No sooner settled down for a peek at that Tuesday nite ESPN2 show topped by past heavy prospect Jeremy Williams and Andre Purlett ... a bout billed as pivotal for the winner - when it flashed before my eyes.
A Mike Lupica of NY Daily News blurb of some years back ... seems the Metsies were making waves in the pennant race and small town USA media wasn't taking kindly to it. First under fire came the ball team, and then the attack shifted to the New York media.
Lupica's response was short and sweet ... "Oh well, there's New York, and there's out of town." ... and lemme tell ya, last nite's card from Corpus Christi, Texas easily earned equal standing in the outta town department.
Not the fighters ... all came to give it their best ... Williams pretty much performed according to the track record ... quick out of the starting gate ... and catchable during the run for the wire ... but not by a tentative Purlett who came up short via decision.
Still, Purlett did show grit after being dropped twice in round two and again in round three courtesy of Williams left-hook ... Andre also had his moments during candles 4-5-6 ... but even with help from a couple friends it wouldn't be enough.
As for the "outta town" label ... ignominiously earned by the excess collateral in and around ringside ... a third man in-the-ring hack that will go nameless ... clown had enough exposure via the magic lantern - and if this guy couldn't screw up that proverbial high mass he surely could with help from commish ringside physician in attendance.
Apparently, out there in the Lone Star state they don't do dress rehearsals ... strictly play the thing by ear ... wing it ... and if unable to improve on the referee selections of last night, maybe the best move is stick with rodeos and shootouts at the OK Corral.
Heard once an official knows he's done a good job when managing to remain anonymous ... not these hacks ... round two a one of a kinder ... Purlett down ... a stinging left jab dropped him ... then a second time ... and here comes the ring doc making a house call.
Ref hack gives way to the doctor hack and calls pause to the action ... and the ring clock ticks on ... Purlett gets the green light ... is down again in round three but recovers to rock a seemingly tiring Williams in number eight.
Last bit of humor by the strange one with body language never before seen from a ring official comes in final candle ... Jeremy teeing off big time on a hapless Purlett ... mouthpiece sails into the cheap seats ... ref no-name halts action calls for search party to hunt for the missing rubber.
In closing, a question: just what was Horace Greeley's message in that yesteryear shout of "Go west young man" ... maybe a cookout with good ol' carny man P.T. Barnum?
Semper fi,
GEL
06-10-03
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