6.14.2005

Even Iron rusts

To my legions of fans ... ok, all one of you ... I apologize for the delay, but with the move from Connecticut to Virginia, and starting the new job, its been pretty hectic and all sorts of crazy.

So without any further delay ...

Back in the 1980s when Mike Tyson used to enter the ring, you got the sense only one boxer was coming out alive. I'm not talking about the Tyson with the tattooed face.

Or the convicted rapist.

Or the man who decided to dine on Evander Holyfield's ear.

I'm talking about Iron Mike Tyson, the boxer who would come into the ring -- black shorts, black shoes, no socks, white towel framing most of his face -- with three things on his mind.

Destroy his opponent. Make him hurt. Make him remember the hurt.

So how sad was it to see Mike Tyson -- no long Iron Mike -- sitting on a stool, unwilling to come out for the seventh round against an honest-to-God tomato can named Kevin McBride (6'6" and 271 pounds notwithstanding)?

Somehow, given the way his professional and personal lives spiraled out of control, this was not that much of a surprise.

I did not watch the fight. I am not a boxing fan and there was no way I was going to drop $44.95 to watch this mess, regardless of the fact that it was Tyson. I think those who laid out the cash wanted to see an emotional train wreck.

What was he going to do? Kick McBride? Gnaw on him? Try to kill him -- literally?

Instead, viewers saw a shell of a man. A man whose life has backslid badly from the moment his best friend and trainer Cus D'Amato died.

Tyson will be back -- I'm guessing in a year, maybe 18 months. By then, will anyone really care?

One more thing -- Michael Jackson? Obviously all that surgery included an infusion of Teflon. There is no doubt in my mind he has done something not completely kosher to a child.

And for the second time, he got away with it.

His time will come, pardon the pun. Wait and see.

So, what do you think? I'd like to know.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay, Igor returns! See, I do pay attention to your page.

Poor Tyson... I feel bad for him in a social worker kind of way. That boy really needs to find better friends. And stop paying the ones he has.

As for Michael Jackson? I heard OJ sent him a congratulatory fruit basket. It was a poor choice for prosecution, in having an unsympathetic victim -- the family. It's also proof that if you hire a clever enough attorney, you can squeak out under "reasonable doubt". I hope he's broke and has to move into a condo.

Anonymous said...

PS: I like the article title. But I like most all your article titles. That's why you're the writer, eh?

Unknown said...

the joy of headline writing 101 ...which i never took! :)

Anonymous said...

You're so good baby, you didn't need it!

So tell me about the job.

Unknown said...

The job is what it is ... slogging through a lot of copy to have it conform to standrds and styles they have set up.

For the life of me, I am not even sure who buys this copy ... apparently, a lot of people do because the division I am in -- just business news -- consistently makes more than $1 million a year.

I figure if I keep my mouth shut (DONT say it :)), so what is asked of me, and then some more ... and take advantage of the opportuntities I hope I will get to learn, then things should be ok ... my boss knows from my interview that I would rather be with a newspaper -- if I can get them through this next phase of development, then perhaps my may into one of the Knight-Ridder papers -- perhaps Kansas City, perhaps St. Paul ... or I may just stay in Washington.

It's really not bad here if you can get past the summers ... and since I survived a few of them in Oklahoma and Missouri, this should be a piece of cake.

The people I work with seem ok, but we're all in cubicles, so there's not a lot of interaction.

The building does have a gym on the sixth floor, and now that I am working second shift, I go afterwards, and there is no one there -- I have the entire facility to myself, I can shower in peace afterwards and it's all good.

I've been using a stationary bicycle, doing anywhere between 10-25 miles a night ... hitting the weight, although nothing like I used to do when I was younger ... trying to get used to the elliptical machine -- that has been a beast so far.

So, all things considered, it's not bad ... it can get lonely, but that's my own doing, I guess. What I think I am going to start doing on the weekends I am in town is go to DC and just walk around and be kind of touristy. I do want to check out the Holocaust museum and the Smithsonian and some of the other monuments around here.

So, there you have it. What else can I tell you? I'd like to know :)

Anonymous said...

Poor thing... you never learn to stop asking for my opinion. No matter what you deny, I think you do enjoy the abuse. In some capacity. Especially if you'd be excited about moving again anytime soon. You sick puppy, you. ;P

It sounds like you're keeping yourself busy, and your coworkers have been worse in the past. Checking out the tourist spots in DC is a good way to get acclimated. You will add to your breadth of knowledge, and may even find a hidden treasure. Or a not-previously-discovered treasure, if you want to be technical.

Be patient, young Jedi. You are worthy of a fulfilling position. It will come.