| From: | John T. Hallinan, Jr. | |
| To: | fmiller@dwvd.com gsangeorge@integramanagementcorp.com | |
| CC: | feblesg@fordhamprep.org desugrue@cox.net PMR@DDWT.com JSchaller@ci.new-rochelle.ny.us harrier71@aol.com JDeRienzo@hotmail.com robert.miesionczek@ubs.com Lfabrizio@aol.com | |
| Date: | 04/22/08 05:34 am | |
| Subject: | Re: HOF Plate & NY Relays | |
| Attachments: | ||
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From John Hallinan '70 Good evening! I wanted to provide the alternate version of the story of that race. Much of it is the same as Fred has recounted, but with a little more “meat” on the bones. The race took place on Saturday April 27th, 1968. In some ways the race had parallels to a wider and much more publicized rivalry, namely, the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. All the teams in the race hailed from either Brooklyn or the Bronx. Power Memorial in Manhattan, which was in existence at the time, and principally known as the alma mater of Lewis Alcindor i.e. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was not in the race. The teams in the race were Fordham Prep, Cardinal Spellman (the Bronx schools), and Midwood High, Bushwick High, and Andrew Jackson High (the Brooklyn representatives). I’ve posted to my site some images from that day, which I think most people have seen at some point, as well as some newspaper clippings both from the week before the meet and the day after. As some may remember, the New York Daily News was the principal sponsor of the meet. To view the images, see: http://gallery.mac.com/jthallinan1#100103&view=mosaic&sel=0 There was an event during the race that day, which was the main reason we won. Certainly, it was not part of any grand strategy on my part. One of my lasting memories of running track at Fordham Prep was no matter how many people had collected at a venue, whether Madison Square Garden, Randalls Island, the Penn Relays, I could always pick out Tom Byrne’s voice from the crowd while running the race — that voice from hell. The day of this race was no different. Tom had parked himself on the backstretch. The race took place somewhat late in the day, and as a result the track, which was cinder, was fairly chewed up, especially the inside lane. Fred’s account of my fears was true — I was terrified. The basis for my fears, though, was principally that I would end up losing it for the others on the relay. We correctly anticipated that I would be given the baton with a meaningful lead. I was given the baton with about a 12-15 yard lead — yards to so yesterday, I should say meters. Because of the state of the inside lane, I was running on the line between the first and second lane. As I ran down the backstretch there was Tom’s voice — “get to the inside” he barked the imperative. His timing and mine, as a result, couldn’t have been better. Just as I moved to the inside, Clyde MacPherson, who was anchoring for Midwood, and was approaching very quickly, tried to go by me on the inside lane. I cut him off as he attempted to go by me on the inside, breaking his stride, and more importantly, his momentum. He never regained that momentum. As we came off the final turn, I fully expected that the “posse” behind me would “blow my doors off” coming down the homestretch. To my amazement, they weren’t going by me, which compelled me not to “crumble”. As the photos bear witness, it was a “photo finish”. There is another photo somewhere, which shows the other relay members having run over to me after the race, and were basically holding me up. I was completely depleted. I remember just after crossing the finish line, someone from one of the newspapers asking for my name. I tried but was unable to blurt out my name. In retrospect, the guy who finished the strongest that day was Tom Maugher from Cardinal Spellman, who ran 48.6 in the just about the fifth lane of a chewed-up track, as the referenced picture shows. Fred — I don’t see Power Memorial in this picture, unless they were so far out of it. Forty years later, I credit Tom Byrne with his strategy of putting a terrified sophomore on the anchor leg of an important race — he got the most anyone could have gotten out of me on that day, which is what a coach should do. The last aspect to the story, which I think I can help clarify, is the “Cookie Man” reference. For anyone who remembers, at the time there was a Nabisco chocolate chip cookie commercial featuring a animated cartoon character called cookie man. I think this is where Tom got the term. Given how MacPherson & company gobbled me up on the backstretch, the term seemed to be appropriate, and for a variety of reasons, has stuck. George — toward the top/left of the image gallery is a download button, which I’ve turned on so as to enable downloads for anyone who is so inclined. Congratulations, by the way, for your recent induction. No one has done more to perpetuate the traditions of track & field at the Prep than George Febles Fordham and we the alumni from the ‘70’s have been lucky to have had you. You are truly a gift from the gods. One last comment before everyone falls asleep here, the last newspaper clipping that I included in the gallery has no particular significance to the New York Relay race from forty years ago. I