The day the music died

[Fourier]

Where were you this day in 1988?

I remember waking up to the news and thinking it was all a nightmare.

Click to read more...

 

[McDrai]

I wasn’t lucky enough to be apart of the booming 80s. My folks say it was a wild time

 

[Ol' Jase]

Working for a restoration company as a kid right out of high school. There had been a huge storm that flooded a bunch of basements a few days before.

Heard the news off of K-97 then switched to CFRN 1260 for the coverage. The crew I was on took the rest of the day off and got fired for it. Was totally worth it, there was no way I was working after hearing the news.

Gretzky was my childhood idol and I was absolutely crushed when I heard. It's bizarre how vividly I still remember that day.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

I was 17 working at the boathouse of the local resort. A kid about 14 years old came rushing in and asked me if I had heard. He was from Calgary and very excited. Thinking back, I should have knocked him unconscious but I was in disbelief.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Just remember watching on TV in shock. Such a shame the 80's were the best hockey for me and the Oilers were made for it until then. I hated the Oilers but appreciated that team what a joy they were. What a time it was for hockey.

 

[GOilers88]

Suckling at the teet of life, unaware of the soul crushing fandom that was to be mine in but a few short years.

 

[fireantz]

The day “hockey” ,the game, ceased to exist! From that day forward the game became big business where fans became secondary. Multi billion dollar owners with arenas only half full. Average fan can’t afford to watch in person. Canada’s game got sold to Florida, Texas and California.

 

[soothsayer]

I was not born yet when Holly, Valens, and the Big Bopper's plane went down.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Was a kid coming back from a family camping trip and we stopped off in Rocky Mountain House.

We walked into a store, and saw the front page of the newspaper of Gretzky crying with the headline TRADED.

My older brother started crying and screamed it wasn't true. And for some reason, I 100% believed my brother that it couldn't possibly be true and must have been a hoax. We literally won the cup. Why the f*** would we trade him?

And then we mulled on it the drive home. By the time we got back to Edmonton, it's all my friends could talk about and was just catatonic.

Unfair or not, I hated Carson.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Was at work, heard the news on the radio and went home early to watch the press conferences. My uncle cancelled his season tickets over it. I knew the Oilers were at that moment beginning a long arduous journey down the toilet and into the septic tank under Pocklingtons ownership.

Thankfully we got one more cup two years later and another decent run the year after that. Then it was nothing but a shit sandwich for nearly 30 years save the 06 run.

 

[TB12]

My uncle's last name is Pocklington (no relation) and he had to get an unlisted phone number after the Gretzky trade sale because he was getting so many death threats.

 

[Valhallis]

I was pretending to be a Ghostbuster with the neighbor's kid and the impact at the time never really resonated with me. Didn't even know what was happening until I saw my sister bawling.

 

[brentashton]

Like others, just working for the man that day. At noon, was in my car and returned to office and had a hard time peeling myself away from the 630 CHED feed. Eventually knew I needed to back to my desk. Funny how certain events and details around what a person was doing just stick with you even after all those tears/years.

 

[rboomercat90]

I was driving making plumbing deliveries so I was in the truck all day long listening to CHED.

It was different back then. We didn’t have the instant around the clock sports coverage that we do today so we never really heard much about the team, especially during the off season. It was just a few columns a day in the Sun and Journal and some sports radio in the evenings. Mostly what we had in the summers was rumours. Most were meaningless but the summer of 87 gave us the talk that Paul Coffey and Andy Moog wanted out. Neither played for the Oilers again.

In the summer of 88 the rumours were back and this time they were about Gretzky and they wouldn’t stop. For days we heard he was being traded to Vancouver. You didn’t want to believe them but they wouldn’t stop. Now suddenly we were being told it was the Kings.

I remember being in my truck early that morning and hearing it was a possibility that he was going to LA. Every half hour there was an update on the news saying the deal was closer to happening until finally they said it was done and there would be a press conference later that afternoon. Right up until that press conference I wanted to believe it wasn’t true and it was all a prank but it wasn’t. The feelings of emptiness I felt that day was indescribable. That’s the day I learned sports was just a business and I never forgot. I haven’t felt the same way about them since.

 

[McShogun99]

I was 10 years old and thought winning a Stanley Cup was a guarantee every year. I didn’t understand what Gretzky or the other star players meant to winning every year.

 

[Stoneman89]

When I saw the title, "the day the music died", I immediately thought this was the anniversary of the Buddy Holly plane crash, but now I remember that was in a raging snowstorm in the winter. Not sure if Gretz ever played any instruments though.

 

[Fourier]

When I saw the title, "the day the music died", I immediately thought this was the anniversary of the Buddy Holly plane crash, but now I remember that was in a raging snowstorm in the winter. Not sure if Gretz ever played any instruments though.

You are right about the phrase of course.

 

[Messrules11]

When I saw the title, "the day the music died", I immediately thought this was the anniversary of the Buddy Holly plane crash, but now I remember that was in a raging snowstorm in the winter. Not sure if Gretz ever played any instruments though.

I was thinking Don McLean and American Pie, “those good ol boys were drinking whiskey and rye”
f***ing classic.

 

[Fourier]

I was thinking Don McLean and American Pie, “those good ol boys were drinking whiskey and rye”
f***ing classic.

That's where the reference is from. As @Stoneman89 said it refers to the death of Holly.

 

[JeffSkinner53]

I was born in 95. I remember 06 like it was yesterday though.

 

[Messrules11]

That's where the reference is from. As @Stoneman89 said it refers to the death of Holly.

Ahh, yes, I’m getting old man. Completely forgot.

 

[brentashton]

I was driving making plumbing deliveries so I was in the truck all day long listening to CHED.

It was different back then. We didn’t have the instant around the clock sports coverage that we do today so we never really heard much about the team, especially during the off season. It was just a few columns a day in the Sun and Journal and some sports radio in the evenings. Mostly what we had in the summers was rumours. Most were meaningless but the summer of 87 gave us the talk that Paul Coffey and Andy Moog wanted out. Neither played for the Oilers again.

In the summer of 88 the rumours were back and this time they were about Gretzky and they wouldn’t stop. For days we heard he was being traded to Vancouver. You didn’t want to believe them but they wouldn’t stop. Now suddenly we were being told it was the Kings.

I remember being in my truck early that morning and hearing it was a possibility that he was going to LA. Every half hour there was an update on the news saying the deal was closer to happening until finally they said it was done and there would be a press conference later that afternoon. Right up until that press conference I wanted to believe it wasn’t true and it was all a prank but it wasn’t. The feelings of emptiness I felt that day was indescribable. That’s the day I learned sports was just a business and I never forgot. I haven’t felt the same way about them since.

Do you remember the rumours of why Coffey was being shopped? When you look back now it’s just crazy how silly rumours get. (And many/most, including that one, are unfounded I might suggest).

I was born in 95. I remember 06 like it was yesterday though.

I found my son’s HFBoards account.

 

[rboomercat90]

Do you remember the rumours of why Coffey was being shopped? When you look back now it’s just crazy how silly rumours get. (And many/most, including that one, are unfounded I might suggest).

No, I can’t say I remember what you’re talking about. All I can remember now was the players at the Canada Cup discussing amongst each other what they were earning and some being upset about it. Coffey being one of them and immediately demanding a bigger contract and or a trade. As always, the Edmonton media picked the team to support and denigrated Coffey. I can remember one of the radio stations starting up a penny drive to help him out, lol.

 

[brentashton]

No, I can’t say I remember what you’re talking about. All I can remember now was the players at the Canada Cup discussing amongst each other what they were earning and some being upset about it. Coffey being one of them and immediately demanding a bigger contract and or a trade. As always, the Edmonton media picked the team to support and denigrated Coffey. I can remember one of the radio stations starting up a penny drive to help him out, lol.

I think your reasoning makes much sense, and I vaguely remember that narrative too. The rumour I recall involved Ann Sather.

Awful, really in hindsight.

 

[Ninety7]

In my dads sack