Read Online Dispatches from the Sporting Life by Mordecai Richler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mordecai Richler
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was frenetic, what with cameramen competing to get shots of the likely winners. Ben Weider, here, there, and everywhere, attempted to gather his body builders into a corner. “Now listen to this! Will you come here and listen, please!”
Slowly the contestants gathered around.
“There will be no more gum chewing or muscle control. And I’m not kidding, guys. Anybody who does chew gum or do muscle-control stunts onstage will lose points.”
I was, I must say, taken aback by Weider’s behaviour. Only the other day I had read, in
How to Develop Leadership Qualities, “Avoid shouting
… BE FIRM—BUT DON’T BULLY. The most commanding people I’ve met were the gentlest and the kindest. Only the weak individual becomes a bully.” But this, I felt, was not the right time for reproaches.
The second half of the program, the Mr. Universe contest, moved along more quickly than the first, andafter the lads had done their bit Ben Weider summoned them into a corner once more. “Okay, we’re soon going to announce the results. Now listen, you guys,
will you listen, please.
EVERYBODY’S GOING TO GET A MEDAL. But you have to be ready to go on as soon as your name is called.
Understand?
Be ready when your name is called. And just don’t come crying to me afterwards and say you didn’t get your medal.
Because you won’t get your medal afterwards.”
Before the results were announced, Weider, once more composed and soft-spoken, came onstage to present an award to Dr. Tilney for his tremendous contribution to the cause of body building. “The doc,” he said, “is a real okay fella.”
Then, one by one, the contestants’ names were called, and, just as Weider had promised, there were medals for everybody. Mr. Guadeloupe and Mr. France both won bigger trophies than the rest, but the grand prize of all, Mr. Universe, went to Chuck Sipes. He burst into tears.
Then it was off to the City Hall in the rain for the official reception. Dr. Tilney and the other judges had already arrived by the time I got there. Heaps of sandwiches and glasses of fruit juice were laid out on a long table. Finally, the boys began to turn up. And after a short delay, Ben Weider rushed into the hall, carrying diplomas in both arms. Tony Lanza, one of the judges, went to summon the mayor.
Sarto Fournier, then mayor of Montreal, told us how much he admired body builders. “I have been told,” he said, “that you boys have come from twenty different countries.”
Weider summoned his photographer to takepictures of himself with the mayor. Shuffling through diplomas, he began to call the boys forward. “And this,” Weider said to the mayor, “is the young man who won the Most Muscular Man in America Award.
He’s a fine French-Canadian boy,
Your Worship.”
The mayor grasped the boy’s hand and smiled. Photographers drew nearer. Weider, also smiling, stepped between the mayor and the boy, thrusting his wife into the picture as well.
“And this, sir, is Bill Cook, MR. IRELAND!”
Cook wore a green jacket.
“I can see,” the mayor said, with a twinkle in his eye, “that you are Irish.”
Weider shook with laughter.
Then, as more and more boys came forward to collect diplomas, the mayor glanced anxiously at his watch. Weider began to speed things up. “The mayor,” Weider said, “has taken off valuable time from his work to greet us here. Well, I think everybody will agree he’s a jolly good fellow.”
As Ben Weider and his wife, brother Joe, and Chuck Sipes gathered around, the mayor got out his Golden Book. Everybody smiled for the sad, nearsighted photographer. “No,
no,
NO,” Weider protested. “I want my wife to sign the Golden Book too.”
4
With the Trail Smoke Eaters in Stockholm
I n 1963 the world ice hockey championships were not only held in Stockholm but, for the third time, the Swedes were the incumbent champions and the team to beat. Other threatening contenders were the Czechs and the Russians, and the team
Slowly the contestants gathered around.
“There will be no more gum chewing or muscle control. And I’m not kidding, guys. Anybody who does chew gum or do muscle-control stunts onstage will lose points.”
I was, I must say, taken aback by Weider’s behaviour. Only the other day I had read, in
How to Develop Leadership Qualities, “Avoid shouting
… BE FIRM—BUT DON’T BULLY. The most commanding people I’ve met were the gentlest and the kindest. Only the weak individual becomes a bully.” But this, I felt, was not the right time for reproaches.
The second half of the program, the Mr. Universe contest, moved along more quickly than the first, andafter the lads had done their bit Ben Weider summoned them into a corner once more. “Okay, we’re soon going to announce the results. Now listen, you guys,
will you listen, please.
EVERYBODY’S GOING TO GET A MEDAL. But you have to be ready to go on as soon as your name is called.
Understand?
Be ready when your name is called. And just don’t come crying to me afterwards and say you didn’t get your medal.
Because you won’t get your medal afterwards.”
Before the results were announced, Weider, once more composed and soft-spoken, came onstage to present an award to Dr. Tilney for his tremendous contribution to the cause of body building. “The doc,” he said, “is a real okay fella.”
Then, one by one, the contestants’ names were called, and, just as Weider had promised, there were medals for everybody. Mr. Guadeloupe and Mr. France both won bigger trophies than the rest, but the grand prize of all, Mr. Universe, went to Chuck Sipes. He burst into tears.
Then it was off to the City Hall in the rain for the official reception. Dr. Tilney and the other judges had already arrived by the time I got there. Heaps of sandwiches and glasses of fruit juice were laid out on a long table. Finally, the boys began to turn up. And after a short delay, Ben Weider rushed into the hall, carrying diplomas in both arms. Tony Lanza, one of the judges, went to summon the mayor.
Sarto Fournier, then mayor of Montreal, told us how much he admired body builders. “I have been told,” he said, “that you boys have come from twenty different countries.”
Weider summoned his photographer to takepictures of himself with the mayor. Shuffling through diplomas, he began to call the boys forward. “And this,” Weider said to the mayor, “is the young man who won the Most Muscular Man in America Award.
He’s a fine French-Canadian boy,
Your Worship.”
The mayor grasped the boy’s hand and smiled. Photographers drew nearer. Weider, also smiling, stepped between the mayor and the boy, thrusting his wife into the picture as well.
“And this, sir, is Bill Cook, MR. IRELAND!”
Cook wore a green jacket.
“I can see,” the mayor said, with a twinkle in his eye, “that you are Irish.”
Weider shook with laughter.
Then, as more and more boys came forward to collect diplomas, the mayor glanced anxiously at his watch. Weider began to speed things up. “The mayor,” Weider said, “has taken off valuable time from his work to greet us here. Well, I think everybody will agree he’s a jolly good fellow.”
As Ben Weider and his wife, brother Joe, and Chuck Sipes gathered around, the mayor got out his Golden Book. Everybody smiled for the sad, nearsighted photographer. “No,
no,
NO,” Weider protested. “I want my wife to sign the Golden Book too.”
4
With the Trail Smoke Eaters in Stockholm
I n 1963 the world ice hockey championships were not only held in Stockholm but, for the third time, the Swedes were the incumbent champions and the team to beat. Other threatening contenders were the Czechs and the Russians, and the team
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