Jacques Demers = Illiterate

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Apparently in his biography released today Jacques Demers has admitted that he was illiterate throughout his whole career, having never learned to read or write.

Holy schnikes! This guy won a Stanley Cup!!

Anyone else shocked by this?

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[badams]

I just saw an interview on TSN. I'm amazed he made it that far with only his wife knowing.

[Jaimoe]

I'm shocked. I love Jacques even more after hearing this.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I'm thinking of writing a song about how I'm tone-deaf

'might ask Blue Grassy High to cover it

[Booche]

Make sure its 'en francais' Davey Boy.

But, to add to AD's point..........you're fucking right I am shocked. I suppose the only two letter he knew were X's and O's?

[Davey Boy 2.0]

actually in some ways it could be a positive thing, especially in Montreal where the press are notoriously critical of every single little aspect of the team's performance. might be nice to be somewhat oblivious to that kind of thing sometimes (not to say that he'd be unaware, but you get the idea...)

but yes it is quite shocking

Edited November 3, 2005 by Guest
backtracking

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I wonder what he thinks of the book.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I heard (no joke this time) that he had a hard time getting through parts of it

[AD]

I didn't catch this part of the story, but is he still illiterate, or was the story that he was illiterate for a long time but isn't anymore...? can someone help me out?

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[Davey Boy 2.0]

he's learned to read, somewhat

don't think he'll be writing any librettos anytime soon though

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Kirk Muller on Jacques:

Muller phoned Demers yesterday to offer his support.

"I wanted Jacques to know I admire his courage for coming out like this," Muller said. "And I said, 'Now I know why you kept referring to me as No. 99!'

Full article:

MONTREAL - Fast-talkin', back-slappin', paper-shovin' Jacques Demers fooled 'em all, it seems.

Former Montreal Canadiens captain Kirk Muller, a favourite of Demers, never had a clue his former coach could barely read or write.

"I'm totally shocked," said Muller, a Kingston native who played three seasons for Demers in Montreal, highlighted by the 1993 Stanley Cup victory.

News of Demers' illiteracy, revealed in a biography launched Wednesday, stunned Muller, now in first year as coach of the men's hockey team at Queen's University.

"Honestly, I don't know how Jacques pulled it off," Muller said. "How do you coach the most successful hockey franchise in the world without being able to read or write?"

Muller isn't aware of any modern-day National Hockey League player or coach unable to adequately read or write. He was astonished Demers survived as a coach of five NHL teams, and as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998-99.

"I can't imagine going that long in the NHL without someone catching on," Muller said. "That's a lot of delegating to other people in order to cover.

"He must have had some amazing secretaries."

While not a technically inclined coach, Muller said Demers communicated with the best of them.

"Jacques wasn't the best Xs and Os type coach I ever had, but he was a great people person," Muller said. "He could absorb information, then get his message across. He was a vocal guy, expressive. He liked to talk. He did what he had to do to survive."

Muller, 39, is new at coaching and says he spends "one hour a day on the ice and seven hours a day" doing paperwork, answering e-mail, drawing up practices, writing thank-you letters, etc.

"Since July, I've spent more time on the computer than I have my whole life," said Muller, who has his Ontario Grade 12 high-school certificate.

Demers, a charmer, said he used smoke and mirrors to fly under the radar.

For example, when he coached in St. Louis and Detroit, he would push away paperwork by telling other staffers that, as a Quebecer, his English was not up to snuff. When he took the helm of the Canadiens in 1992, he played the "my French has become too rusty" card.

Bobbing and weaving is a life skill for those who are ashamedly illiterate.

"Jacques is a street-smart guy," Muller said. "He was able to sidestep and delegate enough that no one ever caught on. He had to use people around him to help him. That was his strength as a coach."

Still, Muller struggles to imagine how Demers fared as GM of the Lightning.

"What if the owner sends you a memo about new rule changes and asks for an opinion on the spot?" Muller said. "That's a lot of sitting down with people, getting their insights, without them ever saying, 'What do you think?' "

Muller phoned Demers yesterday to offer his support.

"I wanted Jacques to know I admire his courage for coming out like this," Muller said. "And I said, 'Now I know why you kept referring to me as No. 99!'

"I'm only kidding, of course," added Muller who, of course, wore No. 11 before Saku Koivu arrived. "I've always liked Jacques, but it holds even more true today."

An English version of Jacques Demers: Toutes En Lettres may come out in February. The book has 26 chapters, one for each letter in the alphabet.

[Booche]

WRITING THANK YOU LETTERS???????

I dont know about youse guys, but I just laughed my ass off at that. Good ole Kirk.

[badams]

WRITING THANK YOU LETTERS???????

I dont know about [color:red]youse guys, but I just laughed my ass off at that. Good ole Kirk.

HeHe