I got a message yesterday that John Lynch had died. He was one of the first reporters I met when I started covering the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1978. He had a big personality.
At that time he was the colour man on the Rider radio broadcasts with Ron Barnet. They were a terrific duo. The restrained Barnet and the ever exuberant John worked so well together.
One of my early columns included a photo of the two of them in the broadcast booth at Taylor Field.
It could be a challenge having a conversation with John. He would start answering a question before I was finished asking. He was bursting with knowledge on the Riders. He could talk endlessly about players, coaches, general managers, team presidents, board members, trainers, equipment man (Norm Fong was there forever), fans, games, plays, statistics and mascots. He was full of information on any Rider topic.
John could talk faster than anyone I know who is not an auctioneer.
John and I had a mutual friend, Daryl Shirkey. I went through law school with Daryl.
Occasionally, we would go out for lunch. The conversations were fun. John loved wordplay with his amazing mind. I had to concentrate to keep up with him. He expected you to be as quick as he was with language.
One noon we were at the Lakeshore Steakhouse, a favourite haunt of John. The waitress asked what he wanted and John said he wanted the “tubilah steak”. Without a moment of hesitation she wrote down his order. It took me several moments to understand he had ordered the “halibut steak”.
Daryl told me John often called him Lyrad.
Conversations often touched upon the law. Interested in everything, John would inquire about cases and legal principles. I learned from Daryl that before John went into sales he had gone through first year law and was the son of a lawyer.
Once he left the broadcast booth he was on post-game talk shows for many years. I dropped in on shows at Bartleby’s downtown, Carlos near the stadium and the old Callie curling club at the Exhibition.
Sometimes he would ask me to join him on air. I would put on a headset and try to get ready for whatever he might ask me. I never knew what would be racing through his mind.
I am sure he did cause confusion for the good people of Melville when he would consistently announce me as the “Mayor of Melville”. Having lived my whole working life in Melfort I would be shaking my head.
Too often we were talking about Rider losses. Wins were cherished in the late 1970s and 1980s as they came infrequently. Rider fan anguish was well earned in those years. It was better in the 1990s but it was another decade without a Grey Cup win. Over the 45 years I have covered the Riders only three seasons ended with a Grey Cup win.
John often asked me for my thoughts on what happened on individual plays as he knew I liked to ask coaches and players “why” plays worked and failed. He would agree and disagree with me – sometimes over the same play. John never lacked an opinion.
As my sons Jonathan and Michael grew older and would come with me after games we sometimes went out with John and Daryl for pizza at the Houston Pizza location on Hill Avenue in the little strip mall where the Rider business office in the 1970’s was located on the second storey.
Invariably, John would be warmly greeted and roar into conversation. Jon and Mike loved talking to John. He spoke to them as knowledgeable, interested fans. There was never a touch of condescension because they were teenagers.
I regret I saw less of John in recent years. Once in a great while we might have a chance to get together. The conversations never flagged. He was as excited as ever about the Riders.
I disliked the nickname of “John Frenzy”. He was over the top but never out of control.
I wish I had even half of John’s enthusiasm and energy. His passion for the Riders was boundless. He embodied our province’s love of the Roughriders.
2023 has been a tough year for Rider legends – George Reed in the fall and John Lynch this winter.
Rider Nation has lost a great man.
Bill Selnes, who’s based in Melfort, has written about the Saskatchewan Roughriders since the late 1970s. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Football Reporters of Canada wing on Nov. 24, 2013.
