| |
My Afternoon with Jack Johnson by
Ed "Brock" Brockman |
The
recent articles on former heavyweight champion Jack
Johnson, a native son of Galveston,
prompted me to relate my experience with the great one.
The time was 1935
or 1936, I was a young high school student in Denver, Colorado interested in girls,
football and boxing, in whatever order that they were presented to me.
In those days my father used to give me a quarter to spend for lunch. This was
adequate then, in fact we used to get by for a dime (a bowl of chili and all the
crackers that we could eat). We would sometimes ditch school and go down on Curtis
Street, and for another dime attend one of the many movie houses that lined the
street.
It was on one of these excursions that I spotted a side show.
These shows were remnants of Carnivals and circuses that were closed for the winter.
There were posters outside showing a very fat lady, Eiko and Leco, the sheep headed
men and Jack Johnson, ex Heavyweight Champion of the world.
After the pitch
man outside convinced about twenty people to come up with a dime we went inside.
On a platform about ten feet square and eighteen inches high stood Jack Johnson
in the classic boxing pose, left arm extended, bent at the elbow, fist closed
with the palm up, right hand cocked, ready for action.
He answered questions
from the small crowd. During this time he noticed me, and asked if I was interested
in boxing. I assured him that I was. When the group dispersed, he told me that
I did not have to leave, so I spent the remainder of the afternoon just talking
and getting boxing tips from the ex champ. This was in between shows (about twenty
minutes at a time).
Later on, I did have one bout refereed by Jess Willard,
and another by Mickey Walker. But wasn't good at it so I quit. |
| | "Sardinia
1944
Brock, in front of his tent, consoles a native."
Photo
courtesy Ed "Brock" Brockman | |
I
think that Galveston
is overdue in honoring this man, and that they should do so. Not to exploit Galveston,
but to honor him for what he was, a great and courageous human.
His biography
may never mention that at one time he had to appear in a sideshow to make a buck,
but I will always cherish the time he spent to encourage a young, aspiring boxer.
Do you know? Not even once did he ever ask "Why in the hell aren't you in school"?
That folks, is a GREAT MAN. |
©
Ed "Brock" Brockman
"They
shoe horses, don't they?" June
5, 2006 Guest Column
Originally published in the Galveston County Daily News
See
also
Jack
Johnson by Bob Bowman ("All Things Historical" Column)
"...
Johnson, who was born in Galveston and honed his physical skills by lifting cotton
bales as a youngster in the Newton County river port of Belgrade, became the heavyweight
title in 1910 when he defeated Jim Jeffries..." more
|
Recommended
Book
Unforgivable Blackness | |
|
|
