263 - 25 October 2005

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. The Mythology of the Hero Athlete hero Everyperson as hero Fairy tale hero _________________________________ Mythical Hero (dep,initiate,ret) Anti-hero

5. The Hero Continuum ________________________________ < >

6. 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

7. George W Beers

10. Louis Cyr 1863-1912

11. Legends, myths, heroes

12. Cyr’s birth home

13. 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

17. 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

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

20. 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

21. 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

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

25. 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

41. 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

44. 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

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

48. ~from 1980 17-cent stamp; artistic rendering

49. ?? Who in “The Boy in Blue” (1986)