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Just returned from today's memorial service to Al Oerter. Turn out of maybe 5-600 people. I read the signatures of those attending and did not recognize too many; other than Wolfgang Schmidt; Bob Beamon; somebody signing for John Carlos; Jesse Mashburn. I was first to arrive (fearing a full house - ha, ha this is Ft. Myers and we're talking a Track and Field legend), and hovered around the lobby. Then I heard somebody behind me saying: "Hi I'm Hariold Connolly." I turned to see an old guy (I'm in my 60's) introducing himself to someone. Would I have recognised him on the street, nope, then I unconsciously looked at his left arm. Yup Hal Connolly. I heard Jesse Mashburn was there; had to be the old black guy there in a filed of white faces. My God I thought, he ran with Owens!
It was a great memorial. Babka spoke, Pat McCormack (diver 4 golds) spoke, Beamon spoke. But the best was Harold Connolly. Told a number of Oerter stories. My fave was the one about a bunch of throwers standing at the bottom of the Tokyo stadium steps competing with each other running to the top of the stadium. Oerter wanders by and asks what they're doing, then asks if he canjoin in. Jay Sylvester had been the best up til then, so they pair them. "Al dusted him," said Connolly. Kep in mind this is the Olympics where Oerter has half his rib cage torn, and is supposed to be "taking it easy." Never one to turn away from a competition.
My favorite Oerter quote: "It's acceptable to die at the weight rack, it's not acceptable to die in the board room."
Connolly, Babka, Beamon, all said he was the best Olympian of the modern age. Babka said he could hardly wait for Oerter to approach Zeus and ask him if he could get into the Olympics in heaven.
What came across most, though, was the love and respect his friends and family had for him, not as an athlete, but as a man.
It was a great memorial. Babka spoke, Pat McCormack (diver 4 golds) spoke, Beamon spoke. But the best was Harold Connolly. Told a number of Oerter stories. My fave was the one about a bunch of throwers standing at the bottom of the Tokyo stadium steps competing with each other running to the top of the stadium. Oerter wanders by and asks what they're doing, then asks if he canjoin in. Jay Sylvester had been the best up til then, so they pair them. "Al dusted him," said Connolly. Kep in mind this is the Olympics where Oerter has half his rib cage torn, and is supposed to be "taking it easy." Never one to turn away from a competition.
My favorite Oerter quote: "It's acceptable to die at the weight rack, it's not acceptable to die in the board room."
Connolly, Babka, Beamon, all said he was the best Olympian of the modern age. Babka said he could hardly wait for Oerter to approach Zeus and ask him if he could get into the Olympics in heaven.
What came across most, though, was the love and respect his friends and family had for him, not as an athlete, but as a man.
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