GA Russell

Jim, I know that you're not religious, but I'll point out to you for your education so that you don't make the same mistake in front of more important company that the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary, who was the product of sexual relations between her parents St. Joachim and St. Anne. You are actually referring to the Virgin Birth, which refers to Mary's conception of Jesus.

It is really getting ugly now. This article from the British tabloid News of the World discusses what a rat this guy must be. Although I have never had any sympathy for Britney, considering both her having been sold as a sexpot from the get go as an underage teenager (i.e., her Hit Me Baby One More Time video) and her candid admiration for Madonna, I still have to feel for the girl. No matter how rich she is, she is still a young mother with two infants, and her rat of a husband is considering putting tapes of her having sex on the internet. SUPERSTAR Britney Spears is facing a mega divorce payout because she did it again and again and again...on a HONEYMOON sex video. Dumped husband Kevin Federline has been touting the four-hour tape for sale and has already been offered £26 MILLION. A film company wants to make it available online to fans around the world. One close pal said: "This vid is dynamite and Kev knows it." And the News of the World can also reveal that Britney slapped divorce papers on Federline—who had already been linked with hookers—after she caught him in a bedroom with another woman. Explicit Britney, 24, fears the raunchy footage will destroy her wholesome image unless she caves in to his demands for a £16million payoff and custody of their children Sean Preston, one, and Jayden James, eight weeks. She is worried she will become infamous like Paris Hilton —whose home-made sex video, was put on the internet by her ex and became one of the world's most popular sites. Federline, 28, has bragged to pals that his X-rated tape shows the Oops, I Did It Again singer performing a series of explicit sex acts. The home-made video is believed to show the naked couple enjoying an uninhibited range of love-making and sexual games.It was made during the first weeks of their relationship two years ago when they were holed up in one of the exclusive bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. The source close to Federline said: "At the time the two of them were in the honeymoon stages of the relationship and couldn't keep their hands off each other. "They did nothing all day but have sex—and play the odd game of chess. "They were insatiable and they believed they would be together forever. "Britney didn't think twice about making the video at the time. She mistakenly believed that their love would last. "They adored filming each other. They lived their lives in front of the cameras—even making a short-lived reality TV show of their exploits. "Sex was no different to them, it seems. Now this video could prove very costly to her. "Millions of people will be prepared to pay to watch. "Kevin has told Britney she should comply with his demands otherwise the whole world will see her having sex, which will be devastating." He added: "At the moment Kev is in talks with a company in Arizona about putting the four-hour sex vid online. If it all goes to plan he'll make £26million from it." The source explained that Federline is so enraged with his estranged wife he will do anything to hurt her. Meanwhile a pal of Britney added: "She is absolutely furious with Kevin, and knows a full-on sex video could almost certainly ruin her chance of a career come-back. "They were made for the couple to watch in the privacy of their home. She never thought that he'd threaten to SELL them. Playing "Britney has contacted her lawyers to see how she can stop him but it is going to be a hard one. It is his tape, so in theory he owns the copyright." We can reveal Britney—worth at least £50million after hits like Hit Me Baby One More Time—filed for divorce after she stormed into his hotel room and found him with another woman. The singer flew into New York a day after her wannabe rapper husband to join his tour. But he stood her up at The Library restaurant, and she was seen in floods of tears before storming to the Regency Hotel where he was staying. A source said: "It is against the hotel's policy to give keys to people not staying in the hotel, but she was so upset that when she demanded it they handed it straight over. "She raced up to his room and found another girl in there. "They didn't need to be doing anything. Just the fact she was in there was enough to confirm months of suspicions, rumours and accusations about him playing away. "Two members of staff were fired for handing over the keys, but the damage was done. "Britney had seen all she had to and decided their marriage was over on the spot." Last week she filed for divorce after dumping him by text. Federline is only entitled to £2million and half the sale of their £7million home in Santa Barbara because of the watertight pre-nuptial agreement they signed before they wed. Britney also gets to take back his £78,000 Ferrari, custom-made motorbike and any gifts worth more than £6,000. Two days later Federline filed his own divorce petition. He is demanding £16million, custody of their children and for Britney to pay his legal fees and maintenance. A pal said: "The bid for custody of the kids was a warning shot that Kevin means business. "And, more importantly, that he is NOT going to go away quietly with his pre-nup pittance. "He wants an awful lot more. and he'll most likely get it." But the star put a brave face on her troubles this week as she celebrated her freedom. She was spotted beaming away in a big baggy jumper at an ice rink in New York. Giggling as she took a twirl, the singer was filmed by a fan. Coke, Vice Girls and Vegas By Georgina Dickinson SOBBING Britney broke down in her mum's arms last week as she finally admitted: My husband is a love rat into GAMBLING, HOOKERS and DRUGS. Worried Lynne Spears begged her daughter to leave Federline. Now Britney has finally accepted that he: # ROMPED with Vegas hookers, # SNORTED cocaine and popped ecstasy in a limo, and # SQUANDERED millions on boozy 24-hour gambling sessions. A close friend of Britney revealed: "For ages she was blinded by love for Kevin. Now she's seen the light." Prostitute Danielle Coakley, 20, has told how she took drugs and partied with Federline while Britney was pregnant. She said: "Kevin was a real party animal. We went to two casinos then back to his hotel suite in Vegas. There were lots of drugs—cocaine, weed and ecstasy. We shared an E in his limo on the way then passed out on his bed." And £500-a-night stripper Vanessa Hulihan, 30, revealed she spent weekends with him. She said: "Kevin said we could be together if he wasn't married. Another time I went to his hotel suite and the tub was full of strippers." Kevin was also seen blowing thousands at gambling tables while cuddling up to porn star Kendra Jade, 29. Secrets of her £65m Pre-Nup CANNY Britney has protected her millions with a watertight pre-nuptial agreement of astonishing detail, it has been revealed. Federline may be using the sex video in the hope of upping his payout but LEGALLY he's entitled to as little as £160,000 cash. Britney, then worth £65million, even staged a fake wedding in September 2004 because the pre-nup was not ready. The couple then went through a second legal ceremony almost three weeks later. The pre-wedding deal, referred to as the Smith and Jones Cohabitation/Pre-nuptial Agreement, states the couple agree to each have a one-half share of their £5.2 million home in Malibu. The agreement BANS Federline from getting his hands on any money Britney had before their marriage when a large part of her fortune was earned. It also BANS him from getting any cash from deals pre-dating the marriage. Even gifts he has received from her valued at more than £5,263 require a legal document signed by both of them stating who owns it if they split. In the first draft of the pre-nup, Federline was due to receive £18,947 a year in the event of a split. This was later increased to £157,894 ‘spousal support' for every two years of marriage. As they wed just over two years ago, this could be all he gets. Kevin Federline was worth £15,789 when he wed. He submitted a one-page document listing assets. He was earning £39,000 a year, while his bride's income was £10.2 milllion. The pre-nup lists Britney's bling as worth £170,000, including a diamond engagement ring she bought herself. Merchandise, including her perfume Curious, earned her £8.5million, endorsements £11million and music, including touring, royalties and a record deal were worth £13.5 million.

