Mintzing Words

Doug Harris cats22 at FRONTIERNET.NET
Fri May 4 03:42:01 UTC 2007


Jake Mintz was well-known for two things: As co-manager of
boxer Ezzard Charles, and as what he himself described as
an "expsontaaaneous" speaker.
I just stumbled upon a paper about Jake, in a collection of
boxing-related articles I bought (for something else in the
lot) at an auction. I learned a bit more, via Google, from a
1954 Time Magazine article.
The latter was reporting on the preparations of then-champ
Rocky Marciano and Charles for a championship bout:
' Charles (in training at nearby Monticello, N.Y.) was reported feeling
fine. "The next champ has been in perfect health since he had his infested
tonsils cut out of his throat," said his manager, Jake Mintz (somewhat of an
authority on medical matters, having once suffered from "coronated
trombosis" himself).'
----
The former, before listing a number of "Jakeisms", also cited an
occasion when Jake waxed poetic on health matters:
When Charles began making good money, Mintz was able to start eating proper
food, "an innovation which his stomach took as an insult. Jake became sick
and went home to see his doctor.
"They thought I had some golf stones there," he went on, "so they took an
autograph of my heart and said: ' One of your ulsters is worn out.' Then
they hadda do something so they cut out my herndon over here."
---
The Jakeisms followed the same pattern, more or less. But once in a while,
as from the mouth of babes, came a pearl*. One, in particular, speaks to
matters current in Washington: "They shouldn't enlighten the public with the
false facts."
Beyond, and on, The Daily Show.
;)

* More'n likely, the pearl went _into_ the babe's mouth, as she bit to
determine if it was real.
(the other) doug

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