As a 10 year old, I found a magnificent book in the Bridgewater library called "The Story of the Olympic Games."
And I read that book dozens of times. Yes, had I known that 'Olympics Researcher' was an actual job, I would be NBC working for NBC.
Many years later, I found the book on Amazon.
One of my favorite passages involved the 1960 Games in Rome, particularly the 4x400m relay. Oregon's Otis Davis, the open 400m winner, anchored that relay to a world record for his second gold medal. His teammates (I can recite from a 1975 memory) were Berkeley's Jack Yerman, Abilene Christian's Earl Young, and Ohio State's Glenn Davis.
Around 2009, after I moved to Oregon, I meet Skip, a runner from Cal Berkeley back in the day, and a teammate of Jack Yerman's . I blurted out 'Yerman, Young, and the Davis twins!'
Skip admonished me by saying Glenn and Otis were not related. Yes, I know!!! My tongue was buried in my cheek at the time; sometimes I'm too witty for the rest of the world!
Today, I noticed on Facebook that a friend of a friend is Earl Young, who I immediately recognized as the fourth member of that record setting quartet.
Being the (not exactly) shy type, I reached out to him and had a lovely exchange. Let me preface the conversation by revealing that his 1960 Olympic teammates Al Cantello, Dave Sime, and Don 'Tarzan' Bragg supposedly stole the Olympic flags from the stadium as the Games closed; that caper is described in the book "Rome 1960" by Davis Maraniss.
The following is a hodgepodge of conversations that began with an exchange between me and the USATF Rules Chairman, who was following up on a review project.
Hi Dick,
I’m in Italy, returning 27 Jan. Will do what I can to provide input.
One of my goals here was to see the Olympic Stadium. Even more poignant now, given that my alma mater Navy’s longtime head coach Al Cantello died yesterday. He coached my Navy ‘87 classmate Ron Harris to 3rd in the 1996 Olympic Trials 5k behind Bob Kennedy (who I’m sure you know)…..Al also attended the Space Shuttle Columbia launch of Pilot Willie McCool ‘83, who died upon re-entry in 2003. Willie was Navy’s cross country captain his senior year; he had graduated in 1983 and was at the airport to pick up incoming plebe Ron for our Induction Day in July 1983.
The Navy cross country course now has a memorial to Willie approximately 16 minutes from the finish line; the Columbia disintegrated 16 minutes prior to landing.
A favorite story was of Al, Don (Tarzan) Bragg, and Dave Sime shimmying up the Rome Olympic flagpole during the 1960 Games and pilfering the Olympic flag!
RIP Al, that crusty old Marine (and javelin WR holder turned distance coach).
Nick
If i can do anything well, it involves nerding out on Olympic Track and Field!!!
