1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Hello 2 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: and welcome to Ridiculous History. It's weird. I'm not been bowling. 3 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: I'm Noel Brown. Ben usually says a pithy thing at 4 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: the top of the show, but I'm just not that clever. 5 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: But I'll tell you what I have here is someone 6 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: who is that clever. And its name is Christopher Haciota, 7 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: so you know and love and we always say we 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: have a Christopher shaped hole in the studio at the 9 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: end of each episode. And now that hole is filled. 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: Does that mean I'm supposed to say something pithy and clever? 11 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: Now you just did. Just just your presence alone is 12 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: all the pithiness and cleverness anyone here means. But give 13 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: it some time, it'll just come naturally flowing forth. I 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: think I should. So what do I say? I say? 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: I say, you're no, I'm Ben. And that's a different show. 16 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: Already different show man, you're talking about I am we 17 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: are you? Are you? This is? This is a different show. 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: Who are we? We are Ridiculous History. Oh great, didn't 19 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: already say that. I'm in the right place. I'm glad 20 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: that you're here because Ben is as he would say 21 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: on Adventures Abroad, kicked into and out of whatever whatever 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: tends to and out of. And I don't know. I 23 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: don't want to. I don't want to spill the tea 24 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: as the kids say about what bends up to too much. 25 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: I will say, he is in Japan, um, but he's 26 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: got some pretty cool stories to tell when he gets back, 27 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: So I don't want to scoop him on any of that. 28 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: I think you just spilled the t No, I spilled 29 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: the tea about his location. So you guys can use 30 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: Theater of the Mind two invent some scenarios as to 31 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: what Ben may or may not be up to. And 32 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: that was my segue intaid today's episode, which is a 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: lot about creating scenarios that may or may not have 34 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: actually happened, uh in Theater of the Mind. So that's 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: sort of like, um, well let me ask you this. 36 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Sure you like fights, right, Um, I like you like 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: battles and stuff like battles. I like debates, I do, 38 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: I do. Yeah. I know you did this when you 39 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: were a kid, right, you're a comic book fan, right, Yeah, 40 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: it kind of care to that later in life. But 41 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: I think I see where you're going So, you know, 42 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: one one sort of schoolyard thing a lot of people 43 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: dive into is who would win in a fight Spiderman 44 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: versus Superman, the Invisible Woman versus Galactus. Invisible Man not 45 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: a superhero. It depends. I mean, are we talking League 46 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: of Extraordinary Gentleman Fantastic four? I mean League of Extraordinary Gentleman? 47 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: They superhero if I the Invisible Man, don't they? It 48 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: is sort of a fantasy mashup of of of powerful people. 49 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: I would argue that Invisible Man versus Invisible Woman very 50 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: dull fight. Well, unless you're the Predator's right, you're the predator. 51 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: And then it's just like watching two hot bodies, Hot bodies? 52 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: Where are you going with this? Christopher? Where you going 53 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: with this? What do we? What do we got going 54 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: on today? So I wanted to talk to you about 55 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: another fantasy and this is the sort of thing you know, 56 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: I mean, fantasy fighting is Uh, people probably went all 57 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: the way back and we're like, I bet Galahad could 58 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: beat Guenevere in the Battle Galahad versus Guenevere. Indeed, who knows, Uh, 59 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: we don't have historical records that go back that far. 60 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: At least I don't have any here in this drawer, 61 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: But we do have a really strange instance in recent 62 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: history of a fantasy battle that was a sort of 63 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: thing that people would argue about in barbershops, in bars, 64 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: over a sandwich, over a beer, Muhammad Ali versus Rocky Marciano, 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: exactly who would reign supreme right? And this is a 66 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: fight that never took place. It did not take place 67 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: because these two men, these two boxing champions, we're not 68 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: the same age, they were not of the same era. 69 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: It wouldn't be like arguing who would put on a 70 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: better show the Beatles or the Stones. It would be 71 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: like saying, who would put on a better show the 72 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: Beatles or Matchbox? We know the answered that obviously Matchbox 73 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: to the Beatles were notorious, not very good live band. 74 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: Matchbox twenty wasn't a very good anything. You're crazy? What 75 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: do you tell? It's three am? I must be lonely. 76 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: Have I brought enough tangents for this? Have we met 77 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: the tangent quota yet? Oh? No, no, no, that that 78 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: that we have not yet to begin to scratch the 79 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: surface of tangents that we will scratch in this episode. 