Those were the days my friends......I thought they'd never end

Hearing the grave news the other day on Gary Carter’s condition got me thinking. First and foremost, I took a minute to pray for him. Then, I started reminiscing of the good ole days. If there was a period of time you could choose to be growing up in Montreal, the late 70’s was the time. The Habs were winning championships, so were The Als and of course, John Travolta Saturday Night Fever was ragging in the Montreal club scene. Most importantly for a huge baseball fan, it was the rise of The Expos as a force to be reckoned with in the National League. No longer would we be perennial cellar dwellers of the East Division

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If you could name an iconic athlete of that era, of course Guy Lafleur would be on the top of most lists. Gary Carter would be the name that would be a close second. The Kid, as he was dubbed by the late Ted Tevan, had the charisma and the talent to match The Flower on the diamond.  Gary Carter’s Expos were drawing 2,000,000 fans plus at Olympic Stadium. Charles Bronfman owned the Expos on paper, but make no mistake… it was Gary’s team.  Whether it was by throwing out a runner at second base, getting a clutch hit to win a game, running to first base on a walk, Gary did whatever it took to win a game. The day he got traded to the Mets was a sad day, for Gary Carter was a true Hall of Famer and most importantly a Montreal Superstar.

One of my prized souvenirs of "The Kid"

It’s now the bottom of the ninth, the home team is trailing by a run and Gary Carter is up at bat….only this time Gary is in there battling for his life. I absolutely believe in the power of prayer, so why don’t you join me as I pray for Gary

Flashback 1993......

Flashback 1993

Montreal Canadiens win their 24^th Stanley Cup and the entire city celebrates! Being a huge fan, it was the ultimate opportunity to share my love & passion for the Habs with my 6 year old son at the time, Emmanuel. Father & son headed out to the parade together on Sherbrooke to applaud our conquering heroes. After experiencing the Habs euphoria, we headed back to where my bakery was, in a small shopping strip on Grenet Street in Ville St-Laurent. As I entered the parking lot I could see a number of my friends waving Canadiens flags and I honked my horn repeatedly as I approached them…GO HABS GO!!.

As I was talking to my friends while still in the car, officer Tellier from Station 14 approached me. Officer Tellier was occupying his time while on duty, to have his patrol car washed. Drivers licence and registration please. Is there a problem officer? He repeated, drivers licence and registration please, so I complied. To my astonishment, he handed me a traffic ticket for the sum of $100, for using my horn unnecessarily. OMG!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everyone who was witness to this was in shock. Enraged, but keeping inside of me the urge to get out of the car and bop him one, I said to him…SEE YOU IN COURT!!

6 months later………

My time arrives for justice to be served! I pleaded my case in front of the judge. Your Honour, when there is a wedding and a precession of cars honk in celebration, do the police stop them and ticket them all? Does the law apply to everyone or just to me? Why was I singled out in a private parking lot by this particular officer? At this point in time I felt like one of the lawyers on L.A. Law, a junior Perry Mason. Mr Manios, did you honk your horn… Yes or No?  Yes I did your Honour. Then I must find you guilty!!! Under the circumstances however, I will wave the court costs. Thank you your Honour. Your Honour, may I make one final statement before I pay my fine?? Yes you may. It’s obvious to me your Honour, that you are a NORDIQUES fan!!   Lol

A True Story