Honouring Bob Cole

Coach’s Corner on Saturday night was geared toward Canadians, with both tragic news and some of the highest honors.

Bob Cole from Hockey Night in Canada, with 45 others, was awarded the Order of Canada. Fran Rider a women’s hockey pioneer was among the others who receive this honor.

Don Cherry was full of mixed emotions at the ceremony, with Cole not only taking the Order of Canada but being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as well.

Then Cherry and Ron MacLean spoke about Dean Stock, who was the brother of a former NHL player and a broadcaster on Hockey Night. Stock had passed away just a week ago from a complication of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease at the age of 39.

The masculine name Bob is a short form of Robert, which is taken from the name hrodebert in Germanic that means “bright fame”. It came later than medieval rhyming nicknames for the name, including Nob, Dob and Hob. In fact, the Normans introduce the name to Britain, where it came to replace the Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. Ever since then it has been a common name in the English-speaking countries.

There are many famous people with the name, like the American musician Bob Dylan or the guitarist Bob Bogle. Not to mention the artists and writers, like Bob Justin or Bob Kur, respectively. Even some amazing actors, like Bob Barker from a game show to Bob Fosse the actor, director, dancer and screenwriter.