80 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: But let's talk about some superlative, shall we the Fight 81 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: of the Century, The Thriller in Manila, The Rumble in 82 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: the Jungle, All of these names from Mohammed Ali's Big 83 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: Fight the Big Guys. Have you heard of the super 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: Fight like Superman? Yeah, exactly, exactly like Mohammad Al Superman 85 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: in a comic book. Yeah, I haven't seen that one. 86 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: But no, The super Fight a fictional fight that took 87 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: place in nineteen seventy where the aged um Rocky Marciana 88 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: was pitted against the fresh out of the clink um 89 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,679 Speaker 1: Mohammad Ali. Because Mohammad Ali, you see, protested the draft 90 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: and said that he didn't have any problem with the 91 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: viet Cong. What he did have a problem with was 92 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: all these white folks in America. We're you know, booing 93 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,239 Speaker 1: and hissing at him and like treating him like persona 94 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: non grata. So he's like, I think I'm just gonna 95 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: stay here, uh, And he did. He got stripped of 96 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: his title temporarily and thrown in jail, and he got 97 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: out and needed to make a little extra oney. He 98 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: actually so I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. Um, 99 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: let's get to the mastermind behind this fake fight. It 100 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: was a guy named Murray Warrener, who was an AD 101 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: executive from Miami. AD executives always have the bit the 102 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: big ideas, right, They're all about the creative here. So 103 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: he got really creative and decided that he could use 104 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: some of this emerging computer technology UM to initially create 105 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: fantasy fights in the form of radio plays. Exciting, it 106 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: sounds exciting. It's that theater of the mind, right, because 107 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: we know, UM, that was the way people consume sports. 108 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: That's the reason sports commentary exists, baseball announcers and all 109 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: of that. They paint a picture in your mind. Why 110 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: couldn't you do that and just make it all up 111 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: or generate the results from computer algorithms from something called 112 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,559 Speaker 1: an NCR three computer that had five K, yes, five 113 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: K kilobytes of core memory and it was handmade, UM, 114 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: and it was able to take these stats and create 115 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: play by plays of different sporting events. So you're telling 116 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: me that in nine there was a technology by which 117 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: we could use digital production methods to create an audio 118 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: drama of really compelling storytelling. Yeah, but the digital part 119 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: was really just to create the data, right. It was 120 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: crunching numbers at this point. It was saying based on 121 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: these stats feeded into this machine, it'll generate you a winner, 122 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 1: and it will generate you like these different scenarios. Right. NCR, 123 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: by the way, you know it stands for I don't 124 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: National Cash Register because you may be aware of the 125 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: NCR company as manufacturers today of a t M machines UM, 126 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: But back in these days they were on the cutting 127 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: edge of of essentially I guess home computing. This wouldn't 128 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: have this wouldn't have been attainable to the average person. 129 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: But I think you found some pretty cool ads from 130 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: not exactly the three fifteen, but something around the same time. 131 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: Let's let's hear what they were promising with these devices. 132 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: Consider the outstanding features of the Century three hundred. First, 133 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: the hardware Century three hundred is an amalgamation of innovative 134 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: technology in the most advanced systems architecture. Century three hundred 135 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: is composed of four independently functioning units, the memory processor, 136 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: IO controller, and the operator's communication center. Yeah, those are 137 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: the NCR machines. And they do make a t M 138 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: s UM or a t M machines As you say, no, 139 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: it's very redundant, as like saying in cheese casada. Yeah, 140 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: It's just it's not right. It's like saying Muhammad Ali 141 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: the greatest boxer, Like you just know if you do 142 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: know it, you don't need to say it. His autobiography 143 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: is called the Greatest my own story. Well you know why, 144 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: because he's the greatest, the greatest he gets he gets 145 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: that title. Um. Now, these were not home computers. I mean, 146 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: we got to remember this is still back in the 147 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: day of like punch card computing. So what Warrener did 148 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: was he basically reduced uh, some of the greatest boxers 149 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: in the history of of the sports, sixteen different fighters, 150 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: um too little cutouts on these punch cards, just basically 151 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: listing out their statistics. This one has ex agility, this 152 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: one has power, almost like like a little more advanced 153 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: version of D and D. You know where you're rolling 154 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: the however, many nerds sided dies we're talking about here, yeah, 155 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: or on the back of those you know. Since we 156 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: started talking about comic books earlier on, they were in 157 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: the nineties, they were really popular with that sort of 158 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: like baseball cards, but for superheroes exactly. Okay, well, Spider 159 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: Man can jump this high, but Superman can leap tall building. 160 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: That's right, you know, so plus or minus, different stats, 161 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: different characters, stats, so very I mean, I don't know. 162 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: I hopefully hopefully I'm not oversimplifying this too much. But 163 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: that was the idea. And you're talking about a computer 164 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: with with five kilobytes of memory. Simplification is I think 165 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: you're right. It's the name, it's the name of the 166 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: game here. So with this data, Warner was able to 167 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: generate fifteen matches and have them voiced essentially as though 168 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 1: they were real. It makes sense. It's theater of the mind. 169 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: There's no there's nothing stopping you. If I had the 170 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: voice of a radio announcer and I knew how to 171 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: talk about a baseball game, I could fake a baseball 172 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: game with you right now? Did we? I think we 173 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: just invented a new podcast. Yeah, yeah, we should just 174 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: pitch this to our bosses. We just recreate classic sports matchups, 175 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: of which I am at a loss to name because 176 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: but it's it's an alternative history version of these sports matches. Well, 177 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting that you mentioned alternative history because Warner also 178 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: he saw a much bigger potential for this process. It 179 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: was about sports. Yes, now, what's there's a quote from 180 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: him that his mind boggling lye uh, brazen and just 181 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: full of hubris, as though he had figured out the 182 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: most amazing thing in the history of entertainment. Yet Warner 183 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: had really, really high thoughts. There was a piece from 184 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated where he's quoted as saying, we could do 185 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: more than sports, much more wars, Hitler's Germany against the 186 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: Roman Empire, Napoleon versus Alexander the Great. How about election campaigns, 187 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: George Washington versus Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln against George Wallace, 188 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: and debates Socrates takes on Carl Mark's thorough against John 189 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: Paul Sart. Why not? Why not? Why not? Indeed, I'll 190 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: tell you why not? Because this is so reductive, right, 191 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: because like, at least with a thing like box saying 192 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: you kind of can match up stats and that sort 193 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: of makes sense. But like with a debate or like 194 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: a poetry slam or something like that, that all comes 195 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: down to individual creativity and like coming up with the 196 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: right words that are actually better as opposed to like, 197 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: you know, boxing and someone being able to I'm not 198 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: saying that like sports aren't don't have an art form 199 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: to themselves, but it's a lot easier to crunch some 200 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: numbers and say who's gonna win in a boxing match 201 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: than it is a debate or like some kind of 202 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: philosophical arguments. Well, it's interesting because I think, and I've 203 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: heard you know, we work in a creative industry, and 204 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: I've heard this from a lot of people, both in 205 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 1: in podcasts, but also people we know who work in 206 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: in film and radio and television. And you know, they'll 207 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: come up with a really creative, compelling idea for a 208 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 1: for a new show, a movie, and they'll pitch it 209 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: to the studios, and the studios will say, no, we're 210 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: in the digital age, that everything's Internet. We have statistics 211 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: and analysis for everything. So we'll run the numbers, and 212 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: this movie will not appeal to the right people in 213 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: the right amount of time for the right season, and 214 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: so it won't make money and it's not worth doing. 215 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: And I think there's this idea that hanging things on 216 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 1: numbers and analysis and and that sort of data driven 217 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: model is a new thing, and it's it's a woe 218 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: of our current age. But go back to the seventies 219 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: and we're all already doing it. This is not even 220 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: the seventies yet, this is like sixty eight. This is 221 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: the turn. It's crazy, and you're right, I mean not 222 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: to get too off the off the rail here, but 223 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: like Netflix, I mean they live and die by the algorithm, dude. 224 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: Like they all of that that data that we're feeding Netflix, 225 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: they use that to choose what kind of thing they're 226 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: going to make. Neix. I think everything all do usually 227 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: it's falling asleep on the couch by the Netflix algorithm. 228 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: But I I don't know how to pick anything on 229 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: Netflix anymore because it's trying to cater to me so 230 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,079 Speaker 1: hard that it's literally giving me like nothing that I 231 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 1: want to see. I don't know how that that makes 232 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: any sense at all, But like I just scroll through 233 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: Netflix thumbnails infinitely and never actually pick something and send 234 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: rewatching the office. That's because I know it's you know, 235 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: but that's not even gonna be on there for very 236 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: It is the tragedy of choice. But we digress. It's 237 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: just to get back to the stats and what those 238 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: factors would have looked like. They had fifty eight different factors. 239 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: That's not even that many considering um, but it was 240 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: things like we're talking about like bead uh, you know, 241 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: probability of injury, um, how strong the left you can throw, etcetera, 242 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: and even things like I love this Guardian article again 243 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: characterizes as the sublime hardness of punch, killer instinct and courage. 244 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: I wonder how many people had to contribute to say, like, 245 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: you know, I think this guy's got a seven killer instinct, 246 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: and people like no, no, no, no, that's an eight. 247 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 1: That's much more like you look at that instinct for sure, 248 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: it's absolutely it's absolutely killer. So this is a thing 249 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: that starts happening, and he uh assigns, um, these sixteen fighters, 250 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, number values. So Rocky Marciano is number zero 251 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: zero four and Jack Dempsey another classic boxer, zero zero two. 252 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: And in the thirteen round of these uh these matches 253 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: that we're talking about, um, it has Rocky Marciano knocking 254 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: out Jack Dempsey. So Muhammad Ali was also part of 255 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: this group of fighters that that Warner had put together, 256 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: right for sure? And what what how and with him, 257 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,119 Speaker 1: so he was pitted against a guy named Jim Jeffries, 258 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: who Ali had openly be because we know Ali was 259 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 1: known for his uh, his quick wit and trash mouth, 260 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: right yeah, and and this was no exception. He very 261 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: openly trashed. Uh Jefferies as quote history is clumsiest, most 262 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: slow footed heavyweight. Um. So he was none too pleased 263 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: when the old NCR three fifteen uh said that Ali 264 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: would have lost in a quarterfinal round two. Uh. This um, 265 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: this man he characterized as being a pretty slow, bad boxer, 266 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: because you know, Ali was known as being super quick 267 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: on his feet and you know, the greatest, like we said, 268 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: So he actually takes a step further. He's not doing 269 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: particularly great money wise, because he got stripped of all 270 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: his stuff and he was in jail, and he definitely 271 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: like was not at his peak at this point. So 272 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: he probably made I mean, I don't know, I'm speculating here, 273 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: but saw out this as an opportunity to to make 274 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: a little cash and get back on his feet. So 275 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: he actually sues Warner. Yeah, I think it. I mean, 276 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: I obviously cannot put myself in the mind of Muhammad Ali. 277 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: But you know, in addition to the cash issue, like 278 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: this is this is a man who, rightfully so had 279 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: serious pride, you know, like he was the computation every 280 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: greatest for sure, you know so, and he had just 281 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: been dinged by the government. You know, he had been 282 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: had all these issues regarding his um, his stance on 283 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: the war. And then the next thing he knows, this 284 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: computer is saying that he would lose to Jim Jeffreys. 285 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: Like it's an outrage, so I think probably you know 286 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: he so he approaches Warner with a one million dollar 287 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: lawsuit saying that he was the famed and yeah, that 288 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: gets to the heart. It's it's defamation. It's misrepresentation of 289 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: himself and this character and his his abilities. First of all, 290 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: not to mention, like, again, a lot of these stats 291 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: that we're talking about Kilie speculative, right, I mean, fifty 292 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: eight individual components, these simulations utter fiction, wouldn't you agree? 293 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: I mean? And again it's it's late sixties. This is 294 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: very very primitive computer, very primitive. But Warner not primitive. 295 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: He's a pretty adept businessman, that guy. Know what's up. 296 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: He figures out a way out of this lawsuits. So 297 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: he says, all right, Mohammad Ali, you're suiting me for 298 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: a million dollars, but what about this instead? And and 299 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: that's always the fun part, you know, when you're like, 300 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna propose an alternate route. And this alternate 301 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: route was for Warner to pay Mohammad Ali nine thousand 302 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: dollar less than ten k to film this fantasy fight. 303 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: And and the thing about this is what a great 304 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: opportunity to take this computer radio simulation and put it 305 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: on film. That was kind of taken into the next level. 306 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: They hadn't done any of these yet. Yeah, And and 307 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: he said, Muhammad Ali, how would you like to fight 308 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: Rocky Marciano? At the time, it's Mohammad Ali is in 309 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: his early thirties, which you know, it's not too old, 310 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: but at a boxer that's like long in the tooth, right, 311 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: and Marciano certainly was not ready for for fighting. He 312 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: was fifty years older time, that's right. He had made 313 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: a career as a sausage and Italian food impresario. Right. Um, 314 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: I think he had been out of the game for 315 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: about thirteen years. Um, had not been exercising, had gotten 316 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: quite paunchy, was balding, did not have a very good 317 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: back from years of you know, abuse in the ring, 318 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: I'm sure. But he had made quite a living as 319 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: a TV presenter. He had all these product endorsements, had 320 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: a chain of restaurants, a sausage factory. Um. He had 321 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,679 Speaker 1: even like tried his hand at being a referee and 322 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: he he wasn't against doing this, and there was a 323 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: great there's a great story about how in the same 324 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: Guardian article about how he was was a notorious cheap skate. 325 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: He like would do that trick that I never thought 326 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: was really real, where you'd take a wire and attach 327 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 1: it to a coin and put on a pay phone 328 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: and then fish it back out, you know. And he apparently, 329 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: like his business manager characterized him as being just like 330 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: addicted to cash, whereas he would write checks for fifty 331 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: k like it was nothing, but if he had twenty 332 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: bucks in his pocket, he would do everything he could 333 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: to hold onto that twenty bucks because he grew up 334 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: in a different era where cash was kimping. I mean, 335 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: I think about Marciana, right, he was born in the 336 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: early twenties, Um, so he grew up in the height 337 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: of the depression, you know, working probably black markets to 338 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,719 Speaker 1: to find things for his family as a kid. And 339 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: that stays with you when you're that young. Um. But yeah, 340 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: he he really branched out after his boxing career kind 341 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: of wrapped up. It's it's really interesting. This has a 342 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: lot of parallels both both Marciana's story and then kind 343 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: of what we're going to get into with Rocky Balboa, 344 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: who is a fake hero but a hero nonetheless. Um, 345 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: but we can we can get back to that. Yeah. Absolutely, 346 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: let's talk about this video because it's it's really really creative. Yeah, 347 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: I mean it reminds me. I was talking to super 348 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: producer Casey Pegraham, who I did not shout out at 349 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: the beginning the show. I think my presence here ruined. 350 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: It really threw off the vibe. We're also in a 351 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: different studio. I want to be very clear, there are 352 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: multiple reasons why I forgot to do that, But yes, 353 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: I was talking to our super producer, Casey pegram Um 354 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: about how the way this was filmed kind of reminds 355 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: me of some of those um early fighting games like 356 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: Mortal Kombat, where they actually have actors in costumes playing 357 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 1: out all of the different moves scenarios and then they 358 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: map it to video or I don't know exactly how 359 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: they do it. Casey could probably like explain it. I 360 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: don't think he's recording his mic. I'm on recording, sweet, 361 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: So how do they do that, Casey? Like in Mortal 362 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: Koma where they're shooting profiles of fighters, you know, addressed 363 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: like Scorpion and sub zero and they I think they 364 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: used to call it motion capture and yeah, I mean 365 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: it's literally like point of camera at of surface that 366 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: is like a green screen or a black screen or whatever, 367 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: and just yeah, do all the do all the moves, 368 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: and then that turns into like a limited number of 369 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 1: frames because they didn't have enough memory in early video 370 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: games to like ingest all that stuff. Casey on the 371 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: K and similar to them, I mean, you've also got 372 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: video games like dragons Layer, which was sort of a 373 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: choose year in advention exactly, and I think this Rocky 374 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: Marciano Muhammad Ali fight is sort of a halfway in 375 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: between those two. Because so what Warner does is he 376 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: gets Marciano and Ali into the studio, which is a 377 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: boxing ring, and films him going through all the different 378 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 1: possible punches, uh, dodges, ducks that you could come across 379 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: in a boxing match, and then match it up to 380 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 1: the audio track that was generated from the stats that 381 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 1: the computer made for that matchup or whatever, based on 382 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: both men I believe in their prime, right. Yeah, So 383 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: this is the sort of thing where they shot this 384 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: on film. The boxing ring was set against a totally 385 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: black background, so there are not too many details that 386 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: would distract, so you could really cut from one punch 387 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: to the other to make it look as relatively seamless 388 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: as you can. I mean, you can see it now, 389 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: and it's all over the internet. Yeah, we'll will share 390 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: a link to this on the Ridiculous Historians facebook page. 391 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: Um so, if you're not part of that group, head 392 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: on over that way and to check out this fight. 393 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,719 Speaker 1: It looks a little rudimentary to us now, but at 394 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: the time it was it was somewhat groundbreaking. It absolutely was. 395 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: I mean you can see the cuts. The continuity isn't great, 396 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: but like you said, because of the fact that they 397 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 1: made the background so simple, it isn't as distracting as 398 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: one might think. And they're literally recreating with these series 399 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: of kind of pre planned scenarios of them going through 400 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: the motions of what would happen, what could happen in 401 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: a fight. They recreate that algorithmically, I guess, for lack 402 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: of a better term, generated uh fight. Yeah, and no, 403 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: you've talked a lot about the theater of the mind, 404 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,120 Speaker 1: but I mean this was just actual theater, just pure 405 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: theodrics on film. They wanted to make themselves look good. 406 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: Uh so all Muhammad Ali who had at the time 407 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: it took on a little bit of a paunch. He 408 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: lost about forty five pounds getting ready for this, but 409 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: at the same time he was still a little flabby. 410 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 1: Rocky Marciano, on the other hand, you know, he's he's 411 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 1: pushing fifty years old. He had on a two pay 412 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: to try to recapture that that younger look. But it 413 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: wasn't quite real. No it wasn't. But again it was 414 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: you gotta give him an a for effort because it 415 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: really I mean, I'm not a huge boxing guy. I know, 416 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: I'm not any kind of boxing guy, so I don't 417 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: even know what these dudes really looked like in their prime. 418 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: And I was looking at him like they didn't look 419 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: like two over the hill has been to me, it 420 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: looked like it looked like two pretty strong dudes that were, 421 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: you know, cut out to to be matched up against 422 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: each other. So we've got this, We've got this, uh 423 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: filmic event and it was actually shown in movie theaters 424 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: and apparently some of the edits are the segments that 425 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: they that they created. Um because I would imagine too 426 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: they knew in advance what the outcome was going to be. 427 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: They knew in advance what the play by plays were 428 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: going to be. They must have done some work of 429 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: actually recreate eating some of those things, you know, to 430 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: match with what was in the audio. And apparently some 431 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: of them they did such a good job that they 432 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: don't even have any edits, so there's no cuts. They 433 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: go along perfectly. It looks, it looks great. So January 434 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 1: is when the Super Fight aired in cinemas. There were 435 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: a thousand cinemas in the US and five hundred more 436 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: across the world Canada, Europe, Mexico, a couple other places, 437 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: and people could go sit in the theater and really 438 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,920 Speaker 1: just witness to what at that point had just been 439 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: pure fantasy, pure speculation. And you know, I mean, it's 440 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 1: kind of like what we get into now with all 441 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: these superhero crossover movies, where in the in the New 442 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: Avengers movies, you get to see characters from Black Panther 443 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: show up against the folks from Thor and Iron Man 444 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: and just the sort of mishmash of fans service. And 445 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: I want to point out to I made a mistake. 446 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: They didn't know the outcome that they didn't know, the 447 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: outcome until it came it was on live. So that's 448 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: why they filmed in such a way. They could piece 449 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: together those scenarios so that the men were not told 450 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: who was going to be there, right, Yeah, exactly, because 451 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: it was up to the computer. It was up to 452 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,360 Speaker 1: the computer to to figure it out. And they had 453 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,439 Speaker 1: to just like you know, get as much source material 454 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: as they could so they could edit it together. Um, 455 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: and what was the verdict. Well, what happened is on January, 456 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,440 Speaker 1: in front of crowds of thousands of people in movie theaters, 457 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 1: Rocky Marciano chaos, Muhammad Ali round thirteen. So Ali puts 458 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: up a good fight, but according to the statistics, according 459 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: to the computer, it's Marciano. Yeah. And um, you know, 460 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: Ali he got himself into this because he felt like 461 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 1: he was being defamed from all of this. So this 462 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: is kind of almost as tragic outcome for him in 463 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: terms of a blow to his ego, right that he 464 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: lost yet again. The computer, Um, you know saw him 465 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: being defeated again, and he was actually quoted as saying, uh, 466 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 1: that computer must have come from Alabama, Uh, you know, 467 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: implying it that choosing the white the white man as 468 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: the winner. Well, I think the thing about Ali is 469 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: there's so many sides to this really compelling man. You know, 470 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: he he had his public bluster and he had to 471 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: put up his front. But the truth of the matter is, 472 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: you know, as much as he said that, oh, this 473 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 1: whole thing was a hoax, it was a sham, I 474 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: never would have lost blah blah blah, um kind of 475 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 1: keeping that that facade up. He and Marciano had actually 476 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: become good friends during the creation of this thing, like buddies, 477 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: you know, they I think had that mutual professional respect 478 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: and then hit it off while making this thing and 479 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: and had a blast. You know. One of the ways 480 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali, though, was able to keep up this bluster 481 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: and say, oh, I should have won and the computer 482 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 1: did me wrong, is uh is Marciano wasn't able to 483 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: say the same thing because Marciano actually died about four 484 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: or five months before this. Um. This fight aired in theaters. 485 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: Marciano died August thirty one, nine, which is the day 486 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: before his birthday. Actually, um, he would have been in 487 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: his forties, and he was a passenger on a small 488 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: plane and somewhere in Iowa, bad weather just sent the 489 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: plane down so he passed away, never got to see 490 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: his victory over Ali, which is kind of a shame. 