Jim Proudfoot (journalist)
Jim Proudfoot | |
---|---|
Born | 1933 Kearney, Ontario, Canada |
Died | April 1, 2001 (aged 67) |
Alma mater | University of Toronto |
Occupation | Sports journalist |
Years active | 1952–2000 |
Employer | Toronto Star |
Awards | Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, Skate Canada Hall of Fame |
James Alan Proudfoot (1933 – April 1, 2001) was a Canadian sports journalist. He spent his entire 49-year career with the Toronto Star, and served as the newspaper's sports editor. His columns regularly covered ice hockey, horse racing, figure skating and Canadian football. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame, and received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Early life
James Alan Proudfoot was born in 1933,[1] in Kearney, Ontario.[2][3][4] His early education was in a two-room schoolhouse in Kearney, with his father James as the teacher.[3]
Journalism career
Proudfoot began his journalism career with the Toronto Star while a student at the University of Toronto in 1952.[5] He went on to work 49 years for the newspaper, and succeeded Milt Dunnell as its sports editor.[2][3] Proudfoot was known to his colleagues by the nickname "Chester".[4][6][7]
According to Dunnell, Proudfoot was a lifetime hitchhiker, and would get rides from others to and from sporting events.[7] Dunnell reported that Proudfoot never had a car, probably never had a driver's license, and used the Toronto Transit Commission regularly.[7] To attend horse races at the Fort Erie Race Track, Proudfoot flew from the Toronto Island Airport to the Fort Erie Airport adjacent to the track.[7]
Proudfoot wrote regularly about Canadian football and the Toronto Argonauts.[5] He annually reported on the Stanley Cup, the Grey Cup, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the World Figure Skating Championships.[2][3] He was present at the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals won by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and covered boxing matches by George Chuvalo versus Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Joe Frazier.[2] Proudfoot recalled his experience at the 1972 Summit Series in an interview in May 1998, and stated that "the Paul Henderson goal is the greatest single event in the history of Canadian sports".[3]
Proudfoot had a lifelong love for
Proudfoot reported regularly on figure skating in his daily column from 1971 onwards, including local and international competitions. He began reporting on World Figure Skating Championships in the 1960s, and wrote about figure skating at six Winter Olympic Games.[4]
Proudfoot remained active as a columnist until a stroke in May 2000.[3]
Personal life
Proudfoot died at age 67 on April 1, 2001, due to natural causes.
Legacy and honours
Fellow journalist Josh Rubin described Proudfoot as a "grumpy" and "snarky" person, and a misanthropist.[8] He reportedly "would bark at editors handling his stories", and "eventually make you feel like crawling under your chair", according to Rubin.[8] He also used his surly persona to solicit charitable donations at Christmas.[8] He was the namesake for the Proudfoot Corner of the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund, which helped needy children during the holiday season.[9]
Proudfoot received the
References
- ^ a b Interment Directory, The Nation, Ontario: United Counties of Prescott and Russell, 2020
- ^ a b c d e f "Renowned sports reporter Jim Proudfoot passes away". CBC Sports. April 1, 2001. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Award-winning sportswriter". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario. April 2, 2001. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "2008 Skate Canada Hall of Fame Induction". Skate Canada. 2008. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Jim Proudfoot". Canadian Football Hall of Fame. 1992. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Jim Proudfoot". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. 2003. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Dunnell, Milt (1998). "1998 Jim Proudfoot". Sports Media Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c Rubin, Josh (December 23, 2017). "Jim Proudfoot used his grumpiness for good". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Zwolinski, Mark (November 8, 2019). "The spirit of giving lives on at the Star Santa Claus Fund's Proudfoot Corner". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ "Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award Winners". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2020.