Richie Hall originally didn鈥檛 want to write a book. Guy Scholz, Hall鈥檚 co-author and long-time friend, had been trying to persuade him to write it for about a decade. Finally convincing him, the two worked together to make Smoke and Mirrors: Life in the CFL with Richie Hall.
鈥淚 just thought there were a lot of good stories about the CFL. Richie, to me, is like a Yoda, like a philosopher when you really get to know him. There are all of these life lessons coming out from football or his life.鈥�
While Hall was reluctant and didn鈥檛 see himself as the subject of a book, it was Scholz鈥� persistence that convinced him the book would be something of value. Once he was on board, he was all in, giving Scholz 60-70 people to interview, from family to fellow players and coaches to close friends, which Scholz thought gave the book more flavour.
The process of writing a book began before Hall was convinced, just because of Scholz鈥� nature. He was writing notes before Hall agreed and in the past couple of years Hall decided he would make himself available so they could get a book finished.
鈥淓very time we would get together, he鈥檚 always jotting down notes. He journals a lot, he鈥檚 always jotting down notes and asking questions,鈥� Hall said.
Beyond Hall, Scholz also had full access to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers organization. One section of the book, called Bomberville, sees Scholz go behind the scenes, attending players meetings, coaches meetings, and shadowing Hall through his daily life.
鈥淚t was fun to get the inner workings of what goes on, it was a week of the life of a football coach with Richie.鈥�
A curler, Scholz notes that what he learned from sport psychology with Hall and the Blue Bombers applies to his own sport and it can apply to many parts of life far beyond football.
Part of the reluctance to write a book on Hall鈥檚 part was that he is a very private person and by writing a book he鈥檚 showing everything about himself to the world.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 kind of scary. One of the things he said, even when we started years ago, is that I have been very consistent about my beliefs and what I feel strongly about. It鈥檚 one thing to sit there and go through your own life and have your own ideas, but as I go through this book I see it in print, and that鈥檚 kind of scary, at least for myself... You鈥檙e exposing yourself.鈥�
Reflecting on over 30 years in the CFL, Hall believes the most important thing was how he learned from his experiences.
鈥淚t brought the reality of life into perspective... It鈥檚 not the experiences, it鈥檚 what you learn from them to make you a better person tomorrow... Winning the Grey Cup, that was great, but also getting cut, or flunking out of school, was bad, but good things came out of them. It鈥檚 a matter of how you look at things and what you want to grasp to make yourself better. Do you want to focus on the negative things or do you want to focus on the positive things? You learn from failure more than you do from successes, because you鈥檙e looking to draw something to make yourself better.鈥�
The book starts with football but goes beyond it. For Hall, football is a metaphor.
鈥淚 think there are two common denominators we can all relate to in this world and sports is one because everybody has participated in some kind of sport... and music. Those are two common denominators, to understand you can learn something about life through that, I think that鈥檚 a great way of teaching. I think, and I鈥檓 brainwashed, you can solve any problem using sports as a metaphor. It鈥檚 football, because that鈥檚 my background, but it鈥檚 about life.鈥�
Hall is now focused on the upcoming season with the Blue Bombers, and he has an ideal scenario. He wants to see a Grey Cup final with the Blue Bombers facing off against the Roughriders, though in this scenario it鈥檚 Saskatchewan that crosses over to the east.
鈥淚 had some great years here that will stay with me until the day I die, but right now I鈥檓 a Blue Bomber and we鈥檙e trying to win a Grey Cup.鈥�
Smoke and Mirrors: Life in the CFL is available at Coles in Yorkton and also available online.聽
