Abraham's Son, Chapter 7

INT. CHURCH ­ DAY

SARA participates in Sunday morning mass that just ends.  FATHER motions to SARA that he wants to talk to her.  They approach each other. 

FATHER: SARA, how are you? 

SARA: Fine, FATHER, and you? 

FATHER: Fine.  SARA, remember we talked last week about me finding a nice young man for you? 

SARA: Of course.  Any luck? 

FATHER: Hope so.  Stay here.  I'm going to get DANIEL.

SARA sits down while FATHER leaves to find the young man.  After some moments, FATHER and DANIEL arrive.  DANIEL appears to be young, quite tall, thin and a bit shy. 

FATHER: SARA, I'd like you to meet DANIEL who is from a good Catholic family.  DANIEL, this is SARA.  Perhaps, the two of you can sit here and get acquainted.  Take as much time as you want.

FATHER leaves the two alone.  There is an awkward silence for a moment as neither takes the initiative.  Finally... 

SARA: How ya doin'? 

DANIEL: Fine.  You? 

SARA: Same.  By the way, it's SARA CASEY.  I come from Michigan.  Not today, but a year ago.  I work as a waitress...Blue Bay Diner on Francis Lewis Boulevard.  You?

DANIEL: DANIEL KOWALSKI.  I'm from here...in Queens...grew up in Ridgewood...I don't think I could find Michigan on a map...I work with cars...a mechanic...at a gas station on Northern Boulevard...always loved cars, all cars...trained after high school. 

SARA: You're pretty tall.  Play basketball? 

DANIEL: In high school, but I sat mostly.  Got pushed around too much.  Too skinny. 

SARA: Can you dunk? 

DANIEL: What? 

SARA: (laughing) I was just thinking of White Men Can't Jump with Woody Harrelson...a basketball movie...You seen it? 

DANIEL: I don't know that one...but I don't see movies much...Isn't he too old to play basketball? 

SARA: No, it was made twenty years ago... the movie...So, I have my own place in Jackson Heights.  Where do you live? 

DANIEL: With my folks.  I'd be a little nervous on my own, besides, my mom does everything for me, cooks what I like, washes my clothes.  Everything!    

SARA: How old are you? 

DANIEL: Twenty-­one.  You? 

SARA: Thirty.  I think you're young.  Do you? 

DANIEL: Yeah, I guess.  (pause)  I haven't much experience with girls. 

SARA: What about women? 

DANIEL: What?  

SARA: Never mind.  Look, I think you're a nice boy.  But, I gotta go.  Nice meeting ya.  Bye.

SARA gets up to leave and briskly walks towards exit.  Before she can leave the church, FATHER runs her down. 

FATHER: So, SARA, what do you think about DANIEL? 

SARA: Young, too young.  He's twenty-­one, I'm thirty.  I'd be interested in a nice man, FATHER, not a nice boy.  Bye.

She leaves the church.  FATHER is a bit chagrined. 

EXT. IN FRONT OF CINEMA ­ DAY 

ABRAHAM waits in front of cinema.  After some moments, SARA arrives on foot and approaches ABRAHAM. 

ABRAHAM: Hi, SARA.  How are you? 

SARA: Fine.  And you? 

ABRAHAM: Great!  Good to see you again.  What should we see today? 

SARA: How about Tomorrowland with George Clooney.  A review in the paper said it's good. 

ABRAHAM: Okay.  Let's buy our tickets.

ABRAHAM and SARA get in line so each can buy their own ticket for the movie.  After, they enter the cinema together.

INT. LOBBY OF CINEMA ­ DAY

ABRAHAM and SARA pass buy the refreshment stand where ABRAHAM buys a big bag of popcorn.  Then the two walk to the room where their movie is showing and enter it.

INT. ROOM AT CINEMA ­ DAY

ABRAHAM and SARA walk to their seats and sit down next to each other.  Movie starts. 

INT. COFFEE SHOP NEAR CINEMA ­ DAY

After watching movie together, ABRAHAM and SARA sit drinking coffee and talking. 

SARA: So, as I was saying, last week the FATHER at my church said he'd find me a nice young man.  You know, so many guys try to hit on me at the diner.  Hate it.  Thought the church would be better.  But, today, the FATHER introduces me to a kid, almost ten years younger than me...and so immature.  He likes his mommy to take care of him.  Pathetic.

ABRAHAM: You're looking for a boyfriend? 

SARA: Well, it'd be nice to have one.  Someone to talk to, to do things with.  (pause)  You've been alone for many years.  You don't want a girlfriend? 

ABRAHAM: Wait a second.  I enjoy your company, SARA.  You're a nice young woman.  But, I have no interest in you becoming my girlfriend.  I'm still in love with my wife and that's all I want.  I don't mean to offend you. 

SARA: No, no, you misunderstood me.  You're too old for me.  And you're not Catholic.  I was just curious, that's all.  I enjoy your company as well.  Let's just be friends.

