Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

One of my California experiences, growing up in Vegas for a kid we didn't have as much to do as other cities do, so when my parents would take us kids on vacation it would almost always be to Southern Cal, the earliest I can remember I was about 4 and we went to Calico ghost town, has anyone on here ever gone there ?.

Paul . . . In the early 60's, when I was 11 or 12, I went camping in the area and on the way back we stopped at the Ghost Town.
The Calico Ghost Town was created by Walter Knott. Knott was also the founder of "Knott's Berry Farm".

We used to camp at Calico's campground in our motorhome in the mid-'70's, it was nice place to spent the weekend without going to far.

[Rick Farris]

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.

Just read the e-mail straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress! s.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies.

Awards tarnish.

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most.


'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!'


Finally, ''Be Yourself,” because everyone else is already taken!"

[CNorkusJr]

Hammer-You might have a point there hammer about older New Yorkers shying away from Mexican Food, and a younger crowd tends to favor it now.
But take my word on this, New York has exploded in Mexican Food Restaurants !
My only guess is that the older crowd (60+) because there wasnt many restaurants of that type prevalent back in their day, they didnt become accustom to that cuisine (can their personal diet take the spice ?), then lets say Chinese food,which still has a huge following here. BUT, today, easily the growing number of Mexican Rest. & markets have at least doubled in the last 5-10 years.
You could always find Mexican food over the decades if you were looking for it, but now there are at least 3 decent Mexican Rests. in every town. (NOT Taco Bell).
There are a few within a 20 minutes drive of my place alone that offer a very fine -homemade cooking- Mexican food like you might find in CA. I go there but I haven't tempted asking for Menudo Con Pate yet. Chimichungas are huge and I prefer the shrimp & beef frajitas.(American-Mexican).Tamales sell fast-but I never saw anyone buy a few dozen to go. A few chains opened up here but they are much better than Taco Bell,offering fresh ingredients cooked in front of you,like pork and chicken things. Very Good. NYC offers even more than Long Island. We do have our share of Mexicans & Puerto Ricans in the areas and they both offer a fine cuisine that I'm most happy to share in.But I'm sure its not on the same level as CA or maybe Chicago ?
I do wanna add that New York will always be the capital of Italian cuisine folloewed by Chinese.Mexican cuisine has moved up the ladder outpointing the rest of the foreign food tastes. NYC is great that you can find Thai, Carribean, Italian and Chinese all within a stones throw on any block. Harlem has Soul Food which is great and Little Italy downtown has fresh meatballs as big as your head. I love going into NYC for dinner-if offers all cuisines from around the world made by families native to that country.It helps if you know someone that ate there previously and gives it a thumbs up. Being a fireman, it was one of the great perks to be in on that knowledge.I like German food alot (Norkus is of German descent) but sometimes a big T-Bone will do just fine for me.

[CNorkusJr]

Yes, The Jets have won and my brother-in-law Paul is dead. Enough said.

Jets are 6th seed and could never have the home field advantage this year.
My other brother in-law(Paul's brother) Peter, is a die hard Steelers fan and has been for many years. Now I must contend with him all week. I think I have more stress than the Jets do about this playoff series. Peter is a little more jovial than Paul and takes things with a grain of salt, and a few slices of pizza. Should be fun next week. Jets over Pitt by 10. Go with it.Thank You all you Gang Green Rooters and Believers. Good Karma!

[Rick Farris]

Yes, The Jets have won and my brother-in-law Paul is dead. Enough said.

Jets are 6th seed and could never have the home field advantage this year.
My other brother in-law(Paul's brother) Peter, is a die hard Steelers fan and has been for many years. Now I must contend with him all week. I think I have more stress than the Jets do about this playoff series. Peter is a little more jovial than Paul and takes things with a grain of salt, and a few slices of pizza. Should be fun next week. Jets over Pitt by 10. Go with it.Thank You all you Gang Green Rooters and Believers. Good Karma!

I've gone with it all season. Two more games!

[CNorkusJr]

Yes, The Jets have won and my brother-in-law Paul is dead. Enough said.

Jets are 6th seed and could never have the home field advantage this year.
My other brother in-law(Paul's brother) Peter, is a die hard Steelers fan and has been for many years. Now I must contend with him all week. I think I have more stress than the Jets do about this playoff series. Peter is a little more jovial than Paul and takes things with a grain of salt, and a few slices of pizza. Should be fun next week. Jets over Pitt by 10. Go with it.Thank You all you Gang Green Rooters and Believers. Good Karma!

I've gone with it all season. Two more games!

