January 10, 2010 (The Handwriting Is On the Wall)
The Dallas Cowboys are crushing the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2nd week in a row at Cowboys Stadium in an NFL-NFC Wild Card game. My wife, Christine and I are watching at home and on the screen is a shot of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ personal box with Jones and former President G. W. Bush enjoying the massacre. It’s time for a snack. When I return, Christine says she thinks she saw Bob Arum in the box with Jones and Bush. I say no way.
January 13 or 14, 2010 (Christine Was Right)
Phone call, middle of the afternoon, it’s Lee Samuels, the publicist (and much more) for Top Rank, Inc., on the line. “Hey, Buff, we’re having a presser in Dallas for Pacquaio-Clottey and Jerry Jones wants you to emcee it…it’s gonna be wild!” I start to ask for details but Lee says “Hold on, Bob wants to talk to you.” Bob: “Mike, this stadium is unbelievable and this show is going to be huge!” (Note: When Bob Arum calls me Mike or Michael [or the rare “Buff”] I know things are going well and he is in an excellent mood. If I hear “Buffer” [Buffuh in Brooklynese], I should brace myself…I’m Mike now, this is good.) I tell him Christine saw him on TV at the game. “I was in Jerry’s box with Bush and Rush Limbaugh and I’m a Democrat! You believe that? This guy Jerry Jones is unbelievable! He’s the best! King and I have been doing this forever but Jones is better than both of us!” Now I KNOW he’s in a great mood! He tells me more about the stadium, “…like nothing else in the world!” and I am back on line with Lee. I’m to fly in (to Dallas) with Manny (The Pacman) and Freddie Roach by a private jet, stopping in Vegas to pick up Bob, Todd DuBoef, Carl Moretti and Lee.
The Cast, the Players, Or the Answers To “Who’s That?”
TOP RANK, INC.
For 40 years, arguably professional boxing’s most prolific promotional organization founded by Bob Arum. From this point on to be referred to as “TR.”
BOB ARUM
Chairman, TR and Boxing Hall Of Fame promoter. We go back 27 years this month to Marlon Starling vs. Juan Baret on CBS (when the networks did weekend afternoon fights) at The Sands in Atlantic City. I’ve been in the ring for almost all his major shows since. It was reported a few years ago that he was to retire. That’ll be the day! Now older, wiser, mellowed but still brilliant, clever, indefatigable and enjoys the game and life more than ever. AKA—The Sheik and The Bobfather.
TODD DuBOEF
President, TR. Like Arum, he seems indefatigable. He’s a “detail” guy whose very hard to get anything by, and doesn’t mind ruffling a few feathers to get results. Over the last couple of years, he has made some super changes and keeps setting the bar higher at each event in the fight-night presentation. He has incorporated special effects with audio and visuals at the venue (not always seen on broadcasts but great stuff to those in attendance), just blowing the crowd away. I love it because it makes my voice sound great! Also, Todd can give you the name and address of the best restaurants in any city, anywhere in the world!
LEE SAMUELS
Publicist extraordinaire! I’ve known Lee almost 30 years. He is—and I know this will sound like I’m describing an Eagle Scout, but it’s true—dependable, quiet, courteous, bright, honest and always a gentleman with never a bad word about anyone. One of the all-time good guys in boxing. His mother would be proud!
CARL MORETTI
Vice President, Boxing Operations, TR. We’ve known each other for 16 years going back to his 13 years with Main Events and a tour with DiBella Entertainment. I probably can snatch a few of the adjectives from Lee, above and put them here to describe this guy. Main thing about Carl is that he LOVES and really KNOWS boxing!
JERRY JONES
Owner, Dallas Cowboys
More later. Don’t worry, it’ll be worth waiting for!
January 18, 2010 (Jet-setting With the Pacman)
I’m the first to arrive at the private airline behind LAX and Freddie Roach gets there about five minutes later. We are both early and our captain says we may as well wait onboard and relax. Lounging in a luxurious G4 with snacks and refreshments beats the waiting room anytime. Manny Pacquaio arrives 20 minutes later with an entourage of five (maybe six), which is small for Manny. Which means there are five or six others from the Pacman Pack weeping uncontrollably at the gate. Manny looks great and already very fit. As almost always, he’s in good spirits. We take off for Vegas and within 10 minutes Manny is sound asleep, which is something I usually do myself after takeoff. Chatting with Freddie is treat and I’m enjoying it too much to nap. It takes us 40 minutes to get to Vegas. Arum, Todd, Carl and Lee board almost immediately and we’re off for the two-hour 15 minute flight to Big D…break out the food! Most of us crowd around the table and eat and swap stories from the old days. Pacman gets a massage. The conversation turns to tomorrow’s presser, the awesomeness of Cowboys Stadium and Mr. Jerry Jones. We have a great time and a smooth flight. There is a light drizzle as we arrive in Dallas and are met on the tarmac by a half dozen black SUVs. We pile in and are off to the Dallas Four Seasons Hotel. As we exit the airport we pass about 50 Pacquiao fans waiting curbside in the rain with signs and boxing gloves hoping to get a glimpse of the Pacman and maybe an autograph (by a miracle, I guess). We drive out and they pile into their cars and try to follow us—unreal! At the hotel, it is more of the same. Pacquiaomania has come to Dallas. How the heck did they find out about the private jet arrival and at which hotel he would be staying? We check in at the hotel while the ever-gracious Manny poses for pictures and signs autographs. Tomorrow is the press conference at the stadium but the excitement has already started in Dallas, Texas!
Next up…The 8TH Wonder of the World—Cowboys Stadium.
