40 Years Ago Tonight - Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs - The Astrodome

[markbowmanimages]

Anybody old enough to remember this? - 40 YEARS AGO TONIGHT.....! Wow!!

Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs

Houston, Texas - The Astrodome

September 20, 1973

Want to see what I looked like as a 17 year old teenager....? I was the first person to shake Billie Jean King's hand after she won and was walking off the court....

What a night - what an experience from the 70's....!! (cue the laughter.....)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.384843238311714.1073741825.200656080063765&type=3

[Strider]

Hoky smokes! Mark, that's awesome! I am old enough to remember this match...I even had money on it with some schoolmates. The money I won helped pay for my Who ticket for their Quadrophenia tour.

Bobby Riggs had demolished Margaret Court in a previous match and many felt the same would happen again with Billie Jean King. But Margaret Court was old and past her prime in tennis years. That wasn't the case with Billie Jean Case. Anyone who watched tennis back then could tell Ms. King had the goods to beat boastful Bobby.

It was quite the circus event, and would have far-reaching effect in the long run. It was more than just a tennis match. You have to remember, it was only shortly before this that women were allowed to have their own credit cards and bank accounts.

I have some friends in Houston but I think they were born after this match. The Astrodome is still there...albeit kind of a neglected artifact, now that the newer, bigger and shinier Reliant Stadium is sitting next door.

Thanks for the memory flashback Mark. If I may ask, how was it that you were on the court at age 17?

[TheZeppyWanderer]

I remember it well.

The "Male Chauvinist Pig" thing. Great entertainment.

[jabe]

I was in 8th or 9th grade at a Junior High football game which would have been Thursday night, right?

They announced the results during the game.

[chef free]

I remember that Bobby presented Billie Jean with a giant "Sugar Daddy" candy before the match. There have always been rumors that he threw the match so his Mafia buddies could clean up on the betting side. Bobby's son has confirmed that he had "connections" but there's no other proof of this story.