![]() ABC gave these segments a name - “Up Close and Personal” - and they succeeded in conveying to us why we should care for them as people and why we should root for their success. One of the sharpest memories I have of watching televised sports in the 1970s was the profiles that served to connect the viewer with the athlete. But the aspect of Mancini to which I was most drawn was his life story, a story that was brilliantly presented through the power of TV storytelling. Mancini and I couldn’t have been built more differently at age 21, the 5-foot-4 1/2-inch, 135-pound Mancini was the picture of stocky athleticism while I, at 17, checked in at 5-foot-9 and a willowy 145 pounds - but I drew inspiration from his pulsating pugnacity and I strongly related to the Midwestern sensibilities that had shaped him. One story that particularly inspired me was that of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, who hailed from the neighboring state of Ohio and who, to me, embodied some of the ideals I hoped to emulate - enthusiasm, earnestness, fortitude, tenacity, resourcefulness and faith, both in God and in oneself. More often than not, those who ended up standing atop these summits first had to endure the sting of failure, a sting that forced them to redouble their efforts and to dig deeper when their next date with destiny arrived. ![]() Television, especially televised sports, most vividly portrayed the unvarnished joy that comes with achieving season-long goals, but I was particularly enthralled by those triumphs that took years – and sometimes a lifetime – to gain. ![]() The following is one viewer’s recollection of the events of May 8, 1982, a day in which one family’s fondest wish became reality – and history.Īs a child growing up in a West Virginia town too small to be depicted on most maps, I witnessed the fruits of fulfilled dreams. In fact, Mancini’s life story has been retold in subsequent TV and movie ventures, but, try as they did, nothing could truly recapture the power of the actual event as it happened. The scenes that followed this sensational shootout tugged at heartstrings and appeared straight out of Hollywood. Ever since learning of his father’s star-crossed boxing career - and the physical and emotional pain that resulted from it - Mancini, from age 14 onward, made it his mission to win the championship that had been denied the valorous World War II veteran. Thirty-eight years ago today, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini not only won the WBA lightweight title from Arturo Frias, he also authored the culminating chapter of a years-long pursuit rooted in love of family.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |