Last Round For Willy McGovern
The caller ID read “Roberta McGovern.” I hesitated picking up the phone. I knew that my beloved friend, Willy, had finally lost his long and valiant battle with cancer. The odds were heavily against
him—he couldn't win. I just didn't know how long he could hang on. Often he sounded as if it might be forever. His only complaint was that the endless treatments made him very tired. Knowing this, I tried to keep our phone conversations brief. No matter how short the call, I always felt better after talking with him. He could do that for me. Roberta told me that he faded fast once he decided it was time to let go.
Our mutual pal, Jimmy Mills, said it best on his Christmas card: “Willy was 'unique.'” I couldn't agree more. I thought so when I first met him in 1947 and the passing years had re-enforced the image.
He wore glasses, when most of us didn't; he was short, yet somehow made “shortness” attractive;
he had a tattoo—one of only three in the whole school; he was a voracious reader—never without a Penguin book stuck in his hip pocket; he had a grin that just made you feel good; and his voice—his voice was then, and until he passed—music to my ears. Even over the phone, even though he was dying, that voice could transport me back over time to boyhood days and happy times. It was a truly Chicago voice—low, gravelly, deliberate, emphasizing each word, combining a barely discernible sarcasm with a tinge of humor. Thankfully, I can hear him clearly in my mind whenever I wish.
If not for Willy, I might never have heard Tony Smith rock the foundation at the Blinkin' Pup on North Clark St. or gone down to the Blue Note to hear Art Lund sing or George Shearing's jazz. I may never have discovered pegged pants or blue suede shoes. I would watch him dancing with his girlfriend, a foot taller than he, and try to emulate his rhythmic bebop moves—never with much success. I even got a tattoo, although, many years later. I was eager to show it to him—strange behavior for a man well into his sixties.
Together, we joined the high school boxing team and soon were fighting for the Northwest AC, a fairly decrepit 2nd floor gym on Division Street, formerly a Bugs Moran Speakeasy with the peep hole still in the door. I was too young for an AAU license, but Willy's friend, Vinny Peletieri, who worked for a printer, charged me 25 cents for a most authentic looking Baptismal Record, complete with gold seal and baby's footprint. It was completely bogus except for my name and that of the South Side parish where I was christened. Mr. Parks, the AAU inspector, happened to be the father of a girl with whom I went to grade school. Chewing the stub of a cigar, he growled that he knew I wasn't old enough, but signed me up anyway, seeming to admire Vinny's handwork.
Our timing couldn't have been better. There were two amateur shows a week. Tuesdays at the North Side's Rainbow Arena and Fridays at the American Legion Hall on the West Side. It was the early days of black and white television and ABC televised all the bouts. I once got a telegram clear from Pittsburgh. Pop Howard, the matchmaker, took a liking to us and put us on the card whenever we wished. The frosting on the cake was that we received “expense money,” $10.00 for 3 rounds and $15.00 for the 4 round windups. That was some serious revenue in the late '40s for a couple of wise guy teenagers.
Willy and I were sparring one evening at the Midwest Gym on West Madison Street, when over his shoulder I saw the popular heavyweight, Bob Satterfield, come out of the showers. “Willy, you got to see this guy!” He squinted towards the locker room--to no avail. He then rushed to the ring post where he had hung his glasses. Watching him fumble to put on his glasses with boxing gloves was hilarious.
He finally succeeded, took a look, and agreed with me: “Jeeze! That Satterfield is Quite The Man, even if he does have a glass jaw.”
In our senior year, he and Jack Rose devised a way to raise some extra cash. Mac-Rose Enterprises was loosely formed for the purpose of running raffles. The first one had a barrel of beer for the prize and was moderately successful. Willy decided to up the ante—so to speak. Rumor has it that the McGovern's had a cleaning lady with less than perfect morals who was willing to lend her support to the Enterprise. The sale of chances improved immensely as the word spread throughout St. George High School and beyond, but unfortunately, found its way to the attention of our school's principal. The Christian Brothers presented Willy with what they considered a reasonable condition. Either he bring in his father for a conference, or be expelled. This was an easy decision considering graduation was only two weeks away. Surprisingly, Willy opted to be expelled. As he told me many years later, “I loved the old man too much to subject him to that kind of humiliation.” I fear that John McGovern never knew that his eldest son had been offered this alternative to expulsion.
When I got married, my mother-in-law-to-be insisted the reception be held at the Womens Club of Evanston. Since Evanston was completely dry in those days, non-alcoholic punch was to be the featured beverage. “Punch!” roared her husband, Mike. He spat out the word as if it were “cod liver oil.”
He was afraid the Irish uncles wouldn't stay-- that is, if they showed up at all. Not to worry. Willy McGovern saved the day. Marching in with a mile-wide grin and a flourish, he pulled a quart of Jim Beam from his coat and hid it behind the seat cushion of an overstuffed couch. Needless to say, thanks to Willy's foresight, the reception was a huge success.
