Two big events took place 50 years ago today, September 20, 1973. In Louisiana, Jim Croce tragically died in a plane crash en route to Austin College. In Houston, Billie Jean King knocked off Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match.
Both events have Roo ties. I’ve already written about Croce today. But King deserves some ink today as well, alongside a Roo named Paul Pearce. King & Pearce are both a part of a Roo Tale written last year and shared in the comments.
The story of the King-Riggs tennis match in the Astrodome is told in the 2017 movie “Battle of the Sexes,” but that match is a just part of a much larger story about King and a group of women competitors establishing a professional league of their own. Jack Kramer, who called the King-Riggs match, was hostile to their efforts. But Paul Pearce, a Phi Sig from AC, was an enthusiastic supporter.
Pearce was the chair of the Houston Tennis Association (HTA) and worked his tail off to secure financing and sponsorship of a professional tournament at Houston Racquet club. The tournament was a success, and the iconic photo of King & competitors holding up $1 bills was taken at the Pearce tournament at Houston Racquet Club.
The King-Riggs match was as much publicity as it was gender politics. And it was great publicity for the women’s game. Pearce was in attendance and was a proponent of the match, which helped to establish equal pay for women in the sport. The US Open just this month celebrated 50 years of equal pay when Coco Gauff was presented the championship trophy at Arthur Ashe Stadium by Billie Jean King.
Yeah sure, Marc. Croce has Roo ties and so does King. But surely those two September 20, 1973, events aren’t linked themselves, right? How dare ye question Marc’s tying skills!
Croce’s final concert in Louisiana was recorded and later uploaded to youtube (see the comments). The concert took place in the evening, during the King-Riggs match in the Astrodome. At the beginning of the concert, just before Croce is introduced, an audience member yells out a question to the host:
“…for our first show tonight, and right now…”
“Hey, who won [the match]?”
“I don’t know the score! Really don’t. Right now, without further ado, Jim Croce!”
We know what score the crowd is asking about. It’s the King-Riggs tennis match in the Astrodome.
The Croce concert ended around 9 p.m. CST, at the same time King was celebrating her victory over Riggs. Concert goers departed to get the news of the King victory. Meanwhile Croce made the fateful decision to immediately leave for Austin College instead of the initially planned flight the next morning. The wind, fog, and darkness were significant contributors to the tragedy.
September 20, 1973, was a big day. Billie Jean King’s victory and Jim Croce’s last concert were both big news. Both also have Roo ties. But even more than that, the two events themselves are tied through the miracle of technology. Go enjoy Croce’s last concert in the comments, listen for the reference to the King match at the 0:24 mark, and hope y’all had a great September 20, 2023.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/20/sport/battle-of-the-sexes-tennis-match-billie-jean-king/index.html