BOOK EXCERPT:
Al Anderson, a man on many missions in life, is a good storyteller.
He shares many of them with long-time Saskatoon journalist, Ned Powers, in a book entitled Al Anderson Reflections: A Saskatoon Story, which will be released Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers.
With a passion for basketball, Anderson started as a sports retailer in 1955, growing substantially into what is known today as Al Anderson’s Source for Sports. He is the only Canadian to ever be president of the United States-based National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).
Equally important in his life has been his work as an advocate for helping those with special needs. He began as a member of what was then known as the Saskatoon Association for Mentally Retarded and was a founding member of strong organizations like Elmwood Residences Inc., Cosmopolitan Industries Ltd. and the Saskatchewan Prevention Centre. He’s been a long-time member of Riversdale Kiwanis and a founder of the RIKI Walkathon.
Some of his stories about life in the NSGA have never been printed before, like these in a Chapter 6 excerpt.
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Al Anderson always knew that change would be inevitable in the retail marketplace and, in 1967, he saw an advertisement in a sporting goods industry magazine which was extolling the virtues of an industry show scheduled at Houston’s Astrodome.
Just months before, he had attracted John Hall, a onetime school friend at Bedford Road Collegiate who had a solid accounting background, back into the business after he’d been working in Toronto.
“Changes were occurring — new suppliers, new products, new competition, new marketing concepts, and interest rates were climbing and that meant new banking challenges. I saw the advertisement, sat down with John and told him that if we’re going to be seen as a leader, we need to be in Houston,” said Anderson.
That was the first step into the world of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).
“When we arrived at the Astrodome, the first morning of the show, there was a lineup of people many blocks long. Basically, we had no idea that this was the world’s largest sports show and that there would be 35,000 retailers and dealers in attendance.”
About a year and a half later, Anderson received a letter from the chief executive officer of the NSGA, inviting him to let his name stand for election to the board of directors for a three-year term. He would represent District 12, which was all of Canada.
“In a follow-up telephone call, I was told that if I allowed my name to stand, I would get some very important exposure in the election process and that would serve me well, regardless of the outcome of the election. I chose to run; I won and became the director for Canada.”
Anderson was a director for two terms, 1971 to 1977, and among his two terms was one as president.
“It was an incredible seven years. I was the first Canadian and, to this day, the only Canadian to hold this office. I had the privilege to work with a very professional NSGA staff and its board of directors. This was a fantastic learning and growing experience and the single most contributing factor to my business career. There were so many people I got to meet — the manufacturers, distributors, the athletes, the sports celebrities from all across the United States and even some from Europe.”
One of the events that made the NSGA “the show of shows” was the participation of sports celebrities who came because of their attachments to the manufacturers.
In 1975, when he was president, the list was staggering. From baseball came Hank Aaron , the home run king from the Milwaukee (and later Atlanta) Braves; Ernie Banks, a one-time home run hero and then batting coach of the Chicago Cubs; Steve Garvey, the National League’s most valuable player; Frank Howard, one of the game’s greatest sluggers; Claude Osteen, a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals; and Pete Rose, the star of the Cincinnati Reds and all-time record-holder for base hits.
And how about Bob Cousy and Kareem AbdulJabbar from basketball, O.J. Simpson, Les Josephson and Walt Garrison from football, Margaret Court and Gussie Moran from tennis, Don Schollander from swimming, Ed Allen, the fitness guru and a handful of others.
many famous folks, including U.S. Gen. Norman
Schwarzkopf. (Photo Supplied)
The Astrodome in Houston was a big attraction in itself, but most of the later NSGA action centred around Chicago, where its headquarters were located and where its conferences would be held in McCormick Place, a centrepiece surrounded by most of the big hotels.
The NSGA had a habit of reaching out to big-name personalities as the opening morning speakers, thus creating considerable media attention. Among them was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, a noted Roman Catholic Church leader who as an author and evangelist became famous on television for his series, Life Is Worth Living.
“He delivered an incredible speech, made his points in his own style and was believable. Prior to the speech, we met him in private for coffee and treats.”
Another was Charles O. Finlay, owner of the Oakland Athletics, who were adorned in gaudy green, gold and white uniforms, who paid his players to grow mustaches, and tried to get major league owners to change the colour of baseballs from white to orange.
“I still have the baseball he gave me.”
Another was Mike Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end who coached the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl victory in 1986 and was a long-time television analyst.
“Mike was one tough cookie, was a powerful speaker who held the attention of his audience.” All of the celebrities helped to attract 4,000 to 5,000 people to McCormick Place for the convention’s openings.
Once in Chicago, the special guest was Norman Schwarzkopf, the Vietnam veteran who became a four-star general in the American Army Corps and was the commander of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War in 1991.
“He came to us after the Gulf War, shared the stories in quite compelling style and he spoke at length. To sit there, just knowing you were in the presence of a man with such a challenge of responsibility, made you imagine what war must have been like. He was very open and very obliging,” said Anderson.
The Schwarzkopf experience was right up there in the cast of celebrities Anderson met and there were others who were special favourites.
“I was in Houston for the second time and I received a call from someone at a TV studio. They wanted me to be part of an interview. I told them I could be there. Two amazing things happened. They got word that Gordie Howe, the Saskatoon hockey guy, was coming to the studio. Imagine the surprise of the TV people when Gordie and I greeted each other. It was just two Prairie boys reuniting. Just as amazing was meeting Bob Cousy, the National Basketball Association great, in the waiting room at the same studio. I considered him my hero, probably one of the three greatest players of all-time, and we were able to talk for a few minutes.”
(Al Anderson Reflections: A Saskatoon Story will be released Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers.)