î мцšт вяздк чфµ Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 http://www.sportsnet...r-dave-my-hero/ Remembering a hero, my brother Dave DON TAYLOR MARCH 8, 2014, 9:05 AM If you watch Sportsnet, you may have noticed that I’ve decided to sport a moustache. I know some people don’t like it. But it’s not going away for a while. Here’s why. I started my facial hair journey back in November as part of the Movember push for cancer awareness and fund-raising. I’d never taken part in Movember before, but this time I had an excellent reason to do my best Lanny McDonald : My big brother Dave had a lump the size of a peanut in the back of his mouth. It was cancer. Salivary gland cancer. To be honest, the news didn’t come as a massive shock. Dave had been a heavy smoker and had spent much of his life working as a bartender, sucking in Lord knows how much second-hand poison. The lack of surprise, however, took nothing away from the deep sting my family and I felt. Dave Taylor was my hero growing up. He was eight years older than me and an athletic stud. He wasn’t tall. He wasn’t imposing. Heck, he spent much of his childhood wearing nerd-approved horn-rimmed glasses. But he was fast. And smart. He excelled at every sport he played, especially lacrosse. He helped Team B.C. win a 1969 Canada Games gold medal. He played Junior “A” lacrosse for Burnaby Cablevision and was a member of the Richmond Roadrunners team that won the 1971 Minto Cup. Dave went on to earn a field lacrosse scholarship at Ohio State University and then played in the WLA, followed by a professional stint in Montreal. But here’s what I remember most about my brother: We grew up on Union Street in North Burnaby. I guess it was a tough neighbourhood. No one had a lot of money. No one had fancy cars. Everyone had a working class Dad you wouldn’t dare mess with. But we were very close. And the main reason for that closeness was my brother’s decision to turn part of the massive Taylor backyard into a ball hockey rink. The surface was packed-down dirt. We used plywood for boards. Our nets were made in metal shop at school. To every kid who lived in the area, that place was paradise. We played ball hockey all day long, every day. We eventually formed a competitive team called the Burnaby Beavers. The Beavers won the 1983 Canadian Ball Hockey championship. My brother was at the root of it all. One day, a new family moved into our neighbourhood: the Zanons. They had a son named George who, hockey stick in hand, made his way over to our backyard. There was a game going on and it was obvious George wanted to play but was too shy to ask. My brother invited him in and made sure he felt at home. George became a friend, a regular in our backyard and had clearly developed a love for hockey. Years later, George’s love for the game was inherited by his son Greg. Greg Zanon ended up playing eight years in the NHL. I like to think my brother had something to do with that. As the years went by, Dave got married and divorced. No kids. He spent a lot of his time in the nightclub/bar business which was the domain of another of my brothers, Gary. Along the way, Dave’s body broke down and he stopped playing sports. But he never stopped following them, watching them, loving them. A true fan. He’d even stop by Port Moody Arena on a regular basis to check out a minor hockey game involving his nephew Quinn, my son. And then, starting last summer, came an avalanche of news. Cancer. Radiation treatments. Victory. The disease had been defeated. Or so we thought. Dave found out on Boxing Day the cancer had metastasized. It had spread throughout his body. I have a fabulous life. Gorgeous wife. Gorgeous kids. Solid friends. A beautiful home. A broadcasting career that has allowed me to travel to places and witness events I thought were out of my reach. And I owe it all to my hero, my brother, the person who introduced me to sports. Dave Taylor passed away Friday. He was 62-years old. And to him I say thanks. From the bottom of my heart. From the depths of my soul. From every coarse hair of my moustache. Movember has been extended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watermelons Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Wow. Reading stories like these makes the troubles (first world problems) in my life seem so insignificant. I wish you all the best, Don! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Just read it... Keep rocking that stache Don. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devoted Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Very well written. A worthy tribute to a brother. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Singh Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I love Don Taylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"Bull" Horvat Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 As much as I dislike watching Don on SN, this a strong heartfelt piece that I'm sure Dave will look smiling from the clouds above. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 As much as I dislike watching Don on SN, this a strong heartfelt piece that I'm sure Dave will look smiling from the clouds above. Well done. how can you dislike watching Don's work/personality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I honestly thought Don Taylor was 40 years old max. Since his brother was 62, I'm guessing I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Marchand Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Makes me feel awful for making fun of his duster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I honestly thought Don Taylor was 40 years old max. Since his brother was 62, I'm guessing I'm wrong. Ever see him in person? Hes a slightly odd looking dude. Cosmetic surgery Im guessing. It was a nice story tho. Im glad current and future people working in bars/nightclubs/pubs dont have to inhale all the second hand smoke they used to. I remember going to bars in the late 80s early 90s and when I got home my clothes stank of the smoke. I cant imagine putting up with that as a full time work environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngould21 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 This kinda explains how down he's appeared on Canuck broadcasts recently. Tough situation for sure, all the best Donnie and family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMR Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 RIP Dave. My thoughts are with you and you family Don. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Oh wow, I remember him (well the name). As a kid, my parents took us to the Roadrunner games as they were HUGE fans...it was big back then...the arena was always full of super enthusiastic fans. The Taskers, Pinders, Dave Durante. That made me cry, especially the last part. I felt every word of this...cancer is evil and rips people out of our lives without much warning. Beautifully written, Don. Suddenly I don't hate that moustache anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Specter Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Good tribute piece by Don. It has clearly been a tough stretch for the Taylor family and I am wishing them all the best. Keep rocking the moustache Donny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyville88 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Now I feel bad for making fun of his stache. A really heartfelt piece. It's amazing how siblings can influence each other if they're raised well. Condolences to the Taylor family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronalds.Kenins41 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Now I feel bad for making fun of his stache. A really heartfelt piece. It's amazing how siblings can influence each other if they're raised well. Condolences to the Taylor family Don't feel bad there was a whole thread on it, a poll option mocking him and lots of other delightments on the topic. I am sure those people feel 10x worse then you do. But now people got someone else to rag on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Wow, pretty deep. Answers why Don is rocking that stache still and it's for a great cause in his case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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