People ask me all the tiime "How did you get started?" Well, the answer is more complicated than you would think. Our lives have been shaped by decisions that we make as well as decisions made by others on our behalf. I believe my entrance into the wrestling world was a result of the latter.
When I was a little kid, I played basketball. In junior high, I was the best player on a horrible team. I thought I was something special, but in reality, I would have been the equvilent of a third string catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The decision that I should find a new sport was made on my behalf by the 8th gradde basketball coach. Tryouts came and went and the minor fact that I really couldn't dribble, or shoot, or rebound, or pass, our even catch the damn ball forced the coach to make a life changing decision for me. "Sorry kid, you didn't make the team"
This did not immeadiatly send me into the wrestling room. No, I had to lay around and feel sorry for myself first. The next decision that changed my life and ultimately lead me to my true sport was made by my dad. We were living in a nice neighborhood in SW Pennsylvania when my dad came home one night and announced we would be moving to Chicago. I was a 13 year old freshman in high school and I weighed a wopping 90 pounds. How would I survive Chicago? I was devestated and just a little bit petrified.
My vision of Chicago at that age was of guns and gangs and murders and drugs and hookers (ok, I thought that was pretty cool) and I was sure I was being led to my death. Come on Dad, Chicago?? really?? why not just throw me in a tank of hungy sharks and get it over with?? We packed up and moved in Januray, I was sure my life would be over in a matter of days.
We arrived in this cute little suburban neighborhood and moved into a sweet house with my own room and everything! I might survive this after all but I was immeadiatly asking "where are the hookers???" Don't tell me I was going all the way to Chicago without seeing hookers. Again, I was devestated, but I was a bit relieved that the Crypts were nowhere to be found..
The final decision that led me into wrestling was made by my mother. I hooked up with three completely different groups of friends in those first few months. Group #1 pretty much justified my vision of Chicago. They were trouble and it took me a lot longer to recognize it than it took my mother. When the one kid knocked on my door reeking of pot one night, my membership in that group was extinguished by my mom. Group #2 was the chess club. I kid you not, when I was 13, I was a memer of the local chess club. We met every week in a church basement and played chess. I can't even imagine how different group #2 was from group #1. Finally, group #3 were a couple kids on the wrestling team. Steve, Pat and Dale wrestled while I played with my pawns, but each day, we had school lunch together.
Finally, after mom banned me from group #1, she got tired of driving me to chess club every week, she "encouraged" me to do something that involved riding a school bus to and from practice. Since I really didn't want to ride my bike at night, in the winte,r in the windy city, to stay in group #2, the decision was made on my behalf that group #3 was my next best option. In November of 1974, I became a rookie member of the Barrington High School Wrestling Team, and as they say, the rest is history.