ABRAHAM smiles. 

ABRAHAM: Okay, friends. 

Expansion Teams

As previously discussed, starting in the 1950s, the four major professional sports leagues in North America (Major League Baseball [MLB], the National Football League [NFL], the National Basketball Association [NBA] and the National Hockey League [NHL]), moved some of their franchises to different cities.

Beginning in the 1960s, they started adding new franchises. 

MLB 1961 Washington Senators (Texas Rangers in 1972), Los                              Angeles Angels

          1962 New York Mets, Houston Colt .45s (Astros)

          1969 Kansas City Royals, Seattle Pilots (Milwaukee Brewers              in 1970)

          1969 San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos (Washington                        Nationals in 2005)

          1977 Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners

          1993 Colorado Rockies, Florida (Miami) Marlins

          1998 Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Rays)

NFL  1960 Dallas Cowboys

         1961 Minnesota Vikings

         1966 Atlanta Falcons

         1967 New Orleans Saints 

         1970 from the American Football League: Boston Patriots                   (New England), Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver                 Broncos, Houston Oilers (Tennessee Titans), Kansas City                   Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders                   (Las Vegas) and San Diego (Los Angeles) Chargers

         1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks

         1995 Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars

         1996 Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore (Ravens)

         1999 Cleveland Browns

         2002 Houston Texans                                    

NBA 1976 New York Nets (New Jersey 1977, Brooklyn 2012)

         1988 Charlotte Hornets

         1966 Chicago Bulls

         1970 Cleveland Cavaliers

         1980 Dallas Mavericks

         1976 Denver Nuggets

         1967 San Diego Rockets (Houston 1971)

         1976 Indiana Pacers

         1970 Buffalo Braves (San Diego Clippers 1978, Los                           Angeles Clippers 1984)

         1995 Vancouver Grizzles (Memphis 2001)

         1988 Miami Heat

         1968 Milwaukee Bucks

         1989 Minnesota Timberwolves

         2002 New Orleans Hornets (Pelicans 2013)

         1967 Seattle Supersonics (2008 Oklahoma City Thunders)

         1989 Orlando Magic

         1968 Phoenix Suns

         1970 Portland Trailblazers

         1976 San Antonio Spurs

         1995 Toronto Rapters

         1974 New Orleans Jazz (Utah 1979)

         1961 Chicago Packers (Zephyrs 1962, Baltimore Bullets                     1963, Capital Bullets 1973, Washington Bullets 1974,                         Washington Wizards 1998)    

NHL 1967 Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars (Dallas                     Stars in 1993), Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins                     and the St. Louis Blues

         1970 Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks

         1972 New York Islanders, Atlanta Flames (Calgary in                         1980)

         1974 Washington Capitals, Kansas City Scouts (Colorado                   Rockies in 1976, New Jersey Devils in 1982)

         1979 Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers (Carolina                             Hurricanes in 1997), Quebec Nordiques (Colorado                               Avelanche in 1995) and Winnipeg Jets (Arizona Coyotes in                 1997)

         1991 San Jose Sharks

         1992 Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning

         1993 Florida Panthers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (Ducks)

         1998 Nashville Predators

         1999 Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets in 2011)

         2000 Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets

         2017 Vegas Golden Nights

         2021 Seattle Kraken

Who's next?

George Munger

 George Munger was born in Elkins Park (Philadelphia suburb), Pennsylvania in 1909.  In 1928 and 1929, he was captain of his Episcopal Academy (Overbrook section of Philadelphia) football team.  

Munger played halfback for the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) American football team from 1930 to 1932.  After graduating from Penn in 1933, he taught mathematics and religion at Episcopal Academy.  

In 1936, Munger was hired as the freshman football coach at Penn.  In 1938, he was promoted to be Penn's head football coach.  Munger remained the head coach for 16 years before stepping down after the 1953 season.

Munger's record was 82 wins, 42 losses and 10 ties, a winning percentage of 65%.  "His Penn teams finished ranked among the top ten college football teams in the United States on three occasions, including a No. 7 ranking in 1947 and a No. 8 ranking in 1945."  

"Munger's 1947 team finished with an undefeated 7–0–1 record and outscored opponents 219 to 35. The 1947 team shut out both Navy and Cornell by identical scores of 21–0, and its only setback was a 7–7 tie with Army."

"During the Munger era, Penn regularly drew crowds of 75,000 to home games at Franklin Field. Munger's teams led the nation in attendance between 1938 and 1942 with 1.78 million fans." 

"After resigning as the football coach, Munger served as the director of physical education at Penn from 1954 to 1974."

When I matriculated at Penn in 1963, I discovered there was a swimming requirement for a student to graduate.  One had to swim the length of an Olympic size pool.  I didn't even try.  I postponed the inevitable.