would direct your attention, though, to the results of the second event listed, namely, the Invitation High School Mile Championship from April 1970. The second place finisher is someone I think we know. For those who were there in 1968, and even for those who were not, it has been a bit of a trip backwards in a time machine, finding refuge in our collective memories. I would have loved to have heard a similar account from Tom Carroll of his national schoolboy record-setting half mile on that June 3rd in 1957. Posterity deserves these things, but alas he is gone. It is these things that should serve to inspire the current crop of tracksters, just as stories about Tom fortified us. Sincerely, -- “Cookie Man” clapton2@verizon.net From Fred Miller '69 On 4/21/08 4:32 PM, "Fred Miller" <fmiller@dwvd.com> wrote: > As my fading and self serving memory recalls: > The 68 NY Relays were the last year the NYR were pitted against the Penn > Relays on the same weekend. Joe Fox wanted to outdo Penn; it took him 3 > years to realize better to join 'em than fight 'em. > We had been coming on that year as a relay team, improving each week. > Trials and finals every week, every week we seemed to pick it up a bit > in the finals, and overall were improving. Schaller ran 3rd leg as the > only senior. Gene Costello ran leadoff, handed to John H or Pat R, who > handed to Joe, then me. Sometimes Joe ran 2nd John 3rd. For NY, Tom > wanted to try something different, not sure why, but he ran Gene to Joe > to me to John "coach, I'm only a sophomore" Hallinan as our anchor. > Maybe Tom felt that with Joe "SGT. Rock" Schaller waiting at the finish > line, John would be too terrified to not put forth his best effort. It > worked. As I recall, Gene ran a good leadoff, Pat got the stick near the > front and gave it to me at or in the lead. Other memories I'm sure can > clarify. I know I handed off to John with a fairly substantial lead. He > went out hard, but the talent laden anchor leg began to close on the > mighty soph from the Bronx. Tom Maugher of Spellman, John Lovett of > Power. I have a pic home which shows them bearing down on John, fear all > over his face, as he strained to maintain his lead, which he did. From > this, the classic line evolved. John "cookie man" Hallinan, slowly > crumbling down the last straightaway. He crumbled, but did not fold. > Ever since then he was cursed with the moniker of "Cookie Man". When you > think about it, having a soph come through in a pressure situation like > that was incredible, especially since he knew that up to that time at > least, he was not the fastest on our team. But he came through like a > champ. I like to think he won it for us through sheer guts. That was his > first anchor run on any key relay. Our time was pretty good, but we ran > faster as I recall in the Eastern states where Joe ran a 48.8 leg in the > finals and I ran 47.9 for the first time breaking .48 at Randall's. We > ran low 3:20's and it set the stage for 1969, as we knew, with John's > great performance at NYR, that we could do better and have a shot at > Penn. Thus the Cookie Man legacy. > fjm > > -----Original Message----- > From: Greg San George '68 [mailto:gsangeorge@integramanagementcorp.com] > Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 12:50 PM > To: Fred Miller; Fred Miller > Subject: FW: HOF Plate & NY Relays > > Fred: > See George's comments below. Of course he is referring to best HS relay > race > I ever saw - the 1968 NY Relays mile relay. Your version of that race, > and > of Cookie man's anchor leg is a classic. You should pass it on to > George. If > you do, please copy it to the usual crowd. > Greg > > ------ Forwarded Message > From: George Febles <feblesg@fordhamprep.org> > Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:44:37 +0000 > To: <gsangeorge@integramanagementcorp.com> > Subject: Re: HOF Plate & NY Relays > > Thanks Greg: > > Gotta find out that "cookie man" story from Hallinan. They won the > 4x400 at > the NY Relays 40 years ago, and they too had a scared soph on the team > that > "stepped up". Ours was Bruce Grant. > > We'll probably stick with the 4x800 plan but we could always run 7:54, > not make the final and we'd still be happy--and able to stack the 4x4. > We'll see. Thanks again and see you at Penn! > > George > > -----Original Message----- > From: Greg San George <gsangeorge@integramanagementcorp.com> > To: George Febles <feblesg@fordhamprep.org>, Brian Carney > <carneyb@fordhamprep.org> > Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:26:35 -0400 > Subject: HOF Plate & NY Relays > > George & Brian: > > A new plate with properly sized screw-holes was ordered. I am picking it > up > on Tuesday. If I have to return the old plate, I'll make arrangements > with > you for the exchange. > > Yeah, Wow! How about that 4x4 team! ...So much for my 3:21x Penn > prediction > last week! I must admit that I'd love to see these guys run the 4x4 at > Penn > which would be in conflict with the success of the 4x8 team. Nice > dilemma to > have though. > > See you Saturday. > > Greg > > > > Sincerely, > > George Febles > Fordham Prep HS > (718) 367-7500 x246 > (646) 554-4453 (cell) > feblesg@fordhamprep.org > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > |