WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

How ironic is it that in the last week in which so many wounded survivors from the Boston Marathon continued with their battle to recover, a well-known New England student-athlete would enter the same Massachusetts General Hospital on April 24th to give of himself?

This is a story about COMMITMENT! About Cameron Lyle, a 21-year-old college senior and member of the University of New Hampshire Track & Field team, who donated his bone marrow to save the life of another human being he did not know. The story actually first took roots three years ago when Lyle made a decision to register with the National Marrow Donor Program. They told him that his chance of being typed as a donor for someone who wasn't a family member was one in 5-million.

Fast forward to March, 2013. That same program now contacted Cameron Lyle to inform him that his marrow had been matched with a 28-year-old man who was suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They asked if he would donate his bone marrow immediately not knowing of his college nor athletic commitments?

What caught my attention was that not only did Lyle recommit to a decision he had made three years ago, but it was the sacrifice he would make that gave me a lump in my throat! To deliver upon his commitment, Lyle would have to totally walk away from track despite having two meets remaining on the team schedule and forgo the chance to close out his collegiate career and compete at the American East Conference Championships!

He courageously made the decision to aid humanity over college athletics despite what he had learned during his period of research and consultation on the bone marrow procedure – which calls for a patient to be anesthetized and a large needle inserted into a bone to draw out the marrow. He was also told by doctors that he might be too depleted to raise even a bowl above his head for weeks, much less throw the discus, the hammer or the shot put, following the procedure.

It was a decision he calls a “no brainer!” "When they first told me, I was like, 'OK, cool. I'm definitely going to do it,'" Lyle said. "After that I kind of went to tell my coach and then I realized slowly that my season was over. It's just a sport. Just because it's Division I college level doesn't make it any more important. Life is a lot more important than that, so it was a pretty easy decision."

“I did think about what I was giving up,” Lyle continued. “But this person had six months to live and I have the possibility to buy him a couple more years.”

"I am beyond words proud. He is my hero," said Cameron’s mother (Chris) of her son. "When your children inspire you to be better people, you know it's come full circle and he's inspired his mom to be a better circle."

Fellas, we all have the ability within us to move the needle in our communities. Whether it’s assisting a charitable cause, visiting children at a pediatric hospital to offer encouragement or helping provide a meal for those less fortunate, take time to be a difference maker! When you sign up to represent your team in the community – no matter how tired or busy you are and small or large the event may be, you, too, can bring the same joys to the human race that Cameron Lyle did!

My best always!

Jim Loria

--------------------------------------

“Sooner or later, something seems to call us onto a particular path – this is what I must do, this is who I am” – stated by James Hillman, American psychologist

--------------------------------------

“I can give you a six-word formula for success: ‘Think things through, then follow through’” – stated by Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker, an American fighter ace in World War I,  race car driver and pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.

--------------------------------------

“Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more” – stated by A. Lou Vickery, Author

--------------------------------------

“The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become” – stated by A Unknown Author

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

“COURAGE must come from the Soul within … The man must furnish the Will to Win … So figure it out for yourself, my lad … You were born with all that the Great have had … With your Equipment they all began … Get hold of yourself and say: “I Can!” – From the poem “Equipment” by Edgar A. Guest

Late last week when my copy of Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail, the one photo that was widely circulated from the recent Boston Marathon bombing was again front and center and placed on the cover position for the entire world to see. It’s a picture that spoke volumes! It was of an elderly man – a race participant – that is shown dazed and lying on the Boston city street trying to regain his senses after the bombing had just taken place.

For some reason, I decided to GOOGLE a variety of things to see if I could identify this person and see what he may have stated about this harrowing experience? I found that his name was Bill Iffrig. He was 78-years old from Lake Stevens, Washington and was competing in his third marathon race in Boston.

I found literally thousands of online news articles about the man and in languages ranging from English, Chinese, Arabic to Spanish. As I scanned through more headlines, some told the story of this white-haired man who got up after the blasts and ran the few remaining yards left to the finish line to complete his mission!
Those last few words “GOT UP AFTER THE BLAST AND RAN THE FEW YARDS LEFT TO THE FINISH LINE” stopped me in my tracks! What powerful words I thought!  I kept looking back at the SI Cover. Thinking to myself that here is a 78-year old man who was running a marathon – a 26-mile long course at that - knowing full well I couldn’t even pedal a bicycle that many miles regardless of age!

I instantly thought about the words COURAGE? RESOLVE? DETERMINATION? Words that can be defined in so many ways. Yet, here was a man that was literally yards away from a finish line anticipating the feeling of accomplishment then is suddenly greeted by a bomb blast that jolted not only the framework of nearby buildings but the mindset of the local population as well! Video and pictures from the scene show that Iffrig, wearing a bright orange tank top, had crumpled to the pavement from the shockwaves of the explosion.

"It was only ... feet away from me,” Iffrig would tell a reporter for the Seattle Times. “It was really loud. Then all this smoke was coming from someplace, and I wasn’t able to see too much. The force from it just turned my whole body to jelly and I went down. I thought, ‘This is probably it for me.’ ”

With the help of a race official, Iffrig would get up. He was determined to reach his destination and would proceed to walk the final 15 feet to cross over the finish line.  Amazing! Some people lauded Iffrig a courageous soul!

Every person seems to face that moment of crisis at one time or another in their lives. Some may be more dangerous than others. Some may be from a tragic injury suffered out on the field. Some may be from a health-related accident. What separates most from continuing on is COURAGE! That quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear and has the resolve to get back up and the determination to accomplish their mission much like what Bill Iffrig showed us last week.

Keep Believing in You always and continue to capture your Dreams!

My Best Always!

Jim Loria

------------------------------------

“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world” – stated by Helen Keller, the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree
---------------------------------------

“You accomplish victory step-by-step, not by leaps and bounds” – stated by Lyn St. James, Indy Race Car Driver

---------------------------------------

“There is a lesson in almost everything that you do, and getting the lesson is how you move forward” – stated by Oprah Winfrey
---------------------------------------

CHRIS DUHON, DUKE GRAD AND ORLANDO MAGIC GUARD ON THE ROLE OF A PRO ATHLETE: “Sometimes you need to realize that there are different experiences in the world, other than just playing your sport. There are different people who have different types of struggles. You just have to be a part of that, and it gives you a better understanding and appreciation, and makes you understand how lucky and blessed you really are!”


###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

It’s been a much talked about past few days. First we saw the gripping sudden-death playoff battle at the Masters last Sunday followed up less than 24 hours later with the tragic news of the Boston Marathon bombing. Within our world we all witnessed so much human emotion but the one common thread that shined through was
“Human Kindness” which came in all forms! That is my subject of the week!

First, there was the Masters Tournament where Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera elevated their national profiles to a world audience of sports fans not only for facing up to the enormous pressure and answering each other shot-by-shot during their rain-soaked  playoff battle, but it was for their genuine kindness to each other at the very end that became the main storyline! In some ways, athletic performance took a back seat to human emotion?

Afterwards, the national news media and people from all over the universe on Twitter and Facebook, hailed these two golf pros for the way their exhibited such sportsmanship and class that sometimes is as forgotten as living your life without a cell phone?  On TV you could see moments where Cabrera would give a ‘thumbs-up’ gesture to Scott and vice-versa after his opponent would match him great shot for great shot. Or the way Scott would go up to the fans and high five the onlookers to share in his jubilance!

Sometimes we all get caught up in the wins and losses of our own events but this is one match that I looked at both men as equal winners! More than likely as their careers continue to evolve, each will be remembered more for KINDNESS than for tournament victories!

As we all went back to our workplaces on Monday and shared some of our thoughts on the Masters, our freedoms that we hold dear to our heart, seemed to be stripped away! Yes, we were now witness to real human tragedy! Innocent people from all walks of life came together to run for a cause at the prestigious Boston Marathon and were met by two separate bomb explosions that tore apart the city landscape at the finish line, killing several and severely wounding hundreds of others. 

None of us know how we would react in moments like what we viewed in Boston? I remember a time when I lived in Washington, DC back in the 1980’s when an Air Florida jet crashed into the Potomac River on a cold wintery day just after takeoff. So many surviving passengers were left exposed to the cold water. A helicopter quickly arrived and sent a cable down to help uplift people and there was this one gentleman who anchored the line from down below and kept passing it to the women and children he would see. He saved many lives but gave up his in the process.

Human Kindness comes in all forms. I read reports of a marathon runner crossing the finish line and he continued on to the close-by Massachusetts General Hospital to give blood for the victims in need!  Think of all the men and women – your fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, that shed their fears at the marathon to step up to the plate in the heat of the battle to care and rescue their neighbors! You may have seen a picture of a former New England Patriots football player (Joe Andruzzi) who was a spectator at the race but amid all of the chaos, he quickly sprang into action and was seen carrying a woman to safety and for much needed medical attention. We once knew this athlete as a champion on the football field. From now on this man will be known more for his one heroic act of kindness!

As Monday’s shocking day was turning to evening, how ironic that on this day all of New England was celebrating Patriot’s Day (a civic holiday commemorating the anniversaries of the Battle of Lexington and Concord back in the late 1700’s and also Paul Revere, a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War best known for his famous Midnight Ride) that Ben Revere, an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies would make one of the greatest catches in any era. The storyline wasn’t just about the “catch” but in the fact that this ballplayer, prior to taking the field, decided to honor the victims and those injured from the race by putting a large amount of white tape all over the outside of his baseball glove with this inscription PLAY FOR BOSTON!

Again, Human Kindness comes in all sizes, shapes and forms! Gang, never take for granted the luxury and freedom you have every day to wake up and live out your dreams! Take time to Smile! Enjoy what you do for a living. Be friendly because KINDNESS does have a reward!

My best always!

Jim Loria

-------------------------------------

“Emotion is like light. You can’t let it go out every window. You have to keep it contained” – stated by Larry Sanders, Milwaukee Bucks NBA Player

-------------------------------------

“The greatest threat to success is bitterness over who receives the credit in victory and the blame in defeat” – stated by Howard Bryant – ESPN Sports Reporters

-------------------------------------

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless” – stated by Mother Teresa, known for her lifelong dedication to the poor. Awarded the first Pope John XXIII Medal of Honor for Peace in 1971

--------------------------------------

“Remember that you were born with a divine purpose and destiny that only you can fulfill. Be your authentic self if you want to fulfill that dream that sleeps within your soul” - stated by an Unknown Author

###

CAREER MEMORIES – #12  I FOUND A HOME IN SIOUX FALLS! 

HERE IS THE 12^th AND FINAL PIECE OF MY JOURNAL ON “CAREER MEMORIES” THAT SPANS 36 WONDERFUL YEARS (1977-2013) AND CAME TO AN END ON APRIL 12, 2013 IN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA! ENJOY! …  JIM!

Soon after I made the decision to leave North Carolina, I phoned Ted Baer, who, at the time owned and operated the Omaha Lancers of the United States Junior Hockey League. I had done some consulting work for Ted many years back while I worked in Kansas City. My call was to let Ted know of my plans to return back to Junior Hockey. Within a few days of that conversation, a group representing Sioux Falls Sports in South Dakota - that was to be the ownership for this brand new expansion USHL team - phoned me in Raleigh. Shawn Teal was the group spokesman at the time. The conversation was to determine my interest in coming to South Dakota and running the franchise. It just seemed like a perfect fit, as everything I was hoping for was there for the taking …That was to run a franchise, get involved in corporate sales and help mentor/shape a staff!

It was decided that since most of the ownership members lived in the state of Minnesota, that we would meet in the Twin Cities for a collective interview with everyone present. This meeting would also be perfect for me as my wife’s family lived in Minneapolis. Just as we solidified these plans, our home in Raleigh sold and closed in record time so it allowed us all to drive back together to the Midwest. I must admit that I missed the beautiful mountain and ocean scenery that surrounded North Carolina as well as the beautiful (and rather tall) pine trees and flower beds that decorated many of the area highways once we drove away from the coastal area!

The meeting with the Sioux Falls Sports group went off beautifully and we were offered the job as team President for this still unnamed franchise within a few days afterwards. Wendy, the girls and I, took a trip into Sioux Falls to see our new city and to quickly find a place that we would call home? We were lucky to find a beautiful four bedroom home in quick fashion and made an offer to the home owner during our initial trip. They accepted and we were ready to grow some roots here in the Sioux Empire! Next up was finding a family member to go back to North Carolina with me and help pack up our home? My brother-in-law (Steve Sampson) was up for the sweaty job and distant drive with me. We would book a U-Haul in Raleigh and got everything out of the house and safely tucked away (although my lovely wife will dispute this claim!) and then Steve and I made the long journey back to South Dakota!

It was now September 1^st of 1998. Once we got everything settled into our new Sioux Falls home, I met up with Gary Weckwerth, one of the group owners, managing partner and CEO for the club. We met at Shrivers Square, a downtown building that would become home for our new hockey club. Similar to Kansas City, Gary (or ‘Weck’ as everyone in town called him) gave me the keys to the office space we would lease. Inside it was just one large blank room. We met with the Dunham Construction Company, who served as the building landlord, and worked out a design plan to build out three offices and several work positions for the club in addition to space for merchandise sales. At this time, I am the only employee but I did convince my wife to come in and join me to help with walk-in customers and answer phone calls. Our front office door faced a busy café that brought hundreds of people inside for lunch each day.

I was very busy walking the streets of downtown Sioux Falls for many months, knocking on doors and introducing myself to the business leaders. Once more, I reverted back to my Minnesota newspaper days and quickly got out in front of the city folks. During these informal meetings, we wanted to find out what the sports landscape looked like in Sioux Falls? Issues of any kind? We explained what our USHL would be like and the philosophy of our operation and commitment we would make to the community. And one other piece of information I was in need of finding out was who these business leaders felt were the city’s top sports marketing sponsors? Everyone had an opinion on this subject and shared their thoughts. I catalogued every company name and quickly devised a Top 10 list of must-see business sponsors.

Next up on the menu was to name the franchise and our hockey club was going to be known as the “Sioux Falls Stampede!” It was a powerful name and one that I felt fit a solid Midwestern town perfectly! Now that we had an identity and a buzz created around the city, it was time to take our business plan, tickets and sponsor packages out to the community! My philosophy right from the get-go was to transform the new hockey team into one of the premier franchises in Sioux Falls! In order to achieve that, we needed to have the area’s top sponsors putting their name on our club?

From my informal survey conducted upon arrival, I found the top sponsor to be Sioux Valley Hospital (now Sanford Health). We set up a meeting with their marketing department, which led to a second and third meeting that brought me to the top of the corporate ladder with the hospital CEO. On this day, we would present our team’s mission statement, bits about our league and personal philosophy we would take to the community. During this gathering, the Stampede secured a long-term deal with the hospital to become our official health care partner! It was a deal that would help solidify our standing with other businesses as well as our fortune to latch onto KELO-AM Radio as our new all-season home and away broadcast outlet. During my survey talks, I found that Sioux Falls was branded as KELO-LAND and this AM station had a strong following and reach. At this juncture, our Stampede franchise became the very first sports team to ever hit the airwaves and their 1320 dial position.

Securing the top sponsor in the area back then in 1998 and perhaps the most trusted name in Sioux Falls Radio without ever playing a game, definitely gave our club street credibility and increased our success rate with the other businesses! During this same timeline, we gathered a list of names that had called into the Sioux Falls USHL “Hockey Hotline” phone message center where Weck had kept track of a team priority list for season tickets. 

My wife and I phoned everyone and made contact with the list. It was such a special time! We were selling seats and memories to so many people but none of us – team and customer – knew then what truly was the best seat or how the sightlines were going to look for those buying season tickets? The Sioux Falls Arena, our future home for Stampede games, had never hosted a hockey game before in its history. So it was buyer beware for everyone but in a fun and understood way! We sold 700 season tickets in that first day they went on sale and before too long, over 50% of the arena seating capacity was now spoken! Because we were not set-up with a ticket based software system, Wendy and I recorded every sale on a Yellow Legal Pad! When I look back, I wouldn’t have done this any other way even if we were computer system-ready at the time? It was such a blast and Wendy kept such detailed records for us each day until we were able to transfer everything over to our new system in the weeks afterward!

Next, we started to interview and hire staffing while the Stampede ownership secured our first General Manager-Head Coach. That being Bob Motzko, who came to us from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he was the Assistant Head Coach. He was a former player and coach in the USHL and was mentored in coaching by the legendary Herb Brooks. Bob was the perfect coach for our franchise! He could recruit, teach, motivate and best of all, he understood public relations and really helped teach and engage the Sioux Falls media that first year! Taking an expansion team with no players on the roster, Bob would ultimately compile a 77-31-6 (W-L-T) record for the Stampede during his first – and only – two seasons for the franchise!

Speeding things through, I was most proud of the fact that we over-delivered with our promise to be “teammates in the community” of Sioux Falls! We made it mandatory that every player suiting up for our club would be involved in a team fundraising project once each month during the hockey season. Credit to Bob and the players because we put them through so many projects and appearances. During our first ten seasons of operations, as an example, the Stampede had contributed just over $500,000 in cash donations or foundation grants to the Sioux Falls community! That statistic, more than anything I was responsible for during my time with the Stampede, meant the most to me! I knew then – and today – that we made a difference to so many people’s lives and the players did indeed do this all with a SMILE!  I used to just smile myself when a player’s parent would phone me after a season ending to let me know how much their son had grown up and became more of a “man” than a teenager (which they were in age!) because of these life’s lessons they would undertake. That to me was a “victory” and singularly the reason why I opted to leave the Big Leagues and return to Junior Hockey because I knew the impact we could make and or have in the lives of our players and community!

Those who know me are well aware that I am one that is not into personal accolades. I’ve always spoke in WE terms rather than I. To wrap up my time with the Sioux Falls Stampede organization, I was most proud of the fact that our Argus Leader Newspaper ran a few reader polls during our early years and three times chose the Stampede as “Best in Business for Community Outreach”; our USHL voted the Stampede twice as the league’s “Organization-of-the-Year” and our South Dakota State Chamber of Commerce in Pierre, nominated the Stampede for a “Business Excellence Award”, something we would later find out that no other sports franchise in the past 50 years had ever been recognized?

I cannot thank you fans enough for accepting my family into your Sioux Falls’ homes! Normally my career path was to arrive, build and leave a franchise once the roof was secure on top and the lights were turned on inside. Usually that took about 4-5 years on average. Never in my 36 years of working in sports team management had I stayed on the job for 15 SEASONS! That is a credit to this amazing community that my heart could just never leave! This became my home and for my wife and three daughters. Two of my now grown-up girls have even rooted themselves here in Sioux Falls while living out their adult lives!

THANK YOU SIOUX FALLS FOR ADOPTING ME AS ONE OF YOUR NATIVE SONS! IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE YOU THESE LAST 15 YEARS!!

For those of you that have been reading my lengthy journal on career memories these past 11 days, NOW YOU KNOW THE WHOLE STORY!

###

PS My next chapter in life starts today – Monday, April 15, 2013 – where I am proud to say I have become a new team member of the Sioux Falls Ford-Lincoln Dealership. Just as we did for the Stampede, I would be honored to be your service representative when you consider shopping for your next vehicle! You are welcome to call me (605.610.5902) anytime or e-mail me direct at jimloria0309@gmail.com.

CAREER MEMORIES - #11 I'VE GOT CAROLINA ON MY MIND!

When I joined the Hartford Whalers in April of 1997, it was already known that the National Hockey League team was going to relocate because of revenue issues with their building at the time as compared to many other venues in the league. After a month of debate and sourcing, the ownership did pack up the club and chose to break ground in Raleigh, North Carolina where the locals were in the process of building a new facility for the North Carolina State college basketball team. Our ownership would help invest into the new arena and take over management of the venue as a result.

So it was a very limited stay for me in Hartford and the Tar Heel State here we would come. I was spending much of my time during the month of May setting up our new offices and commuting by airplane to-and-from Kansas City and Raleigh. Wendy and the girls stood back in Missouri primarily so that the kids could finish school and to help get the house ready for sale.

My role with this particular job was as the Director of Public Relations that included the community relations department for the club. My first task after arriving for full-time duty on June 1^st was to unveil the team’s name – Carolina Hurricanes, our logo and new home and road uniforms. I didn’t know anyone in the city at this point and knew that the NHL was pressing our franchise to get everything released and out to the public! I quickly contacted the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and asked for recommendations on whom they felt was the best special events planner in the area? I was told of a young gal that was the best there was in the Carolinas but was so busy. They gave me her cell and I proceeded to call. She answered and was doing a promotion at a Gentleman’s Club. I was thinking …Hmmm? The best there is? OKKK!! She told me I could meet her at the club as she was terribly busy with many projects. I had to as my clock was ticking against me! After an hour conversation, she agreed to take on my project to be the decorator of our logo unveiling press conference but had just two weeks to pull this off! We ended up having a super dynamite press conference and everything went off splendidly and my gal totally outdid herself and made me look like a hero to the locals that packed the hotel conference room for their first glimpse of this brand new NHL team!