Yes you have Rick ! We are on our way. Sanchez is making CA proud as one of its own.
Not to mention Tomlinson, who was a Charger at one time. What a year he's having.

[Rick Farris]

Blowing Smoke . . .

Has anybody noticed that when a "Publicist" is given an award at a Hall of Fame affair, he will give the longest, most self absorbed, brutally boring speech.
Now Hap Navarro and Don Fraser were both PR men before promoters. Both had the class of a greater era.
The talked business, made deals. I won't name names but I discovered this true almost immediatly.
You'd think the bastids had invented boxing!

Just an observation .

[Rick Farris]

Yes, The Jets have won and my brother-in-law Paul is dead. Enough said.

Jets are 6th seed and could never have the home field advantage this year.
My other brother in-law(Paul's brother) Peter, is a die hard Steelers fan and has been for many years. Now I must contend with him all week. I think I have more stress than the Jets do about this playoff series. Peter is a little more jovial than Paul and takes things with a grain of salt, and a few slices of pizza. Should be fun next week. Jets over Pitt by 10. Go with it.Thank You all you Gang Green Rooters and Believers. Good Karma!

I've gone with it all season. Two more games!

Yes you have Rick ! We are on our way. Sanchez is making CA proud as one of its own.
Not to mention Tomlinson, who was a Charger at one time. What a year he's having.

Charlie, I think Sanchez is doing great for a second year QB who came from a secondary roll at USC for years.
This guy sat in the shadows of Matt Lineart, but as a pro Leinart washed out. In season 2, Sanchez is close to starting in the Super Bowl?
Pete Carroll insulted him after he said he'd make himself eligable for the NFL draft with a season left.
Well, now Carroll is out in his Super Bowl quest, Sanchez is still in. He whipped Manning & Brady on their own turf.
Now he'll go after Ben R. in Pittsurgh. He's not the best in the NFL yet, but he's beating the best.
I'm proud of him, win or lose. He's cost the Jets a couple wins, but he's got heart. Next year he will be better.
And I almost forgot, Tomlinson!

[bennie]

When out to get the paper and I seen this beautiful scene and I just had to take pictures

It's very different here, Frankie, damp and dreary, the bleak mid-winter.

[bennie]

Ali is 69 today.

[kikibalt]

Ali is 69 today.

Happy Birthday Champ.....

[kikibalt]

When out to get the paper and I seen this beautiful scene and I just had to take pictures

It's very different here, Frankie, damp and dreary, the bleak mid-winter.

It been around 80 here for the last few days....

[kikibalt]

I was talking to Don Fraser yesterday morning and he told me of a function he attended as a guest speaker on Saturday, he said as he stood on the podium and looked out at the crowd of mafia looking men, "talk about central casting for a mafia movie!, hell! they all wore fedora!

[CNorkusJr]

You guys are great. Hit it right on the mark again.
This past year, Mr Gary Shaw, a famed promoter,was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Now credit is due here,as Mr Shaw certainly proves his worth as such.
I know you know Mr Shaw out in California too.
His son introduced his father to get his award which is a lttle unusual as Mr Hascup, the Pres., acts as Emcee and does a great job at intros.
Mr Shaw's son rambled for about 20-25 minutes on his fathers intro and must have mentioned himself(son) and his own accomplishments as well.No doubt proud of his dad. The crowd was taken right out of it. When Mr Shaw Sr. finally came up to the podium,using a little kidding, he said his son wasnt use to the limelight and chastised him for running long. Then Mr Shaw himself, ran on himself for 25 minutes virtually repeating what his son said. I enjoyed watching the faces of so many on hand.
I liked Joe Frazier the Best. At Ring 8 awards dinner a month ago, he got up to accept his award and said basically" I am glad to be here, Thank You Ring 8 and all my friends and all my fellow Ring 8 members" and sat down.
A true champ who needs not to say more. He said it all in the Ring. I loved it.

[bennie]

I came across this bout the other day. Curry gives Leonard a run for his money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCG2FcF-YEs

[kikibalt]

You guys are great. Hit it right on the mark again.
This past year, Mr Gary Shaw, a famed promoter,was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Now credit is due here,as Mr Shaw certainly proves his worth as such.
I know you know Mr Shaw out in California too.
His son introduced his father to get his award which is a lttle unusual as Mr Hascup, the Pres., acts as Emcee and does a great job at intros.
Mr Shaw's son rambled for about 20-25 minutes on his fathers intro and must have mentioned himself(son) and his own accomplishments as well.No doubt proud of his dad. The crowd was taken right out of it. When Mr Shaw Sr. finally came up to the podium,using a little kidding, he said his son wasnt use to the limelight and chastised him for running long. Then Mr Shaw himself, ran on himself for 25 minutes virtually repeating what his son said. I enjoyed watching the faces of so many on hand.
I liked Joe Frazier the Best. At Ring 8 awards dinner a month ago, he got up to accept his award and said basically" I am glad to be here, Thank You Ring 8 and all my friends and all my fellow Ring 8 members" and sat down.
A true champ who needs not to say more. He said it all in the Ring. I loved it.

