you can’t sit here and dwell on it, you’ve got to move forward. I think we didn’t have a top line center. We were hoping to get DaSilva back, but he wasn’t going to come back. He would have helped. That number one center, we didn’t have that top center. We had good centers, but we just didn’t have that top-flight center to keep up with the Clark’s that they have on the other teams."

On whether we should expect much of the team back next year due to the number of contract players that played for the Reign this year: 

"They haven’t had that here in year’s past. It’s going to be tough for the fans. It’s something that we get affiliation with Winnipeg and L.A., just talking to Rob (Blake) there, it’s something that you will see guys – you want to see guys at the next level. You can’t stop a guy from making more money. You can’t stop a guy from his goal of making it to the NHL. There’s nobody happier in seeing that than myself. When I sit there and I can watch Darcy Kuemper, and obviously Cliffy was here during the lockout, and Hutchinson going up -- when you can see your players play at the NHL, it makes you pretty excited. And that’s everybody’s goal down here, is to be at the next level. And that’s why you have to have depth in your system."

Christie's thoughts on Derek Couture's status for next year:

"Couts is a guy, that’s for us, he’s a captain for a reason. He knows what we like here. It was tough for him to lose the DaSilvas and Callas, that older presence. That’s why we brough Jeremy Yablonski in, just for that older, wily veteran status -- mostly for the locker room. For Couts, we never know in the summer time, we haven’t had one-on-one meetings yet, so I’ll know more tomorrow. But he’s a guy, if I’m going to war, he’s a guy I want on my side."

FROM JUSTIN KEMP, PRESIDENT ONTARIO REIGN

On whether there were too many moves this season:

"I think there’s a lot of opinions out there about what was the reason. I think that may have something to do with it. We really haven’t sat down and evaluated what … what the reasonings were. I think there was more to it than that. But this was a year that we saw more change than we ‘ve ever seen before, which definitely makes it tough to establish a high level of continuity going into the postseason. I thought we went on that ten-game unbeaten streak near the end of the season, that we had sort of turned a corner, and we were playing as a team. And unfortunately, we didn’t see that once we got into the postseason."

I asked if the team's start gave a false sense of security: 

"It’s possible. The first half of the year, we had Hutchinson here in the goal, where he finished the year in the NHL. There were a lot of times at the start of the season, I think, that we felt that he was bailing us out quite a bit. Doing enough to give us the opportunity to win. And there’s a lot of things that happened at the same time mid-season, around the time that he left, we took on a lot new players with San Francisco and there were call-ups and injuries, just a lot of stuff that happened in a few week period that shook things up. I don’t think this first-round early exit was indicative of the team that won the division title this year. That’s tough. I fully support why we worked to get better midseason. We did feel like we were riding a hot goalie, and we didn’t want to feel like we had to rely on that. And unfortunately, all the pieces didn’t come together the way that we hoped."

On the coaching staff's future with the team:

"I still fully support the coaching staff. We have the best coaching staff in this league. Jason is still under contract, and he’s the guy that I want to lead this team. We’re definitely on board with that, and we’ll turn our focus here toward next year. Getting back to making progress, that’s what we set out to do when we hired him. It was get back to the playoffs. We got to the second round for the first time. Now we need to be looking to go beyond that. The goal is to still win a championship. We just need to figure out where maybe we could have done better this year and how we can make adjustments next year so we can get back to where we want to be."

On whether we'll see a core come back or not:

"We try to keep a core of guys. This year, unfortunately, we dealt with injuries as we do every year. But this year was worse by far, especially in the number of head injuries we had. I think we had 17 concussions this year – a lot for any team to deal with. Not to make excuses, that’s not what we’re doing, there was a lot of adversity that followed us throughout the year, despite a good regular season record and despite a lot of changes that were outside of our control."

On Mario Lamoureux leaving for Europe:

"He had an opportunity to play in Europe. Young players, when they get the opportunity to make more money and go abroad, it’s not uncommon. Obviously, we were disappointed, because he was the type of guy who could really help us. He’s an offensive spark out there, and it would have been great to have him in this series. But at the end of the day, it’s a business. A professional athlete has a finite amount of time that they can do what they do."

Missing that spark on offense:

"Some of those guys that we lost, they were spark plugs to this team. I know people are going to have their opinions on why we made it, or was it good for the team. But at the end of the day, every move that we made was an attempt to get better and get stronger. It unfortunately didn’t work out this year. The intent was always certainly there."

THANK YOU, AND REST IN PEACE, ULTIMATE WARRIOR

He knew.
He had to know.
There was no other reason that Jim Hellwig had to make his peace with Vince McMahon and the WWE after all these years.
The Ultimate Warrior was dying. For real this time.
How else do you explain it? In the last year, he came back into the fold and allowed his likeness in the WWE's popular video game series. He got the full DVD documentary treatment. He went into the WWE Hall of Fame. He signed the Legends Contract, which allows his likeness to continue to be used for more DVD's and T-shirts and more and more merchandise (including, but not limited to, that mask he wore in the ring in his now prophetic last promo on Monday Night Raw).
And why would he do all that now?
Plain and simple: Money.
Money for his family. He was dying, and he wanted to make sure they were taken care of.
And it breaks my heart that it came down to that.
This was someone I grew up watching. Playing as a video game character on the old WWF Superstars arcade game (remember when we left our house and paid at 25 cents just for the chance to play a video game). I'd team him and "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase to cause havoc in the ring. He was the guy whose intensity made him the guy who you knew was going to put on a show.
But as often occurs in an industry where egos run wilder than the Warrior's high octane entrance, Warrior's time in the limelight exploded. Over money, natch. This was still in the days that boys were the boys, before some of the guaranteed money that are built into the contracts of current WWE performers. Drinking, drugs, partying, sharing rooms and rental cars to save money and backstabbing were more the norm if you believe the stories from the era.
And with his physique, the cloud of steroid abuse followed him -- and likely played a role in his estrangement from the McMahon empire in the first place. And, when all is said and done, the abuse he put his body through (steroids or just the wrestling business in general) will have contributed to his premature death.
So while I remain just swimming through the emotions of his death, I'm happy he buried the hatchet and protected his legacy. He deserved it for all the moments of happiness he gave to his Warriors through the years.