Reputations stained, but greatness memories linger

The two most dominating athletes of my lifetime celebrated significant birthdays in the last couple of weeks, which sent me down Sentimental Drive on the way to Nostalgia Avenue.

Wayne Gretzky turned 65 on Jan. 26; Tiger Woods got to the half-century mark, the big 5-0, on Dec. 30. Both accomplished greatness, but suffered reputational stains.

It was circa 1968-69 when the CBC National News ran a broadcast feature on a skinny little kid with blond hair from Brantford, Ont., who was setting the hockey world aflame. The kid, Wayne Gretzky, was eight or nine years old and he was playing in a league among 13-year-old boys, far bigger, stronger, quicker. But this Gretzky kid was scoring eight, 10, 12 goals a game against the older opponents, and the CBC reporter chuckled through his report as grainy video showed the youngster dipsy-doodling through the opponent's defence and putting a move on the goalie that resulted in another tally.