"Da Bish", of course.
Eric Bishop was born Jan. 30,
1926, at Lacombe, spent his first school year at Connaught
in Calgary, then moved with his family to Vancouver, where he completed his
schooling. He worked briefly for the
"He never went to war,"
said former CFAC manager Jim Kunkel, who worked with Bishop off and on from
1954 through 1988. "But he always told us they moved him around to
whatever station seemed to need a baseball catcher."
Bishop later caught for the Purity
99ers of the old Big Four League, still later umpired in the same league at the
old
He worked as a sportswriter and
assistant sports editor at the
"To me, he was pure
enjoyment," recalled Kunkel, who became Bishop's boss in the early
Sixties. "It was fun to stand back and watch him get in and out of
scrapes. He infuriated some and charmed the pants off others. But he was
awfully good at what he did for a living."
Bishop's positions were many. He
coached the
Following his first stint as CFAC
sports director, he became sports editor of the
"It's the only hockey team
anybody ever remembers that actually threw up pickets and went on strike,"
quipped Kunkel.
Bishop returned to CFAC following
that stint, called the play for the WHA Cowboys and, one season during the
'80s, the
During the bulk of the '90s, he
wrote a thrice-weekly sports column for the
****
The Leader-Post (
Eric Bishop, a veteran broadcaster
and newspaper columnist and died Saturday of brain cancer. He was 74.
Bishop, a Lacombe, Alta. native,
was a well-known radio broadcaster from the 1950s through the '70s who raised
eyebrows with his outspoken, emotional delivery. A former owner/GM/broadcaster
of the WHL's
"One way or another, everyone
in town knew who he was," said former Stampeder
and close friend George Hansen.
Known around the city as Da Bish and/or Beesh, Bishop retired from CFAC radio in 1988.
"I thought he was the best
play-by-play football announcer
***
Mr. Eric Lowther
(
Mr. Eric Bishop, an institution in
Calgary for decades, passed away last week. Today is the day that his legion of
friends will gather to reminisce and swap stories about one of sport's most colourful and
insightful media personalities.
Eric Bishop was born in Lacombe,
To quote George Hansen, “One way
or another, everyone knew who Eric Bishop was”. He was one of the best
broadcasters to ever sit in front of a microphone and one of the most
insightful sportswriters to ever sit at a typewriter. We all have our own idea
of what heaven will be like. Those who knew Eric Bishop say that for him, there
will be green felt covered tables, plenty of good cigars, unopened fresh decks
of cards, and rooms full of family, friends and fans.
2000-04-05 Parliament
***
*ALL-STAR VOCAL CORDS: Those of
Eric Bishop, who covered the first-ever Stamps' game (Oct. 20, 1945) as a
Herald reporter, then went on to 25-odd years as the team's radio voice. Bish concedes he was something of a homer: ``Back in the
days when
Jim Coleman 1995
***
(Copyright TRAIL DAILY TIMES 2000)
Eric Bishop, now there's a name to
conjure with, if you were around this area in the post-war period.
He was a genius, albeit one with
giant flaws, and his endeavors in this town made a difference. I have spoken of
late to a lot of people who knew him. (Adult-to adult, I mean. I remember Eric,
too, he was among my dad's many friends that hung out at all the venues I
frequented, but I was in elementary school at the time).
A couple of the people I have
spoken to claim he was a big reason sports was "rejuvenated" here
after the war.
He seemed to be everywhere,
and seldom shut up. The thing with Eric was, he
frequently knew what he was talking about, so it's probably a good thing he had
a lot of avenues of expression.
At one time he was sports director
for CM&S' Cominco magazine, sports director and
play-by-play man at CJAT (KBS) and a sportswriter and sometimes sports editor
for this paper. All at once.
At the same time, he played
fastball, part-owned and managed the men's baseball team, played and coached basketball, worked hard at bringing football to town and had
an active social life.
"Trail was a sports town and
he was a sports guy," remembers one friend. "He was a `yapper', that's true, but he had a lot of friends, and did
a lot of good around here."
Bishop got people looking outwards
again, taking the very good baseball team he managed to such places as
Vancouver and North Battleford (where they played
against, among others, Gordie Howe), and helping
bring teams from those kind of distances to tournaments in this area. Ball
tournaments, sure, but also things like the Rossland
Trail Golf tournament and some local bonspiels.
He got people into the stands for
baseball and hockey, and just generally lifted the sports spirit around here.
Eric had a few rough edges, but he
made a lot of friends, even courted a local girl, while he was in this area. As
peripatetic as he was it's surprising, but true, that he considered himself a
Trail Guy, perhaps foremost among his allegiances.
I have in front of me a column he
wrote for the
In that column he reminisces about
the time when he was "King of the Doukhobors.....well,
actually, ....King of the Douks
of the diamond." The story deals with the misadventures of Bishop, Johnny Sofiak and Bobby Kromm when they
had been lured to Castlegar, by various inducements
from John Verigin, "Really the King," said
Bishop, to play for Verigin's fastball club. The
arrangement with the three Prairie-born Trailites
broke down when Kromm realized that while he was
playing for beer, Bishop and Sofiak were being paid
in cash and beer. On top of that, Bishop discovered his batterymate
was receiving $5 more per game than Eric, and that really tore it.
It's a good story and well
written. I bring it up, however, because not very deep between the lines one
finds the fondness Eric had for this place. A fondness those who knew him in
those days will return. The guy, warts and all, is probably the best and most
important sports journalist the Interior of B.C. has ever known.
One more quick
story. Eric and Annis Stukus
both went to work for the brand-new B.C. Lions in the early 50s and maintained
links for decades. Both were witty and garrulous, and being around either could
be a treat. I was privileged on a couple of occasions to be there with both in
top shape. No one else got a word in edgewise, but the laughter flowed so hard
no one had breath to drink. No one
except, "Da Bish",
of course.