This is turning out to be quite a month for me.  



It started out with two concerts by my favorite, whom you all know by now, is Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. First I saw him in Oakland, a concert that was comprised of 27 songs and 3:15 in length. Just have to tell you, I really love the E-Street Band as it is now constituted.  It is a much bigger sound. What used to be a 6-person band in the 70's, and then a 7-piece group when Patty Scalfia joined in 1984, and finally an 8-piece band when Suzie Tyrell came in to play violin and sing, has now grown to 17!!  This came after the death of the beloved "Big Man" Clarence Clemons. Bruce replaced Clarence, a sax man, with a 5-piece horn section that included two players, one of them Jake Clemons, the nephew of Clarence. He also brought in a percussionist and three backup singers known as the "E-Street Choir"! It is now a much bigger, and more sophisticated sound, and much more versatile in terms of what they are doing. Needless to say, both Springsteen concerts were sensational, and that makes my total of 21 Springsteen concerts that I have attended.



Next up, just four nights after the second Springsteen show was boxing in Las Vegas. It was there I saw an amazing fight, Juan Manuel Marquez' 6th round knockout of Phillipine idol Manny Pacquaio. It was their fourth fight, the first three had all been close, with debatable decisions. This time there was no question. It was one of the most perfect punches I've ever seen, and one of the most electrifying moments I've ever experienced. The din in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, was absolutely deafening. It was the first time I had been to a Pacquaio fight where he was not the sentimental favorite, as the crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Marquez. I think this feeling came about from a general consensus that Marquez deserved at least one, if not all three of the decisions in their previous fights. As this fight evolved, we got three knockdowns, lots of blood, a broken nose for Marquez, and finally a violent, cut and dried knockout. Perfect!.



Now I'm back home with a rather severe cold, which is just a major downer. Nonetheless I am planning my next December event!  Next week I am heading back to Vegas to hold a small press conference on behalf of the non-profit organization I founded this summer, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.  I am going to announce the first class of inductees whom we will honor at a big induction ceremony and dinner next summer. Please check out our website at:  nvbhof.com  and if you are so inclined, like us and friend us on Twitter and Facebook.