Three years later as a senior at Penn, I again faced the swimming requirement.  I went to the office of the director of physical education, George Munger.

When I entered his office, I recognized the man who was a legend in Penn football.  Unabashed, I asked for an exemption to the swimming requirement as I had signed up to take private swimming classes over the summer in Oswego.

A kind, understanding man, Munger quickly granted me a waiver to the swimming requirement.  As a result, I graduated on time in May 1967.  

I quit my swimming classes after the very first class.  It was in an unheated outdoor pool.  

I am forever grateful to George Munger.  He died of heart failure in 1994.   

Bobo Brazil

During my youth (1950s), I was a fan of boxing which was frequently shown on TV, especially Friday nights (sponsored by Gillette razors and blades).  When I had some money (not regularly), I would buy and read boxing magazines.

One popular magazine was Boxing and Wrestling.  I was not as interested in the latter sport, but I couldn't ignore what I had in front of me.

One of the combatants I found in the wrestling section of the magazine was Bobo Brazil.  He was born Houston Harris in 1924 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Bobo adopted his "exotic" professional name as the "South American giant."

Bobo Brazil wrestled professionally from 1951 until 1993.  He was a very big man: six foot, six inches tall (198 cm) and 270 pounds (122 kg).  

Brazil, an African-American, is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling.  His competitors included Killer (Walter) Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser (William Afflis), Haystacks (William) Calhoun, Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers (Herman Rodhe, Jr.).  Bobo's favorite wrestling move was a headbutt (known as the "coco butt").  

When I was a teenager, my brother Joel invited me to the TV station in Rochester, NY where he worked which put on live wrestling matches on Saturday afternoons as a way of advertising future matches the public would want to buy tickets for.  I remember somebody told me the ring floor would vibrate 5 times louder in order to exaggerate the effect of a wrestler being thrown down.

Sometimes when my daughter was young (1980s), we would watch wrestlers such as Randy Savage (Randall Poffo) and Rowdy Roddy Piper (Randall Toombs) on television.

When my son Bret played Little League baseball (1990s), one of the most popular wrestlers was Bret the Hitman Hart.  One of my son's baseball coaches used to call him Bret the hitman because of his batting prowess.   

Once I noticed an advertisement for a wrestling match at the nearby Nassau County Coliseum between Bret the Hitman Hart and another favorite, Stone Cold Steve Austin.  I bought tickets for Bret and me to attend the show.

When we arrived at the Coliseum, there was an announcement that neither Hart nor Austin would be there that night (but other wrestlers would be).  I think it was a gimmick for the promotors to advertise popular wrestlers in order to attract a big crowd.  We decided to go in and watch the wrestling matches anyway.  Never again!       

      

Seven Days in May

In 1964, the Brazilian military overthrew the legal civilian government under the leadership of President Joao Goulart.  The generals feared he was tilting Brazil toward communism.  

The coup had the support of the US government under President Lyndon Baines Johnson.  In its 234 year history, the US has never suffered a military overthrow of its own.

The book, Seven Days in May, was published in 1962.  Its plot concerned a fictional attempted military takeover of the US government.  The rationale was a difference of opinion over a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union.

The movie, Seven Days in May, was released in 1964.  It starred Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Frederick March, Ava Gardner, Edmund O'Brien (nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, but won by Peter Ustinov in Topkapi) and Martin Balsam.  Interestingly, Lancaster, Gardner and O'Brien all appeared in the 1946 film, The Killers.

In the book and the movie, General Scott (Lancaster), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plots a coup.  His assistant, Colonel Casey (Douglas), not part of the coup, discovers some suspicious information.  He informs the president (March).  O'Brien and Balsam play two of those loyal to the president.  

Gardner plays Scott's former mistress.  In The Killers, Lancaster and Gardner were also lovers, but in Seven Days in May, they have no scenes together.

The book ends with the President making the following statement:  

"Now, this country has been in existence almost two hundred years, and our roots as a republic go back much farther than that. We were given the finest Constitution ever written by men. You know, it is unique. There is no political document like it in history, because it was written all at once, from scratch, but it still has lasted and it has been adaptable to changes the founding fathers could not have dreamed of.

That Constitution and the whole governmental structure that flows from it are taught as basic subjects, bread-and- •butter, at the service academies, even more than at our other colleges and schools. The cadets and midshipmen there absorb it. And throughout their careers they live with it much more than do most civilians. They read it on their commissions, and it is part of their oath of office. They fight for it, of course, as junior officers, and as senior officers they never question its arrangements for ultimate civilian authority, no matter how much they may differ with the elected officials on some particular issue.

So, when you think about it, this is perhaps the finest tradition of our military services, and it is certainly one of the most important now, because with missiles and satellites and nuclear weapons, military commanders could take control of any nation by just pushing some buttons.

I am sure the American people do not believe that any such thought ever entered the mind of any general officer in our services since the day the country began. Let us pray that it never will."