Soon afterwards my time was spent meeting all of the top area executives from Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh to Greensboro as well as with North Carolina Governor (Jim Hunt), other regional political officials and charitable organization leaders. Many breakfast and lunch meetings did I have during this period of time! I, who loves breakfast meals, started to fear those 7 AM meetings simply because many of my guests would give me grief if I did not join them for a bowl or dish of GRITS! I was definitely trying to make myself accepted by the locals and to be hospitable but I would not give in to the demand of sampling this Southern dish! J During these gatherings, I was trying to  see how our NHL club could be of assistance and for the players to fit in with their own causes?

One of the best things for me early on was getting involved with the Jimmy V Foundation, named after the popular and legendary basketball coach of NC State Jim Valvano. There I met members of the Valvano family – Jim’s wife Pam and daughter, Nicole. The Hurricanes were a sponsor of the Jimmy “V” Golf Classic, one of the area’s premier events that brought in a great number of national celebrities and sports heroes not to mention many of the ESPN Sports Center anchors. It was a very memorable event for me to shake hands with so many people I’ve seen on TV or read about in the newspapers!

During my first few months living in Raleigh, I grasped the fact that this area was NASCAR Country and that the charities all staged golf events.  They were the means of fundraising. The Carolinas had some of the country’s finest courses including the Pinehurst Country Club, which hosted the U.S. Open during my year of work (and will again in 2014 for the men and ladies PGA tour!) I convinced our Hurricanes’ owner that we needed to invest in golf as our way of supporting the community. He agreed! So I set out to negotiate sponsorship packages with the Nike Tour, U.S. Open and some of the charity events like the Duke (University) Children’s Classic. It was my gate entrance to the golfing fraternity and gave our club immense exposure right out of the gate!

Once our hockey season opened up, my world began to take conflict. I was traveling back-and-forth between Raleigh and Greensboro frequently for games and other team activities. This was a 150-mile trip taxed to my car each time. Not to mention the hundreds of community events that we coordinated for the club and numerous player appearances. Within the first year, my car put on just under 30,000 miles.

One of my more memorable community promotions was setting up Kristi Yamaguchi - the former Olympic figure skating champion - to visit Greensboro for an appearance to help promote her “Stars On Ice Show” that would soon be appearing in North Carolina. Kristi knew me very well and had worked closely with me twice before in Kansas City. It was fun seeing her again! Same for Chris Berman of ESPN fame. He was such a huge hockey fan and a ticket holder for the Hartford Whalers. Our owner made it a point to fly Chris to Greensboro for a few games so that he could stay in touch with the club. During one of our conversations I had told Chris that he once before had branded me as "Jim FOLK LORE" (vs. Loria) when I met him at his ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT. He remembered and laughed as I told him how honored I was to be included in his “Hall of Nicknames!”

As the season wore on and travel continued, I started to reassess my wanting to remain working in the Big Leagues. I missed much about life working in junior hockey and after discussing these feelings with my wife, a decision was made to vacate and see what opportunities might be available for me to explore?

So we put our house up for sale. I quickly put feelers out to the rest of the hockey world. I told my boss during my exit interview that I was not going to be looking for an NHL position or even one in the minor pros. My heart was set on returning back to Junior Hockey where I would like to now take on a franchise and lead it plus help mentor the staff so that they could one day eventually move up the sports industry ladder!  

And that would take my family and I to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with one more story to tell!

CAREER MEMORIES - #10 LIVING IN THE 'SHOW ME STATE!'

Just before the close of the 1989-90 season in Spokane, Washington, I had accepted the invitation from Russ Parker to fly out to Calgary, Alberta to meet him and his wife, Diane, to discuss his plans as owner for the new Kansas City, Missouri Pro Hockey team. I was so nervous about this pending interview because I had never been subjected to one up to this point in my career. Russ had one of his associates (Bill Cragg) pick me up at the airport. I will never forget this moment when I first walked into Russ’ business office and saw that he and Diane were having a Burger King sack lunch! I immediately knew that this was the man I wanted to work for! There was no question! I jokingly told Russ a few years later that he sold me at the first “hello!”

During our first meeting, Russ explained to me that as owner, his strategy for the first employee hired would not be the president or general manager; rather he wanted to find that person who would be his key “revenue generator?” That was the first time I had ever heard that term! After he checked out my references, Russ called me with the news that I had just become his first employee and he gave me the keys to start up his franchise! Of all oddities, the moment I agreed to join Russ in Kansas City, George Brett, the Hall of Fame Major League Baseball legend, decided to purchase my Spokane Chiefs team! George and I spent two weeks together along with his brother Bobby going over the history of the team, etc. He was also trying to convince me to stay but I knew that my time had come to take on a new challenge. So I turned down George and told him I would see him in Kansas City!

It was now the year 1990. Wendy and I continued to rent and found a home on the north side of Kansas City (a few miles from the main highway and airport) but would ultimately then buy our very first home as a family a year later. I’ll never forget the first day we arrived in KC and opened the door to our home. In front of our eyes and sitting on the table was this absolutely huge fruit basket that was sent from Russ Parker! Again, he just cemented the feelings I already had for why I wanted to work for this man!

Once I settled into our new office space and lights were turned on, we began operating the business. Quickly thereafter, I had a surprise visitor to my office. It was George Brett! He walked in with his son, Jackson, and was accompanied by his Royals’ teammate Bret Saberhagen, who was the reigning Cy Young Award winner that year as the American League’s top pitcher! They were interested in purchasing season tickets and bought front row seats by our team’s penalty box at Kemper Arena. George also is credited with naming our Kansas City team through a special fan promotion that was being held. We chose his name BLADES as the winning entry!

Kansas City posed some challenges to me at first because now I was applying my trade in a city that preferred its Major League sports (i.e.: NFL Chiefs and MLB Royals) traditionally over the Minor Leagues plus there were nationally ranked Division I college programs nearby (Kansas University, Kansas State & Missouri) that commanded the attention of the locals and media. One of the first things I did after settling in was to place a call to my former Big League boss (Max McNab), who was running the New Jerseys Devils NHL team, and ask for his advice? I knew during his career that Max had operated a few minor league hockey clubs in some major pro cities so I was hoping he could shed some light for me? Max called be back one day and said: “Jim, I really don’t need to give you any advice? You really have a good handle on things but I will say this: just be sure you’re a ‘Buck Higher’ than the other teams! You will figure this out!” Those four quarters, I found out, stood for work effort in the community, customer service, delivering value to the sponsors and developing exciting game-night entertainment for the fans.

Hockey was a sport that was foreign to the locals in Kansas City back in 1990 as was the scarcity of ice for the players to skate and work out? Initially our players would pack into cars and drive 50 miles up-and-back each day to St. Joseph, Missouri just to practice.  Our home games were played in the massive Kemper Arena that would seat over 18,000 fans for a minor pro hockey game! Obviously we had to come up with a marketing plan to capture the public’s attention and draw them out to our games!

One idea was to put a Blades Jersey and Cap on some of the well-known Chiefs and Royals’ players and produce video scoreboard spots that would play during our games. It was a subtle way to show the fans that the area’s biggest athletes were behind us! Next, we reached out to some celebrities to make appearances. At first, my owner was nervous because of the price tag we had to invest but after the way the fans would react, we started to schedule more of them! Jenny McCarthy from the hit TV Show “Singled Out” and Ashley Montana, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model, brought in crowds of 15-18,000 people for their appearances. Soon after we brought in the likes of Mark Paul Gosselaar from “Saved By The Bell” and Candace Cameron from the “Full House” television shows much to the delight of our fans. We also gave Jack McDowell from the Chicago White Sox, another Cy Young award-winner, the opportunity to bring his music band “stickfigure” into Kansas City and perform for our Blades’ fans after a game.

Of all the celebrities I’ve had time to work with during my career, Ashley Montana would be tops! Her appearance was rare in that the Ford Modeling Agency in New York, (who would work with me on this promotion), sent Ashley to us on the night that her Sports Illustrated Cover was to be released around the world! When I had to pick her up at her hotel room that game day, she was the least bit ready. Ashley opened the door with a curling iron in her hair, wearing a tank top chiseled to her body and shorts. She proceeds to sit down on the floor of all places, still managing her hair. I sat in a chair a couple feet away. We talked about her duties at the game and later about her world, life as a model and many other things. Once she was happy with her hair, Ashley then asked if I would help iron her dress. So I got down on the floor with this famous model and worked the iron until all of the wrinkles were pressed! She then got dressed and off we went to our game by limousine. When she was ready to leave the next morning, you would swear that we were bonded as “brother & sister!” Ashley even went out of her way to visit the hotel gift shop much to my surprise and bought this beautiful white frame. She put the Sports Illustrated Magazine with her swimsuit cover photo inside the frame and autographed the following inscription: “To a man who really knows how to treat a girl! Love always! Ashley!” Yes, this is the one female picture that my wife has consented through the years that her hubby can proudly display in his office! HaHaHa!!

Speaking of firsts, we also had the very first appearance around the country by Kelli McCarty when she won the Miss USA title in 1991! A few years afterwards, I would receive a phone call from Kelli asking if I would help mentor a friend of hers that was involved in the running for Miss Teen USA in 1995 and lived in nearby Kansas. So I met Keylee Sue Sanders, who would serve as my office intern for that hockey season in-between pageant competitions, appearances and school studies. With me, she took interest in learning about marketing and special events. Ultimately Keylee went on to win the Miss Teen USA title which I watched her live on TV and felt like so proud!   

From the hundreds of promotions and celebrity appearances we assembled for the Blades during my tenure (1990-97), there was nothing that could match up to a game we had on a Valentine’s Night when our first-year coach was so upset with the game officiating that he threw garbage cans and sticks out from the bench and onto the ice surface. The highlights of that episode were picked up and shown by ESPN and many other national media outlets. It was embarrassing but to turn this back into a positive, we immediately created a special “Garbage Can Toss” promotion for the fans at our next home game.  We recovered what would become the country’s most talked about piece of metal and had a local signage company paint the team’s logo and pinstripe our colors onto the can plus we got our coach to affix his autograph so as to add more marketing value! Literally there were thousands of fans that signed up for this promotion and a chance to win that now famous Garbage Can! I remember waking up the next morning after our event watching ESPN’s SportsCenter (like I usually do) and Linda Cohn (the anchor of this particular show) starts off the opening teaser (with video clips of our promotion) by saying … “and the Garbage Can Toss returns to Kansas City! Details in a moment!”  A few months later, I can remember Russ Parker calling me on the phone so happy because the TSN Network in Canada (which is their country’s version of ESPN) chose our Garbage Can Toss event and follow-up as their top promotion of the year!

Kansas City was a very good time for me. Things just always seemed to click be it for promotions or just lady-luck being on my side! One of our city’s top DJ’s at an FM Radio Station was married at the time to one of the top Kansas City Chiefs’ players (Bill Maas) who became friends with me. Bill would later introduce many players to me and get his teammates to wear our Blades Hockey Caps. I remember this one day, Bill asked me to bring a dozen team caps down to Arrowhead Stadium for him and he would get many of the players to wear them on the sidelines in Denver on this one particular game where the Chiefs played the Broncos on Monday Night Football! Sure enough, Bill and his teammates were sprouting our hockey team caps on national TV, including Joe Montana, who would play for the Chiefs in 1993. That year at a special Joe Montana Day salute at Arrowhead, the soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback showed up for the event wearing our Kansas City Blades Cap! It was quite the endorsement for our club that I’ve never forgotten!

Through those years in Kansas City with so much attention and publicity that was brought to our minor league club, a famed hockey writer in New York (Stan Fischler) wrote a piece in his national hockey newsletter that gave me some exposure and stated: “It can be safely said that there is not a more creative, if not better marketing-PR maven, in all of hockey than Jim Loria!”  That was nice and PR that would pay off for me soon in my future.  

Now into my sixth year with the Blades (1995-96) which also brought the saddest news of all when Russ Parker told me that he was going to sell his ownership in the hockey team. I loved that man and would have never left if Russ continued to stay on as our father-figure of the franchise. There has never been an owner like him during my 36-years in sports! He was a first class human being, gentleman, and a true sportsman who took care of his employees in ways that always made you feel special! A few days after he sold the club, a Fed-Ex package arrived at our home from Russ with a bonus check that was a reward for the years working for him with a disclaimer note which said “Now Jim, I fully expect you will take Wendy and your girls on a real vacation!” YES we did Russ! Wendy & I treated the girls on a trip to Orlando, Florida and a week’s stay at Walt Disney World!

Russ would eventually have the same impact on my life as Roger Crozier did during my career. Fortunately for me, as our Kansas City team took on new ownership, I was also being recruited by the Hartford (CT) Whalers for a National Hockey League position over a period of two years. I finally decided to accept the Whalers’ offer following the 1996-97 season for a chance to finally work close-by to my family in Massachusetts.

CAREER MEMORIES - #9 MOVING OUT WEST!

As Wendy, girls and I made the decision to leave Minneapolis and move out west so that I could work for the Spokane Chiefs Junior Hockey team in the state of Washington, I was driving in my car, finishing up my newspaper delivery route, and on the radio comes the Village People with their popular song “GO WEST”. I loved this song and actually the entire music catalog performed by this manufactured group! I remember writing down some of the lyrics which they sang …

“Together, we will go our way… Together, we will leave some day… Together, your hand in my hand… Together, we will make the plans...  Together, we will fly so high… Together, tell our friends goodbye... Together, we will start life new… Together, this is what we'll do.”

