The Weekly Dis
RIP Bill Davidge, Mr. Blue Jacket
In 2014, Bill Davidge was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a particularly nasty cancer that never really goes away. It gets in the marrow of your bones and lurks. And lurks.
Bill had the terrific fortune to have a great doctor, who caught the cancer before symptoms showed. It's exceedingly rare to have such an early detection of Stage One multiple myeloma.
In 2015, Bill had a stem-cell transplant that went well. He settled in for treatments that would go on for the rest of his life.
"I think he had a high quality of life," said Bill's older son, Rob Davidge. "It probably wasn't until later in his career that, well ... It wasn't so much the cancer as the cancer treatments, and what they can do to your body. Those drives to Cincinnati to do studio work, they became a challenge at times.
"But as you know, my dad never complained. To his final moments, he never complained."
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Bill died. He was 72 years old. Cause of death? Might be the cancer. Might be the treatments. Might be the fact that, after a dozen years of throwing haymakers at one another, both the cancer and the man were too exhausted to continue their epic battle.
Bill jammed an incredible amount of living into his first 60 years, which we will get to. He continued to jam over the last 12, which we'll talk about now.
He wrapped a 20-year career as the Blue Jackets' color analyst on radio, television and in the studio with a victory lap in 2018-19. That season, he got to see the team he loved like nobody else loved win a playoff series. (The Jackets swept the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning. Seems like a hundred years ago.)
Bill retired as soon as he could and set firmer roots in Naples, Florida.
"I think his decision to retire, too, was a function of him understanding his own mortality," Rob said. "'Florida? Where's there's golf and sunshine and warmth and swimming, and his body feels better? Let's do it!' I admire him for taking that step for himself."
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) May 20, 2026
It was nearly three years ago that Bill underwent his 21st orthopedic surgery, this one a knee replacement. When he came out of the fog of anesthesia, it was discovered he'd had a stroke.
The stroke introduced to Bill something called "expressive aphasia," which carved into his ability to speak. As Rob points out, this was one of the ultimate ironies – a man who made his living with his words, his communication skills, found himself struggling to talk.
The last time I saw Bill was on his final visit to Nationwide Arena, last season. His sons, Rob and Willy J, were with him.
In conversation, Bill would stop in mid-sentence, reach for a word and most times it was too difficult to drag it out. This frustrated the hell out of him, but it didn't wreck him. And it didn't faze those around him, because there was Billy, same Dynasty mane of white hair, same Popeye forearms, same glint in his blue eyes, same fabulous smile. And truth be told, he was getting a lot of words out.
"Being at the rink was unbelievable therapy for him," Rob said. "Last time there, he literally went straight to the (broadcast) booth. And he didn't take the escalator – he went right up those stairs!"
As walking and talking became more and more of a problem, Bill seemed to acknowledge that the end was near. How much ice had he traversed on his skates? How many fairways had he spiked over? How many games had he called? He rang up huge numbers on these tote boards. Like he used to say, "It doesn't get any better than that."
"The last time I saw him, to say all of the important things to him, he walked me to the car afterwards," Rob said.
It took a Herculean effort to walk to the car. It was Bill's final statement to a son who had never known his mother.
Leann Grimes was a tennis star at Ohio State when she met Bill, who was a hockey star at Ohio State.
Leann Grimes Davidge was a tennis coach at Miami University, and Bill was a hockey coach there, when she died in a car accident while returning from a recruiting trip in 1985.
She was 29 years old. Bill was a single parent. Rob was 15 months old.
Forty-one years later, Rob said all the important things he had to say to his father, who really couldn't speak. And then the father walked the son to the car. Herculean effort.
"I knew then," Rob said. "Like, he knew then."
"Our last conversation, when he couldn't really communicate, but maybe could connect, I told him he gave me such an incredible childhood. Obviously, he was super-passionate about hockey, working in hockey and all that. But he made big sacrifices for me and my brother. ...
"There's a time when you're day-to-day with your dad. Then, you get older, and you're starting your own family and becoming more of your own person. All of us have flaws, and relationships evolve over time. I spent so many years seeking my dad's approval. It was like one of those father-son relationships that is, oftentimes, when your dad is really like a coach. You know, some effective coaches aren't always your friends – but he struck a really good balance of being that coach-parent-friend figure. I didn't have a mom, but he gave me such an incredible childhood. It's one thing I thank him for."
The tributes have come pouring in.
Bill Davidge is being remembered as a son of Dunnville, Ont., population 6,000. He never forgot his roots. He was a terrific athlete. He was a college coach and a renowned clinician. He took this storehouse of knowledge into the broadcast booth, where he became the favorite uncle of the first generation-plus of Blue Jackets fans. It was like he worked the door until pre-game warmup, then rushed to the broadcast booth, and then, after the final horn, went back to work the door.
Among the tributes are these two masterpieces, the first from Aaron Portzline and the second from Jeff Svoboda. They will provide a breadth of life which I have failed to convey:
Jeff Svoboda
In the 24 hours after Bill's passing, Rob has been inundated with condolences. Former players (Rick Nash, Kevyn Adams and R.J. Umberger among them) have left long, detailed messages. People in the coast-to-coast hockey community have reached out. Jackets fans – so many Jackets fans – have expressed their sorrow. Who shook more hands, doled out more hugs and dazzled with more smiles than Uncle Billy? Mr. Blue Jacket.
"I heard from a Blue Jackets fan who had cancer and showed up to the rink to talk about cancer and life and hockey," Rob said. "It was this touching voicemail from a lady I've never met. It wasn't the only one. You know, my dad treated everyone the same. Pure enthusiasm for life. Your status, it didn't matter to him. He just seemed like a good person."
There was no seeming about it.
Will never forget this night.
— Brian Giesenschlag (@BGiesenschlag) May 21, 2026
The only time my partner was ever at a loss for words. pic.twitter.com/kSdT42LfH1
The family's obituary and information about services can be found here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/dublin-oh/william-davidge-12894955
RIP.
Michael Arace
A few thoughts and observations, beginning with a quote that nobody ever said:
Sometimes, the action you think you need executed directly becomes elusive, zig-zaggy, irregular, slanted. Be acquiescent, cool, keen.
I'll have more on that quote by the end of the day.
Given that the smartest people in Ohio subscribe to The Disrespected, I was a little surprised that nobody picked up on the cryptic nature of the above quote. It ran atop the post that hit the site Friday at 6 a.m.
If you take the first letter of each word of the quote that nobody ever said, it spells S-T-A-Y-T-U-N-E-D-B-E-Z-I-S-B-A-C-K. The little trick within the code is that "you" stands for "U."
Disrespected Media had the scoop in the next post, which went up Friday at 10:45 a.m.:
Michael Arace
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The best video I saw this week
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Michael Arace
