Because I was a weird kid, I used to bring my football and my kicking tee to the playground that was across the street from Coconut Grove Elementary School. The walk was no more than one long block from my house at 3180 Oak Avenue. That must have been around 1956. I was 10.
Back then no one I knew wanted to be a kicker. Yes, there were some famous professional football kickers but no one I knew wanted to be the next Lou Groza. We all wanted to be star Heisman Trophy running backs like Hopalong Cassady of Ohio State and the Detroit Lions. I had no pretense of being a great player so I spent a lot of hours in that playground kicking the ball against the wire fence that protected the windows of the dining hall at the school. Kick -- get the ball -- set it up -- kick again. As I said, I was a weird kid.
As a result of all that, I became a kicker. The truth is that even with all that practice I was not a really great kicker. Since most kids were not weird and most kids did not want to be a kicker, it fell on my toe by default because I was not worse than the other kids. I was very lucky because I played on a high school team with "There is No Defense for Larry Rentz" and we won all but our last regular season game. That put us into the playoffs and we won the Florida state championship. Yes we won by my last minute field goal but even that kick was not especially long or interesting. Larry Rentz was the holder.
At 76 years old, it is fun for me to bore you with some of my personal history. It's also fun to think about how different things were a half a century ago. For example, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president in 1956 and Richard Nixon was his VEEP. My parents wore campaign buttons that said "I like Ike'. No one I knew liked Nixon. He was not a very likable character. He goofed up at the Watergate Hotel and was pretty much a disgrace.
Today we hear endless stories about Covid and Russia. Back then we heard endless stories about Nixon and the Soviet Union. In Miami we were 90 miles from Cuba and we were sure the Soviets were going to use Cuba as a place to attack the US. Some of my richer friends built bomb shelters in their backyards and the rest of us walked around on pins and needles waiting to be blown into smithereens.
Back then some girls wore poodle skirts. They also wore something called Bobby-socks. We went to events called sock hops where we danced to 1950s rocknroll songs in the school gym. My high school was in the richest part of Miami -- Coral Gables. I did not live there but I could either attend Coral Gables (CGHS) or Miami High. I had the choice. My parents thought CGHS was a better school so that's where I went.
Going to school with the richest kids in Miami was an eye-opener. They shopped in the best stores and wore the coolest clothing. I wanted to look like them so I spent a lot of my youth earning money mowing yards and painting houses and I spent it all on clothes. One very peculiar thing about our high school was the social life. Those rich kids really liked to party. We even had fraternities and sororities. The coolest kids were in a frat named Ching Tang. I was in something called Wheel Club. Sometimes the boys in those Frats would get in fights. I recall when Larry Rentz decided to join Wheel instead of Ching Tang. The Chinks came to our next Wheel party and we had a sort of gang war. Ouch.
I believe I have hit my limit for childhood boredom. I promise to get back to macroecon next week.
Dear LSD. Down here at depth I turned on the Tuna Time Machine ‘n went back to 1963 @ the Garbage Bowl (aka Central Stadium on Coral Way in Miami) for CGHS Cavaliers’ futebowel’s third game vs. the Key West Conchs, who defeated CGHS 7-6 cuz someone missed the PAT ☹. CGHS’ futebowel team ran the table thereafter, ‘n capped its 1963 season by win’n Florida’s first bona-fide high school state championship game over Tampa Robinson 16-14 due to a last-minute 65-yard field goal 😊—after hav’n missed a PAT after CGHS’ second TD ☹ (Oh,no! Mr. Bill, were the Cavs gunna lose a nudder due to a miss’d PAT?).
ReplyDeleteI think you were a pretty kool guy at CGHS. So, why didn’t you join Ching Tang?
Good historical review Tuna. I'm glad I made that field goal! Whew. As for Ching Tang, I liked the guys in Wheel. They seemed more down to earth. Less cool and a lot more fun.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. We had similar childhoods. However I had a store manger for hardware as ad dad and 3 architects as first cousins , So I could do architecture. I went to GT, designed the GT and majored in IM which is now OP. Good career but little art. That’s what I d now….paint passionate pictures.
ReplyDeleteI thought Gibson designed the GT.
DeleteHe did but recently you have my comments listed under anonymous
DeleteOK
DeleteGreat memories. I remember that Al Mata got nutted in the Key West game and waddled off the field holding his crotch with both hands.
ReplyDeleteHowever it came to be, your 35 yarder stands out as one of my great memories. I was sitting in the stands with my Dad and brother, Donnie.
Thank you! It changed my whole life -- and for the better.
DeleteThanks for the memories. Think you were in Mr. Eterskew's (sp) math class with me. Maybe you transferred in after the Christmas break if I recall correctly.
ReplyDeleteSounds right to me. Long time ago. I was not a great math jock back then.
DeleteI see no mention of Miami high who either beat you or gave you all you could handle.
ReplyDeleteThey were always great games. The rivalry
Was great the players knew each other which made it more intense. Great times .
The ’63-‘64 Cavs beat the Stingareez 14-13 to a record high school crowd in the OB. Ironically, that would have been our losing score against Tampa Robinson had Mr. LSD missed his faboo 65-yard FG in the waning secondz of the champ game. Fortunately, Mr. LSD’s golden toe wuz right-on in that Cavs vs. Stingareez game.
Delete35 yards,
Delete65-ydz soundz so-o-o much more dramatic 😃.
DeleteBut a wee bit out of my range. I have to say it was one of the best kicks I ever made. I knew the second I hit the ball that it was going straight and a good distance. My kick against SW was 41 yards -- the famous one might have gone longer. Who knows? I got official credit for 35 yards. Good enough.
DeleteNo mention of Miami high great rivalry great games. One of us was always state champion. Great times
ReplyDeleteYes, a great rivalry. We all played together on teams at the Boy's Club. Pat Kelly, Jeff Giles, and many more. We used to attract a crowd of near 50,000 at the Orange Bowl.
DeleteYes
DeleteThe extra point you kicked in our game with Onr min left in the game
We lost 14-13.
Never forgot that.
Ran into larry rentz the next day both ccongratulated each other very
Much a gentleman, .dsys I will always cherish except for the lost.
Lol
Few people knew it but Rentz had a pretty rough life. I won't go into details. Suffice it to say he had to overcome a lot. And he was a gentleman as you say. And a truly great athlete.
Delete