Voices from the Past: Sports Shows and 'Rasslin Bears (1974)

Unless your from Boston, you probably don't recognize the importance of the Boston Herald American. It seems its main rival, The Boston Globe, has attracted most of the national attention, but the Herald is still in business, and doing quite well. This article below is from their Sports Afield columnist Arthur Sullivan from Jan. 25, 1974. I print it here because it is interesting, but also because it sheds light on the nature of sportsmen's shows, the season for which has just ended. Pay close attention to the special guest attraction.

Malden Anglers Will Be There, Too

There will be many other fresh and salt water anglers dropping by the Herald American booth, too. These include George Seeley, of Plum Island, who has been one of the top saltwater rods on the East Coast for over a decade. He is ready to swap talk or tell where the big ones hide.

Floyd Roman, who tours New England looking for striped bass, is another who will be on hand to tell how he snags out the blues and bass with plugs he designed.

But there will be many others including Augie Macone, sports good store owner from Concord: who recently gave Bobby Orr, a few tips on skeet shooting; Bob Estell, Bay State Dog Training School; Roger Conant, of Melvin, N.H., a blue water specialist; Billy Verrier, the "guaranteed stripers" skipper from the Merrimack; Art Lavallee, Narragansett Bay authority, maker of Acme lures; Bunny DiPietro, the Rod Top Bait expert and many others who will come in for a day or night during the nine-day stay.

Headlining the show which will find the popular "rasslin bear" featured at the pool show will be Bobby Riggs, the tennis ace and Carlton Fisk, Red Sox catcher who is not a rookie with a fishing rod though he does not claim to be a Ted Williams.

In addition there will be many sportsmen's clubs with booths and you can find Malden Anglers demonstrating fly tying among them.…

If you read carefully, you'll notice the show was headlined by a "rasslin' bear." This bear happened to be named Victor, and David Pincus over at Deadspin wrote a fascinating history of this undefeated bear and the spectacle that followed him everywhere he went. It's a rather incredible long-read story and well worth your time, as it captures an era like the one mentioned above very well.

-- Dr. Todd