Happy Birthday, S-O-W! And "Skol!", as Secret Agent man used to say!

Happy Birthday, Eric! Today is also my sister's birthday. When she was a girl she always got the day off from school because it was Veteran's Day. I don't think they give the kids the day off anymore. It's also the birthday of one of my favorite, Mose Allison. He's 79 today. Hope Kansas does well on the football field today!

I got my new turntable platter mat today, so I've spent the evening spinning LPs: Paul Bley - Copenhagen and Haarlem twofer (Arista Freedom) Cal Tjader - Return Engagement twofer (Verve) The Best of Horace Silver, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar - Flute Souffle (Status/Prestige) The Four Freshmen - and Five Trumpets (Pausa/Capitol) The Thelonious Monk Story twofer (Riverside) The John Graas Nonet - Jazzmantics (Decca) [great West Coast jazz!]

Great shots, Mark! Must have been a great time! Joey's getting to be as big as a house, isn't he?!

Nope, never heard of it. When is it on?

Paul Mauriat died last Friday. I didn't know that he also wrote I Will Follow Him. This from the LA Times: Paul Mauriat, 81; French conductor hit No. 1 in '60s with 'Love Is Blue' From Times Staff and Wire Reports November 9, 2006 Paul Mauriat, 81, a French conductor whose arrangement of "Love Is Blue" topped U.S. charts in the 1960s, died Friday in Perpignan in southeast France, according to a cousin, Laurent Mauriat. The cause of death was not reported. Paul Mauriat was born in Marseille and grew up in Paris. He began studying music at age 4 and eventually studied at the Conservatoire in Paris. He began leading his own band during World War II. According to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, his big break came when he began arranging and conducting recordings for Charles Aznavour. His 1968 arrangement of "Love is Blue," written by Andre Popp and originally recorded by Vicky Leandros, was a No. 1 hit in the United States. He was the co-writer of the French song "Chariot," which later became the English-language hit "I Will Follow Him" for Little Peggy March. He often used pseudonyms for his recordings, which were largely light music with an international thrust. He signed with Japanese recording company Pony Canyon in 1994. He last performed in Osaka in 1998, though his Paul Mauriat Orchestra continues to perform in Asia.

Thanks 7/4 and King Ubu! My platter mat arrived today. (That was quick!) Kind of a spongy material. I broke it in with a live recording Paul Bley made in Copenhagen on my birthday in 1965.

Shane, I think this is a shocker: The Stamps today fired Steve Buratto, their offensive coordinator. I thought he was considered one of the most valued people on the payroll. This from The Globe & Mail: Stampeders fire Buratto ALLAN MAKI Globe and Mail Update Calgary — The immediate future of the Calgary Stampeders has been settled: Tom Higgins stays, Steve Buratto goes and no further front-office changes are expected for the Canadian Football League club that fell hard on its facemask last Sunday. At a special meeting this week, the Stampeders' executive committee of owners Doug Mitchell, John Forzani and Ted Hellard met with Higgins to determine the next step for a club that has lost in the West Division semi-final, at home, two years in a row. The committee decided Higgins will remain as the senior vice-president of football operations and head coach, while associate head coach and offensive co-ordinator Steve Buratto be fired. News of Buratto's dismissal was released Friday, less than a week after the Stampeders were beaten in the semi-final by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Initially, it was thought Higgins would be rushed out the door because some people within the organization weren't happy with his work months ago. Instead, Higgins's position has been solidified, for now at least. "I've been told I'm the head coach for the Calgary Stampeders," said Higgins, who is believed to have two years remaining on his contract with the Stampeders. "That's been made clear. Now, nothing is ever 100-per-cent certain. Things can wane and fluctuate. But I've been told I'm staying. I have a nice contract." Higgins said he didn't like having to fire Buratto, who joined the Stampeders two years ago after serving as the offensive co-ordinator of the B.C. Lions. Higgins described Buratto as "a friend of mine who is dedicated and creative." Still, in the West semi-final, Calgary's offence sputtered, stalled and turned the football over seven times. Quarterback Henry Burris was a one-man disaster show and lost his effectiveness as the game went on. Getting the most out of Burris will be a priority for whoever replaces Buratto. "I'm not sure what exactly it was," Higgins said when asked why Burris didn't flourish under Buratto's experienced tutelage. "Maybe it's a system change we're looking for." Higgins added there were no further plans to alter his coaching staff, barring the possibility that one of his assistants may wish to leave for a better position with another club. Another matter addressed at the executive committee meeting was Hellard's role as an on-site owner who took in practices, often spoke to the players and was usually on the sidelines during home games. Several sources inside and outside the organization said Hellard's hands-on approach has rubbed some people the wrong way and created a rift between the football and business operations at McMahon Stadium. Higgins did his best yesterday to pour cold water on that hot issue. While acknowledging there were "some glitches," he said this of his boss: "Ted Hellard doesn't call the offensive or defensive plays. He's been nothing but positive about putting the best product on the field and selling tickets. "We're trying to quash the stories coming out of this building," Higgins continued. "I think having two years together under our belt, this gives us our best chance [to win games and get to the Grey Cup]." The Stampeders are 21-15 under Higgins, but have yet to win a playoff game with him at the helm.

RIP. My favorite performance of his was the original television drama Requiem for a Heavyweight.

I haven't watched 60 Minutes in decades, so I'm surprised to read that so many here respect Ed Bradley's opinions regarding music. The only expression of enthusiasm of his that I was aware of was for The Neville Brothers. When 60 Minutes did a piece on Tom Harrell they chose Charlie Rose to do it.

Eastern Final - Toronto at Montreal The Als went 3-8 their last eleven games. But I am picking them to beat the Argos because the Argos can't stop the run, and the Als have a great runner in Robert Edwards. Western Final - Saskatchewan at British Columbia The Lions are the best team in the league. But the Roughriders had their number, beating them their last three meetings. I'm picking the Lions because they have the best QB tandem in the league. edit for typo

Claude, I got that from the Fox News website.

