8 - Friday, March 1, 1985 - North Shore News

Ride on Rosinante

oday I’m going to write about me. Not that I
am much taken with myself, but my ravings
sometimes inspire false news. So while I am
riding slowly into the sunset on my good mare
Rosinante, let-me set the record straight. For the

obit writers, if any.

Friends and foes alike
scem to think Collins has
been bounced from every
job he’s ever had.

Alan Regan of North
Vancouver is one such. But |
must reject such fame.
Heck, I once had a job for
eight whole years and was in
danger of getting a medal
for good behavior.

Mr. Regan wrote to the
editor a couple of weeks ago
to say that Doug ‘has final-
ly found. his niche in a
. Newspaper which costs
. nothing.’

*,, Good fine, that. Even bet-

ter was his comment that |
am a ‘*blustering oaf from
British West Vancouver, that
elitist. enclave of inherited
wealth, colonial sludge and
ostrich mentality.””

That's being saved for my
“Quotes Of The Year,
1985."°

Anyway, being fired in the
news game is not always
proof that the firee is all
bum. Remember that
blustering old oaf Gordon
Sinclair? The Toronto Star
showed him the door 10
times.

My hero Malcolm Mug-

geridge, a latter-day Dr.
Johnson, was for years
despised and rejected of
men. In 1954, he wrote a
piece for the Saturday Even-
ing Post entitled ‘Royal
Soap Opera’’. It was cut-
tingly critical of royalty,and
appeared just when the new
Quecn and her hubby were
On a state visit to
Washington. St. Mugg was
dropped by the BBC and
everyone else. To get work,
he had to disappear to the
Australian outback for a
while.

I know, | know! To men-
tion St. Mugg and your
humble servant in the same
breath is ridiculous. He is a
giant and I am a dwarf.
Besides, I haven’t been fired
that much. But I’ve done
quite a bit of walking out.

} walked out of The Sun
during the big strike of!

1978-79 because | didn't like |

the cut of Clark Davey’s jib,
he being the new publisher.
It was clear he wasn’t going
to let me have my head, so !
summoned Rosinante and
left, *‘pausing only to steal
a shorthand notebook,"’ as |
wrote at the time.

We then floated over to
the newly-formed Vancouver
Courier which went belly-up
six weeks later. So Rosinante
was saddled up yet again and
we ambled over to The Col-

umbian, where a good time
was had by all.
Succumbing to the lure of
\ gold, Rosinanie and | then
, went to CJOR, where we
| flapped our jaws for two
i years. Ten thousand extra
‘listeners joined in the fun,
ibut open-liners can be
dumped, you know, if they
‘open their mouths too much.

Doug was also dumped by

a couple of TV programs.
But they were smali CKVU
stuff.

' There was a weekly debate
with Laurier LaPee, and

|

\

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this s

by Doug Collins

during one encounter that
great broadcaster left the TV
set for the bleachers, where
he had a good cry. On our
last show, he refused to talk
after the first minute.

We fought 13 rounds.
LaPee lost 12 and drew one.

With Rosinante munching
hay and ready to go, your
man continued doing CK VU
commentaries for a while.
But in the end Media Watch
and the CRTC government
censors made things too hot.

Hello, Rosinante. Is that
you?