Chapter 23

1 - All My Children

Mon, Jan 5, 1970

We had a big Watch Party for my 1st TV Show.

All My Children would Premier, Mon, Jan 5, 1970, at 1:30pm.

It was replacing the Game Show, Dream House, for the same Time-Slot.

Erica Kane was the evil one who everyone hated. The actress who played her, Susan Lucci, was famous for losing the Daytime Emmy for Best Actress. She was acknowledged as Daytimes #1 Actress, but lost year after year after year ... She was finally given a Lifetime Achievement Award.

All My Children ran Monday through Friday, from 1970, until well into the 2000’s. A Run of 40+ Years! It was #1 or #2 in it’s Market for a lot of that time too. It would be our 1st TV Show, & was a steady Cash Cow, all that time.

All My Children was unusual though, as it had a 30% Share of the Male Audience. Soap Operas were made for Women mostly. As Ralf, I had even tuned in for a time, when I was in High School, in 1973. AMC was Broadcast that year, just before the Watergate Hearings came on. The Watergate Hearings would become the 1st Reality TV Show, without trying.

“To the best of my recollection” was an often repeated answer. It was a “Non-Denial” Denial.

Alice Nixon, the Creator of All My Children, her husband, Bob Kloss, as well as the rest of the Cast. were with us, at the St Regis that afternoon.

In the 1960’s, Agnes had been the Head-Writer for the Soap Opera, The Guiding Light. During that time she had come up with the Concept of All My Children. She had tried to Sell the idea to all 3 TV Networks. She was finally told to stop bothering them with her new-tangled ideas.

That’s why she had accepted my Offer so fast, back in Aug, 1969. David Geffen is the one who actually convinced ABC-TV to Buy the Show.

AMC was Filmed in Manhattan, at ABC-TV’s Upper West Side Studios. They were near Lincoln Center, which is a great grouping of Music & Performing Arts Halls.

From 1970-1990, AMC was Filmed at ABC-TV Studio’s, 101 W 67th St, Upper West Side, NYC.

From 1990-on, it would be Filmed at ABC-TV’s, TV23 Studios, 320 W 66th St, UWS, NYC.

There would eventually be 10,755 Episodes Filmed!

Until 1980, almost all Episodes were Written by Alice. In 1980, Alice passed the Torch to her Assistant Writer, Wisner Washam.

The 1st time Erica Bitch-Slapped someone on the Show, many of us watching, wanted her to Fake Slap us too. Oops, she hit too hard at times, as she really made it look real.

Alice & her husband Bob, had formed, Creative Horizons Productions, as their Production Company. T-SqFilm&TV, were 50% Partners with Creative Horizons.

Over the years, AMC would tackle Issues before anyone else. Now, with me being involved, I would encourage Alice to take on controversial issues at every turn. 1st, to grab Ratings, but more so, to correct many irrational ideas Society was clutching onto. Like Abortion, War, Smog, Prejudice, Garbage, you name it.

Vietnam, in 1976, with ex-Vietnam Nurse, Caroline Murray, who had PTSD Flashbacks. Amy helped stage Anti-War Protests.

Abortion. Erica had the 1st Abortion on Network TV. That was in 1972. Roe vs Wade didn’t become Law until 1973. Erica didn’t have an Abortion because she didn’t want the Baby. No, she had the Abortion because she didn’t want to Lose her Model Figure, or become fat.

Incest. Erica was raped by her Dad’s friend at Erica’s 14yo Birthday Party. That was in 1977. 16 years later, Sarah Michelle Gellar showed up as Erica’s long-lost Daughter.

That reminds me of a joke by a British Comedian.

“They just invented the Morning After Pill for Men. The next morning, it changes your DNA.”

Homosexuality was introduced in 1989, during the Aids Crisis. Also an Interracial Couple the same year.

Drugs were introduced from the start, especially Cocaine.

A part of the Show that I loved, was that Alice Nixon added Humor into All My Children. I hate Shows that take themselves too seriously, especially Cop Shows. Fuk off.

All My Children, took awhile to catch on though, as in 1970, AMC Ranked #17 out of 19 Soaps that year. ABC-TV assured us they would Renew AMC anyway. They liked the Show, as it was trying to bring in a Younger Audience.

AMC reached #1 in the Nielsen Ratings in 1978 & 1979. During the 1980’s & ‘90’s, it was usually #2. We could live with that.

Pine Valley, was the fictional town Alice chose to depict as AMC’s Home Community. For years, people assumed Pine Valley was a Suburb of NYC, but Alice eventually said that she had based Pine Valley on a real Suburb of Philadelphia. That was the town of Rosemont. Pine Valley, PA would be where they lived & fought, for over 40 years.

