ate tatomn Les Lear t may go down i in Canadian i jock history as the-man who pulled the biggest con job ever perpetrated on an Ottawa institution. I can hear the cheering right now, for breathes there a Canadian‘ who doesn't believe various Ottawa institutions have been pulling a non-stop series of con jobs on all of us since 1867? Of course not. institution, however. is a football team named the _Rough Riders. They were the club that was supposed to win the 1948 Grey Cup game. But Lear slickered them out of it and led Calgary Stampeders to an upset 12-7 victory. ton e-played—30- years space today because of the news last from Hollywood, Fla. Lear, long ‘out of football and for the past 25 years a successful thoroughbred trainer, died there. from sudden, unex- pected kidney failure. He _was only 60. ‘ AN ANCHOR He packed a lot of living into those three score years, the best of them the 1940's. In 1941 he anchored the Winnipeg offensive line as the Blue Bombers and won ‘theGreyCup. — In 1945 he became the first Canadian-trained player ever to make it into the National Football League. That season he was a starting guard on the Cleveland Rams (they moved to Los Angeles the following year) and helped them win the NFL championship. “Minimum Age: 18 ago is being replayed in this’ _ Outward Bound courses from November through April provide adventures on. skis dn tive png - Ten day winter courses offer leaderst ip and skills training. In. 1948 he came back to Canada as coach of the Stampeders and made a little more history, leading that team to.an undefeated (12-0- 0) season, followed by the unexpected Grey Cup win over Ottawa. . Those Stampeders were the only unbeaten, untied Grey Cup winner in the history of modern — i.e., post-World War Two Canadian football. They compiled this record with the most unlikely assortment of players. Lear, who grew up and The old pros and the young kids put it all together. and wound up facing the Rough Riders in Toronto's Varsity Stadium. on the afternoon of Nov. 27.. But 28 hours earlier, at a special meeting with the Canadian Rugby Union (this was the official name under which the top Canadian football brass Operated), Lear set up win with a brilliant . piece of psychological warfare. He was driven 35 miles into Toronto from roadside dine and dance place (the Pig ‘n Whistle) where the. Stamps were camped. He said he wanted to straighten out a few things with the CRU. . Winnipeg, learned. a few other things during his short stay in the NFL. For one thing he concentrated on bringing in pros, not college grads as the other Canadian teams were doing, as the ‘Calgary imports. THE PASSER Most im t, one of them — Keith Spaith -- was a quarterback. By the stan- dards of that time, he was light years ahead of anyone else in Canada as a passer. Given good receivers and NFL-style pass patterns, unknown in Canada at that time, he and the Stamps had a ball. The previous year another Blue Bomber team - - Vancouver's - had won the Canadian junior cham- pionship, the only time it has ever come to the coast. Lear creamed off the best of the players and brought them to Calgary to fill out the Stamps’ Canadian content. DISCOVER OUTWARD BOUND Three week winter a « Minimum Age: Course fee: $550 Fees from $260 All equipment and special clothing provided. _Why st not write for detalis? “OUTWARD | BOUND, - 1616 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver Please send detaiis of the winter courses at the Canadian Outward Bound Mountain School to: — Name Address lemme __.__ Age At the top of the list was his demand that game of- ficials would be instructed, in the clearest of terms, that Rough Rider,and Stampeder players must not be per- mitted to stand by the sidelines while waiting to go into play. NO SLEEPER He told them he didn’t want to take any chances on Ottawa pulling the sleeper play in such a big game. He mentioned the several sleeper plays the Rough Riders had pulled during the season while Rider players were cluttering the 197 6Cyi. Electric Oetogge Gold Fin Sipping ‘Bench Seat Vin Ash Tray with Von tLovadry Hongors Teunk Carpet Locking Glove fon “ Shock Absorbing Bumpers Orip Moldings Full Wheel Covers 42-Amp Alternator Front Disc Brakes High Level Ventilation 115-4 p Motor ear Window WAS $6805 VEMOU eBUYER PROTECTION PLAN! *BUYER PROTECTION the . *......their__sleeper——_play up. *~BUYER PROTECTION PLAN! 3 YEAR PERFORATION WARRANTY BALANCE OF FACTORY WARRANTY 1600 Marine Drive NORTH VANCOUVER 980-3431 B.C s LARGEST AMC JEEP DEALER DLOLI96A esac ee came ete Tee ME SR i caine ate ib lt he min ene mete tin Seana © . ' 4 Page 15 January 10, 1979 - North Shore News * he ‘said, “had “waited - 37. years for the oe opportunity: to represent the West and he didn’t. want any ‘bush league tactics -on the part of Ottawa, such as the sleeper play, to decide the , outcome. If you were around and taking notice at the time, you'll know what happened. In the second — quarter, Spaith called an. extension play. Halfback Normie Hill jogged over to the sidelines, on the sidelines, on the opposite side of the field to the player benches, then quietly. flopped into a prone Gosition on on the grass. A crowd of 20,000 screamed and hollered and pointed to Hill, but the Rider players didn’t get the message. Spaith faked all the action to the right, then threw a long alley-oop pass to the far sidelines and down — the field. Scrambling to his feet, Hill caught the ball at the Ottawa five-yard line and fell into the end zone as two suddenly-awakened Riders - arrived a second too late. Ottawa was beaten for a touchdown on its own pet play. The Riders never suspected the man who complained so loudly about have the unmitigated gall to use it against them. ONE MORE The Stamps had to get another: touchdown (by one “of those -Vancouver kids,- Pete Thodos) later in the game to win, but that sleeper play opencr —- set up by Lear’s magnificent con job -- proved to be the difference. Something else for which Lear should also get credit. Had he not put together a — Grey Cup finalist in Calgary, Saskatchewan or Winnipeg would have gone east in 1948. - CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 AMC CONCORD 4 DOOR High Pressure Spore Avtomotic Transmission Power Steering Whitewall Tires Armrasts Front & Rear Cigarette Lighter Carpetings Inude Hood Releose Reor Bumper Guards lety Outside Mirrors Scut# Body Side Moldings 36-Amp Battery Electrome ignition Self Adjusting Brakes Front Sway Bor 2-Speed Electric Wipers NOW 54995 MOTO LTD. . sot weean veeme - ee ee re .