In the fifty-first edition of “Legends of the Game” we look at the career of Bob “Buff” McCready.
From Wikipedia:
Robert “Buff” McCready (1940 – June 2007) was a Canadian professional and amateur box lacrosse goaltender. McCready was also a professional lacrosse coach in the National Lacrosse League. He won the Mann Cup National Canadian Major championship and was named 1971 most valuable player. McCready was considered an elite goaltender in his time and is credited as turning the goaltending position into an offensive threat as well as the last line of defense. He is a member of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Buff was born in Port Dalhousie, Ontario. In 1960, Buff was transferred from St. Catharines to Whitby in the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League. That year he led the Red Wings to an OJALL title and to the Minto Cup final where they ultimately lost.
In 1963, McCready partnered with rival all-star goalie Pat Baker to compete for the Mann Cup, but St. Catharines ultimately lost. Bob did win the Mann Cup with Brantford in 1973 and was named the playoff’s most valuable player.
Buff played professionally with the newly formed Montreal Canadians of the National Lacrosse Association, and was named a second team all-star in 1968.
In 1969, McCready signed with the NLA’s St. Catharines Golden Hawks. He came third in team scoring despite being a goaltender with 3 goals and 81 assists in 35 games.
Bob returned to professional lacrosse in ’74 as it re-emerged as the National Lacrosse League, playing with the Toronto Tomahawks, then was transferred to the Maryland Arrows the following year.
The NLL folded at the end of the second season.
McCready was inducted into both the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997.
Bob was the first ever head coach of the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits in 1992.
Lacrosse star Pat McCready is Bob McCready’s son.
Before Bob’s death, he was an assistant coach with the Rochester Knighthawks from 1998-2001, then returning to the Buffalo Bandits organization for the 2007 season. In joining the Bandits, he had the opportunity to join Pat for one more season.
McCready died in 2007 in Brantford, Ontario.
In 2009, St. Catharines honoured McCready by adding him to their Sports Wall of Fame.
References
• Buffalo Bandits Assistant Coach Bob “Buff” McCready Passes Away – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News
• “McCready had an offensive side | St. Catharines Standard”. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/1963seniora.txt
• http://www.brantfordlacrosse.com/history.html
• Mann Cup – Past Champions and MVPs
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/1968nllpro.txt
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/1969elapro.txt
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/1974nllpro.txt
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/1975nllpro.txt
• “Remembering one of the best ever, Buff McCready, plus the links | IL Indoor.com”. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• “Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame”. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• “Box Players – 1997”. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• “This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Pat McCready – Sports, Ink – The Buffalo News”. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• The Official Site Of The Buffalo Bandits Archived February 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
• http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=7420
• “Five added to St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame | St. Catharines Standard”. Archived from the originalon 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
• http://wampsbibleoflacrosse.com/newstats/
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
