WRITINGS:
RICHARD BOTTO
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October 2003
Madness: Part Two
The very first words to appear on this page in our premier issue was
the title of my first letter: "Has the Entire World Gone Mad or
is it Just Me?" That story was about the complexities of women
and the state of the male mind. Watching the news this week and reading
our papers of "record" had me asking myself that question
all over again, but for entirely different reasons.
California is in disarray. Ah-nold has thrown his hat into the ring
with no agenda so far except spewing "Hasta la vista, baby"
every 10 seconds or so, which according to a poll I viewed this morning,
is enough to carry the state. Gary Coleman, who played a character named
Arnold, is running, but just as a symbol... of what, we don't know.
Larry Flynt is giving it a go as well, and one of his platforms is a
National Day of Prayer for the death of Bill O'Reilly. And then there's
the porn star and Don Novello, Father Guido Sarducci himself, also in
the mix. No one seems to care that this makes a mockery of our electoral
system, just that it makes good reading/viewing.
There has been the
announcement that the media will be allowed in the preliminary hearing
for the Scott Peterson double-murder trial. If you listen closely, you
can hear the celebration from newsroom to newsroom across the country.
Reality TV, indeed.
A seven-minute court
appearance by Kobe Bryant required 300 media passes. The footage of
our latest fallen role model walking in and out of the courthouse replayed
more times than the Zapruder film.
Ted Williams, baseball
great, frozen since his death last year, has had his head separated
from the rest of his body and his DNA stolen. This, and all of the above,
receiving more print, more airtime, than the fact that the FBI caught
a "bad guy" who was smuggling missile launchers into the country
with the intention of blowing up more of our airliners.
And that leads me
to the saddest story of the week, the one that received the least coverage
outside the sports world, the passing of the legendary Herb Brooks.
Brooks was the architect of the single greatest, and arguably the most
important moment in American sports history, The Miracle on Ice at the
1980 Olympics. You remember what was going on at that time, an economic
crisis here, a hostage situation there, a demoralized nation everywhere.
And then there was Herb, with his conviction, with his no-name, rag-tag
group of kids (the pros didn't play back in those days), huge underdogs
who didn't have a prayer, who picked the nation up and carried it on
their shoulders, galvanized it for two amazing winter weeks. No scandal,
no controversy, simply amazing on its own merit.
But that alone was
not why Herb's passing had such an impact on me. A couple of years later,
Herb found himself coaching the New York Rangers and after a game one
night, I found myself sitting a table away from him at a restaurant a
few glides away from Madison Square Garden. Barely a teenager, I was awed
by his presence. I found myself looking over at him from time to time,
watching him hold court. He continuously caught me gazing. Having been
distracted by me one too many times, he rose from his table and walked
over to me.
Brooks was known
as a task-master. He was known as a hard-ass. Some people accused him
of being incapable of experiencing joy. I didn't see any of that. He
asked me if I knew what I wanted to do with my life and I mumbled something
about writing, filmmaking, who knows what I was saying. He sensed my
unease and nervousness and said, "Whatever you end up doing, do
it with heart and stay true to yourself. That will guarantee a winning
life." He continued, "Do you see what they write about me
in the papers?" I nodded. "Do I look worried? Remember this,
kid, live your life, not the life of anyone else." And with that,
he was gone.
As I was reading
the papers and watching the news this week, I couldn't get that last
line out of my mind... Sage advice for a nation that lives vicariously
through the lives of others.
Stay frozen, Teddy
Baseball, it's madness out here.
Enjoy the Issue,
Richard Botto,
Editor in Chief / CEO of RAZOR Magazine - The Definitive Men's Lifestyle Magazine
www.razormagazine.com
