Month: April 2003

Drama Without a Script… By Bernie McCoy

Its been written that sports is "drama without a script". Every so often, however, a sports event plays out exactly according to a script,  like the last act of a play. On October 26, 1951, that play was, in the eyes of many, a tragedy. The day before, October 25th, I had, chronologically, become a teenager. I could now truthfully proclaim that "I was in my teens" and look forward to all the wonders life had to offer a teenager in Brooklyn. It didn't take long. October 26th was a Friday and Friday was fight night at Madison Square Garden. I usually had to argue, cajole, persuade, and, usually, as a last resort, grovel, to get my dad to take me with him to McGuire's, the neighborhood gin mill, to watch the Friday Night Fights on TV. Once in a great while, he'd give in, particularly if Read more [...]

Women’s Boxing: TV or Not TV – By Bernie McCoy

Have you ever heard of the United States Basketball League?  Its a sub-NBA league existing primarily in medium sized markets around the country and populated with  players not ready for the prime time of the National Basketball Association. Have you ever heard of the Champions Tour, formerly the Senior Golf Tour? Its a sub-PGA tour existing on medium sized golf courses around the country populated with players past their golfing prime and no longer competitive on the Professional Golf Association tour. Don't look in your "local listings" for the next USBL basketball game, they aren't on TV. However, the Champions Tour is regularly telecast and has been for the last fifteen years, providing viewers with "compelling" telecasts of fifty and sixty year olds, climbing in and out of Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – Latest News on Boxing in April of 2003

THERE are perks that come with covering or competing in sport that come only to those that do. It probably takes a singer to fully enjoy Frank singing "One for My Baby" from his Wee Hours of the Morning album. Having the opportunity to watch some of the sporting artists at work, I put Marco Antonio Berrera right there at the top. He’s Jerry Bailey on a horse. He’s Gordie Howe going into the corner with elbows failing and coming out with the puck.. He’s Willy Mays cashing down a fly hit directly over his head in center. He’s Roberto Clemente making the throw from the right field foul line to third. He’s Dale Ernheart giving a little nudge to the car in front. He’s Donnie Gay riding a bull. He’s John Lowe playing a game of darts. He’s every great running back you’ve ever Read more [...]

Heavyweight Memories… By Bernie McCoy

Its amazing how easy memories come back. I'm watching what I thought would be a very compelling heavyweight fight between Roy Jones Jr. and John Ruiz. The quicker Jones is having no trouble with the plodding Ruiz. As I attempt to tune out the announcer's inane comments designed to keep the audience interested in this one sided affair, I am suddenly transformed, in my mind, to a long line leading to a movie theater on the upper Westside of Manhattan on a cold February night.I'm with a friend and we're standing right behind Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards, married at the time, 1964, waiting to see what everyone, including these celebrities in front of us, thinks will be a very compelling heavyweight fight. Similar to the Jones and Ruiz bout, this long ago title fight, featured a big heavyweight Read more [...]