Here's a note from today's Barron's online: November 9, 2006, 6:30 pm Web 2.0: EMI Exec Says Beatles Music “Coming Soon” To The Web Posted by Eric Savitz A short post, which potentially could make a lot of music fans happy. In response to a question, EMI Music Vice Chairman David Munns says Beatles songs would be “coming soon” to the Web. The band’s music has not been available on iTunes or other legal music download services. Munns made the comment while speaking on a panel at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco. He provided no details.

I still listen to all three discs of this set all the time. I appreciate the music much more than I did with previous tape and CD releases.

Here's an article from Fox News about Britney's finances and their pre-nup. Britney Spears didn’t pick Nov. 6 as the day to file for divorce from Kevin Federline by accident. She filed two years and one month from the day of her marriage, on Oct. 6, 2004. Her prenup, according to legal theorists, evidently carried increases for Federline for every year of their marriage. And those deadlines, they say, likely had 30-day grace periods. Hence, Nov. 6 would have been Britney's last chance to get out of paying a third year of alimony settlement to a basically talentless slacker who was a drain on her finances. And in the end, money is probably what Spears’ divorce is all about. Since she deliberately showed off a new trim body on David Letterman’s show the other night, Spears is obviously getting ready to go back to work. If a new album and tour are on the boards, Spears obviously doesn't want to share the proceeds with Federline. It was clearly better to get out now, so that K-Fed can lay claim to only half of Spears’ earnings during what has been the most fallow period in her career. Indeed, Spears has no doubt been feeling the pinch of diminished income since she met Federline and quickly had two children with him. The one thing she’s been unable to do is tour, and that’s really where she makes her bread and butter. Spears has never been a huge recording artist. She hasn’t released an album of new material since 2003, and it’s hard to say whether there’s an audience out there to buy one if she did. Her biggest hits occurred some time ago, between 1999 and 2001, when "Baby One More Time" and "Oops! ... I Did It Again" caused sensations. But Spears didn’t write those songs, and she doesn’t get a publishing royalty for any of her few big hits. That has no doubt hurt her pocketbook, since sales of her albums are long since finished. Without touring or getting paid for commercial endorsements, Spears doesn’t have much of a profitable career these days. Add in two kids, a husband with expensive tastes who doesn’t earn money, various family members and employees, and Spears could be facing Michael Jackson- type financial problems. Offloading Federline, even with a prenup, is probably the first best thing she can do to cut expenses. Spears, by the way, also has her name on a charitable foundation. But Nina Biggar, director of the Cambridge, Mass.-based Britney Spears Foundation, didn’t even know Spears had filed for divorce when I called her yesterday. She told me that the organization had given away almost $2 million in its short life, including $800,000 to the Twin Towers Fund. The charity is entirely funded by Spears, but Biggar told me that this past year’s contribution was lower than the one before. This doesn’t reflect lack of interest on Spears’ part, but just lack of funds. Once K-Fed is off the payroll, Britney will be able to afford a return to her charitable activities.

Here's an article by Allan Maki: Raise a glass to Jackie Parker, one of the greatest football players this country has ever seen. His friends say old Spaghetti Legs would have wanted it that way — a few drinks, lots of laughs, no tears. If you knew Parker, who died yesterday of throat cancer at 74, or simply saw him hobble around in his aging years, you couldn't help but smile. The guy was your grandfather. He wore old sweaters and needed a shave. Once, when he was coaching the Edmonton Eskimos in the late 1980s, he walked around the dressing room in his long underwear and slippers. He looked like he'd crawled off a park bench and made it to Commonwealth Stadium in the nick of time. In his prime, Parker, who played on both sides of the ball as quarterback, running back and defensive back during his 15-year Canadian Football League career, resembled a big-eared Bing Crosby. He was slim, he was gangly but he was amazingly gifted — and it was that Parker, the one who scored arguably the most memorable touchdown in Grey Cup history, who rambled through the memories of his closest friends yesterday, chief among them was Mike Lashuk. Lashuk was a fresh-faced turnip out of junior football when he joined the Eskimos in 1957. From then on, he and Parker were pals. They played together, they socialized together. And after their football careers ended, they stayed close and played golf with former Eskimos president Norm Kimball and former Calgary Stampeders president Roy Jennings, better known as the Palm Springs mafia. "I saw him in the desert last winter," Lashuk said of Parker. "We tried to get him to go to the Super Bowl. He could hardly get out of bed. Then, I saw him in the hospital [in Edmonton]. He was sleeping. "Jackie would have no regrets," Lashuk added. "He used the full 100 per cent of the warranty. He lived life and he lived it to the fullest, absolutely."During his seven years with the Eskimos, Lashuk said there was little doubt Parker was the team's main character — and a good guy to learn from. In one game against the hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Lashuk recalled a play just before halftime when a defensive tackle took exception to a running play Parker had called and drilled him with a cheap shot. Lashuk said Parker never uttered a word as he left the field for halftime. But before the second half began, Parker ran out of the Edmonton dressing room and headed straight for the Bombers' room. A surprised Lashuk followed. "He runs to where the Bombers are and he yells at the guy who hit him," Lashuk said. "The guy apologized and that was the end of it. Jackie took care of it himself. He had no fear." Parker had no fear. And if you saw him in uniform, just standing there, you might have wondered if he had any talent, either. His legs were toothpicks (hence the Spaghetti Legs nickname). He was hardly the "after" shot in a Charles Atlas advertisement but he had a knack for making plays — and his biggest occurred in the 1954 Grey Cup. With the Montreal Alouettes leading 25-20 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Montreal's Chuck Hunsinger lost control of the ball deep in Edmonton territory. Parker recovered and took off like a man whose pants were on fire. His 90-yard run gave Edmonton the win in what historians dubbed "the first Grey Cup of the modern era." That touchdown came to symbolize everything that was great about Parker, from his ability to produce when it counted to his aw-shucks-I-didn't-think-the-play-was-anything-special attitude. Parker won three Grey Cups and was selected the CFL's top player three times in his playing days with the Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions. "He was really the antithesis of today's athlete," Lashuk said. "The guy was humble. You never heard him boast. The one thing I learned from him was respect, not only for the game but for people. He always called older people sir until he felt comfortable calling them by their first name." As for Parker's unusual brand of athleticism, Lashuk simply marvelled at how Parker worked things out until finally he had it all down. "He played golf differently. He had his own swing and it was ugly but it worked for him. He did it through experimentation and learning," Lashuk said. "And aside from golf, he was a helluva curler. . . . He'd come out of the hack sliding on his right knee and he threw it so awkwardly but he was successful." Why? Because Parker was a competitor no matter the stakes, no matter the game. "Curling, golf, drinking, shooting birds," Lashuk said. "He wanted to win without abusing his opponent. That's the way he was." So raise a glass to the man who made a lot of Canadians smile. He played the game. He helped make the Grey Cup great. Better still, he lived life. He lived it to the fullest.

Happy Birthday Paul!

BC, when the time comes I'll post a Grey Cup contest.

Shane from 1989 to 2001 I hosted a Grey Cup party in Atlanta. We would talk a sports bar into putting the game off the satellite onto the big screen. A number of former and current players lived in the area. Among those who came to the party over the years were Randy Rhino, Gerald Alphin, Ron Williams, Pleasant and Allen. One year the CBS affiliate sent a camera crew and I was on television that night! We always had Canadian beer, usually Molson's, on tap. I belonged to a social club which every year had twelve Christmas parties (for the twelve days of Christmas), and we used the Grey Cup party as an unofficial 13th party to kick off (no pun intended) the Christmas season. You would have enjoyed it!

Now she is going to be a single parent with two infants. I do not recall anyone getting such consistently bad press as K-Fed. He must be really something. This just in from CNN: (CNN) -- It's over for Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. CNN has confirmed that the pop singer, known for hits such as "Oops ... I Did It Again" and "Toxic," is divorcing her husband of two years and one month. Spears and Federline, one of the singer's former backup dancers, married October 6, 2004, according to the divorce papers. TMZ.com reports that Spears filed legal papers Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing "irreconcilable differences." Spears is asking for legal and physical custody of their two children, 1-year-old Sean Preston and 2-month-old Jayden James. The date of separation was listed as Monday. Spears, 24, married Federline after a six-month courtship in 2004. In January 2004, she had married childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas, Nevada. That marriage was annulled after 55 hours. Federline, 28, previously had a relationship with actress Shar Jackson. The union produced two children, one of whom was born two months before he married Spears. Federline recently released a rap album, "Playing with Fire." The Spears-Federline marriage has been chronicled in detail in celebrity magazines since the pair tied the knot, with rumors of problems surfacing often.

