Bob Ackles (1938-2008)
July 8th, 2008 by Ed Lau |
Forgive my lateness…I don’t have the constant stream of information here in Japan like I do back home. I’m going to have to delay more posts on Japan as I felt I should pay tribute to a great Canadian who passed away earlier this week.
Some folks are not going to be too familiar with Mr. Bob Ackles, the president of the B.C. Lions football team. The CFL and the Lions especially were in ruins earlier this decade with the stadium nearly empty. Since then, they currently have around 25,000 season ticket holders and the Lions are a big draw here in Vancouver. He was also an executive for the Dallas Cowboys, the XFL and one of the greatest football minds ever. Not only have we lost someone who is instrumental to the success of football in Canada but we have lost a great Canadian…and a great man.
I remember I loved listening whenever Bobby Ackles was on The TEAM 1040 (Vancouver sports talk radio) as he is one of the most insightful, intelligent and charismatic people you’ll ever hear. A real down-to-earth guy and even though I never had the privilege of meeting him in person, I had a world of respect for him.
His story is inspirational. If you get the chance, pick up his book, The Waterboy, which tells his story from the days he was homeless to team president of the Lions. When his family moved to Vancouver, they had to live in a tent. He started as the waterboy for the B.C. Lions in their inaugural year, 1953, and moved up the ranks until he left the team as general manager in 1986. He spent some years in various positions in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys before starting the XFL. After the XFL busted, he came back to the B.C. Lions as the club’s president, a position that he held until his death on Sunday. Mr. Ackles is a great sports success story, coming from nothing to one of the most respected men in football. Most will remember his love for the game and the great deal of respect he showed everyone around him. I couldn’t help but tear up when I listened to the radio podcast of The TEAM 1040 as everyone told of their memories.
It’s amazing to hear some of the biggest, toughest guys around get incredibly emotional when they tell their stories. Wally Buono, head coach of the Lions, is probably one of the most intimidating guys I’ve ever seen but even he broke down to tears and couldn’t finish his press conference. You could tell how much Mr. Ackles was respected and loved by those around him.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my full feed RSS
Entries (RSS)
No comments yet.