491 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: Even though it wasn't a real victory, still might have 492 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's still a little bit of pride in 493 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,680 Speaker 1: this guy passed his prime. Well again, the SINCR three 494 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: fifteen um that was being lauded by Warrener had so 495 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: much faith in Uh. People in the public is a 496 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: big part of this when I say people began losing 497 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: faith in this computer because you know, it's easy to 498 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: get fascinated by the new thing, the hottest new tech 499 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 1: or whatever. Even back in those days, this seemed like 500 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: magic as far as people were concerned. But it started 501 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: making some pretty bunk calls. Right so um. Ali was 502 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: pretty outspoken as he was wont to be um and 503 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: he referred to the outcome of the super Fi you 504 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: may have said this earlier, Christopher as a sham and 505 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: a Hollywood fake. He said all this on the Dick 506 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: Cabot show. Uh, And Warrener was not happy about that 507 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: because he had paid Ali the money he he was due, 508 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: and so Warrener uh sued Ali for two million bucks, 509 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: claiming that another one of these fights fell through because 510 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: Ali was out there spewing all this hatred and lies 511 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: and you know, how dare you defame my, my, my 512 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: dear sweet n c R three fifteen, And this one 513 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: would have been between Sugar Ray Robinson and Marcel Uh 514 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: Casey Casey on the case, yeah, because Sugar Ray Um 515 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: wasn't feeling it because you know, I mean obviously everyone 516 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: in the boxing community would have had massive, massive respect 517 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 1: for Um, for Ali and would have you know, taken 518 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: heed Um if he was talking trash Uh, And soon 519 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: everyone kind of lost faith in the machine. In nineteen 520 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: seventy September nineteen seventy, the n c R three UM 521 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: This is the Next Model predicted that Joe Frazier would 522 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: lose to Bob Foster in a real fight, and no 523 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: one else was feeling that because Fraser Uh was outweighed 524 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: Foster by twenty one pounds UM and he was like 525 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: totally in his prime. It was a wee aired wonky 526 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: kind of match up. And Uh, it was just a 527 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: total you know, ship show, as we like to say 528 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: this history. That's the thing about sports that's so exciting, 529 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: right is um It's not just a numbers game. If 530 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: you could predict the outcome of any matchup by just 531 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: looking at the statistics beforehand, that would remove any magic 532 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 1: from the scenario. Right, That's not why you watch a game. 533 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 1: You watch a game because you're rooting for one of 534 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: the teams. But it's those come from behind, underdog victories, 535 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: the unexpected wins that make sports so exciting. And I 536 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: think Warner, you know, in all of his machinations and 537 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: his imaginings of using data to really drive this, he 538 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: forgot the human element and that pride is sort of 539 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: also what Ali carred with himself for so long, you know. 540 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: He in his he mentioned his autobiography before. One of 541 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: the things he wrote was about this fight. He said, 542 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: I saw myself on the ropes being destroyed by Marciano 543 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: in one of the quote artistic endings few actors could equal. 544 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: But some people thought it was real. Some sat stone still, 545 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: some boot and yelled, some cry. I felt like I 546 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: had disappointed millions all over the world. It left me 547 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: ashamed of what I've been doing. I've gone over the 548 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: country promoting the series as fair and accurate, especially the 549 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: Marciano Vie Ali show man that's heavy that also could 550 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: be him, you know, trying to paint the picture of 551 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: his situation so that his lawsuit had a absolutely no, 552 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: you're totally right. But well, I will say back to Warrener, 553 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: his sort of blindness to the thing, the magic, the 554 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: spark that actually makes these events special is so apparent 555 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: in that quote that we read earlier about how let's 556 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: like you know, Pitt Nietzsche versus Schopenhauer or whoever, like 557 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: all of these like human, you know, fallible individuals making cases, 558 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: you know, for their philosophies like from the heart, like 559 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: you can't assign a numeric value to that, or of 560 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: a loss or a win. And the fact that he 561 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: thought that showed that he was definitely high on his 562 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: own supply in terms of thinking that this was like 563 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: much more of a clever idea than it actually was. 564 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: But you know, this the super fight for as sort 565 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: of strange and tangential and not really um you know, 566 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't the future of sports at the time, but 567 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,479 Speaker 1: you still see this today. And like football matchups, anytime 568 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: you're watching a game, the two announcers need something to 569 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 1: talk about because football is super boring and take so 570 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: long side note that they just end up talking about 571 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: stats of this player versus that player of this quarterback 572 