263 - 25 October 2005

• Concept of the Hero / Star• Can an N of 1 have impact ?• What is a leader in sport ?• Examples: Beers, Cyr, Hanlan,

Rubenstein, possibly B-A Scott• Readings chapters 6 & 7

The Hero in History

• At issue:~greatness~causation

• Hook: event-making vs eventful• “There’s a fine line betw being a hero

and being a delinquent character”• Hero archetype & mythology in our

culture

Myth

• Fulghum: “Myth is more potent than history”

• Myth as purely fictitious story, or…• The system of basic metaphors,

images, stories that informs the perceptions, memories & aspirations of a people

• Romantic myth, American dream, baseball myth, lacrosse myth

The Mythology of the Hero

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Mythical Hero(dep,initiate,ret)

Fairy talehero

Athletehero

Everypersonas hero

Anti-hero

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The Hero Continuum

Hero Characteristics

• Achieves great acclaim in sport• Generates national/societal pride• Has been central figure in sport• Has caused great events to

occur

Context of Hero’s Times

Cultural Factors

George W Beers

Louis Cyr1863-1912

Legends, myths, heroes

Cyr’s birth home

Legends

• Tales of giants and local strongmen• Modeste Mailhout – “the Canadian

giant”• Angus McCaskill – “the Cape Breton

giant’• Big Anthony Allen – Dunlop, Ontario• Gamson – 7”4” – 322 lbs – barkeep in

the UK

Birth of a Legend

• Neo-Cyprien Cyr (Saint Cyprien de Napierville, Quebec)

• grandfather – village strongman• The first story – the teenager• The story grows – so does he• The first challenge – strongman David

Michaud – boulder lifting• The Montreal policeman• The tavern

His Physical Stats

• Height: 5’9”• Weight: 316 lbs• Biceps: 24”• Neck: 22”• Forearms: 19”• Chest: 60”• Waist: 45”• Thighs: 33”• Calves: 28”

Louis Cyr’s Tavern - Montreal

• Home base – funding for tours, demonstrations

• Montreal Gazette, 1885“I hereby challenge any man in the world, bar none, to a heavy weight lifting contest, without harness, for any sum from one hundred dollars to five hundred dollars a side.”

~ Yours truly, Louis Cyr

• Tours – Canada, the US, the UK• 1889 – invited to give a

demonstration for the Prince of Wales in London

• Crowd of 5,000 raised a 250 kilo weight with one finger

• A back lift of 4,100 lbs• The horse demo• US and UK tours in the 1890s• Barnum and Bailey Circus

*A flair for the dramatic*Excitement and tension*Audience participation(18 fat men on a piano)

The Physical Feats

• Iron cross with 96lb right hand and 88lbs left hand

• 35 consecutive right arm presses with 162.8 lbs

• 552 lbs one finger lift• 189 lbs with both arms straight in

front of his body• 986 lbs with one hand• restrained 4 horses for 55 seconds

Ned Hanlan – The Boy in Blue

• 1855 – 1908• Canada’s first indiv world champ• Grew up on Toronto Island• Rowed forth and back to

mainland to school & rum runs for Papa’s hotel

Hanlan

• Tremendous import of gambling to rowing’s popularity

• Hanlan’s lower class backgr unique

• Consummate professional in era of devout amateurism ideals by mc

Rare image and early tobacco card (Allen & Ginter's) illustrating world champion sculler, Toronto's Ned Hanlan, circa 1880 [C.J.Humber Collection]

~from 1980 17-cent stamp; artistic rendering

?? Who in “The Boy in Blue” (1986)

Hanlan’s famous races

• 2nd Courtney event to be near Chatauqua NY in ‘79

• Huge promo again• Nite b4, Courteny’s boat sawed in ½• “Great American Eagle screeches

Fraud” & “gr sports crime ever committed”

• For 3rd race near Wash DC, both Houses of Congress adjourned, over 100,000

Frederic Marlett Bell-SmithThe Hanlan-Plaisted rowing race, Toronto Bay, Ontario, 1878WatercolourR9266-44

Hanlan saga and greatness

• Held world title till thrashed by Aussie William Beach in 84

• 2 tours to Australia, one over 6 months long during which he fixed races, refused to race, did exhibitions always for $$$

• Coached at U of T & Columbia; alderman after turn of century

1880 Lithograph

Louis Rubenstein1861 - 1931

Louis Facts

• 1861-1931• Montreal • Bachelor• 1869 public of Hans Brinker or The

Silver Skates• 70s and 80s hey-day of skating &

Montreal Winter carnivals [ sk mania ]

• His business…

Louis and Sarah Rubenstein, 1927

Rubenstein – Quiet Hero ?

• Sports of precision, patience, practise• Wrote book, Lessons in Skating in ’00• Tireless administrator even of MAAA; Pres

of CWA; Pres of Cdn Bowling Assoc• Also imp in forming Int’l Sk Union of

America and RLSS