saintpat
El Dandy
Release the hounds!!!
Posts: 7,664
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Post by saintpat on Apr 20, 2011 20:58:29 GMT -5
Seems like -- both from reading Hart's book and what other people have written/said about him -- a lot of Bret Hart's problems come from some idea in his head that he was some kind of genuine national treasure in Canada and should have been booked and treated like it.
I realize Canada is a proud country and tends to put those who make it big in the U.S. (and probably elsewhere) -- especially entertainers -- on a pedestal.
But it stretches the imagination to buy the idea that Bret was a true national hero -- not just a popular entertainer, but a national effing hero?
Any Canadians on their forum old enough to know -- or even to have heard from their parents -- whether the average Canadian in Hart's heyday truly regarded him that way? Or was he just a popular wrestler?
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Post by eDemento2099 on Apr 20, 2011 21:22:58 GMT -5
Bret is something of a national hero. A few years back, the CBC invited regular Canadians to nominate the people they regard as the greatest Canadians. Hart was among a few athletes who made the list (among scientists, politicians, writers, etc). Hart ranked 39 out of 100. The number one pick was Tommy Douglas, a third party political leader who founded Canada's national health care system. You can view the list at www.filibustercartoons.com/greatest%20Canadians.htm |
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Apr 20, 2011 21:38:24 GMT -5
Well judging by that list then Shania Twain, Mike Myers and Céline Dion are all bigger national heroes than Bret Hart.
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Post by eDemento2099 on Apr 20, 2011 21:50:45 GMT -5
Well judging by that list then Shania Twain, Mike Myers and Céline Dion are all bigger national heroes than Bret Hart. Aye. Wrestling's not as big across Canada as people like like to make it out to be.  Anyway, as far as the list goes, you may be interested to know that although Hart did not rank in the top 10, he did present a speech on behalf of Don Cherry when it was announced that Cherry came in at number 7. The speech was rather silly; instead of legitimating Cherry's place on the list of greatest Canadians, Hart said Cherry deserved to be there because he's 'just an average guy who goes out there and does his best at his job,' more or less. It sounded like Hart defended Cherry's ranking as though Cherry was accepting the award on behalf of all the nation's labourers. |
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Post by MichaelMartini on Apr 21, 2011 0:56:23 GMT -5
Yeah, he kinda was/is. Mainly because of his pro-Canada run in 97. It was the first time we had a patriotic face like a Hogan or Duggan to call our own. Good times.
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Post by Disaster Report on Apr 21, 2011 9:20:23 GMT -5
Why is it any different from Hulk or Luger as an american hero, or... any other guy that plays up his homeland?
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Post by repomanfan on Apr 21, 2011 9:44:06 GMT -5
Bret is a Canadian hero, but he's not Canada's greatest athlete. That honor belongs to "Iron" Mike Sharpe.
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Axl Low
AC Slater
You will never be this bad ass.
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Post by Axl Low on Apr 21, 2011 10:39:10 GMT -5
My problem with Bret is that he believed he was the be all end all of Wrestling back in the days of WWF and that he should be treated like royalty. I'm not taking away his accomplishments he has gained over the years, but he's always seemed like a bitter crybaby who thinks the whole world should roll over and give him whatever he wants just because he's the "Almighty" Hitman. He comes off as such a mark for himself it's sickening.
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Post by Milkman Norm on Apr 21, 2011 11:13:04 GMT -5
Bret is a Canadian hero, but he's not Canada's greatest athlete. That honor belongs to "Iron" Mike Sharpe. AUGH...AUGH...MY ARM.... |
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saintpat
El Dandy
Release the hounds!!!
Posts: 7,664
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Post by saintpat on Apr 21, 2011 12:55:33 GMT -5
Why is it any different from Hulk or Luger as an american hero, or... any other guy that plays up his homeland? I don't know of a single person ever who considered either Hogan or Luger to be legitimate, non-kayfabe national heroes. Hogan was a superstar, a mega-draw. He was widely known outside of wrestling in large part because of his small role in a Rocky movie. In no way, shape or form was or is he a national hero. Luger was reasonable popular, but not at the top of the profession. |
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The Ichi
Patti Mayonnaise
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Posts: 37,304 
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Post by The Ichi on Apr 21, 2011 14:06:26 GMT -5
Well America is huge enough that it's hard to say who their true national heroes are.
