Long before celebrity attendance at sporting events became fashionable, Donald Sutherland did it with a style all his own.
Posted at 4:44 p.m.
Gregory Strong The Canadian Press
The Canadian actor – who died Thursday at the age of 88 – was a big fan of the defunct Montreal Expos.
“We knew he was a passionate supporter. He always sat on the third base side of Olympic Stadium, about 10 rows from the field,” noted Richard Griffin, longtime sports journalist and former director of public relations for the Expos.
“After his cinema schedule, he did his summer schedule based on that of the Expos,” he added.
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Mr. Sutherland grew up in Nova Scotia and studied at the University of Toronto. He then attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
PHOTO LAURENT CIPRIANI, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Donald Sutherland before the opening ceremony of the Lumière Festival, in Lyon, in October 2019
He became a respected actor and appeared in dozens of films, including Ordinary People, Animal House et The Hunger Games.
The Expos, meanwhile, arrived in the National League in 1969, and Mr. Sutherland, who had a home in the Eastern Townships, immediately became an avid supporter of the club, Mr. Griffin said.
“He had achieved fame by then, but he was a quiet supporter,” he said. It wasn’t Drake. It was Donald Sutherland. »
The actor owned a yacht on the West Coast and often attended Expos games in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
“He wanted to be behind the scenes. He didn’t want to be the story, he wanted to see the story unfold,” said Mr. Griffin, a former “Toronto Star” columnist who now co-hosts the baseball podcast Exit Philosophy.
Serge Touchette covered the Expos for nearly 30 years for The Montreal Journalbut he never had the chance to speak to Donald Sutherland.
“He didn’t want to be interviewed at the time,” he wrote in a text message. We tried several times, but gave up. Too bad, because it would have been a great story. »
A high point for the Expos came in October 1981 when the team finally qualified for the playoffs. The actor was on hand as Montreal beat the New York Mets 5-4 to secure their spot, after a strike-interrupted season.
“When people think of famous fans, they think of people trying to be on the show, but Donald never did that,” Mr. Griffin said.
“He’s a legitimate admirer”
NBC cameras spotted Donald Sutherland in the crowd as the Expos played the Philadelphia Phillies in May 1983.
“He’s one of the biggest Expos fans: Donald Sutherland,” commentator Bob Costas said at the time. She’s not the kind of celebrity who shows up to a World Series game and makes sure she’s seen by a television camera. He’s a legitimate admirer. »
For the club’s 20th anniversary in 1989, Donald Sutherland narrated a montage of the Expos’ best moments.
All he wanted was his same tickets and we gave them to him for about four seasons. And that was it. Can you imagine, Donald Sutherland, with the power he had, he did a narration for just two subscriptions for four years? It’s crazy. But it was Donald.
Richard Griffin, former Expos public relations director
The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 and were renamed the Nationals. Donald Sutherland then stopped following the team, according to Richard Griffin.
“I don’t know where his love of baseball started, but I know it ended when the Expos left town. Like many other fans, he was devastated. »
The actor then took a look at the Toronto Blue Jays, the only Canadian team in major baseball since the departure of the Expos.
In an interview last October to discuss a postage stamp commemorating his career, he talked about the Blue Jays’ elimination in the first round of the playoffs.
“Of course, my team is the Expos, but they’re gone. »
2024-06-21 21:51:29
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