Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

THE FIRE

"They torched the place."
"I don't believe it."
I heard that Champs Bar had a fire. I saw that the bar was boarded up. Smoke damage was around the perimeter of the door. There was a big sanitainer outside with all the burnt debris piled high inside. A yellow tape cordoned off the front of the bar. The tax guy next door had his door open. He was explaining to me what happened.
"The arson guys were in there. It was set on fire."
The old guy had a cup of coffee infront of him. There was a pack of cigarettes next to the coffee cup.
"They're working on it now,"said the tax man.


I remember when the bar was named Kelley's. Burke Emery was a fixture on the stool at the end of the bar. Burke liked to drink. He had a lot of friends in the neighborhood. He used to train and manage fighters when the Coliseum was going strong. Burke had a stable of Canadian fighters. Burke was Canadian. He boxed pro in the 50's. At one time he was the Canadian Light Heavyweight Champ. One day I walked in there and Burke had bought the place. He renamed it Champs. He was a happy fellow.He got his wish.

"Burke got along with everyone,"I said to the tax guy. He reached for the pack of cigarettes.
"Like I said,they're investigating it now."
The old guy lit a smoke.
"Last place I would think something like this would happen."
"Well it happened."
"Burke's gonna' rebuild?"
"Oh yeh. They want to re open in March."
There didn't seem anything else to say. The old man took a long drag on the cigarette. The smoke drifted from his nostrils.
"Well I'll be talking to you later,"I said.
I began to turn to go out the door.
"Listen,"said the old tax accountant."No matter how hard you try to get along with everybody,there's always one son of a bitch that hates your guts for no reason at all."
With that I got in my car and drove home.

[Rick Farris]

I don't have any idea how HBO would accept a badly shopworn Hasim Rahman as an opponent for Wlad at this point in time, which meant that I wasn't surprised see what transpired. During the evening of the same day, I saw an old and overweight James Toney win a split decision over Fres Oquendo in another dreadful heavyweight bout. Yet I have a friend who tells me he likes the heavyweight division more than the lighter counterparts. After all these years, I still don't understand why.

Saw tape of the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya for the first time yesterday. Yes, De La Hoya was a shell of his former self, but Pacquiao's boxing skills seem to be better than ever.

- Chuck Johnston

I agree on Pacquiao, Chuck. Regardless of Oscar's condition, what we saw was a true all-time great in action, Manny Pac.

-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

Sorry guys about all the duplicates of this story. How do I delete the extras? Roger

[raylawpc]

I don't have any idea how HBO would accept a badly shopworn Hasim Rahman as an opponent for Wlad at this point in time, which meant that I wasn't surprised see what transpired. During the evening of the same day, I saw an old and overweight James Toney win a split decision over Fres Oquendo in another dreadful heavyweight bout. Yet I have a friend who tells me he likes the heavyweight division more than the lighter counterparts. After all these years, I still don't understand why.

Saw tape of the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya for the first time yesterday. Yes, De La Hoya was a shell of his former self, but Pacquiao's boxing skills seem to be better than ever.

- Chuck Johnston

I agree on Pacquiao, Chuck. Regardless of Oscar's condition, what we saw was a true all-time great in action, Manny Pac.

-Rick Farris

Wouldn't you also agree, Rick, that we also saw a guy who didn't appear to have a clue how to fight a southpaw?

[Rick Farris]

I don't have any idea how HBO would accept a badly shopworn Hasim Rahman as an opponent for Wlad at this point in time, which meant that I wasn't surprised see what transpired. During the evening of the same day, I saw an old and overweight James Toney win a split decision over Fres Oquendo in another dreadful heavyweight bout. Yet I have a friend who tells me he likes the heavyweight division more than the lighter counterparts. After all these years, I still don't understand why.

Saw tape of the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya for the first time yesterday. Yes, De La Hoya was a shell of his former self, but Pacquiao's boxing skills seem to be better than ever.

- Chuck Johnston

I agree on Pacquiao, Chuck. Regardless of Oscar's condition, what we saw was a true all-time great in action, Manny Pac.

-Rick Farris

Wouldn't you also agree, Rick, that we also saw a guy who didn't appear to have a clue how to fight a southpaw?

He didn't know how to fight this southpaw, that's for sure. It was more than not knowing how to control the direction of the fight, but how to control a smaller, faster, smarter, better conditioned, hungrier fighter. I saw Oscar's power a danger and his experience, however you have to be able to hit the guy in front of you. Oscar fought one of the best fighters he's ever been matched against, and he has truly fought the best. Keep in mind, DLH may not have fought a spouthpaw im more than a decade, and that was a past prime Camacho, but it would not have mattered. There was more to Pac's style than being a left hander that confused Oscar.

-Rick

[Expug]

Kind of a rough day today guys, with my father's birthday coming up this Tuesday on the 16th and with Christmas right around the corner, I just get flooded with memories. My father would have been 85 this year. He passed away on May7, 1981 the day before my 27th birthday.

I was listening to "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, this morning. It gets to me every time. That and "I'll be home for Christmas". My girls, knowing me as they do, came and just hugged me as I was listening.

You'd think that after all these years I would be used to it, and for most of the year I am, but there are moments. They say you never stop being a parent no matter how old your kids are. I think, In some way, deeper down, hidden away, we never stop being our parents kids. We remember them from young eyes and hearts, regardless of our age.

I don't mind telling this to you guys. I feel a bond with you. We've talked about our fathers before. I know that you guys are men and understand.

The photo below is of my father at work. he was an upholsterer. He wasn't just any upholsterer either. In the days before pneumatic tools came along everything was done with tacs. In his industry he was famous as the fastest, and because of the quality of his work. He was proud of that. After his death, whenever some older man found out my last name was "De La O", the first thing they would ask me was "any relation to Andy, Gilbert or Jimmy, the upholsterers?" When I said yes, Andy was my father they would begin to tell me stories about my father, work stories and otherwise. Sadly, that generation is thinning out and I rarely get that question anymore.

My son Andrew asked me once when he was a kid why I named him after his grandfather and not me. I said "Son, my father, your grandfather was the greatest man I ever knew". He never asked again.

Randy, you're bless, because you have beautiful memories of your father, God bless you....

Yes indeed. The memories of your Father are wonderful Randy.
I heard someone once say ,"all that matters , is what are children say about us".
Your kids say wonderful things about you also my friend.

[Bobbin & Weavin]

On manager Mike McNulty, shown above with heavyweight Gene Felton:

The man could have been the model for casting the old time, Big, gruff, hard as nails, no nonsense fight managers. Mike was a good buddy back in my day. He had an enomous resume as a fight man, having worked as a second, manager, promoter and commissioner during his prime time in Minnesota. He was a lifelong friend of old Tom Gibbons, who had become Sheriff in their home state. McNulty always carried a batch of letters written to him by Gibbons.

Without being asked to do so he presented me with an autographed photo of himself, probably because I found him and his deep knowledge of boxing lore most interesting. He was very proud of his young niece at the time, Dorothy McNulty, who after struggling to make it big in films, changed her name to Penny Singleton and portrayed Dagwood Bumstead's wife in the "Blondie" hit series.

Mike had a dozen yarns about the only champion he ever managed, bantamweight Johnny Ertle. He also guided the ring careers of Roger Bernard, Marty Simmons, Johnny Miler, among others, but lost out when he sold Mexican welterweight Nick Moran's contract to Gus Wilson for $1,000 just before Moran beat Bob Montgomery to break into the limelight.

While visiting me one morning as he stood outside my Legion office window, he suddenly became offended at a crude remark made by another manager who was with me. Without hesitation he challenged the much-younger guy to step outside and tangle asses with him. The culprit swallowed hard once or twice, shut his mouth and declined.

Mike McNulty, Willie "Gig" Rooney, Dolph Thomas, Harry Fine, Parnassus, and a band of "Pops" named Foster, Hubley, Burdick, and Nealis, formed the nucleus for years in the California fight game. Characters, one and all, bless them.

hap navarro

Hap,
You mentioned Dolph Thomas above who I know of as a San Francisco boxing guy from yesteryear but I don't know much about him. I do know he owned and operated Royal Boxing Gym and managed and trained fighters but can you elaborate on Mr. Thomas for me.

Thanks,
Bobbin & Weavin

[Dongee]

B & W:

When I entered the business in the 40s as a writer, Dolph Thomas had been involved with boxing since the very early 1920s. He had done it all, from cornerman to promoter and had in fact been actively occupied as Max Baer's first trainer. Everyone in the Oakland-San Francisco area knew him as the "Silver Fox" because of his full head of gray hair.

I dealt with him a few times and found him to be a serious, trustworthy veteran of the game. The last fighter of note that he had when I was active was a solid 160-175 pounder named Esau Ferdinand. He boxed for us at the Legion a few times and in fact was the only northern California fighter to appear on our west-to-east national tv card, boxing L.A.'s Charlie Green for the state championship. That show went on at 6:00 p.m. under the joint promotion of Ray Arcel, who was bucking the I.B.C. group with national cable tv shows. The date was July 11, 1953, the Legion's first ever cross country card. Also on the progam that date was another 12-rounder with Dave Gallardo boxing Rudy Garcia.
Not long ago I was looking at some of Dolph's letters he sent me plus a telegram where he accepted a spot for one of his fighters.

hap navarro

[bennie]

Fot those who clicked on to the youtube clip of Haye, he was challenging Klitschko at the 02 Arena in London last summer. Not sure why Klit was there; it wasn't a boxing event but they have loads of different events going on there.
I thought Haye made a bit of a plonker of himself but he promotes himself and this was the upshot

[bennie]

Monday, 15 December 2008 07:51

From RTE:

David Haye has said he has agreed a bout to fight Vitali Klitschko in London in June next year for the Ukrainian's world heavyweight title.
'This is going to be the biggest fight since Lennox (Lewis) and (Mike) Tyson, no doubt about it,' Haye, who has had just one bout as a heavyweight, told BBC Radio Five Live.
'I have said from day one I am going to be the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. I have not disappointed.'
The 28-year-old Londoner added: 'I am not cherry-picking, I am going after the most dangerous fighter on the planet.'
Klitschko, 37, who was defeated by former world heavyweight champion Lewis in 2005, regained the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt he vacated three years ago, after seemingly retiring himself, by defeating Samuel Peter in October.
Haye, a cruiserweight world champion, marked his first heavyweight bout after stepping up a division with a fifth-round stoppage of the experienced Monte Barrett in London last month, flooring the American five times in total.
Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali's brother, is the holder of both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight titles, which he kept in Mannheim in Germany on Saturday with a seventh-round technical knock-out of the United States's Hasim Rahman.
Haye, who was ringside for that fight, said afterwards: 'I want to fight the best in this division and it doesn't bother me which of you (Klitschkos) it is.'
He told the BBC on Sunday: 'I was out in Germany to watch Wladimir Klitschko bore everybody to sleep with his jab.
'We sat down with K2 Promotions and thrashed out a deal in the early hours of this (Sunday) morning.
'We agreed terms for myself and Vitali at a London venue to be decided. The fight is going to happen in June.
'It's all done and dusted, just need to dot the i's and cross the t's.
'We sat down and talked numbers and that made sense for both sides and it's done. There is no boxing politics involved. Plain and simple, this is how boxing should be.'
The Klitschko brothers have vowed never to fight one another and, such is the lack of viable contenders in the heavyweight division, Haye's plan to box for a version of a title in the near future despite his lack of experience in the class is not as outlandish as it would have once seemed.
Haye's professional record stands at 22 wins with 21 knockouts and one defeat, when he was stopped four years ago in the fifth round by veteran British cruiserweight Carl Thompson, who fought back from a barrage of blows.
Haye, whose defeat of Barrett was watched live by Vitali Klitschko, said after his victory over the American: 'You can see Vitali wants to fight. He feels a lot bigger than me.
'I can figure out a strategy to beat him. I'm definitely faster than him, and I'd like to prove to everybody just how fast.'
Vitali Klitschko, speaking after the Barrett bout, said: 'The heavyweight division is heading for crisis.
'It needs strong good fighters. I was very impressed - it's not so easy to go up from cruiserweight. David Haye is brilliant.'

[dagosd2000]

BY HIMSELF

At the end my father didn't call Chicago anymore. Everyone was gone. Before, he'd be on the phone for hours. All the boys my grand father had brought into the organization had gone. Jackie "The Lackey",Sam LaPorte,Momo. Funny,my father always seemed old. Even when he was younger,he seemed older. When he was in a room with other men,he seemed the oldest even if he wasn't. It was like he had experienced more than the others. He probably had. Now his friends were gone. They were all older than him. Maybe that's why he always seemed a man beyond his years.

At the end my father would talk about Chicago. Seemed like anything past 1960 didn't exist. He'd listen to Glenn Miller. He had pictures of the Marines in World War II on his wall. I never talked to him much. What he had seen and what I had experienced was an infinity apart. But I wanted to listen at the end. I didn't want to compete or impress him anymore. When he talked to me,it was like he was on the phone in Chicago.

[Rick Farris]

THE FIRE

"They torched the place."
"I don't believe it."
I heard that Champs Bar had a fire. I saw that the bar was boarded up. Smoke damage was around the perimeter of the door. There was a big sanitainer outside with all the burnt debris piled high inside. A yellow tape cordoned off the front of the bar. The tax guy next door had his door open. He was explaining to me what happened.
"The arson guys were in there. It was set on fire."
The old guy had a cup of coffee infront of him. There was a pack of cigarettes next to the coffee cup.
"They're working on it now,"said the tax man.


I remember when the bar was named Kelley's. Burke Emery was a fixture on the stool at the end of the bar. Burke liked to drink. He had a lot of friends in the neighborhood. He used to train and manage fighters when the Coliseum was going strong. Burke had a stable of Canadian fighters. Burke was Canadian. He boxed pro in the 50's. At one time he was the Canadian Light Heavyweight Champ. One day I walked in there and Burke had bought the place. He renamed it Champs. He was a happy fellow.He got his wish.

"Burke got along with everyone,"I said to the tax guy. He reached for the pack of cigarettes.
"Like I said,they're investigating it now."
The old guy lit a smoke.
"Last place I would think something like this would happen."
"Well it happened."
"Burke's gonna' rebuild?"
"Oh yeh. They want to re open in March."
There didn't seem anything else to say. The old man took a long drag on the cigarette. The smoke drifted from his nostrils.
"Well I'll be talking to you later,"I said.
I began to turn to go out the door.
"Listen,"said the old tax accountant."No matter how hard you try to get along with everybody,there's always one son of a bitch that hates your guts for no reason at all."
With that I got in my car and drove home.

Mel Epstein liked Burke Emory. Burke had fought for Mel when he was promoting up in Montana. I met him years later, during the early 70's when he was training Art Hafey. Hafey claims Burt sold him down the river. Unfortunatly for Art, there were sharks in that river with bigger teeth than Burke's. They had names like Lopez, Arguello and Olivares. Sadly for Art, Ruben was always better the second time around. I guess these guys need somebody to blame when the sun goes down.

-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

BY HIMSELF

At the end my father didn't call Chicago anymore. Everyone was gone. Before, he'd be on the phone for hours. All the boys my grand father had brought into the organization had gone. Jackie "The Lackey",Sam LaPorte,Momo. Funny,my father always seemed old. Even when he was younger,he seemed older. When he was in a room with other men,he seemed the oldest even if he wasn't. It was like he had experienced more than the others. He probably had. Now his friends were gone. They were all older than him. Maybe that's why he always seemed a man beyond his years.

