Jake recommends
The Solie Chronicles. Message from Jake and article from The Miami Herald (Aug. 26, 09)...
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The truth is, wrestling worst enemy has always been wrestlers. There are
so many individuals that step into the ring or have a part in what the fan
sees, that have no business there. I've checked all of the colleges,
universities, and online schooling facilities, and even pre-kindergarten, and
have yet to find any program to learn this wonderful love affair with the lady I
call the ring. You see, there are too many pimps in this world that will use
anything to make a buck. I would give you the list, but I won't live long
enough to complete it.
You don't have to have a diploma, doctorate, and my day, you had to have
tights and boots, but those are gone, too. I bet you wonder where I'm going
with this. Here's where.
Gordon Solie. My God. There is nothing that I can say, that hasn't
been said about this man. The accolades should go on forever. Simply a
class act. You see, he was able to do what Vince McMahon has done
without all the TV time, glitz and glamor, and the unending money flow
that Vince uses to create. Solie could do it with one word, or without
a word, just a look. You always listened to him. You turned on the
television, and sure, you wanted to see Dusty, the Briscos, the
Grahams, and the rest, but the first damned thing you body yearned for,
was to hear Gordon's voice. This man was not an announcer, color guy,
aficionado. He was the show. Without Gordon, or should I say, and
you're damned right I should, there wasn't a show. This man,
regardless of the situation, gave credibility and believability to
whatever was being put on the platter. You see, Vince, Mr. Solie was
the first to make chicken soup out of chicken shit. There is NO way in
hell anyone will come up with the recipe any better, or even close to
what he gave to us weekly.
I myself watched him for many years and then going to Florida, early in my
career, when I had no right even to be near the ring. In fact, I was part time
referee and job guy. But was hungry. All he ever gave to anyone was respect,
support, and a friendly smile. AT the time, I felt that it had to be an inside
joke, a rib, or some cruel mean trick, but that was not the man. My problem
was, at the time, I did not feel worthy of even a glance. I think what I'm
trying to tell you guys, is if you didn't know the man, or have any idea what he
was about, or contributed, then you are very fortunate, because there are books
and if there was any book to talk about wrestling, this is the one you should
read. Why? Because its not a hyped, pushed down your throat, and million
dollar marketed extravaganza of bs, just this man's thoughts. If I were to tell
you of my many regrets and mistakes in my life, one of the biggest would have to
be not taking advantage of this great man's friendship, love and knowledge.
Next week, I will tell you a story about this man, and no, it's not the giggles
and smiles I used to give him during a production meeting at Georgia
Championship wrestling, when I'd given Ole Anderson (my boss) with no power, a
fake TV show on Friday, just so he would go nuts all night and be frothing at
the mouth when he came to the meeting, on Saturday morning, at TBS. Gordon knew
the game I was playing with Ole, without me ever saying a word to him. Ole would
rant, spit, and rave and Gordon would play it off like a child had spilt his
milk in the high chair. You see, the class of the man was to enjoy the
presentation and the game without spoiling it. Always to enhance whatever had
been given. He was cool before cool ever happened. If you look up cool in the
dictionary, there is Gordon Solie's picture looking back at you. Simply put, the
best that ever was, or will be. More so than Gorilla and Heenan, cause he never
stole the show.
THE man.
Next week we will give you my funniest and I regret to say most painful
memory, I've ever done to anyone. And unfortunately, it was Gordon. Buy the
book, or get off my friend list..;)
Jake
Solie responsible for wrestling announcing greatness (Miami Herald)
Since the late 1800s, professional wrestling has developed many high-profile
stars, but one of the most well-known personalities ever wasn't even a
wrestler.
He was a commentator, an announcer, a Florida regular named Gordon Solie.
Bob Allyn, with assistance from co-authors Pamela S. Allyn (Gordon Solie's
daughter) and Scott Teal, aims to enrich wrestling fans with the life and times
of this legendary broadcaster, who died in 2000 at 71.
Published by Crowbar Press, The Solie Chronicles takes fans on a wild
ride behind-the-scenes in the world of professional wrestling.
All sorts of personalities make their way into Allyn's book about Solie, the
voice of Championship Wrestling from Florida. Everyone from Ric Flair and Dusty
Rhodes to Hulk Hogan and more graces the pages of this Solie book.
Famous dead-pan style interviews and colorful play-by-play broadcasts of
wrestling led to Solie's induction into the WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1995),
the NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) and the WWE Hall of Fame (Class of
2008).
Bob Allyn said in a release: ....The background material for this biography was
found in Gordon's personal files and taken from interviews with the people who
knew him the best. It's written as a testament to a man who made his mark in
many endeavors.''
Solie calling a world championship match was like Al Michaels or Bob Costas
calling a Super Bowl or a World Series -- just a perfect fit.
The majority of the book's content is drawn from interviews with 65 people
from all walks of life who knew Gordon best: family and friends; stock car
drivers; professional wrestlers; referees and promoters; journalists;
commentators; broadcasters; and photographers.
