Our Bone Daddy, the original Sportsphile, had never attended a live international soccer match with only 63,000 fans in attendance before….which made it a “scalpers paradise” since there were lots of scalpers holding tickets who thought that the match between the hometown favorite host country USA squad matched against the reigning world champion team from Italy……but any ticket holder who attended this match were treated to a “medio tiempo” show unlike any that Bone Daddy had ever seen….as one very fast “naked streaker” avoided a slew of authorities during a sprint from goal and net to the goal andnet at the other end of the pitch….when he zigged and zagged with his rudder in full swing as he “streaked down the soccer pitch” to the roar of the crowd….and that is when BD left the Rose Bowl that night at the Olympics with a new found love for futbol that he never had before….as he realized for the first time in his life that soccer / futbol wasn’t just a game for those athletes who weren’t big enough or strong enough to play other more popular sports in America…..cuz now he completely understands why the game of soccer is probably the most popular sport in the world today…..for from that match until today in early December 2020….Bone Daddy stills is and will forever be a huge fan of the great game of futbol….cuz it takes unbelievable “eye to foot” athletic skills to play this sport at a high level.
Olympics – 1984 – Group D Qualyfying Highlights – Italy Vs USA
Arriving at The Rose Bowl around 5pm was just perfect….for this was the 1st venue of the day, after seeing two other events (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) that the boys knew that they had to hustle to find scalpers….especially since this event was being touted in the daily papers as going to be a sellout….for this was a Group D match between the best national team the USA had to offer and Italy, as one of the best soccer teams in the world. As a result of the expected capacity crowd….the USOC and LAPD had tons of security around the stadium….which typically meant that the scalpers would be hard to find….while hiding in dark corners and little “cubby holes” around the outside perimeter of the stadium complex….while purposely staying out of the view of any type of “fuzz on patrol”…..cuz you’ve gotta remember….scalping was against the law in the State of California in 1984….especially at the Olympics.
Olympics – 1984 – L A Games – Men’s Soccer / Futbol Semi-Finals Highlights – Yugoslavia Vs Italy
After not seeing any visible sign of scalpers on Sky’s 1st pass around the outside of this huge Rose Bowl Stadium complex….that is when on the 2nd pass it was decided that BD would be dropped off at the North end of the complex parking area (about 2 miles from the stadium)….and Prince would be dropped off at the South end of the complex parking area (the same approximate distance)….while Sky would go and find a good parking spot….with plans for all three to meet at Gate A10 at 6:30 pm…..hopefully with ticket for the match. With BD and Prince on a “search and destroy mission” for a scalper with three (3) ticketed seats in a row….which would be like looking for a needle in a haystack….while having set up a signal on their personal beepers (can you believe how far communication technology has come since then….OK…how many people really remember beepers?)….to let the other one know that the mission had been accomplished….once one of them had located a rabbit in a hole holding what the boys needed.
Olympics – 1984 – L A Games – Men’s Soccer / Futbol Finals Highlights – France Vs Brazil
Within the 1st ten minutes of being dropped off….BD had jumped two different rabbits hiding in two different shadows….but neither had seats in a row….although one did have enough tickets…..but BD decided to pass on any negotiations….while believing that the “right rabbit could still be pulled out of the hat” (kinda gives you an idea why they enjoyed The Hat and Hare bar at the Magic Castle). So, wouldn’t you know it….by the time he reached Gate A10….he hadn’t even sniffed another live rabbit anywhere. Now Prince on the other hand….covered his whole territory without even jumping up anything that looked even close to being a scalping rabbit….but then….just as he came into sight while walking up to Gate A10….BD watched as Prince did an immediate right oblique turn….heading directly towards the darkest shadow of a cubby hole within eyesight of the front gates of the Rose Bowl….and there he was….a hare with the goods.
Olympics – 1984 – L A Games – Men’s Soccer / Futbol SemiFinals Highlights – France Vs Yugoslavia
The trouble was that this hare knew what he had in his little paws….three (3) ticketed seats in a row….to a sellout soccer match with the home town team (USA) was playing the current World Champions (Italy) …. and when you consider that this little rabbit also knew how big of an Italian population lived in Los Angeles….he wasn’t about to take any low ball offer by some seasoned scalper ticket finding vets like BD and Prince. By the time the negotiating ended….that little bunny went home with $450 cash for the boys to have seat@’s 1, 2 and 3 in Section 18 on Row 15 of the beautiful Rose Bowl….for these seats were “as good as it gets” at the Rose Bowl …..cuz the boys were finishing off another successful day’s mission in style with “top shelf seats”…..as the “mission from God” by Los Tres Amigos from Texas, were well on their way to seeing a live sporting event in every sport that Olympic medals were competed for at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Olympics – 1984 – L A Games – Men’s Soccer / Futbol Finals Highlights – France Vs Brazil
The gravy on top of all the successes of the most challenging day so far at the Olympics….was in the fact that this match consisted of the highest quality of play….with the “home boys” playing a very competitive match against one the best international teams in the world……and when it was all said and done….Italy won 1 – 0…..with the only score coming in the 87th minute of the match. This was a nail biter all the way to that point….with the best part of the whole day being when a “bare assed buck naked streaker” went hauling his tail as fast as he could go….all over the soccer pitch….ducking and darting in and out….with the men in blue chasing him everywhere….for it turned out that “the dude was fast and as slippery as a greased pig”…..and the more the cops would miss the slippery dude….the more the crowd of 63,000 fans yelled for his escape. To hear BD tell the story….it must have been priceless to see first hand….”Oh what a Hoot!!!”. What an ending to an absolutely brilliant day….and thus providing another day at the Olympics with the day’s mission accomplished.
Olympics – 1984 – Group D Qualifying Highlights – Costa Rica Vs USA – Featuring USA Free Kick