There were 3 Main Families featured. The Danes, Tylers & the Martins.

Phoebe Tyler- the self proclaimed “Queen of Pine Valley.”

Mona Kane, was Erica’s mom.

I’m sorry guys, but that’s about all I can make interesting about All My Children, so I’m combining the next Event of my Historical Timeline into this Chapter.

2 - Super Bowl-4

Bye-Bye Cubs

Fr, Jan 9, 1970

Ali & I flew to New Orleans, in the personal 1967 Gulfstream-2, Corporate Jet, of the Rockefeller Brothers. It was nice of them to let us use it. It’s Tail # is, N100WK.

The Rockefeller’s also had an old Convair C-131. I think they were ready for NetJets.

We were going to New Orleans for a few reasons.

1st, was to attend Super Bowl-4, that was to be held, Sun, Jan 11, 1970. It had the Champion Teams from each Football League, who were playing each other for the 4th Time. The 1st 2, were won by the Team representing the NFL, the Green Bay Packers. That was to be expected, as the NFL was the dominate League back then.

Last year’s Super Bowl was a shock though, as the brash Joe Namath & the AFL’s NY Jets, beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts.

The Super Bowl only came about AFTER, they had merged the 2 competing Leagues. Even though Merged, the 2 old Leagues continued to be called Leagues. They would call them Conferences, starting with the 1970 Season, when the Leagues were Fully Merged.

This year’s Game was to feature the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings vs the AFL’s Kansas City

Chiefs. As Ralf, my mom was from KC, so we went for the Chiefs, even though my Parents weren’t into Sports.

The 2nd reason I was in New Orleans, was even more important & emotional to me. I was planning on saying Goodbye, to my Chicago Cub’s Teammates. I had never planned on returning to the Cubs for another Season. I didn’t want to devote my time to such a huge endeavor again. I’m much more of a Pop-In & Pop-Out type of guy.

I was going to use the excuse of my Head Injury, the previous Aug 3, 1969. That’s when I became Pug. I would say that concentrating on Hitting a Curveball, gave me massive Headaches. Very painful.

I would still do all in my power to help & support the Cubs. I’d be at Spring Training, giving Tips as needed. I would also bring my friends to their Games, garnering Publicity, always helpful.

It took some doing, but I had convinced the Cubs’ Owner, Mr Wrigley, to make the Weekend Mandatory for all Cub Players. I wanted everyone to show up. I also wanted to include any Players who had moved on, Retiring, Traded Away, etc. I assured Mr Wrigley, that I’d foot the Bill.

Mr Wrigley had Charted a Jet from Chicago, bringing most of the Team & their Wives, etc. The ones who lived elsewhere during the Off-Season, flew in on their own.

It worked, as only a few didn’t come, but all the important ones were with us.

We had booked 50 Rooms in an historic New Orleans’ French Quarter Hotel, the Maison Dupuy Hotel. It was located at 1001 Toulouse St, just 2 blocks from Bourbon St. The Hotel had a total of 200 Rooms. The Buildings dated back to 1825, or so. It had once been a private residence, but had been a Hotel most of its history.

The Hotel had 5-Floors, many Rooms with Wright Iron Balconies. It was built in a Box shape, with an open-air Middle Courtyard.

Friday was a Travel Day, so we kept things loose. Ali & I greeted everyone as they arrived, letting them know that they were on their own for the Night. Since it was so nice, that January day in New Orleans, we rented the Courtyard for our Meet & Greet.

Ali & I hung out with Mr Wrigley & Manager Leo Durocher. During the Cubs’ Playoff run, the 3 of us met every night for a chat. In Chicago, we usually met at my Marina City Penthouse. Mr Wrigley’s other business was even bigger than the Cubs. He was the Son of William Wrigley, who founded both the Cubs & the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company. His Gum Company was HQ just a couple blocks from my Apartment in Marina City, so it made a nice place to meet.

Those meetings allowed me the opportunity to Plant Thoughts in their Heads. I was just starting to learn how to use my new Powers of what I now call, Mindbending.

Leif, my brother as Ralf, who had also Popped into Pug, was the one who helped me with my Powers. I rarely talk of him, but he is constantly in my thoughts. We converse all the time.

Back in 1969, I had convinced Mr Wrigley & Leo to start a Day-Off Rotation, with their main Starters. Baseball is a brutally long Season. 162 Games folks. The NBA & NHL both Play 82 Games. In 1970, the NFL only Played 14 Games a year.

I wanted Leo to use me as the replacement for each Starter. I was pretty good at all positions, so my versatility allowed Leo the flexibility to give his Starters some much needed rest. Since I was good at all positions, we didn’t lose much with me Playing, as opposed to the Starter I replaced that day.

But 162 Games is a killer. Granted, Baseball is easier on the Body, but Baseball is a Soap Opera inside the Clubhouses. The worst though, was in each Players Head.

Jim Bouton, had just released his book, Ball Four. It was his Diary of the 1969 Season, that had just ended. He was the 1st Player to ever break the “Code of Baseball Secrecy.” He wrote about the: Fights, Envy & Jealousy, Sabotage of Teammates, Superstitions, Owners deceit & Cheapness.

The Minor Leagues were the worst. All Players wanted to be in the Bigs. To finally make it to any Major League Club, was everything. But once there, you were afraid of Being Sent Back Down, which meant you were then forced to join your Club’s Minor League Team again. It must be a real deflation of your Ego & Confidence.

In the Minors, you usually Traveled by Bus, not Planes. You shared Rooms On The Road, instead of having a private Room. Bouton told of the utter fear, frustration, boredom, etc. Travel Days were long & aggravating, often arriving by Bus, just in time for Batting Practice.

Remember, this was before Free-Agency. You either took the Contract Offer from the Team that OWNED your Rights, or you didn’t Work. No other options. As if you were a fukin Slave.

That same Off-Season, Curt Flood, 31yo, had just Filed his 1st Lawsuit, to force Free-Agency. Curt’s only option back then, was to Hold Out. He did, & sacrificed his Career!

Curt’s Team, the Cincinnati Reds, decided to wait Curt out, no negotiation at all.

Curt finally Won his Case, but he lost his best Playing Years to his Cause. How many of us would stand Firm to the end?

Because of Curt Flood, we now have Free-Agency in all Sports.

Because of Free-Agency, all Salaries have skyrocketed, but it also makes it easier to Buy a Team, on Paper at least. You can Win by Mortgaging the Future, but eventually, it will catch up to you.

The NY Yankees did that for years under Steinbrenner. He would Trade Away his top Prospects each year, getting in return, Players in their Prime. But he gutted his Farm System by doing that.

George knew a secret though, that others failed to realize. George believed that the NY Yankees were THE Team in MLB. They had won more World Series throughout the years, than all the other Teams combined have won.

To do it in NYC, made it all the more special, as George knew he had a Gold Mine with the Yankees. There were 10+ Million people in the area. He only needed 20,000 per Game to Break-Even. Anything beyond that, was gravy.

George knew that the Yankees had been having Losing Seasons since 1964. He also knew that if he could get back to Winning, Yankee Fans would flock back to Yankee Stadium.

The 1969 NY Met’s, almost going to the Playoffs, had pissed off all True NY Yankee Fans. All Old-Time New Yorker’s, loved the Yankees, & hated the Mets. The same was true in Chicago. If you were a Cubs Fan, you hated the White Sox. The same if you were a Fan of the other Team in those cities.

In Ralf’s time, Steinbrenner bought the NY Yankees, in 1973, from CBS.

He bought them for $10,000,000.

The Yankees are now worth about $4,000,000,000. (That’s 4 Billion bucks folks)

But I digress, getting back to my talk with Mr Wrigley & Leo, that Friday Night before Super Bowl-4.

I told them my main reason for Hosting the Cubs that weekend. I was going to Retire from the Cubs & Baseball. I explained about the bad Headaches I got the previous Fall. The Concentration needed to Hit a Curveball, gave me massive pain in the Head.

Both reacted with anger & confusion, at 1st. Not directly at me, but they were expecting me to be a key cog in the Cubs’ Machine for the next few years. They quickly recovered & were sympathetic to my situation. They asked if they could do anything to help. I said I was fine, as long as I didn’t concentrate too hard at any given moment.

I said that I was eternally grateful to the Cubs, & especially to the 2 of them. Both had been very supportive of me. I appreciated their trust in my judgment & suggestions, especially my thoughts on stopping the Cub’s skid last August, in the Standings.

I still think of Mr Wrigley every time I get in my, 1969 Mercedes Benz 600 LWB Limo, that Mr Wrigley gave me. In Mr Wrigley’s mind, I was the reason the Cub’s finally broke the Curse of the Billygoat. As Pug, we finally broke the Curse in 1969. In Ralf’s time, the Cub’s wouldn’t Win another World Series, until 2013. That would be another fukin 44 Year wait.

Sat, Jan 10, 1970

The Hotel had a nice Restaurant, downstairs. It was open from 6am-Midnight. They had 24-Hour Room Service too.

