It’s Happening at Chinook Winds ...
by Teresa Miller
We Caused a “Commotion
at the Ocean”
Chinook Winds has had a
number of “firsts” and somehow they
always turn out well. The “Commotion at
the Ocean” was the first live
championship boxing event to take place
in Oregon and be broadcast on HBO to
the entire nation as well as 30 countries.
For Chinook Winds, it was both a
blessing and a challenge. The blessing
is that it gave the casino exposure in a
way that no advertising could. The
challenge was making it work.
Boxing was an entirely new event
for Chinook Winds. That, combined with
the need to make it a success, made it
necessary for the staff to learn fast and
work extra hard. Everyone knew that this
was a do-or-die event. If it worked, there
could be more boxing in the future. If it
failed, the entire United States and 30
countries would see the failure firsthand
and live via HBO.
The number of unforeseen things
that needed to be accomplished or
Vinton, con’t from page 25
During the turbulent years between
1962 and 1972, Vinton’s music offered
the youth of America something gentle
and loving. The inspiration for one of his
biggest hits, “Mr. Lonely,” came from his
experience in the Army. Its heart
wrenching sentiments touched many a
lonely soldier along with reminding
America what members of the Armed
Forces were experiencing.
“My Melody Of Love” not only
became No. 1 in the nation, it was
embraced by Polish Americans around
the country as their new national anthem.
Not long after, Vinton’s best-selling
autobiography, “The Polish Prince,”
was published.
A multi-talented musician, singer
and actor, Vinton incorporates his
mastery of the piano, clarinet,
saxophone, trumpet, drums, and oboe
into his act.
Performances are 8 p.m. Friday
and 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday. Ticket prices
range from $25 to $40, depending on
seat location.
26
Left photo: “Ferocious” Fernando
Vargas; top photo: the title bout,
Vargas vs. Ronald “Winkie” Wright;
photo below: a white tiger, part of
Vargas’ entourage, rests in the wings.
changed was mind-boggling for every
department. One of the challenges was
bringing orangutans and a white tiger
into the facility to promote the fight. The
white tiger, part of Fernando Vargas’
publicity, was to be a well-kept secret
until the last match of the
eight-bout event.
Now, just how in the world do you
move a tiger that’s a little larger than a
Shetland pony from the outside parking
area, through the back of the building,
up the elevator, and into the convention
center without anyone noticing? Even in
a covered cage, tigers have an odor
that’s very distinctive. Somehow, the
tiger’s appearance did come as a great
surprise to everyone, even though the
strange odor permeating the air caused
some suspicion among the guests,
along with some sideways glances at
their neighbors.
Most of the undercard matches
were very brief, causing a number of us
to wonder what happens if the two
headliner bouts end in one-round
knockouts. How are we going to look
then? Will the crowd be angry? How do
we fill the time? What if, what if, what if?
To make a long story short, we
were blessed. Both bouts went 12
rounds with the winner determined by
the judges’ decision. The undefeated IBF
junior lightweight champion, Diego
Corrales, retained his title in a match with
John Brown. The undefeated junior
middleweight champion, “Ferocious”
Fernando Vargas, retained his title in a
match with the IBF’s No. 1 mandatory
challenger, Ronald “Winkie” Wright.
The event was aired at 11 p.m.
across the Northwest, almost
immediately after the last bout. It was
amazing to see the difference between
being at the event and watching it on
television. Both were impressive, but
watching on TV gave the “We’ve arrived!”
feeling. We looked like Ceasar’s Palace
or Madison Square Garden.
A great many comments have
been received on the positive affect the
“Commotion at the Ocean” had on the
surrounding community in promoting
Oregon and conveying the message that
Chinook Winds is a facility that can
successfully host world-class events.
Another rabbit was pulled out of
the hat with a great staff providing
the magic.