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ae 111 aare There's one thing that brings people together and. makes them forget, for a few hours at least, all their normal rotten, little, miserable, petty, private troubles. That is a good smash in the midriff from that gentle old lady, Mother Natiire, Whether it's fire or flood, blizaard or drought, a_ blunt reminder every so often from good old Mother has a salutary effect on the perpetually whin- ing denizens of the twentieth century. This time it was that "cold snap" in January. I like that term. It's a typical Canadian understatement. © And we delight in it, as we do at barn fires, heat spells, terrible thunderstorms, beauti- ful autumns and _ three-foot snowfalls. It's peculiarly Cana- dian, and it makes us all be- come human again, if only un- til it's over. People who normally trudge around with a face like an old rubber boot, people who wouldn't be caught dead in a ditch together, suddenly' start shouting witticisms like, "Cold 'nuff fer yeh?", beaming through dripping noses. and purple countenances. People who wouldn't be caught speaking to each other in the Black Hole of Calcutta find they have a great deal in common: neither could get his car started this morning. Then there are thé brag- garts, but we even put up with them, whom we would normal- ly detest, with the greatest of good spirits. They come in dif- ferent wrappers. Let's say it's 30 below outside. But there's always some character who lived in Kapuskasing or Yel- lowknife who swears it was 80 below there all winter, and wasn't-even cold, just refresh- ing. Hacking their lungs out, they say, "This is nothing." And there's the reverse snob. Through rattling teeth and hunched shoulders, he too claims this is nothing. 'Why back in '53 it was down to 50 below. and stayed there for a week. ' Then there's the rugged type. Pounding himself on the chest, he burbles, "This is great; this is the real Canada; | this is what makes us a sturdy, independent people." Three days later you get a card from him. From Florida. Thank you Mother Nature Two types are happy, every- thing is golden, when there is a "cold snap." They are the fuel man and -the_ tow-truck chap. And bully for them, say it : But my point is that a na- ture crisis gets people out of themselves, and perhaps it's better than medicine in _ this neurotic 20th century. Forgotten during the "cold snap" are the Vietnam war, higher taxes on booze and fags, your rotten boss and the fact that you can't live another week without an _ automatic dish-washer. There is a certain joyous drawing together against the elements and a definite pride in the fact that you can cope. For once, including Expo, there is a common bond, as we rub our ears and stamp our feet and blow our noses in a great national chorus that, to me, expresses the real spirit of Canada, and at least temporari- ly freezes all thoughts of separ- atism, divorce, abortion and who's. going to be the new Lib- eral leader, When you go out in the morning and find that the bat- tery is flat, you don't fuss and cuss. You feel sort of proud that you're taking part in a heroic adventure. You know you're not exactly Scott of the Antarctic, and that you can phone a cab, but you know that all-over town, other cars are going, "Argh - argh - arh - ah- uhnn," and it gives you a sense of shared danger and hardship. Theré's a tingling and a jingl- ing in the atmosphere. Peo- ple are grinning and shaking their heads and _ shouting, "Isn't that a brute of a day?" And even the domestic prob- lems abate. The other night, it was 28 below zero. My wife is always saying that she might as well leave unless I @can "Show some_ understanding." Kim continually threatens to run away to Vancouver and become a hippie. I opened the door and said "goodbye, chaps." Eighteen seconds later, they were upstairs, watching: FV: Good old Mother N. Once in a while, she nudges us back to normal, even though the nudge knocks the wind out of us. TERRACE BAY NEWS THE SPORTS BEAT By Glen May A champion"s champion If individuals have been called a "man's man," then we must refer to the Green Bay Packers as a "champion's champion." This superb collection of gridiron giants has achieved total perfection. It has often been said in sport that any team or individual which has remained at the top, has but one way to go -- down. In theory this will be true when the reign ends for "The Pack." However, be they second or last, the Packers will always be Number One. Perhaps a state- ment of this nature smells of hearts and flowers? Perhaps it sounds overly dramatic? Per- haps it appears to be just plain stupid? In the case of the Green Bay Packers against the rest of the professional football world, the verdict must go to Green Bay. Vince Lombardi's horde has established irrefutable evi- dence . .. their opponents have been allowed to appear. Al- though many observers feel this in itself constitutes man- slaughter, it cannot be judged as such; rival coaches have convicted their own teams by saying: "They (Green Bay) put on their pants the same way we do." What opponets don't realize is that the Packers never do anything you expect them: to do, and when you feel they are doing something the same way as you are, chalk it up as noth- ing more than a mirage. Al- though American's first presi- dent may cringe at the idea, it becomes .crystal clear that Packers can "fool all of the people all of the time." To recount the Green Bay triumphs and glories during the last three years will be left for the record books and those other columinists who thrive on facts and figures. The Pack has beaten every- body when it counted during the past three seasons. Other teams feel a win over Green Bay in an exhibition game is more gratifying than a cham- pionship. This is understand- able as the Packers are always. in the championship game, and they always win. The day will come when Dal- las, Baltimore, Los Angeles or Oakland does win. a Super Bowl. And they will have beat- en Green Bay along their victo- ry route. But the Packers won the first Super Bowl, and the second, and three consecutive National Football League ti- tles. Never in the game's histo- ry had this been accomplished. It's highly probable this pin- nacle will never be attained again, unless of course, Green Bay does it. This is why The Pack was...is...will be... Number One foreever And this goes for those idiots who stand misty-eyed with hand» over heart singing different words to Onward Christain Soldiers. Victory has become so com- monplace in the Packers' dressing-room that they drink pop after a big payoff. Other title winners bathe in the bub- ly, but after all, these other guys are still learning what it's all about. When you see a Packer in street clothes you find yourself gaping in awe. You say to yourself -- "there goes a professional man." When op- posing players and _ coaches have finished meeting the Packers on the gridiron, they say: "Those fellas are really pros." It is little wonder Oakland coach John Rauch was estatic about playing Green Bay in the Super Bowl. He rationalized that the Packers are the best in pro football, and so, if his team had met and defeated any oth- er than Green Bay, Oakland's supremacy would have been dubious. Rauch said: "If we beat Green Bay we beat the best. Beating the Packers is in the realm of possibility." As we said before -- oh yeah.