Broken Ribs & Popcorn
April 16, 2022
Takeaways from Geoff Kirbyson’s book, Broken Ribs & Popcorn, which covers the Winnipeg Jets during the 1980s:
1. Why is this book not available electronically?
2. Why is this book, only available on paper, priced so outrageously high? For the record, I bought it used. There was no way I was going to pay full price.
3. Given how outrageously high it is priced, Kirbyson could have afforded to hire an editor. Just like I do with my books. Actually, he said he did hire an editor. But he sure didn’t hire a professional. I’m glad he gave the guy’s name so I don’t end up hiring him myself. Even before finishing the acknowledgments, I found numerous and serious editing issues in addition to countless numbers of spelling mistakes later in the book, including:
- Esa Tikannen (Tikkanen)
- Don MacIvor (MacIver)
- Peter March (Marsh)
- Bernie Nichols (Nicholls)
- Marty McSorely (McSorley)
- junnior (junior)
- Craig Hartsburgh (Hartsburg)
- Colon Campbell (Colin)
- Al MacInnes (MacInnis)
- Ron Hogarth (Hoggarth)
- limosine (limousine)
- Ansi Melamettsa (Anssi Melametsa)
- Oh Canada (O Canada)
- Fort Wayne Comets (Komets)
He also stated that the Jets got Pierre Hamel in the 1979 dispersal draft (it was the expansion draft) and that the Mayo Clinic is in Minneapolis. The Mayo Clinic is not in the suburban Twin Cities area, rather, in Rochester, an hour and a half drive to the southeast. It is the equivalent of stating that Brandon’s Keystone Center is in Winnipeg.
Kirbyson put in a lot of work on this book and I would still recommend it for Jets fans who lived through that era. However, the sheer number of serious mistakes taints it badly. I’d be embarrassed to release something like that to publication and so should he. A professional journalist should hold himself to a much higher standard.
4. I knew about the discounted tickets at McDonald’s, but I never knew that you could get them even cheaper if you waited until after the start of the game. That was never an option for me, however, since I was one of those who was there waiting for the doors to open an hour and a half before the game.
5. The chapter of the Kings’ upset of the Oilers in 1982 was very interesting, but I’m still trying to figure out the relevance as it pertains to the Jets. Other than, perhaps, to make the Jets’ never-ending postseason failures against Edmonton look even worse. If that’s possible. Edmonton’s 16 straight playoff wins over the Jets is one of those records that will never be broken.
6. Barry Shenkarow stated that he fired John Ferguson because Ferguson was going to make a bunch of trades. So then Shenkarow hired a new general manager who went on a trading spree. Doesn’t make sense.
Regarding the Ferguson firing, I’ve heard Shenkarow’s side and I’ve heard Ferguson’s side. Frankly, I don’t believe either one of them. I believe the outrage from the fan base was what got Ferguson fired, that in addition to the fact that, out of nine full years on the job, Ferguson delivered two winning seasons with not a single postseason victory beyond the first round.
7. Tim Watters was apparently so hated by the Oilers that they had a bounty out on him. Nice to know that someone on the Jets caused the Oilers a little bit of consternation.
8. “He (Mike Smith) looks like an unmade bed.” – Iain Duncan.
9. Some of the other winning quotes in the book:
“The Jets went on to be one of the best teams in 1980s and probably should have won a couple of Stanley Cups.” – Tom McVie.
“I have this lasting image of those Jets teams that were so good but couldn’t overcome how good the Oilers were . . .” – Bob Irving.
“We were a box of popcorn away from winning the Stanley Cup.” – Barry Shenkarow.
Despite all the losing, I have a lot of positive memories from that era too. I lived and died with that team at times. But let’s not get carried away. The Jets were a mediocre also-ran. While so many keep whining about Edmonton, the Jets had a hard enough time separating themselves from the dregs of the league like Vancouver and Los Angeles. Between 1979 and 1990, they delivered only three winning seasons. That wasn’t Edmonton’s fault. It was the Jets’ fault. The Jets just weren’t that good.
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