The song was so catchy (Google this song now so you can envision what I am saying!) that I thought this would be the perfect post-game victory song to play over the PA system at all Chiefs games! Yes, I could become a full-fledged marketer of a sports team after I told my boss (Bob Strumm) that I was going to “Wing It” when he hired me to join him in Spokane!

It was now the year 1986 when I took on the position of Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Spokane franchise. The club was just a year-old but in need of a fresh new coat of paint. So upon our arrival, strangely I thought of how I had knocked on doors to meet my Minnesota newspaper customers and the success it had brought me that I took on the exact same approach with the Spokane businesses! I went around the city and introduced myself and asked questions. Simple ones like what made them get involved in sports sponsorships? What they thought about the Chiefs? About the team’s pricing? Everyone loved this approach. They liked the fact that someone new to the city was reaching out and made them feel a part of the planning vs. “telling the locals here’s what we’re doing” type of approach.

Basically to use a hockey terminology, I learned marketing on the fly! There were no college courses or books that we read. It was just react and respond! We humanized our players. The one lesson I learned from my time with the Washington Capitals in the NHL was that these professional players were no better off than the Junior kids I knew. Despite being paid large amounts of money, it still did not guarantee that the pro player knew how to cook a meal, how banking worked or even speak confidently in front of a room of strangers? So my plan was to give our Spokane players many of life’s everyday lessons and teach them all how to “Smile!”

Thankfully Bob bought into this plan because we had our players out in the community every day. There was no idea that wasn’t tried! We had our players Shampoo hair at a local Supercuts. They made pizza for Domino’s and delivered to homes. We bagged groceries for the fans and waited tables at a Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant and donated all of the tips to a charity. Back during this time, the fans rose up and embraced our club. We were all over the newspaper and television station highlights. Our players even had their own radio show that counted down the top songs each week! With all of the amazing amount of publicity, the team’s attendance numbers shot up through the roof! I remember our numbers went up from 75,000 at the time of our arrival to 100,000 and then the following year to 125,000! Our local Spokane newspaper once tag us as the “(Ringling Brothers) Barnum & Bailey” of hockey!

Through my years in the business of hockey, I’ve never allowed myself to get close to the players because I always knew there are two sides to the business. But this group of players with the Chiefs won over my heart. Mick Vukota, who was the team’s resident tough-guy and Troy Gamble, our goaltender and spokesperson, were two that lived and breathed the community for me. Mick could have run for Mayor of Spokane and won a % of the votes he was that popular! When he and I made public appearances together, there would be lines of young girls waiting to get his autograph! I will never forget the letter he wrote to me after his final home game in a Spokane uniform and before he left our city to go play for the New York Islanders in the NHL. Mick wrote, “Jim, I just want to thank you for making Mick Vukota because I’ve never felt so wanted in my life and you were the reason”.

As I mentioned earlier, our public relations efforts in Spokane reached deep down to the core with our city folks. I was getting offers from so many businesses to involve our players. One that we took on and perhaps even to this date, might be considered my fondest career memory, came from the Spokane Children’s Theatre. This facility was on the brink of folding due to a shortage of operating funds and two of the theatre executives met with me in person. They were seeking ideas to help them raise much need funds so we suggested that they help us create a real life “theatre show” for our players to act out? I can still remember the faces of these two women? They were like: “You want to have your players act in a show?” I said YES! So we met with the production crew at the theatre and a never-seen before musical was born called SNOW & THE SEVEN FLAKES! I had to convince eight players to give up their manhood and perform live on a theatre stage. That one of the players in particular was going to have to kiss Snow White on the stage. That there would be live music, dancing, and oh yes, you’d be doing this in front of a large audience and friends with no cue cards and rehearsals at night to attend! The players jumped in with me and at full force! It was an amazing show that ultimately sold out an entire high school auditorium of 700 people! The newspaper did a show review and gave us a big “Thumbs Up!” All of the event proceeds were donated back to the Children’s Theatre!

After a great couple of exciting seasons drumming up fan and community support for the Chiefs, I was deeply touched when our WHL President Ed Chynoweth phoned to let me know that I was going to become the first-ever Marketing & PR person in the league’s history to win the “Executive-of-the-Year Award!” That was quite an honor based on the League’s long-standing tradition since the early 1960s and that the award was usually presented to an owner, president or general manager. And then even greater news arrived soon afterwards as Wendy and I would add to our family tree by welcoming into the world a third daughter, Nikki Brienne, who was born in 1987 on the 2^nd day of July in Spokane.

After winning the award, I phoned Roger Crozier back in D.C. to thank him personally for all the work he did to mentor me! I also called Jerry Sachs at the Capital Centre and Max McNab, who ran the Capitals’ team during my first two years in the Big Leagues (and who lent me his personal car that was stolen on my watch during my first day at work!) I still have Mr. McNab’s response letter that he sent when in it, he praised Roger for recruiting and bringing me to Washington! He said: “The ability to recognize ability and then hire that guy is a great quality. Congratulations Jim! I am so proud of you! Max”. At the time, Max was the President of the New Jersey Devils.

My career with the Chiefs would cover four years up to the 1989-90 season. Just before that final season, I was starting to get that itch to possibly go back to the professional ranks of hockey? On one particular day I received a phone call from a Canadian businessman name Russ Parker, who lived in Calgary, Alberta (the same city that actually was home to our Western Hockey League office). Russ told me of his background (he owned and operated the Calgary Cannons professional baseball team that was the top farm club for the Seattle Mariners at the time) and that he was going to open up a brand new minor league hockey team in Kansas City, Missouri. When I inquired on how he knew of me? Russ then told a story that reminded me much about the hit movie “The Truman Show”  that starred Jim Carrey (it was a film about a man who initially is unaware that he is living out his life before a daily TV viewing audience). Russ went on to say that he had been watching me for years through television in Calgary? I was baffled obviously. Russ then said that in Calgary, their American television station programming came from Spokane, Washington – all three network channels from ABC, CBS and NBC. So he told me how fascinated he was by all of the marketing events we did with the Chiefs and wanted to see if I would join him in Kansas City?

Continued tomorrow …

CAREER MEMORIES - #8 BECOMING A FAMILY!

 

Wendy & I found our first home together. It was a Townhouse that we rented in Crofton, MD. We were situated 17 miles away from the Capital Centre in Landover and not too far from the city of Annapolis. We were a one-car family so we had to carefully schedule our time. My drive to the Capitals Hockey office seemed to take about 30-40 minutes each way. It was a relaxing drive through the beautiful Maryland countryside!   

As we turn the calendar to 1983, Wendy was almost ready to deliver our first child. Geri Murray, who was a dear friend and wife of our Capitals’ Head Coach Bryan (one of the three “best men” at our wedding”) organized and hosted Wendy’s first-ever baby shower. Geri was so down to earth and had such a great sense of humor! Shortly thereafter we welcomed a daughter (Jaimee Melissa) into this world on Feb. 1st! She had medical issues that required hospitalization for her first month of life at nearby D.C. Children’s.

