Familiar name will grace Leos’ sidelines
SCENE & HEARD: B. C. Lions GM Wally Buono will be hanging out with Jim Young on the sidelines during Sunday’s pre- game warm- up. Uh, that would be Jim Young the insurance salesman from South Surrey, not ‘ Dirty 30’.
The non- football playing Young volunteered a handsome chunk of change at last week’s Surrey/ White Rock fundraiser for Kidsport when Buono offered a sideline visit as a bonus during a lively auction that raised $ 71,000 to give children from financially- strapped families a chance to play organized sport.
Ronnie Paterson, former Canadian Olympian goaltender, ex- Molson rep and one- time owner of the BCHL Surrey Eagles, chaired the event and was bowled over with the list of local sports celebrities who didn’t hesitate to make the trek out to Surrey’s Hazelmere Golf Course. Hosted by Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Jim Hughson, the lineup included hockey’s Trevor Linden, Jason Garrison, Colton Gillies, Don Hay, Ryan Walter and Brad Lazarowich; Leos’ kicker Paul McCallum joined Buono; soccer’s Carl Valentine, Olympic bronze medallist weightlifter Christine Gerard and four members of Canada’s national soccer team all proudly wearing their Summer Olympics bronze medals.
Detroit Red Wings executive Jim Nill, the former Canuck who was a teammate of Paterson with Canada’s 1980 Olympic team, had donated four tickets to the Winter Classic game at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1 that was cancelled as part of the NHL lockout.
“It was the only downer of the night,” Paterson says. “We acknowledged Mr. Bettman in the same manner he’s normally acknowledged.”
HERE ‘ N’ THERE: Hughson also hosted a Hot Stove session at the Pacific Coliseum Wednesday that went live on Team 1410 and should go down as one of the greatest segments in local sports broadcasting. Mind you, as Hughson would ask later: “How could I go wrong with a panel that included Phil Esposito, Igor Larionov, Pat Quinn and Jim Robson?”
Esposito and Larionov were in town to help promote the Canada- Russia Subway Super Series junior game.
Espo and Michael Bublé had patrons’ heads turning at Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill Monday when they met for dinner. “I’ve only asked two people in my life for an autograph,” Esposito said. “Bob Hope was the first and now Michael Bublé.”
SHORT HOPS: The surroundings will be different but Sunday’s assignment is the same for anthem singer Mark Donnelly, a regular at Rogers Arena for Canucks games. Donnelly will be encouraging Sunday’s BC Place crowd with his patented gesture to join in before the Lions- Calgary kickoff.
END ZONE: Leos’ running back Andrew Harris talks about his days growing up in Winnipeg when he was a pizza delivery boy and aspiring hockey prospect on Team 1410’ s ‘ The Grill’ that airs at 11 a. m. Saturdays with an 11 p. m. repeat on Sundays.