Pencils for the Blind

 

                                               By kiki

Back in 1950’s and well into the ‘60’s there was a middle age black man that used to sit cross-legged outside the main entrance of the Olympic Auditorium on fite nite. He would sit wearing dark glasses with a white cane with a red tip near-by. His hat sitting on the sidewalk was turned upside down and full of pencils. Fans as they walked into the arena would drop coins and paper money into his hat. Very few would take a pencil. Anything to help the blind, right?....Well one night as I was milling among the crowd in front of the arena I spotted local boxing manager Ralph Gambina walking across the street, so did our blind friend, because he jumped up and yelled “hey Ralph” He caught himself but it was too late; many of the fans had seen what he had done. Soon he was gone, only to be back sitting in the same spot the following week.

What’s that old adage? “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”

DQ=T.D.

I remember back in 1980 when Tony Baltazar was making his 13^th  start against an old veteran by the name of Chuy Rodriguez, Rodriguez was making his 43^rd pro start. After the bell sounded to end the 4^th round Rodriguez hit Tony, Tony hit him back causing a nasty cut over one of Rodriguez’s eyes. The referee called Dr. Bernhart Schwartz up into the ring to examine the cut, the good doctor did so and he told the referee that Rodriguez couldn’t continue the fight. When the referee signal that the fight was over all hell broke loose. Cups full of beer and maybe piss started raining into the ring. We jumped out of the ring before the TD decision was announced and with cops around us we made it by the skin of our teeth to our dressing room. We stay in the catacombs till way after the last fight was over. We were saved to fight another day!