To me, Willy always seemed even-tempered. I can't recall ever seeing him angry or depressed--if so, he hid it well. Any enemies he may have had were invisible. He had a truly magnetic personality. Everyone wanted to be his friend and I was no exception. I think I loved him most because I sensed the genuine kindness of his heart beneath all that cool bravado. Jimmy Mills was right. Willy was unique--never to be duplicated--not even close. He enriched our lives. I'll miss him.
Terry Tynan
January 22, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
“Creative” Emails
I routinely hear from an old college pal--let's call him Murph--who delights in forwarding emails dedicated to the failure of President Obama and his administration. I know that Murph and his cohorts consider themselves patriots and, as such, believe that since the end justifies the means, facts and truth are irrelevant, Several emails ago, I started going directly to Snopes.com or FactCheck.org and forwarding the results to Murph, suggesting he pass it on to the folks who emailed him, as well as his own substantial list, of which I am a member. So far, this hasn't happened nor has he acknowledged or apologized for misleading me so callously.
Today, he didn't let me down. How could he know I was writing this article? Maybe the Forces of Truth guided him to furnish me even more damning evidence. This email has Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler, saying:
“... Where the hell is our outrage with this so called president?...We've got a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff...Throw all the Democrats out along with Obama!”
Supposedly, these are excerpts from the book, “Where Have All The Leaders Gone ?” by Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney, New York, Scribner, 2007 (notice the date—Obama wasn't inaugurated until 2009). If you read what Mr. Iacocca actually said, you will find that his criticism was directed at the Bush administration. The email creators cleverly converted the references over to Obama and the Democrats so that “... a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff,...” becomes “... a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff...”
The following quote from an interview by David G. Allen for West Virginia Media, indicates a different Iacocca opinion:
"... I've seen this Obama fellow in action and his breadth of knowledge is so great. He can run the Fed. He knows where we need troops. He can get tax cheats to pay up and perform government service. He knows which CEOs to fire and which CEOs deserve bonuses...”
The email that first prompted me to do this piece contained an article written by Dr. David Kaiser, a highly respected historian, currently a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the Naval War College. The article compared Barack Obama and his agenda to Adolph Hitler and the birth of the Third Reich. Unlike the Iacocca quote, in which words and even entire paragraphs were altered, the Kaiser article was not even written by Dr. Kaiser--he says so in his blog. He further states that the views attributed to him are mostly contrary to his real opinions. This is significant--as is Iacocca's above-quoted praise for Obama.
Since there is a plethora of popular and articulate Obama detractors, like Ben Stein, why utilize people who have shown an affinity for the President? My opinion...the email creators are pranksters at heart. How audacious to use two of Obama's fans to discredit him. What perfect irony!
Another question: Why risk embarrassing “The Cause” by employing outrageous lies that can be so easily exposed with a few keystrokes? Does their Party promote this behavior? The Iran-Contra and Watergate fiascos were blatant enough to make one expect that a contrite Republican Party would have emerged, vowing to sin no more, but that didn't happen. The sin of “Bearing false witness” should never be condoned by a political group priding itself on “values.”
The Grand Old Party of Dirksen, Goldwater, and Eisenhower is gone, replaced by political misfits saddled with “bumper sticker” mentalities. It is disturbing to see the substantial numbers of people involved in the viral spread of these two fraudulent emails. Either they were too lazy to verify the content or they were complicit in the subterfuge.
I miss the old Republicans. They were people of principle, usually putting our country's welfare ahead of their politics. They battled the Democrats ferociously, but with honest reasoning, and with an overriding sense of fair play that was typical of most Americans then. Those were years when deciding between presidential candidates could be difficult—not because they were so alike, but because they were both so deserving of the office.
I wish that I could have an honest and stimulating political discussion with my old friend, Murph. Maybe, sometime... Maybe, when pigs fly.
Terry Tynan
Kenosha
terrytynan@att.net
I routinely hear from an old college pal--let's call him Murph--who delights in forwarding emails dedicated to the failure of President Obama and his administration. I know that Murph and his cohorts consider themselves patriots and, as such, believe that since the end justifies the means, facts and truth are irrelevant, Several emails ago, I started going directly to Snopes.com or FactCheck.org and forwarding the results to Murph, suggesting he pass it on to the folks who emailed him, as well as his own substantial list, of which I am a member. So far, this hasn't happened nor has he acknowledged or apologized for misleading me so callously.
Today, he didn't let me down. How could he know I was writing this article? Maybe the Forces of Truth guided him to furnish me even more damning evidence. This email has Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler, saying:
“... Where the hell is our outrage with this so called president?...We've got a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff...Throw all the Democrats out along with Obama!”
Supposedly, these are excerpts from the book, “Where Have All The Leaders Gone ?” by Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney, New York, Scribner, 2007 (notice the date—Obama wasn't inaugurated until 2009). If you read what Mr. Iacocca actually said, you will find that his criticism was directed at the Bush administration. The email creators cleverly converted the references over to Obama and the Democrats so that “... a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff,...” becomes “... a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff...”
