THE thumbnail obituary tells us that Bill Chadwick died last week at 94. A kid from Manhattan, in 1935 he lost sight in one eye while playing ice hockey. Yet, he would become the NHL’s first U.S.-born referee, introducing hand/arm signals that today are standardized.
In 1967, he became a Rangers’ radio analyst, first with Marv Albert — that’s when statistician Arthur Friedman nicknamed Chadwick, “The Big Whistle” — and continued as a Rangers’ TV/radio broadcaster into the 1980s, most often teamed with the late Jim Gordon. End obit.
But for those who experienced Chadwick’s on-air work, that’s where it begins. He was a character, a howl, New York hockey’s Phil Rizzuto. And in Chadwick’s world there was no Jim Gordon, the man’s name was “Chim,” “Chim Gordon.”
“He wasn’t much for preparation,” said the Rangers’ longtime publicist/archivist, John Halligan, “thus his pregame analysis, nearly every game, was to suggest that war was imminent: ‘These teams do not like each other, Chim.’ ”
He was a homer in an odd way, often growing angry, on-air, with the Rangers. He worked without a filter. That made him fun and funny.
Of flashy, long blond-haired forward Gene Carr, Chadwick growled: “He couldn’t put the puck in the ocean off a pier, Chim!”
And he became famously infuriated when huge defenseman Barry Beck would either dump the puck in or make a cross-ice pass from his position on the point. “Shoot the puck, Barry!” That plaint still follows the mention of Chadwick or Beck to local hockey fans.
Of defenseman Carol Vadnais, Chadwick steamed: “Chim, you don’t have to take the puck away from Vadnais, he’ll give it to ya!”
“The first game I ever called for the Rangers was as a fill-in on radio for Sal Messina, January 1985, at the Garden,” said Howie Rose. “I was with Chadwick. At the end of the game, still on air, I told Bill that it was a thrill working with him.
“I think what he next tried to say was something kind, such as ‘Howie, you’ve got a nice, long career ahead of you and you’re on your way.’
“What he said, though, was this: ‘Howie, you’ve got a long way to go . . . and you’re going fast.”
Then there’s this from reader-turned-pal Bill Parrinello: “Years ago, I was going home on the LIRR, when I saw Bill Chadwick sitting alone. I said, ‘Sorry to bother you, Mr. Chadwick, I just want you to know I enjoy your work.’ I intended to move on after that, to leave him alone.
“But he invited me to sit next to him. We talked hockey until my stop.”
*
So with all the Steve Phillips stuff hitting the fan you’d think that ESPN would take the week off from trying to attract drooling fools, right? Fat chance.
ESPN.com’s homepage this week provided a link to a Kenny Mayne skit in which two jiggling, giggling young women appeared in bikinis, splashing about in a swimming pool, followed by the suggestion that they “make out” with each other. Yup, more good work from the nation’s sports leader. Yesterday, ESPN tacitly acknowledged that the video was inappropriate, saying “it’s being re-edited.”
*
If you can get past the muscle drugs issue, Mark McGwire is an excellent choice to be the Cardinals’ batting coach. Having struck out 100 or more times in 10 seasons, who better to instruct how to avoid hitting into double plays? Beyond that, had McGwire not stonewalled Congress — had he answered the questions and answered honestly — he might be ineligible for any MLB gig. As Maynard G. Krebs — the G. stood for Walter — used to say, “What an age we live in!”
*
Bob Griese‘s one-week suspension for that ethnic crack — during ESPN’s Minnesota-Ohio St. telecast he said NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was “out getting a taco” — was deserved not only for his insensitivity, but because such a crack was just plain stupid; as cracks go it wasn’t the least bit clever.
Football is eating itself from the inside, out. During Boston College-Notre Dame on NBC on Saturday, a linebacker, after recovering a fumble, spun the ball on the ground, drawing a delay of game penalty. A replay challenge of the fumble followed, causing a 4½-minute delay of game.
After Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson scored on a 67-yard end-around, Monday, ESPN’s Ron Jaworski grabbed a giant shovel: “The guy has made more explosive plays in the first six or seven weeks of the season than any guy in NFL history!” Nurse!