SEPTEMBER 22nd - Perception can Change Perception



This day in 1927 was the Long Count Fight between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. The fight was a rematch from a year earlier when Tunney won in a unanimous decision. For the rematch there were a few negotiational snags that had to be fixed. The 1st fight had been moved from Chicago to Philly because Dempsey was afraid that Al Capone, who was a fan of his, would try to tamper with the fight. The Long Count would be held at Soldier Field though. The fighters also agreed to new rules for the 10 second count. The knocked down fighter would have ten seconds to get up after the other fighter walked to a neutral corner. Apparently this was a rule that Dempsey wanted. Well, wouldn’t you know that Dempsey knocked down Tunney in the 7th, but failed to walk to a neutral corner for a few seconds giving Tunney extra time to shake off the cobwebs, hence the Long Count. Tunney knocked down Dempsey in the eighth and won the next two rounds to retain the title in another unanimous decision. So you might expect me to tell you something cliché like “be careful what you wish for” or at least “follow the directions you advocated for, dummy” but I like to zig when you’re looking for a zag. You see, Dempsey actually gained popularity after losing the fight because a lot of the public felt he got hosed. Because sometimes when you win, you really lose. And sometimes when you lose, you really win. And sometimes when you start talking about a controversial fight in 1927 you end up using a quote from a Puerto Rican actress in a movie about basketball that perfectly illustrate that perception can change perception. Of course, if Inception is real then your perception might be because of deception. And there is also the possibility that people just really liked Jack Dempsey. Capone did. And if anybody had his finger on the pulse of the American public during the late 20’s it was Capone. Right?

This day has been Marked.

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