FOR a man battling cancer -- even with the kind of grace and courage he's showing -- Don Wittman smiled a lot Tuesday.
Not that surprising, I suppose, since "Witt" was inducted into the CBC Sports Hall of Fame in a tribute speech by Peter Mansbridge.
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TSN’s Chris Cuthbert, a former CBC colleague, shares a moment with Don Wittman during induction ceremony.
Mansbridge, the man who is now the face of CBC television news, promptly recalled how he first met Wittman.
It was 1971 and Mansbridge's first day with the CBC.
Wittman was the only person to walk up and greet the "scared stiff" rookie when he ventured into the Winnipeg newsroom 37 years ago this week.
"Hi, my name's Don Wittman," Mansbridge recalled him saying.
As if the voice of the Canadian Football League needed any introduction.
"Now, of course, 20 minutes later I realized why he's done that," Mansbridge told the nearly 150 invited luncheon guests.
"I was sitting there and I had not a penny left in my pocket." When the uproarious laughter from the knowing audience subsided, Mansbridge finished the joke.
"He said, 'I want you to understand how this game 21 -- blackjack -- works.' "
Of course, that made Don Wittman, the notoriously playful gambler, laugh along with everyone else.
But that's not really why he was smiling so much and so broadly Tuesday.
There was more to it than that.
CBC's Terry Ludwick and Denis Lavoie reached way back in the archives to present film clips of his storied 47-year CBC career, which had the audience roaring again.
The black-and-white clip, for instance, where that same playful gambler in "Witt" couldn't resist asking the jockey he was interviewing if he had a racing tip he could share.
But again, that's not what made him smile the most, either.
Although the non-stop tributes helped.
Broadcaster Brian Williams, who moved to CTV after covering 12 Olympics for the CBC, bestowed the title of "Mr. Olympics" on his pal for the 18 Olympics that "Witt" has covered.
Still, that's not what brought the broadest smile.
No, what made Don Wittman smile the widest and the most was something we should all be so fortunate to have at a bitter-sweet moment like the one he faced Tuesday.
Simply having so many people there that the 71 year-old can call friends.
And, of course, having his wife, Judy and children David, Karen and Kristen right beside him.
The friends came from across the city and across the continent.
You could see that as Kristen wheeled him from table to table to greet pals.
"Hi roomie," said retired CBC Vancouver sports broadcaster and buddy Ted Reynolds, his voice pained, his hand outstretched.
Then there was Ranger GM Glen Sather, who came all the way from New York, Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter and former Winnipeg Jets coach John Paddock, who took advantage of an off night from behind the Ottawa Senators bench to be with "Witt".
The list of famous faces went on and on.
"It's hard to envision all these people coming to Winnipeg," Wittman told a CBC microphone in a raspy, weakened voice. "I really am overwhelmed."
These people included Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean, Bob Cole, Kelly Hrudey, Steve Armitage and Mark Lee.
But, as Brian Williams' presence suggested, it wasn't just a gathering of the CBC clan.
CTV President Rick Brace was there, as was TSN's Chris Cuthbert and Ray Turnbull.
And, among the dearest of all his friends, longtime curling broadcast sidekick Don Duguid, who was there for "Witt" late last year when he needed to be driven to radiation treatments.
Some of those who couldn't be there -- such as Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky, Calgary Flames coach Mike Keenan, whose teams were facing each other Tuesday night -- sent video tributes.
As did former Winnipeg Jet Ed Olczyk.
Others, like Canadian Olympic star sprinter Donovan Bailey sent telegrams.
There were other friends there, of course.
Colleagues from Winnipeg, like Scott Oake, who masterfully handled a tough assignment as emcee.
And other locals like former Winnipeg Tribune sports editor Jack Matheson, Bomber GM Lyle Bauer, Bomber alumni members Paul Robson, Joe Poplawski and John Shanski and his wife Maureen, plus player agent Don Baizley, CJOB's Garth Buchko, Vic Grant and John Wells, former voice of the Jets Curt Keilback, Free Press sports reporter Tim Campbell, and veteran sports broadcaster Bob Picken.
Former Bomber coach Cal Murphy made it, too.
Then there were the people who knew "Witt" when the camera wasn't on.
Golfing buddies like Gordon McNaught and Dick Hooker.
When I look back on Tuesday, though, I think it was Ed Olczyk who summed it up best in his video tribute.
Reminiscing about their days together at Assiniboia Downs, these were Olczyk's parting words to his old pal.
"Save a seat for me in the winner's circle."
The last word, though, goes to the man himself.
From his wheelchair in the audience, Don Wittman began to say how it all felt.
"I'm..."
He stopped momentarily, choked with emotion.
Then he finished.
"I'm humbled."
gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
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