I've been to four Grey Cup games - '78, '79, '85 and '96. The '78 game in Toronto at CNE Stadium was the coldest. I remember seeing Bryan Hall (quoted above) during the game and he was miserable! I still remember the look on his face! But the '96 game is the one that will be remembered, because that was the one with all the snow in Hamilton. It was a great game, but unfortunately was decided by a bad call right in front of me. Doug Flutie fumbled on a quarterback sneak before he reached the first down line. The refs gave the Argos both the ball and the first down. They went on to score a TD, as I recall the one that won the game. Reggie Pleasant played very briefly in that game for Edmonton. The year before he and Damon Allen came to my Grey Cup party, so I was rooting for Edmonton that game. edit for typo

Jackie Parker died yesterday. I had his bubble gum card when I was a kid. When Doug Flutie was named the Most Outstanding Player every year, people were saying that he was the greatest player in the history of the Canadian league. But the old timers said, No, that would be Jackie Parker. Here is his obituary from The Toronto Globe & Mail. It doesn't mention that when he was finished playing college ball, the Edmonton executives met with him in a motel room and laid out $25,000. on the bed, and said, "Sign the contract and it's yours." That was a huge amount of money for a pro football rookie in 1954. Jackie Parker passes away JOHN CHAPUT Canadian Press Regina — Former CFL great Jackie Parker, who starred on both offence and defence and helped bring three Grey Cups to the Edmonton Eskimos, has died at the age of 74. There is the utility that spawned the cliché "Jack of all trades, master of none." Then there is the incomparable versatility that was Parker, master of every facet of football and in many minds the greatest player in the history of the Canadian game. He was a sensational running back, pass receiver and quarterback, an excellent defensive back, a capable punter and reliable place kicker. As for intangible qualities, he made huge plays in clutch situations, had exceptional perceptivity and instinct, and combined the confidence of a natural leader with the deference of an ideal team player. As a sports idol and celebrity, he responded to the public's adulation with friendly modesty. "I had an advantage as a quarterback because I had him as a receiver," says Don Getty, former premier of Alberta and Mr. Parker's teammate on the Edmonton Eskimos for eight seasons. "Jackie was the best receiver I ever had. He had unbelievable hands and, being a quarterback himself, he knew there was only a brief time available to get open before the quarterback would go down. "Jackie joined the Eskimos [in 1954] a year before I did and at first he wasn't an accomplished passer. His throws would wobble somewhat, but he would roll out and either dump the ball off to a receiver or kill you with his running. My rookie year was a little goofy in that I was a Canadian coming from [the University of Western Ontario in] London, but [head coach] Pop Ivy told me I was the best passer he'd ever seen. Eventually Pop would send Jackie and I off by ourselves during practice and tell us, 'You two go down there and Don, you show him how to throw a spiral.' Within a year Jackie was throwing as well as anyone in the league — except that he didn't have anyone like himself to throw to." Although he would become a superlative performer in Canada over a 13-season playing career (1954-65 and 1968), nine of them with the Eskimos, the young Mr. Parker's arrival in Edmonton didn't cause much of a stir. Raised in Tennessee, he starred at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., for two years before transferring to Mississippi State University. There he led all American college football in scoring with 120 points, including 16 touchdowns, in 1952 and was selected both All-American and Academic All-American in 1953. Mr. Parker was not drafted by any National Football League team, however, so he turned pro with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union. At the time — four years before the WIFU and the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (Big Four) officially became the Canadian Football League, and seven years before interlocking play between Eastern and Western teams was initiated — Canadian teams could pay American stars virtually on a par with their NFL counterparts. In fact, Edmonton's primary quarterback in 1954 was another rookie, Bernie Faloney, who had been the first-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers. Mr. Parker made a tremendous impression in camp on at least one person, but not for his football prowess. "Here's this spindly-legged guy with huge hands, curly blonde hair and ears that stuck out from the side of his head," says Bryan Hall, who has covered Eskimos football since 1953 and has been their radio play-by-play man since 1968. "The first thing I thought was, 'Jeez, the guy's a dead-ringer for Bing