Basil Edmund "Baz" O'Meara (June 5, 1892 – October 25, 1971), was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for the ''

Montreal Star ''The Montreal Star'' was an English language, English-language Canada, Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It closed in 1979 in the wake of an eight-month pressmen's strike. It was Canada's largest newspaper until the 1950 ...

'', he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984 and is a member of the media section of the

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

. In 1979, he was inducted into the

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about the CFL, ...

. O'Meara began his career at the ''Ottawa Free Press'' in 1910.Sports writer covered action for 50 years Meara, Baz O. The Globe and Mail (1936-Current); Oct 26, 1971; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Globe and Mail. pg. 37 He was the sports editor of the ''

Ottawa Journal The ''Ottawa Journal'' was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from 1885 to 1980. It was founded in 1885 by A. Woodburn as the ''Ottawa Evening Journal''. Its first editor was John Wesley Dafoe who came from the ...

'' during the 1920s, and mentored his successor

Bill Westwick William George Westwick (August 2, 1908June 19, 1990) was a Canadian sports journalist. He wrote for the ''Ottawa Journal'' from 1926 to 1973, was mentored by Basil O'Meara, then served as the paper's sports editor from 1942 until retirement. ...

. He joined the ''Star'' in 1929 and retired at the age of 76 around 1968. Although controversy exists over this claim, he was widely credited with nicknaming Maurice Richard "Rocket". O'Meara died on October 25, 1971 in a Montreal hospital at age 79. He had entered the facility roughly one week before, after suffering a heart attack, and never regained consciousness."Baz O'Meara Dies"
''The Montreal Gazette''. October 26, 1971. p. 21. Retrieved February 16, 2024.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OMeara, Basil 1892 births 1971 deaths Canadian sports journalists Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipients