Old Man

Old Man                                                   2984

Sunday, January 8, 2006-11:34 A.M. CST

It's funny how hope comes around at the right time.

It's easy to get discouraged in the comedy business, or show business in general, because it is largely an industry that worships youth.  At the ripe old age of 39, I often feel like I have nothing to contribute to the world of comedy, and even though I'm a decent writer and performer, I feel that I would lose the nod to a performer of equal talents who was younger and in better shape.  I understand the downside of casting, booking or choosing a performer who is older, and even though I generally get folks pegging me for as much as 10 years younger than I really am (good head of black hair helps a lot, but in the correct light, colonies of white hair make their appearance), I still feel that I'm dismissed as "old" by the industry. 

There are obvious exceptions, Lewis Black being one of them, but seriously, how many comics are getting breaks as relative unknowns going into their 40's?  I work every week with circuit headliners in their 40's and sometimes 50's, and even though they make the living they make on the road, they really have no shot at any TV exposure, fame, or making it to the next level, whether that be film, TV or some other opportunity I can't even fathom.  The tales of Rodney Dangerfield starting doing comedy in his 50's are widespread, and comics like Henny Youngman were pushing the envelope and doing standup dates well into their 80's (I saw Henny do a set on Comic Strip Live many years ago, and he was getting good laughs, but I couldn't tell if they were sincere or if he was just being paid homage).  But these are only the exceptions; you would be hard-pressed to think of 10 more in an industry of thousands.

So with much sadness going into the New Year about being 39, having just celebrated the commemorative birthday of death's door back in November, I greeted January with a heavy heart and some considerable vocational depression.  Until I heard the press conference; the Buffalo Bills, of whom I have been a fan of for 25 years, had announced that Hall Of Fame coach Marv Levy was returning to the organization as their new General Manager.

Marv Levy is a legendary coach, having guided teams in the college ranks, the USFL, Canadian Football League, and most recently, was the leader of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, the only team to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls.  At the age of 80, Marv has accepted owner Ralph Wilson's offer to become the General Manager and Vice President of football operations.

In a job where the hours are not constrained to 9-to-5 and the workdays don't come five to a week and two days off, there is a great deal of stamina that is required to function at that high level in a multi-million dollar professional sports organization.  Marv sounded great at the press conference on Thursday, which I heard live on my laptop courtesy of streaming video technology, and my heart swelled with pride and I'm not ashamed to say that I wept a little with joy in the privacy of the Rivercenter Comedy Club's feature act condo apartment in faraway San Antonio, Texas.

Marv represents everything that's right with professional sports.  His adage "Don't be dumb, don't be dirty" should be posted in the locker room of every professional sports team, particularly in the light of the events in yesterday's wild-card NFL game between the Redskins and the Buccaneers (there was some spitting in a debate between players, and a Redskin got ejected from the game).  A talented guy like Terrell Owens would never have been allowed to burn like a tire fire the way he did for so long under Marv's tutelage.  And I look forward to the overall improvement of the Buffalo Bills' record under Marv's knowledgeable guidance.

Back in 1996, I appeared in a commercial for Sprint Long Distance with Marv Levy and Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.  While I didn't care so much for Jim's condescending treatment of me, Coach Levy came over to me, greeted me with a friendly "Hello, youngster!" and after I gushed a bit and thanked him for his great work with the organization, he started asking me questions about myself, like how did I get into acting, and what shots had we done earlier in the day, and then just like that, Coach was off to the next person, shaking hands and smiling and just generally being a bright spot to everyone who was enduring a long, hot day of shooting in a merciless July sun.  And this was only six months after enduring prostate cancer surgery to prevent the spread of cancer.

Most of all, coach Levy is an inspiration to me, that after hanging up his headset and retiring to a job inbroadcasting, he got fidgety and attempted a return to coaching, but was unable to find a fit or a team that would take a chance on a man who, even though he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was into his 70's.  If he fails, and finds the General Manager's job to be too much for a man of his age, he will at least be able to take consolation that there was still one organization that was willing to acknowledge his skill and experience, and if he succeeds, well, then the entire national attitude towards age and aging must be looked at once again, to determine if we are writing people off at too early of an age.

And as I continue my approach towards 40, I will stand and applaud the efforts of a man twice my age who is carrying the torch for me, and everyone else who is looking for an opportunity to contribute to their field, despite the lines in their faces, the grey (or no) hairs on their head, and the twinkle of hope in eyes only beginning to grow dim.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY