Tonight, tens of thousands of crazy people will brave crappy weather to shoe-horn themselves into Times Square for the New Year. The forecast is calling for icy rain.
Maybe that will slow up the pickpockets.
Can someone PLEASE tell me what the appeal is?
While going out and partying on New Year’s Eve is fun (although I have found myself at home in recent years watching Dick Clark), I cannot fathom the reasons why people are drawn to a place where they’ll be packed in like sardines to……WATCH A BALL DROP?
My curiosity of the whole “ball” thing made me want to do a little research. Who the hell came up with THAT idea? Here’s the short version:
1904-The New York Times opens it’s new building at Longacre Square—and petitions the City to rename the triangular “square” in it’s honor—hence, Times Square.
Times owner Adolph Ochs announces a huge New Year’s celebration—and over 200,000 people show up (there wasn’t much else to do in 1904)---No ball, but there were foreworks.
1907-Times Chief electrician Walter palmer creates the first “ball” at the urging of Ochs, who wanted some kind of massive show to usher in the New Year. The first Ball descended from a flagpole in Times Square and was made of iron and wood with 100 25-watt bulbs.
1942-1943—The Ball didn’t descend due to wartime lighting restrictions in case of enemy attack.
1955-1980-Ball is replaced by one made of aluminum-and now weighs only 150 pounds.
1981-1988-Due to the “I Love NY” campaign, the bulbs are changed to red and the sphere grows a stem to reflect the “Big Apple”
1989-1994- Traditional white bulbs are back
1995-1998- Ball gets computerized with strobe light system and rhinestones.
1999-New aluminum Ball
2000-2007-Ball gets a new design for the Millennium, with Waterford crystal
2008-New Ball makeover for 100th anniversary
2009-Ball is DOUBLED in size, but more energy efficient (20%) and the Ball remains halfway up the pole as a permanent fixture all year long.
Check out this video of Guy Lombardo and company from the 1957-1958 New Year’s celebration! This was the earliest footage I could find—and happens to be the year of my birth….my, how times have changed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfUp6iPAZ2M
Hard to believe that as many as a MILLION people now show up to “enjoy” the drop. Here’s another short clip about this year’s Ball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5sACW5PqBc
I may take a sip or two of champagne, but don’t EVER look for me in Times Square. Maybe I should make a New Year’s resolution never to show up for the Ball drop. That way, I’ll at least have ONE resolution that won’t be broken by January 2nd.
Happy New Year! I’ll take tomorrow off from writing so I can watch the Ohio State Buckeyes win the Rose Bowl against Oregon (pretty please God) If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
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