Charlie, in 2009 Al Bernstein was inducted into the WBHOF, when he was called to the podium to accept his award he gave a speech that lasted close to 40 minutes, the only thing he didn't mention about himself was what time he took a dump... . I also received an award that night, the "Johnny Flores Youth Development" award, when I was called to the podium by Rick Farris and Mando Muniz, Mando whisper in my ear, "you have two minutes", I took 4 minutes... .

[bennie]

They said he was weight-drained, they said he was through, they knew he was old, but 42-year-old Glen Johnson, the greatest 'pro' in the business, dropped down to super-middleweight and shook up the boxing world with an eight-round knockout of Allan "Sweetness" Green in Las Vegas in November. Victory has earned Johnson a crack at our own Carl Froch for the WBC super-middleweight title, probably in Montreal in May, both of which are wryly academic to someone like Johnson, always in shape, always packed, always on the road.
Johnson looked at the end of it when he dropped a 12-round decision to Clinton Woods in Bolton in 2006. His punches lacked their usual snap and he trudged after the sharper Woods in the closing rounds, a man he had previously mastered. Johnson showed signs of a decaying fighter but made his way home to the States and proved against "Bad" Chad Dawson in a crack at the WBC light-heavyweight title in 2008 that he could still do enough. "Gentleman" Glen got mugged of the title by three loutish judges, although he lost a more convincing verdict to Dawson in a rematch and then came a loss to Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light-heavyweight belt last year, also on points.
It was after Cloud that Johnson made the remarkable decision to drop down to super-middleweight for Green at a stage in his 18-year career when it looked impossible. Johnson hadn't boxed at the weight since picking apart London puncher Toks Owoh in six rounds in London in 2000, on a night when he showed all his technical brilliance and durability, but he picked a big right hand to flatten the impressively muscled Green, who had never been stopped before.
Now for Froch, the best fighter we have at the moment, the strongest, cleverest and bravest, but Johnson's punch-picking - and his iron jaw - spell 'long, hard fight' for King Carl, and it will be interesting to read what the bookies make of it. In Canada, Johnson is not without his chances.

[Rick Farris]

You guys are great. Hit it right on the mark again.
This past year, Mr Gary Shaw, a famed promoter,was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Now credit is due here,as Mr Shaw certainly proves his worth as such.
I know you know Mr Shaw out in California too.
His son introduced his father to get his award which is a lttle unusual as Mr Hascup, the Pres., acts as Emcee and does a great job at intros.
Mr Shaw's son rambled for about 20-25 minutes on his fathers intro and must have mentioned himself(son) and his own accomplishments as well.No doubt proud of his dad. The crowd was taken right out of it. When Mr Shaw Sr. finally came up to the podium,using a little kidding, he said his son wasnt use to the limelight and chastised him for running long. Then Mr Shaw himself, ran on himself for 25 minutes virtually repeating what his son said. I enjoyed watching the faces of so many on hand.
I liked Joe Frazier the Best. At Ring 8 awards dinner a month ago, he got up to accept his award and said basically" I am glad to be here, Thank You Ring 8 and all my friends and all my fellow Ring 8 members" and sat down.
A true champ who needs not to say more. He said it all in the Ring. I loved it.

Charlie, in 2009 Al Bernstein was inducted into the WBHOF, when he was called to the podium to accept his award he gave a speech that lasted close to 40 minutes, the only thing he didn't mention about himself was what time he took a dump... . I also received an award that night, the "Johnny Flores Youth Development" award, when I was called to the podium by Rick Farris and Mando Muniz, Mando whisper in my ear, "you have two minutes", I took 4 minutes... .

I wish you'dhave taken twenty minutes and it would have been justified. Bernstein is a damn announcer.
Al Bernstein is a likeable enough guy, but his sister is his PR person and she's a pain-in-the-ass.
She started to make ridiculous demands relating to Al's intro, etc. She wanted his name in larger print on the programs than the boxers being honored because "Al is responsible for making them as successful as they were." When I heard that I ended the conversation with, "Mr. Bernstein will get all the respect he deserves, which no more than anybody else being honored." I then hung phone up. Bill Caplan was also another ball cracker when he took the mic, just as his daughter was when she receieved a "Women in Boxing" honor from the WBHOF in '08. At the CBHOF, John Beyrooty should have been hooked after he passed the 20 minute mark. When I got my award, I took about a minute, which was about 50 seconds more than my accomplishments merited, but what the hell, nobody listens to what's being said anyway.

[kikibalt]

You guys are great. Hit it right on the mark again.
This past year, Mr Gary Shaw, a famed promoter,was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Now credit is due here,as Mr Shaw certainly proves his worth as such.
I know you know Mr Shaw out in California too.
His son introduced his father to get his award which is a lttle unusual as Mr Hascup, the Pres., acts as Emcee and does a great job at intros.
Mr Shaw's son rambled for about 20-25 minutes on his fathers intro and must have mentioned himself(son) and his own accomplishments as well.No doubt proud of his dad. The crowd was taken right out of it. When Mr Shaw Sr. finally came up to the podium,using a little kidding, he said his son wasnt use to the limelight and chastised him for running long. Then Mr Shaw himself, ran on himself for 25 minutes virtually repeating what his son said. I enjoyed watching the faces of so many on hand.
I liked Joe Frazier the Best. At Ring 8 awards dinner a month ago, he got up to accept his award and said basically" I am glad to be here, Thank You Ring 8 and all my friends and all my fellow Ring 8 members" and sat down.
A true champ who needs not to say more. He said it all in the Ring. I loved it.

Charlie, in 2009 Al Bernstein was inducted into the WBHOF, when he was called to the podium to accept his award he gave a speech that lasted close to 40 minutes, the only thing he didn't mention about himself was what time he took a dump... . I also received an award that night, the "Johnny Flores Youth Development" award, when I was called to the podium by Rick Farris and Mando Muniz, Mando whisper in my ear, "you have two minutes", I took 4 minutes... .

I wish you'dhave taken twenty minutes and it would have been justified. Bernstein is a damn announcer.
Al Bernstein is a likeable enough guy, but his sister is his PR person and she's a pain-in-the-ass.
She started to make ridiculous demands relating to Al's intro, etc. She wanted his name in larger print on the programs than the boxers being honored because "Al is responsible for making them as successful as they were." When I heard that I ended the conversation with, "Mr. Bernstein will get all the respect he deserves, which no more than anybody else being honored." I then hung phone up. Bill Caplan was also another ball cracker when he took the mic, just as his daughter was when she receieved a "Women in Boxing" honor from the WBHOF in '08. At the CBHOF, John Beyrooty should have been hooked after he passed the 20 minute mark.

You're right about Johnny Beyrooty, Rick....

[Rick Farris]

Charlie, in 2009 Al Bernstein was inducted into the WBHOF, when he was called to the podium to accept his award he gave a speech that lasted close to 40 minutes, the only thing he didn't mention about himself was what time he took a dump... . I also received an award that night, the "Johnny Flores Youth Development" award, when I was called to the podium by Rick Farris and Mando Muniz, Mando whisper in my ear, "you have two minutes", I took 4 minutes... .

I wish you'dhave taken twenty minutes and it would have been justified. Bernstein is a damn announcer.
Al Bernstein is a likeable enough guy, but his sister is his PR person and she's a pain-in-the-ass.
She started to make ridiculous demands relating to Al's intro, etc. She wanted his name in larger print on the programs than the boxers being honored because "Al is responsible for making them as successful as they were." When I heard that I ended the conversation with, "Mr. Bernstein will get all the respect he deserves, which no more than anybody else being honored." I then hung phone up. Bill Caplan was also another ball cracker when he took the mic, just as his daughter was when she receieved a "Women in Boxing" honor from the WBHOF in '08. At the CBHOF, John Beyrooty should have been hooked after he passed the 20 minute mark.

You're right about Johnny Beyrooty, Rick....

When I got my award, I spoke about one minute, which was roughly 50 seconds more than my accompishments deserved.
But what the hell, it was a one time thing.

[Panzerfaust]

A post by Tony on Facebook just made me think for a second.. He started as a amateur in the 60s and had his last pro fight in the 2000s ... He fought in 5 different decades...that must be close to some kind of record. of the top of my mind i can only think of a very few who did this...

[THEHAMMER321]

Frank, did you know Tito Martinez, or see him fight?.

[THEHAMMER321]

By the way, who is gonna have coffee ?.

[kikibalt]

Frank, did you know Tito Martinez, or see him fight?.

Don't think so Paul, the name doesn't ring a bell....but who know, I might had met him and just don't remember....

[kikibalt]

By the way, who is gonna have coffee ?.

Already did Paul....