Before Jaimee was born, Wendy and I had come to a decision that she was going to be an at-home Mom raising our children. That was Wendy’s dream in life and she excelled at it! I couldn’t have been more proud of my wife for the way she cared and nurtured Jaimee during a difficult period. When we brought our daughter home, we had to find a Pediatrician. I had asked several ladies at our Capitals’ office for recommendations and it seemed the favored choice was a person name Dr. Robert Graw. His practice was located in a rural farming area in Davidsonville, MD. I will never forget the number of farm animals that would make their way up to the office windows on his property. On this one day a goat kept visiting our waiting room window. But never made a noise. Here’s me at a time when our Pediatrician is conducting business and asks “if there were any further questions?” and I blurt out “Yes, Dr. Graw, can you tell me what noise a Goat makes?” Like me, he didn’t know the answer either? So he opened up the office window and the two of us were trying to get this goat to communicate! No such luck!

Two years later, our second daughter arrived in this world. Cali Nicole, who was born in 1985 on Feb. 12th. We now felt like a family! However, at this time, I was starting to evaluate my career and the time spent at the arena late at night after so many games, exhibitions and playoffs. Following the 1984-85 season, we made a decision to move the family to Minnesota and raise the girls in the Midwest. We rented a small apartment in Eagan, MN, a small suburb about 15 miles or so away from Minneapolis where Wendy’s Mom and family lived.

Wendy’s brother, Michael, flew into Maryland to help us pack our townhouse and load up the furniture. Obviously with two babies and their furniture we would have much to take away. We rented a U-Haul truck that Michael would drive while the girls and I drove out in our car.

Then it was off to see what opportunities awaited for me work-wise. Initially I was focusing on public relations firms since that was my specialty with the Capitals. There just didn’t seem to be a match out there for me during this period of time. Weeks were ticking by and I had this meeting with another agency that really changed my life. It was with Mona & Associates. The namesake and principal of the firm was a gentleman name Dave Mona. He actually had accounts with the some of the local Minnesota Pro Sports teams so this naturally drew me to making an appointment. Dave was also a radio show co-host that chatted up the Twin Cities sports scene on a local station so I knew he had a heart for the business! It was the rejection speech given to me by Dave that became my lightening rod and what transformed my career in the years ahead! As Dave finished our meeting, he looked at me and said “Jim, how could I possibly bring you on board? Even though your resume is nice, my business is to sell clients. We sell ideas. Your resume says you can’t ‘Sell a French Fry?’”

I left his office so upset and frustrated because I knew I need to find work. I remember driving back home and stopping at a McDonald’s drive-thru for lunch. Dave’s speech hit me again when I was munching on some French Fries! I rolled down my window, cussed him out and threw the fries outside! During my madness, one fry remained in the car and landed on my dashboard above the steering wheel. I left it there and stared at the thing! ACTUALLY THAT FRY BECAME MY INSPIRATION! I WAS GOING TO LEARN HOW TO SELL A FRENCH FRY!

But I was struggling to get work that would make me happy. Some agencies liked my resume but hung me on the fact that I did not have a college degree? Some made that a requisite to being hired. So, I took three part-time jobs. One was to work game-nights with the Minnesota North Stars; the second was as the Managing Editor of “Let’s Play Hockey”, a local publication that promoted the sport of hockey in the state of Minnesota. I wrote a weekly column, took care of the magazine layout and sold the ads. And the third, and perhaps the one that had the most impact in my life as I would find out, was to deliver the Minnesota Star & Tribune newspaper weekdays. YES I DID!

The Tribune paid me just under $200 a week to deliver their paper to 190 homes in the Bloomington, MN residential area. At this point I remembered the many talks that Roger Crozier shared with me in Washington. One in particular was the SOMEONE lecture. During that time he mentioned to me that “in order to succeed in business, I had to first knock on doors, ask questions, come up with the plan, execute and more times than not, you will get rewarded!” I took that approach and waited until the Sunday before I started my route the next morning. It was a Minnesota Vikings game- day so I knew most everyone would be home. Half answered the door for me and many did not. Those that did, I introduced myself as their new paperboy and asked how the previous service was? Everyone complained - and sometimes loudly - that the person was lazy and tossed the paper out of their car and made the homeowner go fetch it regardless of the outdoor weather conditions.

So I developed a plan. I was going to drive my car along the route. Park it every two blocks. Count the number of houses on both sides of the street that subscribed to the delivery. Walk it to everyone’s front door and lay the paper at their porch step every single day. What motivated me? That FRENCH FRY and the fact I had convinced myself that I was going to set the Tribune Newspaper record for most XMAS Tips ever collected by a route carrier? Did they have one? Probably not. But they did in my head!

So when Thanksgiving and Black Friday approached, I asked Wendy to buy into my crazy idea of buying 190 Hallmark Cards. I handwrote a message of thanks inside each and slid the card inside the newspaper that Friday morning. My home address was clearly handwritten with my message. Soon afterwards, we were inundated with so many thank you notes, cash tips and checks from my customers. It was a wonderful Holiday season not to mention how appreciated I felt by the families I serviced! DOING THIS JOB WAS PROBABLY THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME BECAUSE THIS IS TRULY WHERE I LEARNED THE ART OF MARKETING!

Yes, thank you Star & Tribune! Without you, I don’t know if my career would have blossomed without those 2:30 AM wake-ups and walking 190 homes every single morning?  I’ve always believed in FATE and shortly thereafter, a call came to me. It was Bob Strumm. He was getting back into the hockey business and was moving to Spokane, Washington to run a Junior Hockey team. He wanted me to join him and team up once again like we did in Billings and Regina. Bob flew down to the Twin Cities. We had lunch together. He laid out the plan and opportunity for me and guess what … I was going to be the Director of Marketing and PR for the new Spokane Chiefs!

I chatted with Wendy about it. We made a family decision to move and re-launch my sports career. I remember my famous words stated to Bob when he offered me the job: “Bob, I’ve never done marketing before? I’m just going to wing it!” He looked at me and said: “Jimmy Boy – You are going to be just fine. You’ll figure it out I know!” Bob gave me a Hug and I was ready for the new challenge ahead!

### 

 

CAREER MEMORIES - #7 MY LIFE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER IN D.C.!

I’ll never forget the Valentine’s week of 1982 that Wendy and I spent together when she arrived from Minneapolis. It was a personal vacation time off from work for me  and we did so much together including sight-seeing all of the historical sites around Washington, DC as well as in Maryland and Virginia. During this time, I also found out how competitive she was when we decided to play a round of miniature golf. Wendy absolutely throttled me and I was trying my best to beat her! At this golf outing is where the initials “HW” and “HJ” came about. I started calling Wendy “Honey” from the very onset when we met as she did to me. When it came time to fill out the golf scorecards, Wendy looked up at me and said “since we don’t refer to each other by our first names and only by ‘honey’, how about if we call ourselves HJ (Honey Jim) and HW (Honey Wendy)? Those initials are still spoken 100% of the time today as they were 31-years ago!

As we got nearer to our week coming to a close, I couldn’t help but wonder what my next few months were going to be like without Wendy by my side as she was scheduled to fly back to the Twin Cities to complete her college studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.  Then, as we got to within a day of her departure she woke up out of bed with this look like she had been crying in her sleep and when I asked her what was the matter? Wendy told me that she didn’t want to leave me? And then I leaned over with a facial expression that resembled a child opening up presents on Christmas morning and said to her excitedly that “Well I don’t want you to go!” So the next step was convincing her parents that she was going to delay her final college semester and stay with me! But her Mom already knew that as “she kept hinting to her daughter to pack for the long term” when she was picking out clothes for the trip out to visit me! Wendy and I have woken up together every single day since that date of February 13, 1982 which now amounts to 11,380 days!

We started to plan out our wedding date and looked over my Capitals’ hockey schedule so that there were no conflicts (and yes, my bride-to-be was baptized into the life of living by a sports team schedule right from the beginning!) We both agreed on the date of Saturday, June 12th. Next biggest question in my mind was the subject of “best man?”  I knew I was going to disappoint someone no matter who was to be the choice? So I though since we met in an unusual way why not break the normal protocol for a wedding and have “3” Best Men? They were going to be Roger Crozier, who was my first Big League boss and mentor; Bob Strumm, my Junior Hockey boss from Billings, MT and Regina, Canada and the person who brought me into the sports world; and Bryan Murray, the head coach of the Hershey (PA) Bears, our Capitals top farm system club and coach of my Regina team. All three of us had one thing in common: we were hired by Roger Crozier! In time, Bryan would soon become the head coach of the Capitals!

 
The city of Shawville, Quebec, Canada took away our proposed wedding date when they chose to have a special “Bryan Murray Day” for their native son on June 12th. So to make sure Wendy & I could have Bryan with us at the wedding, we moved our date one week ahead to Friday, June 18, 1982.

Next Wendy and I had to decide how and where we were going to hold the actual ceremony? We knew that it would be difficult for both families being so spread throughout the country? We talked it through and felt it would be best to get married at the Upper Marlboro, Maryland courthouse. We both felt married already so spending thousands of dollars just to say we had a splashy reception and church wedding someday just didn’t feel right to the two of us. We invited our families, of course, some close friends of mine and the Capitals’ hockey players and administrative staff.

Roger surprised me at the office this one day during our weekly meetings. He told me that he and his wife, Janice, wanted to make sure Wendy & I had the Wedding of all weddings and as his gift, he was going to take care of the reception. It was going to be on him!! He recommended – and we agreed on - a gorgeous restaurant called Michaels that had fabulous accommodations for special occasions. I was touched beyond belief!! As well, my sister, Pat, told me that her husband, Mark – an aspiring photographer, was going to shoot the ceremony and reception and provide us with a special wedding album as their gift!  

Pat, Mark and my Mom (Camille), drove in from Massachusetts for the wedding. My Dad (Carl) and his wife, Mary, came in from Fort Dodge, Iowa (my actual birth place). Wendy’s Mom (Bette) and her brother, Michael, made the same long drive from Minneapolis. We had both Mom’s, Pat, Mark and Michael bunk in at our apartment the night before the wedding.  My Dad booked a hotel room nearby. It was such a spectacle – families of both sides meeting the bride-to-be and groom-to-be for the very first time! It was kind of like … “Well, everyone, here we are!” 

After we broke the ice with the most important people in our lives, next up was waiting for the arrival of my THREE WISEMEN – Roger, Bob and Bryan. In the dark, late at night, they were trying to find our apartment. We could hear dogs barking outside, fence gates opening up and closing with much noise and then there was this big knock at the door followed by a loud rendition of … JIMMY, JIMMMY, JIMMMMMMY BOYYY!!!!! I knew they had arrived! And there was Roger being Roger with his chant of “Jimmy Boy!” I just loved that man!! This was also the first time I had seen Bob and Bryan since leaving Regina two years ago so this was an emotional moment and reunion for me. And then I had the honor of introducing Wendy to everyone and she getting to know the people that made me who I am! Yes, it was emotional and never to be forgotten night!!

The wedding was beautiful even though it had the courthouse as a setting. I know the building officials working inside were not ready for the flood of people walking in through the doors and the metal detectors going beserk! I can still picture this entire ceremony in my head. The room was so crammed with our friends. We officially became man-and-wife! She became Mrs. Wendy Loria! Yes, the three Best Men stood in there and vouched for Wendy & I as a couple when the judge asked if anyone had any words to say? Then it was off to Michaels Restaurant! Still to this date, I think of Roger and how excited he was for Wendy & I and to make sure that we had a day to always remember! And who will forget that Roger’s baby daughter, Brooke Crozier, took her very first walking steps at our wedding reception? And now, she is all grown up and a Facebook friend to me!   

We split up our honeymoon into two separate trips. The first was spent driving to Minneapolis after the ceremony to meet Wendy’s side of the family. Her Mom had a few household parties and receptions for us. I know my wife will chime in after reading this piece to kill me over the fact that I bought a commemorative ash tray with every state’s insignia from Maryland-to-Minnesota enroute!! Our Honeymoon would continue on in the next month when we traveled to Massachusetts to have Wendy meet my family. We also took time away by ourselves to vacation in beautiful Martha’s Vineyard out in Cape Cod, which was just minutes away from my hometown. We had such an amazing time on that trip!

After the wedding, we welcomed the news that Wendy was expecting and that we were going to become a family in our first year of married life!  We both were super excited and looking forward to our new addition! And then came one of the worst days of my life when Roger called me up (I was at home for lunch at the time) and asked me to meet him right away at a McDonald’s Restaurant not too far from our apartment. I will never forget the date (August 27, 1982) and the news! Roger told me that Abe Pollin had dismissed him from his job as the Capitals’ Interim General Manager. It was so shocking to me! I felt like my Dad just passed away? Roger was brave through it all and said to me before leaving: “Jimmy Boy, take good care of Wendy and no matter what ever happens in your career, always put her first and not your job!” He told me that he was going to go home now and do the same with Janice, his wife, whom he always referred to as “Lightning!”

One of my biggest regrets even to this day came a few months afterwards when Roger called me on the telephone to tell me that he was accepting a position at MBNA Bank in Delaware. They were the world’s largest independent credit card issuers. Roger wanted me to come with him and be his right-hand man! I thought about it. Discussed it with Wendy. But my heart knew that sports was my life. My happiness. I just couldn’t give it up at that time. Roger eventually grew into becoming the bank’s Executive Vice President in charge of worldwide facilities and construction. He was that talented and creative of a man! Unfortunately, his life ended prematurely years later when he passed away in 1996 at the age of 53 due to pancreatic cancer and other complications. Today, the NHL has honored Roger’s memory with an annual league award of his very own called the “Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award” that is presented to the goaltender that compiles the “best overall saves percentage”. What is so touching is that Roger’s award is sponsored by his friends at MBNA Bank and Master Card!

Continued tomorrow …