The following quote from an interview by David G. Allen for West Virginia Media, indicates a different Iacocca opinion:
"... I've seen this Obama fellow in action and his breadth of knowledge is so great. He can run the Fed. He knows where we need troops. He can get tax cheats to pay up and perform government service. He knows which CEOs to fire and which CEOs deserve bonuses...”
The email that first prompted me to do this piece contained an article written by Dr. David Kaiser, a highly respected historian, currently a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the Naval War College. The article compared Barack Obama and his agenda to Adolph Hitler and the birth of the Third Reich. Unlike the Iacocca quote, in which words and even entire paragraphs were altered, the Kaiser article was not even written by Dr. Kaiser--he says so in his blog. He further states that the views attributed to him are mostly contrary to his real opinions. This is significant--as is Iacocca's above-quoted praise for Obama.
Since there is a plethora of popular and articulate Obama detractors, like Ben Stein, why utilize people who have shown an affinity for the President? My opinion...the email creators are pranksters at heart. How audacious to use two of Obama's fans to discredit him. What perfect irony!
Another question: Why risk embarrassing “The Cause” by employing outrageous lies that can be so easily exposed with a few keystrokes? Does their Party promote this behavior? The Iran-Contra and Watergate fiascos were blatant enough to make one expect that a contrite Republican Party would have emerged, vowing to sin no more, but that didn't happen. The sin of “Bearing false witness” should never be condoned by a political group priding itself on “values.”
The Grand Old Party of Dirksen, Goldwater, and Eisenhower is gone, replaced by political misfits saddled with “bumper sticker” mentalities. It is disturbing to see the substantial numbers of people involved in the viral spread of these two fraudulent emails. Either they were too lazy to verify the content or they were complicit in the subterfuge.
I miss the old Republicans. They were people of principle, usually putting our country's welfare ahead of their politics. They battled the Democrats ferociously, but with honest reasoning, and with an overriding sense of fair play that was typical of most Americans then. Those were years when deciding between presidential candidates could be difficult—not because they were so alike, but because they were both so deserving of the office.
I wish that I could have an honest and stimulating political discussion with my old friend, Murph. Maybe, sometime... Maybe, when pigs fly.
Terry Tynan
Kenosha
terrytynan@att.net
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Name Withheld
A recent VOP submission criticized the annoying practice of using “Name withheld” rather than take ownership of a letter. A friend of mine won't read anything by “Name withheld.” I sometimes feel short-changed with an unsigned letter. Here are some reasons why I think people withhold their names: they are overly modest, ashamed of their writing ability, self conscious about their feelings, afraid of compromising their privacy--or the letter itself is full of lies.
After doing a little research, it turns out that, whatever their motive, they have every right to withhold their name and the Kenosha News, though in the minority, is on the right side of history with its policy of printing unsigned letters. My source is Bill Reader, formerly a lecturer of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. According to Reader, “... unsigned letters were a tradition reaching back to pre-Revolutionary newspapers...” “The New York Times published its first unsigned letter in 1851.” Even though, by 1995, 84% of newspapers had 'must sign' rules, Reader feels that such restrictions “... actually violate the traditions of American journalism, do not support the spirit of the First Amendment in the eyes of the law...” He suggests that to be a true forum of public opinion, newspapers should welcome all views, including those of people who, for whatever reason, feel most vulnerable, thus, choosing to remain anonymous.
For instance, my next letter will be about how the Town of Somers has been over charging me on my sewer bill. Of course, I intend to sign it: “Name withheld.” Have you ever tried to unplug a clogged sewer line?
Terry Tynan
339 Sheridan Rd.
262-939-2303
terrytynan@att.net
A recent VOP submission criticized the annoying practice of using “Name withheld” rather than take ownership of a letter. A friend of mine won't read anything by “Name withheld.” I sometimes feel short-changed with an unsigned letter. Here are some reasons why I think people withhold their names: they are overly modest, ashamed of their writing ability, self conscious about their feelings, afraid of compromising their privacy--or the letter itself is full of lies.
After doing a little research, it turns out that, whatever their motive, they have every right to withhold their name and the Kenosha News, though in the minority, is on the right side of history with its policy of printing unsigned letters. My source is Bill Reader, formerly a lecturer of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. According to Reader, “... unsigned letters were a tradition reaching back to pre-Revolutionary newspapers...” “The New York Times published its first unsigned letter in 1851.” Even though, by 1995, 84% of newspapers had 'must sign' rules, Reader feels that such restrictions “... actually violate the traditions of American journalism, do not support the spirit of the First Amendment in the eyes of the law...” He suggests that to be a true forum of public opinion, newspapers should welcome all views, including those of people who, for whatever reason, feel most vulnerable, thus, choosing to remain anonymous.
For instance, my next letter will be about how the Town of Somers has been over charging me on my sewer bill. Of course, I intend to sign it: “Name withheld.” Have you ever tried to unplug a clogged sewer line?
Terry Tynan
339 Sheridan Rd.
262-939-2303
terrytynan@att.net
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