At the end my father would talk about Chicago. Seemed like anything past 1960 didn't exist. He'd listen to Glenn Miller. He had pictures of the Marines in World War II on his wall. I never talked to him much. What he had seen and what I had experienced was an infinity apart. But I wanted to listen at the end. I didn't want to compete or impress him anymore. When he talked to me,it was like he was on the phone in Chicago.

Wasn't Phyllis McGuire momo's gal?

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Monday, 15 December 2008 07:51

From RTE:

David Haye has said he has agreed a bout to fight Vitali Klitschko in London in June next year for the Ukrainian's world heavyweight title.
'This is going to be the biggest fight since Lennox (Lewis) and (Mike) Tyson, no doubt about it,' Haye, who has had just one bout as a heavyweight, told BBC Radio Five Live.
'I have said from day one I am going to be the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. I have not disappointed.'
The 28-year-old Londoner added: 'I am not cherry-picking, I am going after the most dangerous fighter on the planet.'
Klitschko, 37, who was defeated by former world heavyweight champion Lewis in 2005, regained the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt he vacated three years ago, after seemingly retiring himself, by defeating Samuel Peter in October.
Haye, a cruiserweight world champion, marked his first heavyweight bout after stepping up a division with a fifth-round stoppage of the experienced Monte Barrett in London last month, flooring the American five times in total.
Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali's brother, is the holder of both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight titles, which he kept in Mannheim in Germany on Saturday with a seventh-round technical knock-out of the United States's Hasim Rahman.
Haye, who was ringside for that fight, said afterwards: 'I want to fight the best in this division and it doesn't bother me which of you (Klitschkos) it is.'
He told the BBC on Sunday: 'I was out in Germany to watch Wladimir Klitschko bore everybody to sleep with his jab.
'We sat down with K2 Promotions and thrashed out a deal in the early hours of this (Sunday) morning.
'We agreed terms for myself and Vitali at a London venue to be decided. The fight is going to happen in June.
'It's all done and dusted, just need to dot the i's and cross the t's.
'We sat down and talked numbers and that made sense for both sides and it's done. There is no boxing politics involved. Plain and simple, this is how boxing should be.'
The Klitschko brothers have vowed never to fight one another and, such is the lack of viable contenders in the heavyweight division, Haye's plan to box for a version of a title in the near future despite his lack of experience in the class is not as outlandish as it would have once seemed.
Haye's professional record stands at 22 wins with 21 knockouts and one defeat, when he was stopped four years ago in the fifth round by veteran British cruiserweight Carl Thompson, who fought back from a barrage of blows.
Haye, whose defeat of Barrett was watched live by Vitali Klitschko, said after his victory over the American: 'You can see Vitali wants to fight. He feels a lot bigger than me.
'I can figure out a strategy to beat him. I'm definitely faster than him, and I'd like to prove to everybody just how fast.'
Vitali Klitschko, speaking after the Barrett bout, said: 'The heavyweight division is heading for crisis.
'It needs strong good fighters. I was very impressed - it's not so easy to go up from cruiserweight. David Haye is brilliant.'

All he has to do is hit the big bum on the chin and he title goes back to Great Britain.

-Rick Farris

[bennie]

Former undisputed world cruiserweight champion David Haye guns for the WBC heavyweight title held by Vitali Klitschko in one of the biggest fights here for many a year next summer in London.
The fast, explosive Haye moved up to heavyweight in November with a five-round pounding of division gatekeeper Monte Barrett, who was down five times (six, if you count the New Yorker's ring entrance). Londoner Haye is a puncher, he weighs under 220lbs, he is under 30, he stands 6ft 3ins, he looks the part, he exudes star quality...
Oh yes, the decrepit heavyweight division has been waiting.
Klitschko summed up the state of the division late last year when he staggered out of four years' retirement and pasted fat Nigerian Samuel Peter in nine rounds in Germany to win back the WBC heavyweight title. The 37-year-old Ukrainian can fight - a giant of a man at 6ft 7½ins - but his knees and his back prompted him to quit in the first place and everyone is a bit sick of the glum, injury prone, flawed, overweight, oversized, faceless collection of heavyweights on offer today. Haye was recently belittled by Wladimir Klitschko - yes, another one - as "too small" for the division.
They said the same thing about Mike Tyson in 1986.
At 22-1 (21) Haye takes a risk here, undoubtedly. The last undisputed cruiserweight champion to move up was Evander Holyfield in July 1988. Holyfield, who is still fighting, did so successfully but went through an initiation of six heavyweight fights and two years before taking on big Buster Douglas and spanking him in three rounds in October 1990 (he outpointed big George Foreman a fight later, too). Haye takes on Klitschko after a few months at the weight and one fight, of course.
Haye really 'wants it', which already separates him from the vast majority of today's heavyweights, but I would like to see him have a few more heavyweight fights first. Klitschko and his younger brother whip themselves into fantastic shape for each fight and know how to use their great height and reach on the counter. The last British fighter to tackle Vitali, Brixton's Danny Williams, suffered a slow, methodical, unpleasant beating in Las Vegas in December 2004 before he was rescued in the eighth round, horribly bruised and cut. Williams barely landed a punch as Klitschko swayed back to make him miss, then dropped in the counters. Vitali did the same against Peter in that comeback fight in October, all night long.
Haye spells exciting but he also spells reckless, open, hittable. He might be made for an experienced man like the champion. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old Haye stood next to Vitali recently and while the size difference was there for all to see, and the weight difference too, presumably, the age difference proved every bit as stark. Vitali looked OLD. Vitali is old.
We all remember the established but ageing Lennox Lewis slumping on his stool after six rounds with Klitschko in Los Angeles in 2003, after which Klitschko (ahead on all three cards) was pulled out with cuts, much to his disgust, and Lewis retired from the game and stayed retired. Is history about to repeat itself? Is David Haye about to 'young man' Vitali?

[raylawpc]

delete

[raylawpc]

I agree on Pacquiao, Chuck. Regardless of Oscar's condition, what we saw was a true all-time great in action, Manny Pac.

-Rick Farris

Wouldn't you also agree, Rick, that we also saw a guy who didn't appear to have a clue how to fight a southpaw?

He didn't know how to fight this southpaw, that's for sure. It was more than not knowing how to control the direction of the fight, but how to control a smaller, faster, smarter, better conditioned, hungrier fighter. I saw Oscar's power a danger and his experience, however you have to be able to hit the guy in front of you. Oscar fought one of the best fighters he's ever been matched against, and he has truly fought the best. Keep in mind, DLH may not have fought a spouthpaw im more than a decade, and that was a past prime Camacho, but it would not have mattered. There was more to Pac's style than being a left hander that confused Oscar.

-Rick

I'm not suggesting he would have won; he wouldn't have.

But it was clear from the opening bell that he didn't have a clue how to fight a southpaw. That says more about the level to which boxing has fallen than anything else.

[Randyman]

Tony Bennett by Roger Esty



Classic Rog, Bennett happens to be one of my favorites. He's the last of his breed. The old guys are all gone, Sinatra, Martin, Torme. The smooth voices of my fathers generation. It's amazing how the younger generation "Discovered" him all over again. That generation defined "cool".

"I left my heart in San Francisco" is his signature song and is well deserving but my personal favorite has always been "If I ruled the world". Nice work Rog!

Randy

[Randyman]

Fot those who clicked on to the youtube clip of Haye, he was challenging Klitschko at the 02 Arena in London last summer. Not sure why Klit was there; it wasn't a boxing event but they have loads of different events going on there.
I thought Haye made a bit of a plonker of himself but he promotes himself and this was the upshot

Plonker? Is that like an a**hole? Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I think the boxing world is deserving of one true authentic heavyweight champion. I thought Klitschko's excuse in the video sounded weak.

Randy

BTW, I keep confusing the two brothers. There ought to be a law!

[kikibalt]

The sad state of the heavyweights

[dagosd2000]

BY HIMSELF

At the end my father didn't call Chicago anymore. Everyone was gone. Before, he'd be on the phone for hours. All the boys my grand father had brought into the organization had gone. Jackie "The Lackey",Sam LaPorte,Momo. Funny,my father always seemed old. Even when he was younger,he seemed older. When he was in a room with other men,he seemed the oldest even if he wasn't. It was like he had experienced more than the others. He probably had. Now his friends were gone. They were all older than him. Maybe that's why he always seemed a man beyond his years.

At the end my father would talk about Chicago. Seemed like anything past 1960 didn't exist. He'd listen to Glenn Miller. He had pictures of the Marines in World War II on his wall. I never talked to him much. What he had seen and what I had experienced was an infinity apart. But I wanted to listen at the end. I didn't want to compete or impress him anymore. When he talked to me,it was like he was on the phone in Chicago.

Wasn't Phyllis McGuire momo's gal?

-Rick

Yes she was. He left her a fortune.

[dagosd2000]

Tony Bennett by Roger Esty



Classic Rog, Bennett happens to be one of my favorites. He's the last of his breed. The old guys are all gone, Sinatra, Martin, Torme. The smooth voices of my fathers generation. It's amazing how the younger generation "Discovered" him all over again. That generation defined "cool".

"I left my heart in San Francisco" is his signature song and is well deserving but my personal favorite has always been "If I ruled the world". Nice work Rog!

Randy

Randy

I know what you mean. It doesn't help either when the songs are about pimps and whores ,or have some political message. Give me a Cole Porter song with Ella Fitzgerald anytime.

[bennie]

Fot those who clicked on to the youtube clip of Haye, he was challenging Klitschko at the 02 Arena in London last summer. Not sure why Klit was there; it wasn't a boxing event but they have loads of different events going on there.
I thought Haye made a bit of a plonker of himself but he promotes himself and this was the upshot

Plonker? Is that like an a**hole? Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I think the boxing world is deserving of one true authentic heavyweight champion. I thought Klitschko's excuse in the video sounded weak.

Randy

BTW, I keep confusing the two brothers. There ought to be a law!

Yes, Randy. Haye is a genuinely nice guy and he was acting crass and it just didn't suit him. Wladimir was laughing at him, really. Wlad is the pretty one of the two.

[Randyman]

Kind of a rough day today guys, with my father's birthday coming up this Tuesday on the 16th and with Christmas right around the corner, I just get flooded with memories. My father would have been 85 this year. He passed away on May7, 1981 the day before my 27th birthday.

I was listening to "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, this morning. It gets to me every time. That and "I'll be home for Christmas". My girls, knowing me as they do, came and just hugged me as I was listening.

You'd think that after all these years I would be used to it, and for most of the year I am, but there are moments. They say you never stop being a parent no matter how old your kids are. I think, In some way, deeper down, hidden away, we never stop being our parents kids. We remember them from young eyes and hearts, regardless of our age.

I don't mind telling this to you guys. I feel a bond with you. We've talked about our fathers before. I know that you guys are men and understand.

The photo below is of my father at work. he was an upholsterer. He wasn't just any upholsterer either. In the days before pneumatic tools came along everything was done with tacs. In his industry he was famous as the fastest, and because of the quality of his work. He was proud of that. After his death, whenever some older man found out my last name was "De La O", the first thing they would ask me was "any relation to Andy, Gilbert or Jimmy, the upholsterers?" When I said yes, Andy was my father they would begin to tell me stories about my father, work stories and otherwise. Sadly, that generation is thinning out and I rarely get that question anymore.

My son Andrew asked me once when he was a kid why I named him after his grandfather and not me. I said "Son, my father, your grandfather was the greatest man I ever knew". He never asked again.

Randy, you're bless, because you have beautiful memories of your father, God bless you....

Yes indeed. The memories of your Father are wonderful Randy.
I heard someone once say ,"all that matters , is what are children say about us".
Your kids say wonderful things about you also my friend.

Thanks guys!

[bennie]

Randy, can I ask how your dad died? He was too young.