The restaurant reminded me of a Cafe I saw in Key West. Very old-time Spanish Colonial.

The Bistreaux at Maison Dupuy, has Wood Floors, dating back to the 1820’s. Big Arch Windows. Tiffany Lamps. Leather Covered Wood Chairs. They featured traditional Southern Cooking. They had the best Sweet Tea & Fried Chicken in town. I agree.

The layout of the Restaurant was very open & inviting, as many of the Cub Players went from Table to Table, joking around.

They were holding on as long as they could, to our great World Series Win. Some Players never even sniffed the Playoffs, let alone Sweeping every Game of them, like we had done.

We had a nice Brunch, then we got in a couple Charter Buses that were taking all of us to Play a Round of Golf.

I had asked my new great friend & Partner, Sean Connery, to find us a nice Golf Course, that could handle our entire Group that afternoon.

Sean told me yesterday, that he had booked us Tee-Times at the Lakewood Golf Club, 4801 General De Gaulle Dr, New Orleans, LA.

Who should Greet us there, but Sean Connery & Harry Helmsly! I was confused, until I was told that Bond Golf just took over Control of Lakewood Golf Club.

Sean said it didn’t have much of a Clubhouse yet, but that would be added soon. The Course itself was very good & demanding. It was set amongst beautiful rolling countryside, with Live Oak Trees, that had Spanish Moss hanging off their branches. An early morning mist added to the charm. Sean had already gotten in a Round that morning. Sean was my 50% Partner in Bond Golf.

Lakewood Golf Club opened in 1961, as an 18-Hole, 7,002’ Long Golf Course.

Harry Helmsly was there, as my 50% Partner in H&M Investments. H&M bought the Club. Bond Golf would Operate it.

Wow! They got me, as I was truly surprised, but in a good way. Apparently, Ali was in on it, as she was snickering at the stupid look I had on my face.

After choosing Clubs & Shoes, in Lakewood’s Pro Shop, we split up into Foursomes.

I was with: Sean Connery, 39yo, Mr Wrigley, 75yo, & William S. Paley, 68yo. Bill Paley was the Owner of CBS, who had the TV Rights to the Super Bowl, that year.

Ali, 17yo, was with “Babe” Paley, the 54yo wife of Bill Paley. She & Ali shared a Golf Cart. With their Foursome, in another Cart, were Harry Helmsley, 60yo, & Bowie Kuhn, 43yo. Bowie was the Cemminisher of Major League of Baseball in 1970.

I would find out soon, that Babe had been talking to Ali about Babe’s embarrassment from being the Owner of the NY Yankees. Her husband, Bill’s CBS, was the Official Owner, but that meant that Bill & she really Owned them, as Bill Controlled CBS.

CBS bought the NY Yankees back in 1961, when they were World Series Champs. Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford & Billy Martin, were a few Yankee greats on the Team in 1961.

But, they had sucked since 1964.

In 1967, their Won-Loss Record was: 72-90. They ended up in 5th Place.

In 1968, they went: 83-79, finishing 5th again.

In 1969, they Posted a Record of 80-81, once again finishing 5th.

Last year’s NY Met’s were the last straw for Babe. To be shown up by “Those Newcomers,” was too much. She wanted Bill to just dump the team on some other unsuspecting fool. She thought the Yankees were an Albatross to CBS. & her.

Ali jumped in saying, “Why not let Pug Run the Yankees. He’s going to Officially Retire Tonight, due to his Injury. My Pug would have great fun being an Owner, as he’s always commenting on ways to improve things. How much do you think you will sell the Yankees for?”

Babe said, “1 Dollar, if I had my way. But, to make it look good to others, how about 10 Million. Bill & I will let you make payments, if needed, but if you are going to take Control, let’s Sign a Deal Tonight. Phil Wrigley, the Owner of the Cubs, & my Bill, Owner of the Yankees, are ahead of us. Bowie Kuhn is here too. He might Rubber Stamp the Deal, if it’s presented the right way.”

I’d always dreamed of Owning the Yankees, but I assumed it would be in 1973, not in 1970.

By the time we got back to our Hotel, the Deal was Done. Handshakes & Back Slaps galore.

The 1st thing I thought of, was to immediately Hire Billy Martin, as the NY Yankees Manager.

Billy Martin, 41yo, had been a NY Yankee Player, a Teammate of Mickey Mantle. After he Retired, he became a Scout, then a Minor League Coach.

His 1st job as a Manager, was with the Minnesota Twins, in 1969. Billy was fired after the Season though, due to his continued bad Conduct. He even got into a Fist Fight one time that year, with his own Player! Not many can brag about that.