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Just wanted to share some stories about the passing of a great guy that was one of my coaches at the University of Guelph in the early 1990's.
Big Joe was one of a handful of true characters that changed/influenced my life. His stories and jokes were legendary. As were his bar brawl stories from his early 20's, when it was widely known he could easily handle 5 or 6 opponents at once
He was a former boxer that trained with Rocky Marciano and you did not want to be on the receiving end of one of his love taps. The man had fists like hams and his hand strength was incredible. I can't imagine how strong he would have been from the ages of 20-45. He had the ability to take a quarter and bend it between his two thumbs in mid air - there was no pressing it down on an edge or anything.
Think about that ! I still have one of those quarters.
He gave us some choice expressions (not suitable for a msg board) and called himself "the down the middle kid." He was always breaking 80 even at 66 yrs old.
You couldn't meet a more generous person or find someone to say just the right thing when the going was good or the going got tough. A very important trait in any coach leading impressionable young men between the ages of 19-23.
Anyways, I don't want to be a downer, just felt I'd share a few tales of a gent everyone here would have loved to golf with or to have shared cocktails. Thinking of all the great times we shared together is somewhat cathartic and I am proud our team/coaches got into the Athletics Hall of Fame 5 yrs ago - he was tickled pink with that accomplishment
Hicokalora !
Big Joe was one of a handful of true characters that changed/influenced my life. His stories and jokes were legendary. As were his bar brawl stories from his early 20's, when it was widely known he could easily handle 5 or 6 opponents at once
He was a former boxer that trained with Rocky Marciano and you did not want to be on the receiving end of one of his love taps. The man had fists like hams and his hand strength was incredible. I can't imagine how strong he would have been from the ages of 20-45. He had the ability to take a quarter and bend it between his two thumbs in mid air - there was no pressing it down on an edge or anything.
Think about that ! I still have one of those quarters.
He gave us some choice expressions (not suitable for a msg board) and called himself "the down the middle kid." He was always breaking 80 even at 66 yrs old.
You couldn't meet a more generous person or find someone to say just the right thing when the going was good or the going got tough. A very important trait in any coach leading impressionable young men between the ages of 19-23.
Anyways, I don't want to be a downer, just felt I'd share a few tales of a gent everyone here would have loved to golf with or to have shared cocktails. Thinking of all the great times we shared together is somewhat cathartic and I am proud our team/coaches got into the Athletics Hall of Fame 5 yrs ago - he was tickled pink with that accomplishment
Hicokalora !
