The Olympic Games are unique in the world of sport….as a place where obsession meets talent….and dedication takes four years of intense regimen to even get to “the dance”…..regardless of what language is spoken. When you read one of my stories here at ImaSportsphile….you will find that this L E’s Stories section of our video museum exhibits the same type of dedicated talent goes into my obsession to post some of the best videos within the 5600 videos currently posted on our site here in early July 2020…..and it is my sincere wish that you enjoy them as much as I do.
Olympics – 1984 – Special – Behind The Scenes Look At The Support And Security Units At The 1984 L A Games
This story was written with the 2012 London Olympic Games just around the corner….as I was going to spend the following 20+ days sharing a tall tales of Olympic proportions from the L A Games….which will be quite possibly beyond belief to some of you who certainly will be doubters. I swear to you on my “Chiweenie Dog Code of Truth & Honor”….that every bit of this tale is founded in nothing but the truth…. so help me God Dog…..and although I didn’t accomplish my goal of a story every day….so what…..cuz who is actually “fact checking” me anyway….cuz, even though we are in a time of “fact checking frenzy” here in the good ole USA in July of 2020….none of that crap spills over into my world….so, I’ll just keep posting great videos and keep on keeping on.
Music & Olympics – 1984 – George Gershin’s “Rapsody In Blue” Featuring 100 Grand Piano At The Opening Ceremony Of The 1984 Los Angeles Games
My tale begins in Austin, TX in January of 1984….six months before the opening of The XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles. It was a time when the economy was booming in Texas….with high tech companies investing heavily into opening major manufacturing venues in the Austin area….with investors and speculators abounding everywhere throughout the Texas Hill Country….as Texas power brokers like John Connelly and Ben Barnes….were manipulating the Saving & Loan industry in Texas and beyond….which was to come crashing down just three short years later….sending the Texas economy into a four year tailspin until October 1991….when it finally started to rebound again.
Austin in 1984 was a time when Willie Nelson….Waylon Jennings….and Jerry Jeff Walker….were riding heard over the Texas music scene….which was being redefined as Outlaw Country Music….for the words from Waylon’s well played famous song at the time….”Luckenbach, Texas” best described the times as follows:
The only two things in life that make it worth livin’
Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin’ women
I don’t need my name in the marquee lights
I got my song and I got you with me tonight
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’
Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newberry’s train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain
Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain
So baby, let’s sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high society you cry all day
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones
Four car garage and we’re still building on
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’ got us feudin’
Like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newberry’s train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain
Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain
Music – 1977 – Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson Sing Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics)
In and around Austin in 1984….there weren’t nobody feelin’ no pain. Giving consideration to the fact that during the early to middle part of the decade of the 1980’s was a time of affluence in America….and especially Texas….for the period was not unlike The Roaring 20’s in the mode of F. Scott Fitzgerald….full of parties….fun….revelry….and even its fair share of debauchery (how bout that word for this little ole Chiweenie?). Albeit the debauchery was mostly served discreetly under the table….if ya know what I mean….with each line leading to another….cuz one’s too many and a hundred’s not enough….that is when it comes to that little white flake that was cut up and served in powdered mounds with a sharp blade and short straws. At nearly all parties….it was always at the center of the serving table served almost like caviar….while the server strutted throughout the crowds in a rather haughty sort of way.
A snapshot of Austin, TX in the early 1980’s was one of a City Council person apparently going a bit over the top in his indulgence one frivolous evening….when while he was at home indulging apparently heavily….he got out his 12 gauge shotgun….and commenced to unload his 8 rounds of unplugged shells at his garden hose….as he told police when they arrived…..“he thought it was a rattlesnake”….which Texans simply don’t like….therefore the standard procedure in Texas is to pull out your gun and shoot the rattlesnake. So, this dude thought he was doing his civic duty….albeit a bit misconstrued. Anyway, BD commemorated the event with a t-shirt of one said City Council person with shotgun in hand….and going off at a coiled garden hose ready to strike. As BD tells it and being ever the marketing man….he sold 400 of those t-shirts. So, these times in Austin were best described as “work hard….play hard….get rode hard and put up wet….and get up and do it all over again tomorrow”…..cuz it was fast times in Austin, TX in the early 1980’s.
