It’s long been suspected the good Lord has a special sense of timing. Confirmation came when Don Riley passed away only days before the Vikings-Packers game in Green Bay.
The legendary Pioneer Press sports columnist made much of his reputation bashing Green Bay fans and the Packers. Riley, 92, died on Thursday in the Twin Cities and he may have had “Green Bush” on his mind last week as the Packers and Vikings got ready to play for the NFC North Division championship on Sunday.
Riley told me a few years ago he used labels like “Green Bushers or “Bushers” in his provocative column because they were derogatory without targeting individuals. He wrote a controversial column (known as “The Eye Opener”) for the St. Paul newspaper for 31 years before retiring in 1987, and much of the time he took direct aim on Green Bay and the Packers.
Riley loved to stir emotions and reactions, and after yesterday’s Vikings’ win in “Green Bush” he might be in heaven writing and needling about how the Packers blew the game.
Aaron Rodgers? Riley would tease that Teddy Bridgewater is better.
The Packers’ chances in the playoffs? The “Eye” might suggest the Packers will be vacationing on frozen Wisconsin lakes when the Vikings are riding deep into the playoffs.
Sportswriting for Riley was the entertainment business and his column sold a lot of newspapers for the Pioneer Press, including in Wisconsin. In addition to writing, Riley was on the speakers’ circuit and he didn’t hold back on fans from Wisconsin. Even during a speaking engagement across the border Riley might put out a plea to the audience to stop stealing the banquet hall silverware.
It’s no wonder audiences booed Riley during his decades of defaming Wisconsin while writing and speaking. He claimed Green Bay was known for having the “world’s biggest toilet factories.” He labeled Wisconsin-River Falls “Moo-U.”
“He’d rip the Packers every chance he could and he’d get booed, but he made a hell of a lot of money doing that,” said Gregg Wong who worked with Riley at the newspaper. “It was a shtick with him.”
Riley was born in Wisconsin but graduated from Minneapolis Roosevelt High School. He was full of energy and often mischief throughout his life. “He was certainly one of the most creative people in the business,” Wong told Sports Headliners. “He had a great way with words, a great imagination. Pretty close to 90 percent what he wrote in his column was purely off the top of his head.
“It’s amazing how many people in St. Paul—for all those years he wrote that column—took him seriously. If Don Riley wrote it, it must be true.
“He’d write (for instance) about the former Viking seen in an eastside bistro with a blonde bimbo on one arm, and a redhead on the other arm.
“People would think that was true, and they would say, ‘Who is that Viking? I wonder who that Viking guy was?’ ”
Riley’s column was published six days per week and he was a celebrity in St. Paul. Often, though, he didn’t remember names he should have known. Instead, he would identify people—both strangers and those he knew from the newspaper—with nicknames he made up. Tiger, Ace and Big Shooter were Riley favorites.
Wong recalled a day when Riley was approached by a friendly stranger near the St. Paul newspaper. The two men chatted for a couple of minutes and then along came a writer from the paper whom Riley had known for about 25 years.
Riley proceeded to handle introductions this way, “Big Tiger, meet Ace.”
An upcoming Vikings-Packers game was just the platform Riley wanted to make his Wisconsin readers fume and Minnesota readers chuckle. During an interview with Sports Headliners in 2011 Riley recalled an outrageous prediction he once made in print. “I told them (Packers fans) if we don’t beat you next Sunday by three touchdowns, I’ll push a peanut with my nose from Appleton to Green Bay,” Riley said. “That was my guarantee.
“Well, they (the Packers) knock us off. They had a cartoon in the newspaper over there on the front page. Color cartoon of me pushing a peanut, (and it) says, ‘Come on, show your guts, Riley.’ “
Riley further infuriated Packers fans by never arriving in Appleton to push a peanut. He got angry letters from people in 35 states. The hate mail was nothing new, though. He was even accustomed to receiving crank telephone calls at home.
Riley got some of his best ideas in bars and used to make column notes on cocktail napkins. If Gallivan’s had a hall of fame, he would have been a first ballot inductee. At the downtown St. Paul bar, Riley and pals might hatch a get rich scheme like selling warm chow mein in a paper cup at the State Fair, or promoting an appearance by Lassie the wonder dog at Met Center. But the paper cup couldn’t contain the warm chow mein, with contents falling on the laps of customers, and Lassie was a flop at the Met, not even able to draw stray dogs.
Adventures like that never quieted the feisty columnist’s enthusiasm and passion for life. He loved to talk and during part of his career he had a radio show in the Twin Cities. After his program he might have a speaking engagement and Wong said one evening Riley couldn’t remember where he was supposed to give his speech.
Riley called the Pioneer Press office for help. He asked newspaper colleague Mike Augustin to find details about the speaking engagement on his desk. Augustin did so, and then Riley, who was calling form a pay phone, requested specific directions to the place he was to talk.
Augustin needed to know where Riley was calling from. Riley—who had consumed a drink or two—replied he didn’t know his location. Augustin then wondered aloud how he could possibly provide directions to Riley.
Riley paused and said, “Augie, my boy, put a trace on this call.”
Up until about a year ago Riley would join Wong and other former Pioneer Press writers for breakfast and reminiscing. Deteriorating health kept Riley from wanting to socialize. He just wasn’t himself. Wong understood that and will fondly remember his friend.
“He was probably the most upbeat, fun newspaper guy I was ever around. He was always up. I never saw him mad, sad about anything. It was always a treat being around him.”
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