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: versus that quarterback, of what they're expected to do versus 573 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: what they actually do. And uh, I feel like that's 574 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: half of sports commentary is just talking about the data 575 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: and it bores me to tears totally. And again, we're 576 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: in fantasy football season, are about to be We've got 577 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: a couple of new fantasy football shows launching here on 578 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: the network. Um, that is not a world that I 579 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: am familiar with, but at least that that does rely 580 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: on chance, and it does rely on kind of the 581 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: ability to like pick winners because you can interpret the stats. Uh, 582 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: and and then kind of roll the dice and see 583 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: what happens. Yeah, I mean those are podcasts I would listen. Yeah, 584 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: because the stats are fallible. I mean that's the point. 585 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: There is that human element and that ability to kind 586 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: of rise above you know, what the numbers say and 587 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: kind of give that final push into greatness or whatever. 588 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: And I think that's really interesting. Yeah. So if you're 589 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: listening and you're interested in this fight, you can seek 590 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: it out. You can find a lot of it online. 591 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: But there was also in two thousand five, a DVD 592 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: of the fight came out, and it also included a 593 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: documentary about the radio fights. In the history behind this, 594 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: it's pretty interesting, but the legacy lived on in strange ways. 595 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: I mentioned this earlier in the two thousand three film 596 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: Rocky Balboa, which, uh, I don't know. Are you a 597 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: Rocky fan? How do you feel about right? I think 598 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: it's a classically good film, um, and I think even 599 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: like the newer ones from recent years are are pretty great. Yeah. 600 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: So I mean that's what I'm that's the one I'm 601 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: talking about. Rocky is I think one of the finest 602 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: American films of all time, and everyone should see it, 603 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: and everyone should see it many many times, and I 604 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: cry anytime I watch it, and I'm not ashamed to 605 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: admit that. But Rocky Balboa, which came out in the 606 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: two thousands, was the sixth film in that series, and 607 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: it's sort of book ended the career of this boxer, 608 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: semi fictionalized boxer that Sylvester Stallone created. So it's sent 609 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: thirty years after the initial fights in Rocky and Rocky 610 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: is working in a meat plant, you know, he has 611 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: his own kind of side gig. It kind of mirrors 612 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: what Rocky Marciana was going through at the time. So 613 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 1: in this two thousand six film Rocky Balboa. The impetus 614 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: for Rocky coming back into the ring for the Stallion 615 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 1: trying to reclaim his title, mixing some nicknames. There is 616 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: espn pits this aging boxer in his prime against Mason 617 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: the Line Dixon, a boxer who was unpopular, you know, 618 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: according to the film, but um you know, claimed that 619 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: he could have beaten Rocky Balboa. And so the super 620 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: fight actually inspired the two thousand six film Rocky Balboa. 621 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: Uh in sort of this really weird meditextual way in 622 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: which Rocky kind of relates to Rocky Marciano. There's obviously 623 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: parallels in the names and in the story about them 624 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: packing meat and kind of working in that industry on 625 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: the side, which I will also say, uh weird. Ari 626 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: Yankovic presaged in his in his terrific album in three 627 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: D from the eighties. You know what, I recently rewatched 628 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: that that totally held up. Uh UHF. I have dreams 629 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: of having a chat one day with our with our 630 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: colleague Chuck Bryant on Movie Crush about that show. Okay, great, 631 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: you totally should you know that we could make that 632 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 1: dream of reality. Dude, I'm on that show we got 633 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: to do that I would love. I would say for 634 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: UHF is probably the film I've seen more times than 635 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: any other except maybe Star Wars. Yeah, right on that. 636 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: That explains so much about your personality, Christopher. Uh. And 637 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: speaking of your personality, thank you so much for lending 638 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 1: it to us on this episode. This is a lot 639 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: of fun and it is always available for you. I 640 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: appreciate it. We love filling that Christopher Hasiota shaped hole 641 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 1: in the studio. Big thanks to super producer Casey Pegraham. 642 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: As always, thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme. 643 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:52,000 Speaker 1: Thanks to Ben Bolland, co host and absentia away on Adventures. 644 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: Can't wait to have you back, buddies so we can 645 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: hear about your your exploits and whether or not you 646 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: made it out of Japan without getting kicked out against 647 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: your will. Big thanks to our research associates Gabe lues 648 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: Here and Ryan Barrish uh. And thanks to you folks 649 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: out there in podcast land. Uh. We'll see you next time. No, 650 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:20,479 Speaker 1: I think this episode was a knockout. I think so too, Boom. 651 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit the I 652 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app Apple podcast or wherever you listen to 653 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 1: your favorite shows,