Canada doesn't have much going for it, apart from Maple Syrup and Brian Adams. They take what they can.
This is a joke btw.
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Axl Low
AC Slater
You will never be this bad ass.
Posts: 212
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Post by Axl Low on Apr 21, 2011 14:15:23 GMT -5
Well America is huge enough that it's hard to say who their true national heroes are. Canada doesn't have much going for it, apart from Maple Syrup and Brian Adams. They take what they can. This is a joke btw. Thats not true! ..There's also Michael J Fox! Back to the Future rocked! |
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El Pollo Guerrera
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Post by El Pollo Guerrera on Apr 21, 2011 14:49:54 GMT -5
Well America is huge enough that it's hard to say who their true national heroes are. Canada doesn't have much going for it, apart from Maple Syrup and Brian Adams. They take what they can. This is a joke btw. But you're not far off... Being Canadian, I can say that we do have this love/hate/inferiority complex relationship with the US, and we do love it whenever any Canuck makes it big south of the border. We do tend to put these people on pedestals. |
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Cranjis McBasketball
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Apr 21, 2011 14:59:38 GMT -5
Well America is huge enough that it's hard to say who their true national heroes are. Canada doesn't have much going for it, apart from Maple Syrup and Brian Adams. They take what they can. This is a joke btw. But you're not far off... Being Canadian, I can say that we do have this love/hate/inferiority complex relationship with the US, and we do love it whenever any Canuck makes it big south of the border. We do tend to put these people on pedestals. That's why we have a solid gold statue of Dan Aykroyd erected in every city, town and hamlet in the country. |
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dav
Hank Scorpio
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Post by dav on Apr 21, 2011 15:14:13 GMT -5
But you're not far off... Being Canadian, I can say that we do have this love/hate/inferiority complex relationship with the US, and we do love it whenever any Canuck makes it big south of the border. We do tend to put these people on pedestals. That's why we have a solid gold statue of Dan Aykroyd erected in every city, town and hamlet in the country. He created the Ghostbusters AND the Blues Brothers. Even if he wasn't Canadian he should have those anyway. |
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 41,952
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Apr 21, 2011 15:17:16 GMT -5
That's why we have a solid gold statue of Dan Aykroyd erected in every city, town and hamlet in the country. He created the Ghostbusters AND the Blues Brothers. Even if he wasn't Canadian he should have those anyway.  |
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Post by "Playboy" Don Douglas on Apr 21, 2011 15:35:36 GMT -5
Bret is a Canadian hero, but he's not Canada's greatest athlete. That honor belongs to "Iron" Mike Sharpe. I've still got to go with Gene Kiniski on that one. |
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Post by celticjobber on Apr 21, 2011 16:58:12 GMT -5
but he's always seemed like a bitter crybaby who thinks the whole world should roll over and give him whatever he wants just because he's the "Almighty" Hitman. He comes off as such a mark for himself it's sickening. I really think that alot of the "crybaby" stuff people accuse Bret of is more of them confusing his 1997 heel character with his real life persona (because he played it so well). And that's also the way WWE painted him over the years before he reconciled with them. Even though it was WWE who brought it up all the time. In truth, Bret seemed to have been mostly at peace with the "Montreal" situation since his stroke. |
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Post by azrael502 on Apr 22, 2011 6:02:23 GMT -5
My problem with Bret is that he believed he was the be all end all of Wrestling back in the days of WWF and that he should be treated like royalty. I'm not taking away his accomplishments he has gained over the years, but he's always seemed like a bitter crybaby who thinks the whole world should roll over and give him whatever he wants just because he's the "Almighty" Hitman. He comes off as such a mark for himself it's sickening. well said the man wrote one hell of a book but he is a mark whore for himself |
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Post by Disaster Report on Apr 22, 2011 6:20:00 GMT -5
Why is it any different from Hulk or Luger as an american hero, or... any other guy that plays up his homeland? I don't know of a single person ever who considered either Hogan or Luger to be legitimate, non-kayfabe national heroes. Hogan was a superstar, a mega-draw. He was widely known outside of wrestling in large part because of his small role in a Rocky movie. In no way, shape or form was or is he a national hero. Luger was reasonable popular, but not at the top of the profession. What a very unamerican way of thinking! USA! USA! |
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