Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story

The following presentation is rated 14A.

This presentation deals with mature subject matter

and contains scenes with violence and coarse language.

Viewer discretion is advised.

PROBERT AND DOMI GOING AT IT OFF THE FACEOFF.

HE KNOWS DOMI'S A TOUGH KID.

DOMI'S BEEN THREATENING THIS FIGHT FOR A LONG TIME.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? PROBERT IS CUT BADLY.

WRESTLING WAS BECOMING A REAL ENTERTAINMENT THING AT THE TIME.

THERE WAS HULK HOGAN, AND MACHO MAN, AND BRET HART,

AND THESE GUYS WERE REALLY LIVING IT UP.

I THINK I WAS TRYING TO TRANSITION THAT

INTO HOCKEY A LITTLE BIT.

THE SECOND ONE WAS OBVIOUSLY THE HYPE,

AND THE NEW YORK TIMES FRONT PAGE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

IT WAS LIKE A BOXING MATCH, FRAZIER/ALI,

THEY HAD THE SIZE DIFFERENCE AND ALL THAT STUFF.

HE HAD THE ADVANTAGE FOR SURE.

HE HAD THE SMARTS GOING IN.

THEY HAVE TRIED TO PUT THE EMPHASIS ON HOCKEY

AND NOT FIGHTING,

BUT TONIGHT THERE ISN'T MUCH THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT

AS THE DETROIT REDWINGS FACE THE RANGERS IN NEW YORK.

ACTUALLY, IT'S ABOUT TIE DOMI OF THE RANGERS

AND BOB PROBERT OF THE RED WINGS.

I'M NOT SCARED OF ANYBODY

BUT I'M NOT BACKING DOWN OR ANYTHING.

I'M GOING TO STICK UP FOR MY TEAMMATES LIKE I SAID,

AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO HELP THIS TEAM WIN

AND TO BACK MY TEAMMATES UP.

ARE YOU GETTING A LITTLE TIRED OF...

I'M SURE I'LL SEE HIM THEN.

HE WAS LIKE, HE WAS LIKE...

I'M TELL YOU, HIS EYES WERE LIKE LIGHTBULBS.

LOOK AT YZERMAN, THE CAPTAIN THERE.

THE WHOLE BENCH IS MOCKING DOMI WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT.

OH MY GOODNESS.

20 THOUSAND PEOPLE THERE, GOING NUTS, AND YOU PEOPLE

THAT DON'T LIKE FIGHTING, HOW MANY OF YOU

WALKED TO GET A COFFEE WHILE THAT WAS ON?

YOU CAN'T BE A WIMP OR ANYTHING.

YOU HAVE TO BE STRONG, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DID.

I WAS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH BOBBY'S DAD, AL.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE RODE MOTORCYCLE TOGETHER.

THE WAY THINGS ARE SCRUTINIZED FOR POLICE TODAY,

WE PROBABLY HAD A MORE OPEN HAND

WITH OUR POLICE WORK THEN.

MY HUSBAND HAD HIS FIRST STROKE MARCH 21ST

AND HE DIED THE FOLLOWING AUGUST 28TH.

AND HE WASN'T HIMSELF AT ALL.

HE COULDN'T REALLY TALK TOO MUCH, OR WALK, OR WHATEVER.

I THINK IT WAS HARD ON THE BOYS TO SEE THE WAY

THEIR DAD WENT, BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS A BIG STRONG MAN,

AND THEN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN,

IT WAS PRETTY HARD ON THE BOYS, I KNOW THAT.

BUT THEY NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT.

HE NEVER CRIED AT HIS DAD'S FUNERAL.

THAT'S HOW HE WAS RAISED YOU KNOW,

BOYS DON'T CRY, MEN DON'T CRY.

IT SURE MAKES YOU GROW UP QUICK.

THERE ARE TIMES WHERE YOU WISH YOU HAD YOUR DAD AROUND

TO GET A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE ON DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

YOU RUN INTO LATER IN LIFE.

I THINK THINGS WOULD HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENT

IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND A LITTLE LONGER.

HE LEFT THE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL.

THE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL, ONE OF MY POLICE FRIENDS

DROVE HIM DOWN TO CAMP IN BRANFORD.

SO HE REALLY DIDN'T GRIEVE WITH HIS FATHER OR NOTHING

BECAUSE HE WAS GONE.

SO I LOST MY HUSBAND AND THE NEXT DAY

MY SON WAS GONE TO BRANFORD. JUNIOR HOCKEY.

NUMBER FOUR WITH A SHOT. HE SCORES!

HE DIDN'T LIKE FIGHTING.

AT LEAST WHAT HE TOLD ME, HE DIDN'T.

HE DID IT BECAUSE HE DID IT, HE HAD TO DO IT.

THESE GUYS ARE STILL GOING AT IT.

THEY JUST GOT OUT OF THE BOX AGAIN...

I BELIEVE IT IS BAUMGARTNER AND PROBERT,

AND THEY WERE JUST TALKING THE WHOLE TIME IN THE PENALTY BOX.

YOU KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN...

HE CERTAINLY WAS BROUGHT UP IN A CULTURE

WHERE DRINKING WAS, YOU KNOW, A CENTERPIECE.

THE ADJUSTMENT OF BEING AWAY FROM YOUR PARENTS

IS QUITE LARGE BECAUSE YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

AT FIFTEEN, SIXTEEN.

I RECALL IN BRANFORD, EVEN BEING UNDER 19,

HIM GOING INTO THE BARS.

THEY KNEW HE WAS UNDERAGE AND HE WOULD STILL GO TO THE BARS,

TAKE THE WAITRESS HOME OR WHATEVER.

THAT LED HIM GETTING KICKED OUT OF HIS PLACE IN BRANFORD.

HE BROUGHT HER INTO THE CRAWLSPACE

AT THE BILLET'S HOUSE,

WHERE HE WAS SLEEPING WITH THE BILLET AS WELL,

AND SHE SAW THE GIRL GETTING SNUCK OUT IN THE MORNING

SHE GOT REALLY UPSET OVER IT.

I THINK THE BILLET GOT VERY JEALOUS.

WHEN HE MISSED THE ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM,

THE GAME, HE MISSED IT

BECAUSE HE WAS DRINKING THE NIGHT BEFORE.

WE GOT SELECTED TO GO WITH THE OHL ALL-STAR GAME.

WE WENT OUT AND HAD FEW BEERS.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE SLEPT-IN IN THE MORNING,

AND WE HAD A MEETING AT THE RINK THE NEXT DAY,

AND WE WERE GOING TO BE SUSPENDED FOR TWO WEEKS

FROM LEAGUE PLAY, FROM THE ALEXANDERS.

YOU BASICALLY THINK THE WORLD IS OVER.

YOUR HOCKEY WORLD'S OVER, YOUR DREAM IS DONE,

AND IN HINDSIGHT, IT WAS A DUMB ASS THING TO DO.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOBBY PROBERT.

IS HE BEAUTIFUL, OR IS HE BEAUTIFUL?

I MEAN HIS REPUTATION PRECEDED HIM EVERY PLACE HE WENT,

AND BACK IN THOSE DAYS HE WAS A GUNFIGHTER,

A YOUNG GUNFIGHTER.

THEY USED TO GO UP TO HIM AND SAY, "YOU WANNA GO?

I GOTTA MAKE A REPUTATION."

AND HE'D USUALLY WIN, BUT IF THE GUY SURVIVED,

IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.

THE FIGHTING HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT.

BACK THEN IT WAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S SEE WHO CAN

HIT THE HARDEST AND WHO CAN KNOCK EACH OTHER DOWN.

HE WAS THE BIG BOY ON THE BLOCK WITHOUT A DOUBT.

BOB PROBERT WAS UNBELIEVABLE FOR ANY TEAM

HE PLAYED FOR, BECAUSE WHENEVER HE WAS DRESSED

THE OTHER TEAM FEARED HIM SO MUCH THAT EVERYBODY

ON HIS TEAM BECAME BIGGER, STRONGER, BRAVER.

