Back in Syracuse, there were a growing number of citizens
who were less than enamored with the IRA Regatta. The event had become a rather large and
boisterous party, with upwards of fifteen thousand “fans” taking the occasion
to socialize on the banks of Onondaga Lake. While the partiers saw no
problems, many of the locals didn’t care for the noise, traffic,
occasionally-inappropriate behavior, and general uproar that was IRA Saturday.
Nichols’ supermarket owner Jim Hennigan was one of the
Liverpool townsfolk who had grown disenchanted with the IRA. Speaking to a reporter for the
Herald-Journal, Hennigan said: “It was a way of introducing people to Liverpool
and Central New York…It’s just turned into a such a foolish beer blast…(some of
the regatta-goers) act like they’ve just been let out of Alcatraz.” These issues may have been more perception
than reality, as the police reported the previous year there were “only a few
incidents, and they didn’t amount to much.”
It wasn’t just the rowdiness that was turning some against
the regatta; for several years the Regatta’s finances had been running in the
red, leaving the Syracuse Regatta Association with a $5,300 debt to Onondaga
County. With a revised parking plan
including free nearby parking, the Association hoped attendance would rebound from
the low point the previous year.
The athletes at Longbranch were oblivious to the controversy
surrounding the regatta; there were some big changes going on that were of more
pressing interest. After the poor
results of the last two races, Coach Bill Sanford decided to shuffle the
lineup, and moved six-man John Shamlian to stroke and Art Sibley to four.
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