Jim Hunt (columnist)
Encyclopedia
Jim "Shaky" Hunt was a Canadian sports columnist who spent over 50 years as a journalist and covered the biggest events in sports including the Stanley Cup
, the Super Bowl
, the Olympics, all of golf's majors and the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series
. Hunt was known as "Shaky" thanks to his intramural goaltending career at the University of Western Ontario, where he was part of the school's first journalism graduating class, in 1948.
Hunt died aged 79 after suffering a heart attack. and is remembered as a "character who had a loud and distinctive voice and loved telling good stories". Hunt left Caroline, his wife of 54 years, daughters Kathryn, and Cally, and sons Rod and Andrew. He also left two brothers, Don and Jack, and six grandchildren, Ben, Billy, Cally, Katie, Aiden and Ella.
, Ontario
, Hunt began his 50-plus years in journalism when he joined the Toronto Daily Star in 1948, working first as a city news reporter. He was working in the Queen's Park bureau before moving to sports in 1952.
At the Star's sports department, he worked under Milt Dunnell
in 1953 and later the Star's former weekly magazine as sports editor. While with the Star, one challenging assignment saw him smuggling a gun — he opted for a fake one made of wood — in a gun case into Maple Leaf Gardens
in 1956 during a Toronto Maple Leafs
playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings
. The objective for Hunt was to test the Gardens' security. He was able to get past the ticket-takers and the Star ran the picture of him and the gun case on the front page the next day.
Along the way he interviewed a long list of well-known figures in the sports world and outside it. He wrote a biography in the mid-1960s on hockey legend Bobby Hull
. It was titled, Bobby Hull: The first million dollar hockey player.
He had lunch with Marilyn Monroe
and took notes while chatting with Yankee great Mickey Mantle
. He also interviewed legendary boxers, Rocky Marciano
, Sonny Liston
and Muhammad Ali
. As well as sharing drinks with Queen Elizabeth II on her private yacht during the Montreal Olympics.
His interview with Ali took place in a midtown Manhattan hotel room prior to Ali's 1964 upset win over Sonny Liston. After telling Hunt what he was going to do to Liston, the young and brash Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) burst into one of his trademark verses. "After I beat Liston I'll be sad, then there'll be no one to make me mad.
His book also described what it was like covering the hockey riots in 1955 in Montreal
. The incident occurred after the NHL suspended Canadiens great Maurice Richard
for attacking a Boston Bruins
player with his stick, and later going after a linesman who tried to stop him. Hunt said it was a day he'd never forget, "one of the blackest in the history of hockey.
He moved to CKEY in 1967 as sports director of the AM radio station, eventually becoming news director. Hunt credited the CKEY job with giving him the opportunity to cover the 1972 and 1974 Canada-Russia hockey series.
In 1983, he became sports columnist with the Toronto Sun
. He would later co-host a sports program with Bob McCown called Prime Time Sports
on Toronto’s The Fan 590 radio station while with the paper.
owner Harold Ballard
. It was Hunt that gave Harold Ballard the nickname Pal Hal, which would be the title of Dick Beddoes biography about Ballard. The first notable incident with Ballard took place as a rebuttal towards Hunt’s comments about the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ballard went on the air after the next Maple Leafs game and called Hunt a bastard. He then told TV host Dave Hodge that his comments were about someone who’s last name starts with one of the first three letters of the alphabet. Hodge responded by saying Jim Bunt. Ballard responded by saying the name started with the letter C.
When Hunt worked for the Toronto Sun
newspaper, Hunt was asked to attend Harold Ballard’s 85th birthday. The birthday was on July 30, 1988 and held at Ballard’s cottage in Thunder Bay
. Hunt attended the party with a female photographer called Veronica Milne. Hunt and Milne got lost on the way to the party and arrived an hour late. Upon their arrival, Ballard responded by saying, “Hunt, I know why you’re late. You were humping her in the back seat of the car.”
game between 1949 and 1999. Every year, for as long as sportswriters can recall, Toronto Sun columnist Jim Hunt asked the most critical question at the coaches' press conference during Grey Cup week.
"What is your position on your players having sex the night before the Grey Cup game? he would ask the coaches, always eliciting good-natured laughter from his colleagues. So entrenched is this quirky tradition, that when he couldn't attend the last few Grey Cups, another journalist stood up to pose the question in his absence.
He also authored the autobiography All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous World of Sports (ISBN 0470835524) with Steve Simmons a fellow Canadian journalist writing the foreword. Published by Wiley and Sons, it was released on September 30, 2005. It was a collection of stories from his time as a reporter. Long after he'd retired from full-time work he continued writing a Tuesday column for the Sun, his last one running February 28, 2006.
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, the Olympics, all of golf's majors and the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
. Hunt was known as "Shaky" thanks to his intramural goaltending career at the University of Western Ontario, where he was part of the school's first journalism graduating class, in 1948.
Hunt died aged 79 after suffering a heart attack. and is remembered as a "character who had a loud and distinctive voice and loved telling good stories". Hunt left Caroline, his wife of 54 years, daughters Kathryn, and Cally, and sons Rod and Andrew. He also left two brothers, Don and Jack, and six grandchildren, Ben, Billy, Cally, Katie, Aiden and Ella.
Career
Born and raised in SarniaSarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Hunt began his 50-plus years in journalism when he joined the Toronto Daily Star in 1948, working first as a city news reporter. He was working in the Queen's Park bureau before moving to sports in 1952.