AND THEY ARE JUST HAMMERING EACH OTHER!

MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THESE TWO TRADING PUNCHES!

WOW, MAN OH MAN.

THE NIGHT BEFORE, YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME SLEEPING.

OH, PROBERT JUST TOOK MANSON TO THE ICE!

BOB PROBERT HITS BOB ROUSE, AND THERE'S THE HELMET!

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE PIECE OF HELMET COME RIGHT OFF.

PROBERT'S STILL LOOSE, HE'S GOING TO GO AFTER MAGUIRE.

NOW HE COMES IN...

HE'S GOING TO GET SUSPENDED WITHOUT A DOUBT,

THERE'S NO QUESTION.

WE'VE GOT PROBERT GOING AT IT WITH EWAN.

I KNEW THAT WAS COMING.

OH! LOOK AT EWAN!

IF HE LOST A FIGHT, HE WOULD FIGHT COMING OUT OF THE BOX.

I REMEMBER WE WERE YOUNG AND IN ST LOUIS

AND HE FOUGHT TODD EWAN, AND DOWN HE WENT.

AND THE WHOLE TIME IN THE BOX I COULD SEE HIM JUST FUMING.

AND OF COURSE IN THE OLD DAYS THEY CAME OUT OF THE BOX

AND RIGHT TO EACH OTHER, AND BOB LANDED A LOT OF BLOWS.

IT WAS RETRIBUTION OF "I CANT LOSE."

NOW PROBERT, AS HE DOES SO OFTEN IN THESE FIGHTS,

AS IT GOES ON HE SEEMS TO GAIN MOMENTUM,

AND NOW HE'S GOT EWAN BACKPEDALING.

PROBERT HAS REALLY MESSED UP HIS RIGHT HAND.

HE MAY HAVE CAUGHT IT ON EWAN'S HELMET.

HE WOULD DO CRAZY THINGS.

HE HAD NO QUALMS ABOUT HITTING A GOALIE, NONE WHATSOEVER.

DENIED BY KEANS.

KEANS TRAPS IT BEHIND THE NET.

OH, AND DOWN ON THE ICE.

A HEAVY HIT.

KEANS JUST GOT LEVELED BY PROBERT.

NOW WATCH PROBERT.

I DON'T WANT TO SAY PROBERT'S TOUGH OR ANYTHING,

BUT KEEP YOUR EYE ON BUTCHER.

NOW WATCH, RIENDEAU'S POINTING. DON'T POINT AT PROBERT!

DON'T POINT AT PROBERT BECAUSE BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU!

ISN'T HE A BEAUTY?

THAT'S BRUTAL.

I KNOW, THAT'S TERRIBLE.

SITTING IN THE DRESSING ROOM BEFORE A HOCKEY GAME,

HE AND I WOULD PULL OUT THE ROSTER FOR THE OTHER TEAM

AND WE'D KIND OF PICK AND CHOOSE WHO WAS GOING AFTER WHO FIRST.

WHO GETS TO RUN THE GOALIE TONIGHT, BECAUSE WE KNEW

WHEN SOMEONE RAN THE GOALIE THAT'S GOING TO BE A BRAWL.

IT WAS THE '80S. BACK IN THE '80S, IT WAS SOCIAL.

IF YOU WERE OF THE MINDSET THAT ME AND BOB WERE,

YOU COULD KEEP DRINKING 'CAUSE OF IT.

AND THE FIRST TIME YOU DID IT, YOU KNEW COULD DRINK

FOR 4 MORE HOURS, HELL, SCRATCH ME IN.

BOBBY WAS SO VALUABLE TO THE TEAM, THEY LOOKED

THE OTHER WAY FOR A WHILE, UNTIL IT HIT THE PAPERS.

THEY HAD TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING.

THE CONCRETE OF THE LIGHT STANDARD CRUMBLED TO THE GROUND.