In late January of 1983….Bone Daddy closed on the sale of a large piece of real estate that he owned a significant interest in….and to say the big guy was flush with cash….would have been an understatement at best….and since the Prince of Pleasure had all the business he could handle during the Roaring 80’s….the boys decided to make a “Rocket Run out West”….to catch some of the events of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles….as these Sportsphiles figured a couple of live Olympic events would be the perfect excuse for a “Rocket Run to the Left Coast”.
Olympics – 1984 – Special – Highlights Of The Week Of The Women’s Marathon Featuring USA Joan Benoit
Bone Daddy sent in requests to the Official USOC Tickets online sight for three (3) tickets with three (3) seats in a row to eight (8) different sporting events in the ’84 Olympics….gymnastics….swimming….track and field….basketball….baseball….equestrian horse jumping….skeet shooting….and boxing. The USOC’s letter of confirmation for BD’s order was returned….along with eight (8) sets of three (3) tickets with three (3) seats in a row….to seven (7) of the eight (8) sports BD had requested. However….only three (3) sets were for the events that he had originally requested….track and field on the day of the men’s broad jump finals along with the men’s 400m hurdles final….along with equestrian horse jumping finals….and the men’s basketball finals. The other five (5) sets of tickets were for various like events in the requested sports….but not even close to what the boys had wanted to see….for example: instead of receiving tickets to the swimming finals….they got tickets to synchronized swimming finals….but regardless, the boys were headin’ to the Left Coast to see the Olympic Games. Can you say? ”GO WEST YOUNG MAN”.
BD and Prince called up their long time friend Sky Pilot….to hire him to be their personal driver and navigator throughout the entire Rocket Run to L A. Now in addition to procuring and insuring their safety from the start of their trip to the finish….un-be-knownst-to-them (talk about a mouthful)….Sky Pilot also had a good friend in Austin named Turk….who had some “BIG INS in L A.”….as The Turk got Los Tres Amigos into The Academy Of Magical Arts….The Magic Castle….as well as many famous L A hot spots….while entering through the back stage door like at The Comedy Store….where we saw Martin Mull live on stage. The truth be known….Turk Pipkin was like knowing The Mad Hatter of L A.
Magic – 1984 – Special – Sneek Look Into The Magic Castle Where Los Tres Amigos Stayed During The 1984 L A Olympics
DOG ASIDE:
For those of you who don’t understand street talk….BIG INS means that Sky Pilot had some people on the ground L A who could get the boys into places that they normally could not have gotten into on their own….and set them up with certain HUMANS who could make their trip even more comfortable and enjoyable….especially with lovely ladies who liked to have a good time….get it?!! What turned out to be “Turk’s BIGGEST IN of all in LA”….at least on the scale of value to Los Tres Amigos….who were already headin’ West for fun in the sun at the Olympics….was the fact that Turk could provide the Tres Amigos with access to The Magic Castle….an absolutely magical oasis for “rode hard and put up wet travelers to rest and regenerate their batteries”….which would be needed each night throughout their journey to the Olympics. It turns out that Turk was a member of The Academy of Magical Arts….whose home was at The Magic Castle in the middle of Hollywood….and Turk opened the first magical door to what turned out to be “one of the most story riddled trips of all time”….something that I dare say has never been done before….and likely to never be done again in the history of Olympic fandom.
Magic – 2018 – Special – Ryan Hayashi Live At The Magic Castle – Featuring His Ultimate Matrix Act As A Typical Performance Seen At The Academy Of Magical Arts
The Academy of Magical Arts was first begun by William Larsen in 1952 in conjunction with an independent magazine of magic….called Genii….of which all the subscribers became instant members. By 1962….the Academy had evolved to the point of opening The Magic Castle in Hollywood…..as William Larsen’s younger son, Milt, undertook the job of leasing and restoring an ornately styled, 1909 mansion in Hollywood, California…..and turning it into a meeting place for magicians….which he called The Magic Castle….which opened its doors in January, 1963 as the home of the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. From an initial membership of 50….the Academy has grown to a worldwide membership of over 5,000 today. Once Turk made confirmed reservations for the Tres Amigos….all the plans had been made….with tickets to eight (8) events in the ’84 Olympics in hand….the boys were going to take a magic carpet ride to Hollywood and stay at The Magic Castle while they were in town….so the “Rocket Run to the Olympics” was gonna happen for real. “WATCH OUT LEFT COAST !!!!”
Olympics – 1984 – Special – Highlights Of The Los Angeles Games Put To Music
