LIFE MAGAZINE - Rocky Marciano (Pics)
- Thread starter sgotwalks
- Start date
Thank you for postng, wow! That's amazing, never saw these before man. THIS is the kind of thing I could look at/read about all day! Thanks for posting this & the Armstrong thread. Really gives you an idea of what life was like back then.
Before my Granddad died last year we used to talk boxing all the time. He saw EVERYONE fight, man. Even saw Ali before he was Ali, back in the Cassius Clay days. Not only had he seen Marciano fight several times, but he met him a few times over the years - my granddad was a high up at the IRS and lived in Boston. He was a "G Man" haha.. Back in the 50's and 60's.
He once told me the story of when he first met the Rock and the office got to shake his hand. I asked if he was nice and what he was like. He replied "well of course he was, we were the IRS" hahaha.
Sorry if that's a thread hijack, I just had to share this story, as I know you might dig it sgotwalks. You always have some great old family stories too.
BTW... If anyone asked my granddad who the greatest boxer of all time was, he would have the same answer within a split second, every time: Sugar Ray Robinson. Can't blame him!
Joe Louis was his FAVORITE though. Sad that Louis kept fighting so late into his career, the Marciano fight should have never happened really. MAN, what I would've done to be alive in that era... Sitting by the radio and listening to fights.. Imagining how they play out.. Just wow.
Thanks again for posting as not only was it great to see but brought back some good memories for me. You're the man dude
Before my Granddad died last year we used to talk boxing all the time. He saw EVERYONE fight, man. Even saw Ali before he was Ali, back in the Cassius Clay days. Not only had he seen Marciano fight several times, but he met him a few times over the years - my granddad was a high up at the IRS and lived in Boston. He was a "G Man" haha.. Back in the 50's and 60's.
He once told me the story of when he first met the Rock and the office got to shake his hand. I asked if he was nice and what he was like. He replied "well of course he was, we were the IRS" hahaha.
Sorry if that's a thread hijack, I just had to share this story, as I know you might dig it sgotwalks. You always have some great old family stories too.
BTW... If anyone asked my granddad who the greatest boxer of all time was, he would have the same answer within a split second, every time: Sugar Ray Robinson. Can't blame him!
Joe Louis was his FAVORITE though. Sad that Louis kept fighting so late into his career, the Marciano fight should have never happened really. MAN, what I would've done to be alive in that era... Sitting by the radio and listening to fights.. Imagining how they play out.. Just wow.
Thanks again for posting as not only was it great to see but brought back some good memories for me. You're the man dude
^ Epic post. I totally appreciate the appreciation and kind words! Your grandfather's story is fantastic. Man, the fact that he had the experience of seeing some of the sports most iconic figures is nearly incomprehensible. Also, it had to be a trip to feel the power of that IRS title over his name..........not entirely unlike entering a room as a known mobster, everyone is gonna whisper sweet nothings to you all day long, doing or saying nothing that might be construed as remotely offensive in any way! Sounds like Grampa had quite a life.
Anyways, I'm stoked that you enjoyed it as much as you did. I love powerful photos, and I love the train of thought they send us on.........I can stop at any good photo and get lost for several minutes without realizing it, especially old black and whites which take us back to another time that wasn't actually as long ago as they might indicate. Man the world has changed insanely fast over the last 70 years.
I like that you mentioned listening to the fights over the radio. I was just discussing that with a buddy the other night........I've never done it, who has in this day and age, but I did say that the best days of my years as a baseball fan were back in the late 80's and early 90's when I used to listen to all the Blue Jays games over the radio while racing around the city in a coffee truck. The experience is like night and day from watching it on tv, and I can only imagine what it would have been like back in the day, listening to Louis and Schmeling over one of these..........
Anyways, I'm stoked that you enjoyed it as much as you did. I love powerful photos, and I love the train of thought they send us on.........I can stop at any good photo and get lost for several minutes without realizing it, especially old black and whites which take us back to another time that wasn't actually as long ago as they might indicate. Man the world has changed insanely fast over the last 70 years.
I like that you mentioned listening to the fights over the radio. I was just discussing that with a buddy the other night........I've never done it, who has in this day and age, but I did say that the best days of my years as a baseball fan were back in the late 80's and early 90's when I used to listen to all the Blue Jays games over the radio while racing around the city in a coffee truck. The experience is like night and day from watching it on tv, and I can only imagine what it would have been like back in the day, listening to Louis and Schmeling over one of these..........