Born Jonard Frank Labiak on Jan. 26, 1929, Solie began working as a page and
errand boy for a Louisiana radio station when he served in the U.S. Air Force.
Known to his fellow servicemen as ..Gordy,' he later legally changed his name to
Gordon Solie.
In 1950, he worked for WEBK radio in Ybor City, Fla. By starting his own
sports radio interview program, Solie made key contacts in professional
wrestling and stock car racing.
Subsequently, he set a course and made a major impact on the development of
professional wrestling, along with being closely associated with national auto
thrill show tours, stock car racing on Florida's suncoast and ultimately,
becoming the host for the highest-rated show on the largest cable network in
America.
• Excerpt from The Solie Chronicles:
....Gordon left WCW with a record of good performance, but he did leave an
off-the-job situation hanging over his head. While still with WCW, the company
changed Gordon's flights from Delta to Kiwi. He wasn't happy about the change.
Not only did he and Smoky take vacation trips on Gordon's Delta frequent flyer
miles, but a lot of the attendants knew him. He was a regular, and they treated
him like one. They would make allowances if he occasionally drank too much, and
perhaps even chastise him for lighting a cigarette on a plane.''
NWA legend Harley Race said. ....Gordon used to sneak a wet towel into the
bathrooms on the airplanes. He used to put the damp towel over the smoke
detector and sit in the airplane restroom and smoke cigarettes. Gordon was the
reason that the airlines added signs about not tampering with their smoke
detectors.''
....When Gordon learned some WCW staff members were still flying Delta, he was
doubly ticked off. Chip on his shoulder and all, Gordon got on a Kiwi flight and
began belting down some drinks, and then fired up a cigarette. When a flight
attendant began to reprimand him, she got a strong dose of verbal abuse from
him. When airline personnel complained to WCW about Gordon's behavior, someone
at WCW filed that away in their memory for use at a future date.''
For more information about Gordon Solie's biography, visit
1wrestlinglegends.com/crowbarpress/solie/index-sr.htm.
Sept. 4th: addendum to the Gordon Solie blog by Jake.
At a time when I had way too much going on in my life, I asked a man to do a
favor for me simply because he had the equipment to do the project. Reality
was, I wasn't even thinking about the man and how beneath him it was to do it.
And add to that, the same man had had hip replacement the same week. But
because I was blind, naive, and inconsiderate, I still laughed.
Hindsight makes me want to shoot myself, or maybe a bullet shouldn't even
be wasted. A garrote would be more suitable weapon, that way we wouldn't have to
waste the lead of the bullet.
Lets get serious. I'm getting married to Cheryl, and want the wedding to
be filmed. Simply because we did not want any family involved, friends, idiots,
the like, involved. As we had both been through the hoopla before. Plus we had
no well wishers in our endeavor. Therefore I played big dog and thought it
would be cool to pressure and feed my own ego boost. So I approached Gordon. And
as I expected, since I was "the booker, superstar, TV writer, and ultimate
asshole," he agreed to do it. I'm not sure which one he'd fit into, but in
reflection it must have been for none of the above. Gordon had just had hip
replacement and having gone through that myself, I now realize why medication
and alcohol must have been required.
I remember Gordon hobbling off of the plane, trudging slowly as he dragged
the heavy equipment he'd brought with him, across the sand, as my soon to be
wife and I had this euphoria, picturesque, wedding in our minds. (drug and
alcohol induced, of course..) That's why they call it "dope." Yes, we had a
dream, and as insane and ridiculous as it truly was, here was a man, in his
worst health, accommodating me. My God, what an asshole I am. Yet, he did what
was needed to accomplish this, although the odds were impossible for him to do
this, he did. And Jake Roberts, being the accomplished asshole, didn't even
recognize it. My God, I hate hindsight. My God, why am I so blind, deaf, and
numb? The only one, more numb than I, is my x-wife, as I have no copy of the
labor of love that Gordon Solie provided for me. Too late to ask Gordon, but I
will ask the family, forgive me, for not understanding, seeing, and/or, feeling
the love and respect, that your Father gave to me.
Again, hindsight, is always 20/20. If I had my life to re-do it again, I
could be President of the U.S. if I only understood, what Gordon had given to
me. Maybe our platform, would have been, a troubled man, for troubled times,
and a wise man (not Jake) we would have won, because of Gordon Solie, was, is,
and was never anything but, a winner.
Jake
P.S. What an assole. I can tell you all that I never picked up his airfare, his time, or his equipment, and compensation for his production time,
damned sure not for his pain, or basics. How does that make me feel? Do you
need to ask? You see, that is what is wrong with the world today. If we don't
get a bill, or demands, or some irate jerk on the phone, cursing us, we don't
give it the time of day, or even let it register. That's whats wrong, I know
for a fact, the squeaky wheel, gets the grease. Vince McMahon, told me that, and
he is right. But I will say it again, that is whats wrong with the world today.
A man is a man period. And I just wished I was Gordon Solie.