Edmonton Elks Thread

[bellagiobob]

Too funny-- and the thing was that Corey Colehour was not a great QB (or even a good one) but the football club was still the talk of the town everywhere --no matter how bad those Eskie teams were in the 1960's. It's before I went to the games but what an entertaining time it was and the thing was that everyone in the city knew the players--quite often on a personal basis. Sadly, in the last five years I rarely hear anyone discuss the CFL around the water cooler.

It wasn't just the EE that were known to people in the city. When Jim Young, "old dirty 30" came to town the Journal was full of articles about the guy and the whole town hated him but of course loved to see him play because he was just so good. Ditto for Lancaster/Reed and a young Joe Theisman who played 3 years in the league.

Of course its hopeless nostalgia but I think this is why many fans have resisted the name change--it's not just the name change itself but rather a sense of loss for the club and a time that seemed an integral part of the Edmonton scene. Part of that era where Edmonton was referred to as the "Gateway of the North"--- I always thought that was a cool and enchanting image.

Perhaps those times can return but to be honest I think the page has been turned. It's Dreamsville to think you can go back but again the end of the "Eskimos" carries a dark feeling for many-- perhaps ultimately the loss of youth.

Well said. The Eskies were the only game in town at that point, and were pretty much worshipped by fans. Many of the players lived here year round, and you got to know them thru community events. I’m fine with the club trying to expand their fan base, as long as it’s done in the right way. If there are younger fans who legitimately want to become Elks fans (very weird to type that), and would like some tweaks here and there to gain their interest, have at er. I’m not fond of the group that openly mocks the CFL, says it sucks, and demands all kinds of changes before they will try out a game or two. They can get bent. Keep enough of what keeps the old guard interested, and incorporate enough to entice new fans, and hopefully the league can keep going for a few more generations.

 

[Stoneman89]

I don't know the history on this. I'm going to have to do some digging.

From Wiki...


Earl Edwards (born March 17, 1946) is a former American football and Canadian football player. He played at various including defensive tackle, offensive tackle and defensive end. Edwards played onoffensively and defense in college at Wichita State University where Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells was his lineman coach. College was a short stop for "Big Earl" because he defended a team member (Melvin Cason), and his input was not appreciated, causing him to leave the team. In his two and a half years at Wichita State University he won Sophomore Lineman of the Year, All Conference 1st Team, All-Mid West 1st Team, and Honorable Mention All American.
In 1967, he was drafted by the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, only to be traded to the Edmonton Eskimos without playing a down, for an All-Star kicker. Edmonton's offensive line coach Joe Spencer helped him become a stand-out Offensive Tackle (honorable mention All-pro) for two seasons. In 1969 the San Francisco 49ers traded 11 players (6 the first year and 5 the second year) for his draft rights because he still had one year left on his contract with the Canadian team (the Edmonton Eskimos). The 49ers' general manager Jack White stated in an article in the San Francisco Examiner, "if Edwards had remained in college and gone through the regular NFL draft, he would have been the first lineman drafted".

Obviously a tremendous lineman, and in todays world, he never sees the CFL, let alone plays in it. So when he chose to head down south after only 2 seasons up north, the Eskimos obviously lost a very good player.

And more...

Hall had an open-line Points After radio show — the first sports-talk radio show in Alberta, one of the first in Canada.

If Hall disagreed with the caller, which was invariably almost always, he would essentially humiliate the caller telling him he didn’t know what he was talking about. And then he would slam the phone down, cutting callers off in mid-sentence.

People loved it. The phone would slam down a lot after Earl Edwards left the Eskimos in 1968 to play 11 years in the NFL. It quickly became a running joke.

“Hey, Bryan,” the calls would begin. “Who did we get for Earl Edwards?” Slam. One caller got very inventive. He told Hall he had seats right behind the Eskimos bench at Clarke Stadium. He said he heard quarterback Tom Wilkinson come over to talk to head coach Ray Jauch. The conversation was really getting animated, said the caller. And he heard it all.

Hall, for one of the few times, was interested enough to let the caller actually talk. “So what were they saying?” asked Hall. Well, said the caller, Wilkinson wanted to know who we got for Earl Edwards.




