You don香蕉视频直播檛 have to be a sports fan to recognize the double whammy last week robbing the world of two fine people.

Ironically while the boxing world reeled from the loss of Mohammed Ali and the accolades and hearty goodbyes began for the former world heavyweight champion, the hockey world learned of the passing of the legendary hockey great Gordie Howe.

Last week in this space, I commented that Ali was probably the greatest athlete in modern times, separating Ali from Wayne Gretzky simply based on cultural and social impact.

While Ali will go down in history as 香蕉视频直播淭he Greatest,香蕉视频直播� and Gretzky as 香蕉视频直播淭he Great One,香蕉视频直播� Howe leaves this planet with two tags: 香蕉视频直播淢r. Hockey香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淭he Great Gordie Howe.香蕉视频直播�

In many ways, though the oldest of theses three great athletes, Howe was a perfect blend of the other two.

Without question a talented athletic specimen, Howe was also the epitome of humbleness, toughness, and (ironically) gentleness.

He was already a legend in the sporting world when Ali earned his first heavyweight champion title and Gretzky was even born.

Even as a youngster, Howe showed tremendous promise as an athlete.

The Floral, Sask., native turned heads as a kid, whether on frozen outdoor rinks or modern indoor arenas.

When he first stepped on the ice in the National Hockey League for the 1946-47 season, it was a much different league than what hockey players enter today.

To earn a spot in the six-team league at that time, one not only had to have tremendous talent but determination and willingness to pay a physical price.

There are many great Howe stories reflected on by those at his funeral services this week, and I am sure we will hear many more over the next few months.

Like thousands of other Canadians, I was honoured to meet the legendary right-winger through my association with writing Howie Meeker香蕉视频直播檚 biography.

During our five years together writing two books, Meeker often reminisced about his unique parallel life to Howe.

Meeker remains the answer to one of the great hockey trivia questions: Who beat Gordie Howe for the rookie of the year Calder trophy in 1946-47 season?

Meeker had a tremendous first season filling the net with pucks, establishing a record still held today of five goals in one game as a rookie, and went on to win his first of four Stanley Cups that year.

But Meeker scoffed at beating Howe for the Calder.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was the greatest miscarriage of justice in hockey,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was outrageously unfair. I was a young man returning from war, a veteran of life and ready to take on the world.

香蕉视频直播淕ordie was a gangly 17-year-old snotty-nosed kid playing against men in an incredibly competitive environment.

香蕉视频直播淏ut even then you knew the kid was going to be something else. Two or three years later and I could not carry the kid香蕉视频直播檚 suitcase. Winning the Calder trophy? Phooey what a joke.香蕉视频直播�

Among the many Howe legends was his on-ice toughness and his friendship with fellow Detroit Red Wing forward Ted Lindsay.

Meeker, to his chagrin, was more than familiar with both characters.

In fact, he knew them far too well for his own liking.

香蕉视频直播淲e (Gordie) fought all the time over the years. Oddly enough we got along fine but somehow we always wound up fighting. I always started scrapping somebody else like Ted Lindsay and then Howe would step in and we go at it,香蕉视频直播� Meeker recalled.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not sure why Howe had to step in cause Lindsay was tough enough on his own, but he would. Gordie was a big, tough boy and very, very strong.

香蕉视频直播淧eople always talk about how much we fought and I thought it was an exaggeration.

香蕉视频直播淏ut I never really fought with Gordie; Gordie fought, I just took the shit-kickings.香蕉视频直播�

Many will argue that Gordie was the greatest hockey player that ever donned the blades.

It is a debate that has gone on long before  Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and even Bobby Orr.

While I do not rank Howe as the number one all-time on-ice player (nor does Meeker), it is fair to say he was probably the greatest player for the game in the big picture.

Not only did Howe represent dedication, perseverance, toughness, athleticism, and humbleness, he was also a gentleman (forgetting his elbows and ferocity for fighting) and an ambassador of the game.

He captured our imagination playing during over five decades and joining his sons professionally on the ice.

He changed the game and the world around him, and he will be missed.