How Times Have Changed

[JCFLA]

I work at a performing arts center and we host several local events that help pay the bills. People think we make thousands and thousands of dollars bringing in pop stars and broadway touring shows, but truth is, we lose money every year and depend on school dances, business meetings, weddings, etc. to keep the doors open year after year.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago we had a local high school's prom on a Saturday night and I was there to "babysit" with a small crew of volunteers. One of the female ushers and I were watching the kids come and go and she said "Boy, I remember my prom. It was nothing like this. Somebody brought in a television so we could watch the Heavyweight Championship fight."

Well, naturally my ears perked up. "Really? You watched boxing at your prom?"
"Oh yeah", she said ,"It was a big deal. I think maybe it was Jersey Joe Walcott."

I was incredulous. "At your prom?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure who he was fighting, but it sure didn't last long."

"Must have been Marciano", I said, "He knocked him out in the first. Some time in the early 50s."

"It had to be '53 or '54", she said. That's when I was in school. All I remember is, I heard that it was on and by the time I got there it was over."

I knew then it had to be Marciano-Walcott II so I went in my office to look it up on the net to confirm the date. "May 1953", I told her.
"Well, it had to be my junior prom, then", she replied. She then went on to discuss how she and her Dad listened to all the Yankees games on the radio, too (they lived in upstate NY).

I then talked to one of our custodians who was working that night and repeated the story to him and how amazed I was. "Boxing!", I said. "At her prom!" He's about 70 and is a bit of a fight fan, so he wasn't as astounded as me. But he did recall growing up in Queens and how one afternoon, the whole neighborhood went crazy when Mel Ott did something in the 30s while they were all tuned in to their radios. Fascinating stuff.

Well, to me anyway. Some of you older guys may not think much of this little story, but I think it illustrates perfectly how important boxing used to be and how it captured everyone's imagination. I could just see that bunch of kids, (and people all over the country in homes and bars), crowded around their tiny little TV sets watching Rocky pound Joe.

A championship fight, the World Series, even a big horse race. From the 20s to the early 60s, people all over the country; not even real sports fans, couldn't wait to tune in for these big events. And now, out of those 500 or so kids at the prom the other night, I'll bet no more than fifty could name a current heavyweight contender other than Mike Tyson.

Sorry for the length of this and maybe it doesn't even belong here. Just thought it was a nostalgic look back on how it used to be.