Re: Remotely Memorable (was: Bruce Bradley)

["'A. Joseph Ross'" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On Wed, 25 Nov 1998, Bill O'Neill wrote:

> Brings up a (potentially) fun chain - You most memorable live remote
> experience, for better or worse!

Well, I remember, as a junior in high school, visiting the UMass campus
with my parents.  It was one of those occasional 90-degrees in April days,
a beautiful day, and WMUA was broadcasting from the Student Union lobby.
That got me hooked.  From that point on, I couldn't wait to get to UMass
and join WMUA.

Another one.  Every Friday night, WMUA used to broadcast live from the
"Hatch," a cafeteria on the lower level of the Student Union.  I never
actually did the remote, but after Friday evening Hillel services
upstairs, I used to come down and hang out there.  

In the fall of 1964 (my sophomore year), there was an election going on. 
Behind the Student Union, there was a rally for the next day's football
game.  And up on the balcony was Governor Endicott Peabody, chearing on
our team.  I went back in and told people that Governor Peabody was there,
and a couple of us decided to go up and see if we could get him to come on
our broadcast.  He agreed, and we led him downstairs.  Peabody, at this
point, had lost the Democratic primary for re-election (to his lieutenant
governor, Frank Bellotti).  

When we got to the site of the broadcast, the DJ was wearing a Goldwater
button.  As a record was playing on the two-turntable consolette that we
used for the remote, the DJ started to light up a cigarette.  Governor
Peabody took a book of Johnson-Humphrey matches from his pocket and
offered him a light.  He declined.  When the record finished, and they
went live, the DJ asked Peabody who he thought would win the game. 
Peabody answered, "Well, looking at that button on your shirt, if that's
the game you mean, I'd say it's going to be Johnson."  Some people in the
Hatch booed.  I don't quite remember the rest of the banter, but it ended
shortly, and the governor left.  Then I noticed the Johnson-Humphrey
matches on the table.  The DJ didn't want them, so I took them.  And I
still have them.

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 A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                                         617.367.0468
 15 Court Square                                      lawyer@world.std.com
 Boston, MA 02108-2503                       http://world.std.com/~lawyer/
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