This is fun

The late, great Skate sent me this in 2007.

Not many people know that Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones fame attended a Komet Hockey game during the 1960's as a guest of his second cousin, IHL linesman Hartley McLeod. I happened to be sitting right behind the rock legend and can attest to the truthfulness of this story.

Although Jagger was not a rabid hockey fan, he does enjoy the game and chose to bring along his friend Hugh Thompson who WAS a big hockey fan. As luck would have it, things were going a little rough for the crack officiating crew and the crowd was becoming restless and beginning to heap abuse on the hapless zebras.

McLeod, despite being a former Komet player, was not immune to the treatment. As the game wore on, the local sextet was taking a drubbing from the hated Toledo Blades On a rare Komet foray toward the Toledo goal, McLeod raised his whistle to his lips and stopped the Komets in mid-stride nailing them for an alleged offside.

Well, this was too much for the Komet faithful to endure.  The crowd cut loose with a vociferous tirade directed at Hartley.

And whose voice could be heard rising above the cacophony?

Hugh Thompson, that's who!

Guest of Mick or not, THIS pushed Jagger over the edge. After all, a man can only take so much and this constant criticism of his family member, deserved or not, was just too much for the rocker to take.  When the chorus of boos and catcalls finally subsided, Jagger stood up and, using all his considerable lung power, chastised his friend by yelling, “Hey! Hugh! Get offa McLeod!”

I, with a sharp ear for this sort of thing, immediately recognized the rather catchy beat of this ditty. I took a few seconds and refined Jagger's outburst and jotted it down on a small piece of paper.

At the next stoppage of play I passed the paper to the rock giant and the rest, as they say, is history. Unfortunately, Jagger claims the paper was either “lost” or “destroyed” or torn into confetti and thrown into the air when the Komets rallied in the last few seconds of play to pull out a victory.

As a consequence, there is no actual proof of this story and Jagger, cheap as he is, wormed his way out of playing me any royalties for what later turned out to be his greatest hit.