A Mess-ier Goodbye
Mark Messier laced up his skates and put on his #11 New York Rangers sweater for the first time at the Garden on October 7, 1991. On September 12, 2005, Mark Messier officially retired from the NHL. Exactly 4 months later, and after 25 years of service, 10 with the Rangers, on January 12, 2006, the New York Rangers retired #11, on the 4th number in Rangers history, and raised it in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.
Yesterday I wrote a quick blurb about the Rangers retiring Messier’s sweater. My buddy Burger and I thought it was going to be a little over done. We felt that the Rangers were dragging it out a little too long (Burger pointed out that they didn’t even do anything like this when Gretzky’s number was retired---I’m assuming when the Oilers retired his number) and we felt that this was being made into a bigger ordeal that what it was.
The ceremony lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. They gave him numerous gifts including a Captains chair for his boat, fishing poles with all the awards he’s won throughout his career engraved in the fishing poles, a paid vacation for him and his family to Ireland, donations to charities which he supported, a sculpture, and finally, a beautiful portrait of himself along side his teammates hoisting The Cup in ’94.
The Rangers brought back the ’94 Cup team (with exception for a few players), about 1800 members of his family, or what seemed like 1800, including his 2-year-old-or-so baby which you could tell Messier was getting fed up with where he passed him off to his father, and a few other guests (Did you see what I believe were his nieces? Not bad, not bad at all). There were speeches from Adam Graves and Mike Richter (surprisingly enough, him and Messier didn’t make out), and also a speech from Brian Leetch via video. But I will be the first to admit, they were really good, nice, genuine speeches.
Then Messier made his speech, a long, winded speech where he repeated himself a few times, which made my grandfather say “Wow, he’s a talker this Messy-err-err guy”. When he gave his thanks to Jim Dolan, there was an outburst of unpleasant “boos” from the crowd. Messier looked very uncomfortable, as if he were taking a #2 in front of 18,000 people.
They were brought to the area where the banner would be raised, and along side the banner was Lord Stanley’s Cup (that’s how people who follow hockey regularly pronounce it, right?). They allowed Messier to hoist the cup, without white gloves, one last time. And in memorable fashion, he kissed The Cup one last time. Picturesque of ’94.
Then came the raising of the banner. A fitting, and emotional moment, where they played the music when the Futbol team (Soccer team) wins the Euro Champions League.
Messier broke down, about 14 times during the ceremony. Ok, maybe not that much, but it was a few times. But in all seriousness, if I were him, or you were him, anyone of us would have wept just like him.
I wrote yesterday that hockey “isn’t a real big deal in terms of sports in America. It’s not front page news headlines.” I still stand by that statement, although he did make the front page of the Daily News. Messier isn’t as big as Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver, Joe DiMaggio, Patrick Ewing, Bill Parcells, Joe Namath to the city and fans of New York. But to the 18,000 fans, who were in attendance, some that paid over a grand for a ticket, Messier meant just as much. And last night, the Garden Faithful, got bid a Mess-ier farewell, one last time, to The Captain, Mark Messier.
Yesterday I wrote a quick blurb about the Rangers retiring Messier’s sweater. My buddy Burger and I thought it was going to be a little over done. We felt that the Rangers were dragging it out a little too long (Burger pointed out that they didn’t even do anything like this when Gretzky’s number was retired---I’m assuming when the Oilers retired his number) and we felt that this was being made into a bigger ordeal that what it was.
The ceremony lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. They gave him numerous gifts including a Captains chair for his boat, fishing poles with all the awards he’s won throughout his career engraved in the fishing poles, a paid vacation for him and his family to Ireland, donations to charities which he supported, a sculpture, and finally, a beautiful portrait of himself along side his teammates hoisting The Cup in ’94.
The Rangers brought back the ’94 Cup team (with exception for a few players), about 1800 members of his family, or what seemed like 1800, including his 2-year-old-or-so baby which you could tell Messier was getting fed up with where he passed him off to his father, and a few other guests (Did you see what I believe were his nieces? Not bad, not bad at all). There were speeches from Adam Graves and Mike Richter (surprisingly enough, him and Messier didn’t make out), and also a speech from Brian Leetch via video. But I will be the first to admit, they were really good, nice, genuine speeches.
Then Messier made his speech, a long, winded speech where he repeated himself a few times, which made my grandfather say “Wow, he’s a talker this Messy-err-err guy”. When he gave his thanks to Jim Dolan, there was an outburst of unpleasant “boos” from the crowd. Messier looked very uncomfortable, as if he were taking a #2 in front of 18,000 people.
They were brought to the area where the banner would be raised, and along side the banner was Lord Stanley’s Cup (that’s how people who follow hockey regularly pronounce it, right?). They allowed Messier to hoist the cup, without white gloves, one last time. And in memorable fashion, he kissed The Cup one last time. Picturesque of ’94.
Then came the raising of the banner. A fitting, and emotional moment, where they played the music when the Futbol team (Soccer team) wins the Euro Champions League.
Messier broke down, about 14 times during the ceremony. Ok, maybe not that much, but it was a few times. But in all seriousness, if I were him, or you were him, anyone of us would have wept just like him.
I wrote yesterday that hockey “isn’t a real big deal in terms of sports in America. It’s not front page news headlines.” I still stand by that statement, although he did make the front page of the Daily News. Messier isn’t as big as Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver, Joe DiMaggio, Patrick Ewing, Bill Parcells, Joe Namath to the city and fans of New York. But to the 18,000 fans, who were in attendance, some that paid over a grand for a ticket, Messier meant just as much. And last night, the Garden Faithful, got bid a Mess-ier farewell, one last time, to The Captain, Mark Messier.
posted by Mark D. Miller at 6:56 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home