SPORTS FLASHBACK 2003: Steinbach loses its most avid fan

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This article was published 26/11/2023 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This week, the sports community in the Southeast said good-bye to, without question, its most avid fan. Arthur Vogt was a fan for all seasons.

In winter, he haunted the Steinbach curling rink in between Huskies games across the street. In the spring, he shifted to the end of the Steinbach Millers baseball team’s bench, and when fall rolled around, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would see Art firmly planted in his seat in Section “W” for every game.

When the Winnipeg Jets shifted from the World Hockey Association into the NHL, and Art’s niece married Randy Gregg of the Edmonton Oilers, Art shifted his attention to professional hockey at that level.

Art Vogt was never an athlete, was never a coach, nor did he ever manage a team, but that did not stop him from offering advice, usually unsolicited, to all three, when he felt the situation warranted it. And for Art, that was often and always at a voice level bound to be heard.

Scores of people in the Southeast are richer for having met Art over the years. Especially those he sold winning tickets to. Art was a fixture in the mall at his ticket selling booth and could be counted on to offer a friendly hello when he spotted someone he knew, anywhere at all. If the person was across the restaurant or the arena lobby, Art’s, “Hey, Steinbach” would simply be delivered at higher volume.

Everyone on the sports scene knew Art came with the territory and he was forgiven his faults because he was a tireless worker. If someone was needed to put up posters, Art was the man. If a few 50-50 tickets needed to be hawked between periods of a hockey game, Art could be counted on to ensure a bigger than usual pot.

When I moved back to Steinbach in 1971 and bought into a group of season tickets to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it was with the understanding that I would take my turn driving Art Vogt to some of the games.

Over the years, I would joke that my driving Art to hockey games and football games, and baseball games in Winnipeg would be the good deed that would earn me my ticket to heaven. Although at times, I wondered about the price of admission.

It’s funny though, over the years Art and I developed a real friendship that was anything but a one-way street, and for the past couple of years, when neither of us have been able to get to many games, I’ve kind of missed it.

Art Vogt, as exasperating as he could be at times, was a loyal and appreciative friend. He never expected a free ride and insisted on paying for tickets whenever I drove him to games.

The only thing he expected was for me to pay for the gas and see that he got fed before and after the games. Art could work up a real appetite cheering on his favorite team.

There was a side of Art Vogt that people rarely saw, though. He was actually much more sensitive than he let on.

When Anne and I got married, in 1986, he said he would like to come to the wedding reception, but needed a ride. Our best man picked Art up and drove him back home later. Arthur never forgot that gesture.

That first Christmas, he asked for permission to send my wife flowers, fearing such a move on his part may offend. It was in appreciation to her for letting us have those nights out, he explained.

For the next 15 years, like clockwork, the week before Christmas a huge poinsettia would arrive at the office with Art’s card.

While Art Vogt may not have been the easiest to get along with and needed a bit more support from family and friends than others, he made at least one major contribution to his community.

Art Vogt made better neighbors out of all of us.

Arthur Vogt passed away Saturday, October 18, 2003 after a lengthy illness. He was 73.