And so the legend of Hallsy and Earl Edwards came into being....

 

[bellagiobob]

From Wiki...


Earl Edwards (born March 17, 1946) is a former American football and Canadian football player. He played at various including defensive tackle, offensive tackle and defensive end. Edwards played onoffensively and defense in college at Wichita State University where Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells was his lineman coach. College was a short stop for "Big Earl" because he defended a team member (Melvin Cason), and his input was not appreciated, causing him to leave the team. In his two and a half years at Wichita State University he won Sophomore Lineman of the Year, All Conference 1st Team, All-Mid West 1st Team, and Honorable Mention All American.
In 1967, he was drafted by the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, only to be traded to the Edmonton Eskimos without playing a down, for an All-Star kicker. Edmonton's offensive line coach Joe Spencer helped him become a stand-out Offensive Tackle (honorable mention All-pro) for two seasons. In 1969 the San Francisco 49ers traded 11 players (6 the first year and 5 the second year) for his draft rights because he still had one year left on his contract with the Canadian team (the Edmonton Eskimos). The 49ers' general manager Jack White stated in an article in the San Francisco Examiner, "if Edwards had remained in college and gone through the regular NFL draft, he would have been the first lineman drafted".

Obviously a tremendous lineman, and in todays world, he never sees the CFL, let alone plays in it. So when he chose to head down south after only 2 seasons up north, the Eskimos obviously lost a very good player.

And more...

Hall had an open-line Points After radio show — the first sports-talk radio show in Alberta, one of the first in Canada.

If Hall disagreed with the caller, which was invariably almost always, he would essentially humiliate the caller telling him he didn’t know what he was talking about. And then he would slam the phone down, cutting callers off in mid-sentence.

People loved it. The phone would slam down a lot after Earl Edwards left the Eskimos in 1968 to play 11 years in the NFL. It quickly became a running joke.

“Hey, Bryan,” the calls would begin. “Who did we get for Earl Edwards?” Slam. One caller got very inventive. He told Hall he had seats right behind the Eskimos bench at Clarke Stadium. He said he heard quarterback Tom Wilkinson come over to talk to head coach Ray Jauch. The conversation was really getting animated, said the caller. And he heard it all.

Hall, for one of the few times, was interested enough to let the caller actually talk. “So what were they saying?” asked Hall. Well, said the caller, Wilkinson wanted to know who we got for Earl Edwards.




And so the legend of Hallsy and Earl Edwards came into being....

There was one calller who used the Edwards line a lot, trying to remember his username. Thought it had something to do with Winnipeg?

 

[oilers'72]

They can just lay on the field.

Here's an idea. Instead of the Knothole Gang, the team can have Elks Corner.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Here's an idea. Instead of the Knothole Gang, the team can have Elks Corner.

Elks Enclave

 

[oilers'72]

Elks Enclave

Yeah. You can have transportation to the game and back from their favourite watering hole, special prices on grasses and feeds, team paraphernalia, jerseys of their favourite Elk and run around the field after each game.

 

[rboomercat90]

Yeah. You can have transportation to the game and back from their favourite watering hole, special prices on grasses and feeds, team paraphernalia, jerseys of their favourite Elk and run around the field after each game.

So far my favourite Elk is the one from your last post.

 

[oilers'72]

So far my favourite Elk is the one from your last post.

@bellagiobob actually posted that in the Corona thread. I just replied here.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

The same era as Jim "Long Gone" Thomas.

There were a couple of seasons where our entire offence was Jim Thomas. I'm surprised he survived his Eskie days...defences were just gunning for him.

 

[MoontoScott]

There were a couple of seasons where our entire offence was Jim Thomas. I'm surprised he survived his Eskie days...defences were just gunning for him.

He had a lot of wear and tear on him in his EE days. Apparently he would skip camp and then show up in the middle of the night just before the regular season began.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

Too funny-- and the thing was that Corey Colehour was not a great QB (or even a good one) but the football club was still the talk of the town everywhere --no matter how bad those Eskie teams were in the 1960's. It's before I went to the games but what an entertaining time it was and the thing was that everyone in the city knew the players--quite often on a personal basis. Sadly, in the last five years I rarely hear anyone discuss the CFL around the water cooler.

It wasn't just the EE that were known to people in the city. When Jim Young, "old dirty 30" came to town the Journal was full of articles about the guy and the whole town hated him but of course loved to see him play because he was just so good. Ditto for Lancaster/Reed and a young Joe Theisman who played 3 years in the league.

Of course its hopeless nostalgia but I think this is why many fans have resisted the name change--it's not just the name change itself but rather a sense of loss for the club and a time that seemed an integral part of the Edmonton scene. Part of that era where Edmonton was referred to as the "Gateway of the North"--- I always thought that was a cool and enchanting image.

Perhaps those times can return but to be honest I think the page has been turned. It's Dreamsville to think you can go back but the end of the "Eskimos" carries a dark feeling for many-- perhaps ultimately the loss of youth but whatever it is the change this week seemed to carry with it a profound sense of something special being left in the rearview mirror for good. Sure, its just a name change but it feels like more than that. I find it particularly sad that you can't even use the term "Eskimos" in reference to those past clubs--ah well, such is progress, I guess.

Very well said, that certainly speaks to my thoughts as well. As a kid, I watched Jackie Parker, Johnny Bright, Normie Kwong and Don Getty play for the team, so there's a lot of history for me - all fondly remembered.
Wish the new version of the team every success.

 

[bone]

From Wiki...


Earl Edwards (born March 17, 1946) is a former American football and Canadian football player. He played at various including defensive tackle, offensive tackle and defensive end. Edwards played onoffensively and defense in college at Wichita State University where Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells was his lineman coach. College was a short stop for "Big Earl" because he defended a team member (Melvin Cason), and his input was not appreciated, causing him to leave the team. In his two and a half years at Wichita State University he won Sophomore Lineman of the Year, All Conference 1st Team, All-Mid West 1st Team, and Honorable Mention All American.
In 1967, he was drafted by the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, only to be traded to the Edmonton Eskimos without playing a down, for an All-Star kicker. Edmonton's offensive line coach Joe Spencer helped him become a stand-out Offensive Tackle (honorable mention All-pro) for two seasons. In 1969 the San Francisco 49ers traded 11 players (6 the first year and 5 the second year) for his draft rights because he still had one year left on his contract with the Canadian team (the Edmonton Eskimos). The 49ers' general manager Jack White stated in an article in the San Francisco Examiner, "if Edwards had remained in college and gone through the regular NFL draft, he would have been the first lineman drafted".

Obviously a tremendous lineman, and in todays world, he never sees the CFL, let alone plays in it. So when he chose to head down south after only 2 seasons up north, the Eskimos obviously lost a very good player.

And more...

Hall had an open-line Points After radio show — the first sports-talk radio show in Alberta, one of the first in Canada.

If Hall disagreed with the caller, which was invariably almost always, he would essentially humiliate the caller telling him he didn’t know what he was talking about. And then he would slam the phone down, cutting callers off in mid-sentence.

People loved it. The phone would slam down a lot after Earl Edwards left the Eskimos in 1968 to play 11 years in the NFL. It quickly became a running joke.

“Hey, Bryan,” the calls would begin. “Who did we get for Earl Edwards?” Slam. One caller got very inventive. He told Hall he had seats right behind the Eskimos bench at Clarke Stadium. He said he heard quarterback Tom Wilkinson come over to talk to head coach Ray Jauch. The conversation was really getting animated, said the caller. And he heard it all.

Hall, for one of the few times, was interested enough to let the caller actually talk. “So what were they saying?” asked Hall. Well, said the caller, Wilkinson wanted to know who we got for Earl Edwards.

And so the legend of Hallsy and Earl Edwards came into being....

Thanks for sharing. What I'm wondering is why Hall would have got so mad in the first place about the mention of Earl Edwards that allowed it to turn into a running joke by the callers.

I didn't get to listen much to Hall until the late 90s when I spent a lot of time of job sites doing materials testing with a lot of waiting in the vehicle for the sites to be ready so heard him lose it on callers regularly over stupid things and it was funny, but this was the first I heard of Earl Edwards so definitely intriguing. I use a picture of Hall from the 50s or 60s as my avatar on the Esks forum I frequent.

 

[LMFAO]

As always people hate changes but I think overall they did pretty good.

 

[joestevens29]

Really curious how attendance will be this year. Are people going to want to get out so badly that we see attendance go up. Or did all these people that took up the outdoors continue with the outdoors and hurt attendance.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Bryan Hall still bringing heat after all these years

 

[Drivesaitl]

From the same mayor that didn't go to games and that couldn't even be bothered attending the GC opening events or festivities. Yes, the Mayor, previously shirking this

 

[Stoneman89]

Elks Enclave

Elk Run?

 

[Stoneman89]

Thanks for sharing. What I'm wondering is why Hall would have got so mad in the first place about the mention of Earl Edwards that allowed it to turn into a running joke by the callers.

I didn't get to listen much to Hall until the late 90s when I spent a lot of time of job sites doing materials testing with a lot of waiting in the vehicle for the sites to be ready so heard him lose it on callers regularly over stupid things and it was funny, but this was the first I heard of Earl Edwards so definitely intriguing. I use a picture of Hall from the 50s or 60s as my avatar on the Esks forum I frequent.

Bryan was the biggest fan in the city, and in his mind, the team could do no wrong. When Edwards left, and we essentially got nothing for him, there were a lot of upset people. Since the Eskies were perfect in his mind, he just told them to get over it and forget it and move on. But obviously, they didn't, and after a few people kept bringing up that sore spot, Hallsy had enough and starting hanging up on them whenever it was brought up.. But unfortunately for him, it was like waving a red cape in front of a bull.

 

[trick91]

Any where locally we can buy the new Elks gear? Would be nice to try stuff on first and also avoid the $8 shipping charge from the website.

 

[bellagiobob]

Really curious how attendance will be this year. Are people going to want to get out so badly that we see attendance go up. Or did all these people that took up the outdoors continue with the outdoors and hurt attendance.

Are there still tickets available? Just assumed that the wokesters had already bucked up and bought all the tickets.

 

[Stoneman89]

Any where locally we can buy the new Elks gear? Would be nice to try stuff on first and also avoid the $8 shipping charge from the website.

I would call the Elks org and ask.

 

[bellagiobob]

Waiting for the inevitable fights in the stands when people’s view of the game is obscured due to the shitload of antler head gear worn by the people in front of them.

 

[samiam]

Really curious how attendance will be this year. Are people going to want to get out so badly that we see attendance go up. Or did all these people that took up the outdoors continue with the outdoors and hurt attendance.

I would say that the games will definitely be sold-out, or close to sold-out. With the thousands of people (some even on here) trumpeting how they would never attend an Eskimos game again until the name was changed.
Well, now that that's all been done, I fully expect they will all honour their word.
Thus, I feel this very well could be the hottest ticket in town this summer!

 

[Drivesaitl]

Waiting for the inevitable fights in the stands when people’s view of the game is obscured due to the shitload of antler head gear worn by the people in front of them.

So I am somewhat wondering what the response will be to old gear. I mean I'm assuming its allowed in. I'd walk away if anybody tried to say I couldn't wear gear emblazoned with Eskimos anymore. But I kind of wonder if theres going to be any reaction in the stands to something like wearing what gear. hopefully not but add alcohol, passion, and amped atmosphere of a game and anything can happen.

In the case of stuff just with EE on it good that they retained that.

 

[bellagiobob]

So I am somewhat wondering what the response will be to old gear. I mean I'm assuming its allowed in. I'd walk away if anybody tried to say I couldn't wear gear emblazoned with Eskimos anymore. But I kind of wonder if theres going to be any reaction in the stands to something like wearing what gear. hopefully not but add alcohol, passion, and amped atmosphere of a game and anything can happen.

In the case of stuff just with EE on it good that they retained that.

I can't imagine it being a problem. 99.9% of the fans in the stands will be the same people who have always gone, with the majority not in favor of the name change, but have decided to support the team regardless, cause we love football. Anyone that would give you issue won't be at the game, they will be at the next scheduled protest.