Before I start today’s story…..I want to remind all of my readers / viewers that in all of my posts in L E’s Stories, I will feature videos that “especially tickle my fancy” throughout the post….as some of them will coincide with a particular part of the story I am telling….and some will be completely random….but they all will be favorites of mine….so, I hope you enjoy them.
Comedy – 1977 – NBC Special – Richard Pryor Live On Stage With Classic Stand-Up Routin Today just seems like a good time for telling the first good tall tale of the day….since the Super Bowl is coming up later this afternoon between the AFC Champion New England Patriots vs. the NFC Champion New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI….a game that will be decided some ten hours after “the opening hook” where the network “baits with every football fan with eye-catching visual fully loaded with subliminal bells and whistles” opening production piece that they have created specifically to grab your attention for the next 10 hrs….”Can you say “CHA CHING!!!”. Oh my God Dog….there is no way of honestly gauging just how much “CHA CHING” is passed from one hand to another’s hand….throughout the course of preparation for this special one day of production…. and by the time the day is over and the final highlights of the game have been put in sync with music that moves HUMANS souls…cuz by the time the credits are starting to roll….literally billions of “CHA CHING” has been spent ….and why you say?….to make lots of MONEY….”CHA CHING”.
Music – 1980 – Ray Charles Sings “America The Beautiful” At The Start Of World Welterweight Title With Sugar Ray Leonard Vs Roberto Duran II – With Howard Cosell Behind The Mike
What most HUMANS will take from this day of huge production….will be something of value to provide lasting impression in their memory banks….whether their team actually won or lost….whether they won their bet or not….or even which commercial they liked best. However….from this lil ole Chiweenie’s standpoint….if the game is good or if I really have a love for one of the participating teams….I tend to lean towards liking the commercials….cuz sometimes they are totally awesome….like the Tabasco commercial with the exploding mosquitoes….AWESOME!!!! OH, did I mention that there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of a billion fans all over the world watching the Super Bowl today….yep, we’re talking the most widely watched scheduled event on television in the world. The magnitude of SUPER BOWL SUNDAY simply deserves what I call a “Tall Tale”from two of those where at the game.
Olympics – 1976 – Montreal Games – Men’s 400 m Hurdles Finals Featuring USA Edwin Moses Winning Gold – With Keith Jackson + O J Simpson On The Call
Before I get into this story….I think all ya’ll need a little understanding into even how the adventures of this story ever happened….cuz there were powerful cosmic forces at work from the outset of this tale. That being said….on this trip like so many other trips to sporting events during the decade of the 80’s that were experienced by Bone Daddy and his good running buddy throughout the decade….the Prince of Pleasure. In this tale….we’ll just refer to him as Prince….but don’t ever forget that the reason he was crowned Prince…and that’s all I can say.
Gymnastics – 1976 – American Cup – Women’s Floor Exercise – ROM Nadie Comaneci – A Perfect 10
I have often commented that there is no was that a video museum like ImaSportsphile could have never happened in any other country on Earth than the United States of America…..and for Bone Daddy being born in the USA was truly one of my greatest blessing…..which makes me forever grateful for this video below by comedian Red Skelton as he provides all viewers with an awesome understanding of exactly what the words of the USA Pledge Of Allegiance actually means….and albeit that we try very hard to never get political….as I write this story in mid-July of 2020….this video has more relevance than ever before in American history…..so, we hope and pray that our readers take this pledge to heart.
Special – 1972 – Red Skelton’s Pledge Of Allegiance Is Necessary More Today In 2020 Than Ever Before
The decade of the 1980’s was a time of affluence and decadence in Austin, Texas….as a significant number of the city’s high profile residents….as well as many of it’s not so high profile residents….lived in a “real life fantasy world” chocked full of lots of social interaction….which more often than not….was infused significantly by alcohol and drugs…..and those who were inclined toward inducement spanned and covered an absolute cross section of Austin….from high level athletes, politicians, lawyers, bankers, businessmen, restaurant and bar owners, etc. From every walk of HUMAN life….”it was kind of an F. Scott Fitzgerald gay 90’s sort of scene”….only with stronger and more alluring“social treats” like cocaine ….the most abundantly used illegal drug of the decade….that is outside of pot….at least that seemed to be true in Austin, TX in the decade of the 80’s.
Music – 1992 – The Highwaymen Live Concert In Aberdeen, Scotland Featuring Willie Nelson + Johnny Cash + Waylon Jennings + Kris Kristofferson
The Prince was originally introduced to Bone Daddy when he was the general contractor on a renovation project of a 100 year old building on East 6th St during late 1975….which later evolved into the idea of BD’s sports bar. Prince was heavily involved in the design and build-out for Madison Square Garden, The Sports Place located at East 6th St in Austin, Texas.
Comedy – 1951 – The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show – Brought To You From Contented Cows
By the time MSG opened in the fall of 1976….Prince had plugged into BD as his sports guru….and was seen at most major live sporting events on television at MSG….be it the World Series, a boxing World Championship match, MLB World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA March Madness, Olympics, etc…..from which Prince eventually would evolve into becoming BD’s traveling companion to live events. To say it got in his blood would be an understatement….as he became a fervent student of BD’s….by simply adopting him as his sports mentor. However, it was when Bone Daddy struck the deal with Abe Lemons…. Men’s Basketball Coach at University of Texas ….that he and Prince embarked on their journey to becoming “The Dynamic Duo”…. capable of “moving almost invisibly” in and out of sports complexes at major live sporting events….adept at obtaining good seats at those events even though their tickets didn’t match the seats….and in some cases when they had no tickets. In my humble opinion….it all really started to happen for BD and Prince as the development of the relationship really can only be explained as “COSMIC”. Oh….did you forget that I’m a gal from Austin, TX….and nearly everything Austin has been touched by “cosmic influences”at some time or another. It’s kind of an osmosis sort of thing that happens there. However, it was Bone Daddy’s hand shake agreement with UT’s Coach Abe….that sent “The Dynamic Duo” into a hyper drive of their learning curve of how and when to utilize the unique skills that they were developing together during the Coach Abe Lemons years in BD’s story bank.
NCAAM Basketball – 1978 N.I.T. Finals North Carolina State Wolfpack Vs University Of Texas Longhorns With UT Coach Abe Lemons
DOG ASIDE: To West Texans….and Oklahomans….who are almost exactly like….except they’re not cuz they’re Okies….but to these HUMANS out West….their handshake is their word….it seals the deal when they have given their word on something. A handshake to these folks means more to them than their horse or their dog….and that’s quite a lot. Heck….I personally would take a contract sealed with a handshake from a West Texan….whose handshake means something to them….than I would sign one of them lawyer written paper contracts that those slippery carpetbaggers from the schools of law try to get you to sign. Want a good example of how honorable most lawyer’s handshake is like?…..just look at the legislation that has been passed by US Senators and Congressmen in the last three decades….and then look at how many of those HUMANS in Congress are lawyers….and you’ll have your answer…..cuz you will find that during the past 3 decades, the Congress passed more bills that insured the jobs of beauracrats and elected officials…..which provided full retirement for Congressmen and Senators after serving one term….but since we never get “political” here at ImaSportsphile….cuz we believe that the is no place for politics in sports….so we won’t add to the amazingly woke society of today in 2020.
NBA – 1984 To 2001 – Special Highlights – Michael Jordan’s Top 50 Plays Of His Career
Coach Abe and Bone Daddy formed a handshake agreement that lasted almost six full years….whereby Coach would come to speak at a weekly luncheon at The Sports Place every Thursday during the season. In return for this….Bone Daddy would slip Coa ach Abe a C-note (that’s a $100 bill for you in the dark) in a handshake as he was leaving each week….an act seen by nobody cuz it was done in a “street wise” way….you know….where BD would fold up the bill and palm it in his right hand….passing it to Coach when he shook his hand goodbye. Bone Daddy also agreed to let all UT basketball players and managers eat at no charge at MSG….anytime they chose to come in throughout the season…..as Coach Abe asked this for his boys….cuz the mess hall was closed by the time practice ended on many occasions.
Auto Racing – 1911 To 2019 – Special Highlights – Top 25 Indianapolis 500 Crashes
In addition to MSG having the legendary Coach speaking live at a Thursday luncheon during season…. Abe agreed to allow BD and three other folks of his discretion into the home games without tickets….as they could enter through the same door that ballplayers came into the arena. It was agreed that the four could sit wherever they found open seats….with the understanding that if the ticket holder showed up….they simply had to move to other open seats….without causing a ruckus.
Boxing – 1985 – 2005 – Special – Mike Tyson: Boxing’s Hardest Puncher Ever A simple handshake agreement had allowed Bone Daddy the opportunity at every UT Basketball home game….to learn to think outside the box when it comes to finding seats in a packed arena….as Abe’s teams always packed the house….and Bone Daddy and his chosen three (3) never missed a home game. After a short learning curve…..BD also learned how to identify goods seats on the first choosing of where to sit….rarely ever having to move once he sat down. All of this and many other stories will be told in this section of the museum. All that BD learned in nearly six years of finding seats at The Erwin Center…. even during the many games that Abe’s teams “sold out the house with standing room only crowds”…. which was more often than not from his 2nd season forward.
Comedy – 1969 – Special – Jonathan Winters Stand-Up Routine Gay Mody Dick “Capitain Arnold” + John F. Kennedy
During this time with Coach Abe, Bone Daddy taught to his student the Prince all the nuances necessary to have an enjoyable experience when entering UT games without a ticket while finding “top shelf” seats close to the floor….and rarely if ever having to move once they sat down. Once learned….Bone Daddy and the Prince applied the same principles to many other live sporting events that they attended together including World Championship Fights….Super Bowls….NCAA Final Fours….and even sold out Olympic venues….in their future travels together.
Special – 1990 – OCU Coach Abe Lemons + OU Coach Barry Switzer + MLB HOF Catcher Johnny Bench Induction Into The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame
After watching the above video of Coach Abe Lemons induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame…..it is easy to understand why 500 people would show up at Bone Daddy sports bar every Thursday during the UT Longhorn men’s basketball season to listen to Abe talk….cuz this man was not only a basketball savant…..he was also one very funny man with great wit and wisdom. Long story short, over the course of Coach Lemon’s tenure at UT from 1976 to 1982….in addition to Bone Daddy getting very adept at identifying seats to sit in, of which he didn’t have a ticket that once he sat down…he would almost never have to move…..but also of more importance….BD was able to see the sports and events complexes from inside the venues from the ground floor….you know….the working parts of the arena….not the show parts. Considering that BD is really talented at observing without being seen….he was able to observe the exits that were used but not manned or locked….where they were located in the stadiums and event arenas….and what times during preparation for the event that these exits were left unguarded….to which Bone Daddy eventually passed on all of this knowledge to Prince as”the student who eventually became a master”…..as evidenced by the October 6, 2001 bleacher seats ticket, program and autograph of Baltimore Orioles HOF Shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. in our memorabilia section here at ImaSportsphile…..as Prince hand turned his bleacher seat ticket into a first row behind the Baltimore Orioles bench….and from there he got his shot at an autograph…..and he did it all by himself…. for here was a man who was a “so-so” sports fan…..who through Bone Daddy’s influence and mentoring became a “master magician Sportsphile”.
MLB – 1981 To 2001 – Special Highlights Career Montage Of Baltimore Orioles HOF Shortstop Cal Ripken Jr.
