Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

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Terry McCracken
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by Terry McCracken »

reflectionofpower wrote:I found out that this show was aired 10/5/72. He finished off Spassky on 9/1/72. Besides Fischer, the show's other guests were The Carpenters, David Cassidy, Alexis Smith, Mark Spitz, and Les Brown & His Band of Renown.
I use to watch the Bob Hope specials but I don't remember most of them or just bits and pieces.

I may have watched the Fischer one as well but couldn't remember it?
Terry McCracken
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by Terry McCracken »

reflectionofpower wrote:
Terry McCracken wrote:
reflectionofpower wrote:
Terry McCracken wrote:
reflectionofpower wrote:
Terry McCracken wrote:
reflectionofpower wrote:
Terry McCracken wrote:
reflectionofpower wrote:I never saw this one before. Bobby appears on the Bob Hope Special. It's funny because they make fun of the antics that went on at the 72 World Championship.

I never saw that particular Bob Hope Special, it's excellent! Thanks for sharing that video.
I know, it was funny as Bobby made fun of a lot of things he complained about in the 72 WC match. I found it by accident?
It is a classic vintage find! Not too many people ever knew the other Bobby especially most players of today.
His interview on DIck Cavette was good too. I am sure you have seen that 1:
Yes, however it is a pleasure to re-look at some of the better highlights of Fischer's career.
As they say, "a little fly spoils the ointment" It is the weakness of humanity for someone to do so much for a certain field and then some weaknesses come up and that's all they focus on.

What Bobby said before his demise does not concern me in the least. He needed help and people should see that. Most people just heap abuse upon him with no concern and compassion for his condition. Without him chess would be seriously lagging behind and he gave his whole life to it.

Like Morphy he is the "pride & sorrow" of chess. Just look on youtube where Kasparov visit's Fischer's grave and he speaks from the heart about the great player he was and such. You can see he had sadness & reverence on this visit. Bobby spoke disparagingly about GK so this is even more compassionate on GK's part.

Interestingly I viewed that right after the Dick Cavette interview and I agree that many players of late can't see the forest for the trees where Fischer is concerned. Tragic really. Fortunately Kasparov saw past Fischer's shortcomings and what he did for the game. Fischer gave chess a soul. His regret was how much more he could have advanced chess if he wasn't such a troubled man. Paul Morphy comes to mind. All in all I agree.
Another interesting thing is that a good bunch of strong chess players have mental illnesses, some quite debilitating. Torres,Rubinstein,Steintz,Weinstein,Fischer, Morphy and there are many more if you search online. WHat is ironic is that the illness gives them that something extra that fits into pattern recognition,creativity and memory prowess.
Many of them actually developed mental illness either late in their career or as in the case of Morphy, in mid life, then, sadly he died of an apoplexy in the bath of his parents mansion, he was 47. He quit public chess at 22 when Stanton refused to play him, calling him a cheap American street hustler. Words to that affect.
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by reflectionofpower »

Terry McCracken wrote: Another interesting thing is that a good bunch of strong chess players have mental illnesses, some quite debilitating. Torres,Rubinstein,Steintz,Weinstein,Fischer, Morphy and there are many more if you search online. WHat is ironic is that the illness gives them that something extra that fits into pattern recognition,creativity and memory prowess.
Many of them actually developed mental illness either late in their career or as in the case of Morphy, in mid life then, sadly he died of an apoplexy in the bath of his parents mansion, he was 47. He quit public chess at 22 when Stanton refused to play him, calling him a cheap American street hustler.[/quote]

Staunton was a coward. He made the standard chess pieces today & opening book theory in it's day but he was a blantant coward. He knew he would have gotten his ass beat against Morphy so he would slither away at every excuse to not play him.

Alekhine did it to Capablanca too after he took the title away from him. He was always running from Jose too. He played Efim Bogoljubov twice and had not trouble with him.

Lasker was giving Jose problems in this area in not playing him.

'Look at Steintz, he played everyone that came at him. Karpov did good in this area too but I don't think much of him as he used political abuse upon Korchnoi's family as they played for the title.
"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." (Dune - 1984)

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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

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There's not much I can disagree with there, it's mostly true. I hate to say it but most master players are often irresponsible assholes and I can be pretty harsh at times myself. It's often innate in chess players of various levels. It's mostly about ego and breaking your opponents ego. I can forgive that but cheating is another story. Cheating is beneath contempt and in many ways is worse than outright theft but cheating is the embodiment of stealing and lying and a complete lack of respect for people and the game.
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

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Terry McCracken wrote:There's not much I can disagree with there, it's mostly true. I hate to say it but most master players are often irresponsible assholes and I can be pretty harsh at times myself. It's often innate in chess players of various levels. It's mostly about ego and breaking your opponents ego. I can forgive that but cheating is another story. Cheating is beneath contempt and in many ways is worse than outright theft but cheating is the embodiment of stealing and lying and a complete lack of respect for people and the game.
These people who are cheating in tournaments with smartphones, small hearing aids, devices taped to their ankles are only cheating themselves. The greatest satisfaction in chess is to see who you really are and where you're at.

Just ask my relatives as they hear me pumping my fist or destorying my opponent or his whole family spewing out filthy,debased language. I should be ashamed of myself really ... No I am not, I love this game. :lol:
"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." (Dune - 1984)

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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

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I am watching a youtube presentation, "The Life and Chess Of Bobby Fischer" and I noticed at this time segment they show pics of the Bob Hope & they show the rarer one where he was on the Dinah Shore show:

"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." (Dune - 1984)

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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by Terry McCracken »

reflectionofpower wrote:I am watching a youtube presentation, "The Life and Chess Of Bobby Fischer" and I noticed at this time segment they show pics of the Bob Hope & they show the rarer one where he was on the Dinah Shore show:

It's interesting. Thanks.
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by jplchess »

Bobby Fischer dropped out of high school at 10th grade. His mom should have said to him that "knowledge is power".

My former family doctor said to my brother (who had straight A's in high school and college) that "knowledge is power". I will never forget that ever.

Chess has become a war veteran game into a "Harry Potter" game for children due to computers and chess.

My humble opinion.
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Re: Bobby Fischer Meets Bob Hope -- Hilarious!

Post by rcmaddox »

Younger readers might not understand Hope's crack about doing a margarine commercial.

He was goofing on the old Imperial margarine ads, where eating the margarine made one feel like a king ---->>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkKOgs7Tdzw