Crosby.'" The skinny lower limbs inspired Mr. Parker's enduring nickname of "Spaghetti Legs," although surviving film of the era suggests that his speed and subtle moves made tackling him like trying to grip freshly cooked pasta. In his rookie campaign of 1954, he led the Eskimos in rushing with 925 yards on only 117 carries for a gaudy 7.9-yard average, was the team's best passer with 36 completions in 55 attempts for 558 yards, caught nine passes for 115 yards, scored 13 touchdowns (10 running, three receiving), punted 49 times for a 41-yard average, and intercepted four passes on defence. Yet that exceptional debut season would be instantly relegated to footnote status by Mr. Parker's role in the most famous single play to occur in the spectacular annals of the Grey Cup game. Montreal, prohibitive favourites for the 1954 national final in Toronto, held a 25-20 lead (when touchdowns counted for five points, not six) and threatened to seal the victory by driving inside the Edmonton 20-yard line with three minutes remaining. Then the shocking drama unfolded: Alouettes quarterback Sam Etcheverry gave the ball to halfback Chuck Hunsinger, who tried to sweep left but was quickly sandwiched between Edmonton's Ted Tully and Rollie Prather. In a moment of panic, Mr. Hunsinger pushed out an awkward two-handed toss that might have been an attempted lateral or, as he claimed after the game, a forward pass. The ball bounced into Mr. Parker's eager hands and the rookie tore up the field for a touchdown. Bob Dean kicked the convert to put the Eskimos ahead 26-25. Montreal couldn't penetrate beyond midfield on its last two possessions, and Edmonton won its first national championship. "I don't remember much about the play and the run, except that I was so damned tired and so sore," Mr. Parker would say decades later of his 90-yard gallop to glory. "I didn't think the play was anything special, that people would remember it." Many considered the Eskimos' triumph a fluke and didn't discern the powerhouse of offensive talent that was being assembled in Edmonton. Mr. Faloney was drafted into military service in the United States and would return to the CFL, but not with Edmonton. Mr. Parker became the quarterback until Mr. Getty was seasoned, then went to halfback along with Rollie Miles, a versatile offensive performer and even better defensive player. Rounding out the five-man Split-T formation backfield were two superlative fullbacks: Normie Kwong (now Alberta's Lieutenant-Governor), "The China Clipper," who was rarely thrown for a loss, and Johnny Bright, who was acquired from Calgary late in the 1954 campaign for $350 after the Stampeders overused him at linebacker and he had injured both shoulders. "He was really our leader," Mr. Getty says, "yet when I was the quarterback he would never interrupt me in the huddle or suggest a play. Nothing would undermine a team's confidence in a quarterback as much as that, yet never in our eight years together did he do it." These Eskimos had a simple game plan: run the ball into their opponents' guts, down their throats, and up their anatomies. Never was their relentless ground attack more overpowering than in their 1955 and 1956 Grey Cup rematches with the Alouettes. In 1955 at Vancouver, Mr. Etcheverry threw for a Grey Cup record 508 yards while Mr. Parker had a modest 125 yards on 8-for-16 passing, but the Eskimos set records with 62 rushing attempts and 438 yards rushing en route to a 34-19 decision. The 1956 final in Toronto was even more devastating. "After we won the West," Mr. Getty recalls, "it was so cold in Edmonton that we headed east early and practised for a few days at an old equestrian barn in London. Pop Ivy installed a "first sound" offence, where the ball was snapped on the first word out of my mouth. I'd call the play, we'd be out of the huddle and on the line within about eight seconds, and we'd go. We ran more plays per minute than anybody even before this, and this really made Montreal work hard. "Our backfield timed the moves off our guards' hands touching down and I either handed the ball or faked it to every running back on nearly every play. Then there were potential laterals and passes to deal with. You couldn't make that work except with the quality of athletes we had." Montreal hung in and had a 20-19 edge early in the third quarter before the dizzying pace had its inevitable result. Edmonton waltzed home 50-27, forfeiting its last convert attempt because the referees had run out of footballs. The year-old record of 438 yards rushing was surpassed with 456 on a mind-boggling 83 attempts. Mr. Parker contributed 131 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns, another touchdown on a 10-yard reception, a 67-yard punt single, and an interception that snuffed an Alouettes' drive on the Eskimos' goal line. By then, Mr. Parker's reputation was established. He was named the West's most valuable player six times in a seven-season stretch (1956-62) and earned the Schenley Award as the nation's outstanding player in 1957, 1958 and 1960. He was a Western all-star in all of his first eight seasons — five times as a quarterback, thrice as a running back. When Edmonton was without a place kicker in 1958, he added that task for four years and made good on 66 per cent of his field-goal attempts in an era when those were a 50-50 proposition. "At least when Getty was playing quarterback, you knew that Parker wouldn't touch the ball on every play," says Norm Fieldgate, a 14-year defensive veteran of the B.C. Lions who, like Parker, started his pro career in 1954. "They were hard to read as it was, but when Parker was quarterback, you didn't know what they were going to do. There was one game where a guy came up to me just after we'd finished playing and asked me why I was smiling. "I touched Parker today," I told him. "Once he got outside on you, unless you had a good angle on him, you were dead meat. And he was hard as nails, really tough. He had to be to do all that and last as long as he did." That durability was all the more remarkable in light of his hobby of staging marathon card games, with spirited refreshment, usually at a hotel adjacent to the City Centre Airport, often prior to home games at Clarke Stadium. "He loved to play cards," says Mr. Hall. "He'd whip your ass at gin; that was his favourite. Jackie would get together with some teammates and cronies, sometimes for several days, and they'd drink, relax and enjoy themselves — but no broads! I never saw any women there. Jackie loved to gamble and be with the boys, but he never messed around. "On game day, after playing all night, around 9:15 in the morning he'd say, 'Last hand, boys, Pop'll get upset if we're not on time for pregame [meetings].' Jackie had an unbelievable constitution; you never saw him slurry or drunk. He never did anything to endanger himself, his team or his organization. What he did do, maybe, was cause problems for other guys who couldn't keep up with him." Mr. Parker played 209 games (including postseason) and missed only 17 because of injury in an era when schedules were compressed into four months (not six), playing two games on a long weekend was commonplace, Western finals were best-of-three (not single-game) affairs, and rosters ranged from 28 to 32 players (as opposed to the current 42). Mr. Parker played in only one more Grey Cup after 1956, losing the 1960 final 16-6 to the Ottawa Rough Riders. As stars aged and retired, the Eskimos failed to find new talent of such stature. Mr. Parker was traded in 1963 to the Toronto Argonauts and played three more years before his legs wore out and he retired, only to be lured back into action with B.C. for the last half of the 1968 campaign. After his playing days, he settled down in Edmonton and enjoyed life as an executive with Ipsco, the analyst for radio coverage of Eskimos games, with golf course management, and as Edmonton's head coach for a 3½-year stretch (1983-87) when he helped rebuild a crumbling dynasty, took the team to a first-place finish and Grey Cup berth in his last year, and set the stage for a new era of prosperity. "He came to Edmonton from Mississippi and had that drawl and never lost it," Mr. Hall says, "and he had a style about him. You never heard him yell or say a bad word about anyone. About the angriest or most emphatic he'd ever get was if, for instance, I'd tell him that what he said was a crock, he'd respond, 'Weh-yull, damn-fire, Bryan, ah'm tellin' yuh, that's whut's gonna happen. Yew mark mah words. Yew listen tuh me, 'cuz ah'm tellin' yuh.' I never heard him use the F-word, never even heard him call anyone sonofabitch." Mr. Getty echoes the memory and rounds out the portrait of what made Mr. Parker an institution and a hero. "People instantly liked him. He made friends because his intent was to be friendly and show it. And yes, he was a fast-living card player but still a superb father who found time for his children. I hope people realize what a sensational, feeling, laughing, kind, thoughtful, talented, person he was. He gave so much to football. "While we were playing, I worked full-time for Imperial Oil while he was a part-time salesman and he told me, 'Don, you work and play football. If I put the effort you do into building up my business, I know it will hurt my football. I have to make football number one.' It was tough for him to have a job and be as great as he was because he didn't want to water down his performance." If anything watered down Mr. Parker's performance, it was his unique trait of being so versatile at such a high level. He could have been, but wasn't, the CFL's greatest quarterback, greatest running back, or greatest receiver. Just maybe its greatest player. John Dickerson Parker was born on Jan. 1, 1932. in Knoxville, Tenn. He died yesterday in Edmonton. He was 74. edit for typo

My most recent Babbington recordings are Vols. 1 and 2 of Mose Allison's The Mose Chronicles. Babbington does an excellent job, although I wouldn't say that these two CDs are prime Mose.