At the Star's sports department, he worked under Milt Dunnell
Milt Dunnell
Milt Dunnell was a Canadian sportswriter, known chiefly for his work at the Toronto Star.Born in St. Marys, Ontario, Dunnell entered journalism with the Stratford Beacon Herald in the 1920s, later becoming the sports editor. He joined the Star as a sportswriter in 1942, becoming sports editor in...
in 1953 and later the Star's former weekly magazine as sports editor. While with the Star, one challenging assignment saw him smuggling a gun — he opted for a fake one made of wood — in a gun case into Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in 1956 during a Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The objective for Hunt was to test the Gardens' security. He was able to get past the ticket-takers and the Star ran the picture of him and the gun case on the front page the next day.
Along the way he interviewed a long list of well-known figures in the sports world and outside it. He wrote a biography in the mid-1960s on hockey legend Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
. It was titled, Bobby Hull: The first million dollar hockey player.
He had lunch with Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and took notes while chatting with Yankee great Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
. He also interviewed legendary boxers, Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
, Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
and Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. As well as sharing drinks with Queen Elizabeth II on her private yacht during the Montreal Olympics.
His interview with Ali took place in a midtown Manhattan hotel room prior to Ali's 1964 upset win over Sonny Liston. After telling Hunt what he was going to do to Liston, the young and brash Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) burst into one of his trademark verses. "After I beat Liston I'll be sad, then there'll be no one to make me mad.
His book also described what it was like covering the hockey riots in 1955 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The incident occurred after the NHL suspended Canadiens great Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
for attacking a Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
player with his stick, and later going after a linesman who tried to stop him. Hunt said it was a day he'd never forget, "one of the blackest in the history of hockey.
He moved to CKEY in 1967 as sports director of the AM radio station, eventually becoming news director. Hunt credited the CKEY job with giving him the opportunity to cover the 1972 and 1974 Canada-Russia hockey series.
In 1983, he became sports columnist with the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
. He would later co-host a sports program with Bob McCown called Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports is a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of The FAN 590 in Toronto, Canada. The show is hosted by Bob McCown.The program is broadcast weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on The FAN 590...
on Toronto’s The Fan 590 radio station while with the paper.
Harold Ballard
Jim Hunt had many run-ins with Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
owner Harold Ballard
Harold Ballard
Harold E. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. A member of the Leafs organization from 1940 and a senior executive from 1957, he became part-owner of the team in 1961 and was majority owner from February...
. It was Hunt that gave Harold Ballard the nickname Pal Hal, which would be the title of Dick Beddoes biography about Ballard. The first notable incident with Ballard took place as a rebuttal towards Hunt’s comments about the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ballard went on the air after the next Maple Leafs game and called Hunt a bastard. He then told TV host Dave Hodge that his comments were about someone who’s last name starts with one of the first three letters of the alphabet. Hodge responded by saying Jim Bunt. Ballard responded by saying the name started with the letter C.
When Hunt worked for the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
newspaper, Hunt was asked to attend Harold Ballard’s 85th birthday. The birthday was on July 30, 1988 and held at Ballard’s cottage in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
. Hunt attended the party with a female photographer called Veronica Milne. Hunt and Milne got lost on the way to the party and arrived an hour late. Upon their arrival, Ballard responded by saying, “Hunt, I know why you’re late. You were humping her in the back seat of the car.”
Grey Cup
He holds the distinction of having attended every Grey CupGrey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
game between 1949 and 1999. Every year, for as long as sportswriters can recall, Toronto Sun columnist Jim Hunt asked the most critical question at the coaches' press conference during Grey Cup week.
"What is your position on your players having sex the night before the Grey Cup game? he would ask the coaches, always eliciting good-natured laughter from his colleagues. So entrenched is this quirky tradition, that when he couldn't attend the last few Grey Cups, another journalist stood up to pose the question in his absence.
Golf Adventures
- One year in the press room at Glen Abbey Golf CourseGlen Abbey Golf CourseGlen Abbey Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1976, is one of Canada's most famous golf courses and is home to the Royal Canadian Golf Association and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. It has hosted 25 Canadian Open Championships, more than any other course, with the first having...
, the golf writer for the New York Times went to the media director and asked for his seat to be moved because “there’s some loudmouth sitting beside me.” That was Hunt, who never stopped yapping or laughing.
- One year at The Masters, we were walking past the clubhouse and Arnold PalmerArnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
walked past, stopped and said: “Hi Jim.” Hunt looked at him and said: “Do I know you?”
- There was another year when Hunt took Masters chairman Jack Stephens to task. At the annual press conference with the heads of Augusta, Shaky said: “You invite Japanese, Spaniards, Frenchmen, Australians but you never invite Canadians. Why is that?” Stephens conferred for a moment with a couple of others and then said: “We consider them North Americans.”
Retirement
In 2001, Hunt was honoured by Sports Media Canada, the Canadian arm of the international sportswriters' association, with an achievement award.He also authored the autobiography All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous World of Sports (ISBN 0470835524) with Steve Simmons a fellow Canadian journalist writing the foreword. Published by Wiley and Sons, it was released on September 30, 2005. It was a collection of stories from his time as a reporter. Long after he'd retired from full-time work he continued writing a Tuesday column for the Sun, his last one running February 28, 2006.