Before Nick Wallenda ... Spider-Dan

[Tugg Speedman]

As we all know, last night Nick Wallenda was encouraged by the city of Chicago to risk his life on live TV.  The City of Chicago spent tax payers money to help him pull this off without resulting in his death.

33 years ago this week, "Spider-Dan" Goodwin climbed the side of the John Hancock building.  Back then the city spent taxpayer's money to forcibly have him plunge to his death on live TV.  This was a low point for Chicago politics, which is saying something!

Old video of Spider-Dan and how the City tried to kill him instead of trying to help him like that did for Wallenda last night.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47cV5r_Iqzg

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

What? As I recall they broke windows of the Hancock to try and haul the weirdo inside.

[Tugg Speedman]

What? As I recall they broke windows of the Hancock to try and haul the weirdo inside.

Yes they smashed windows with fire axes and tried to grab him with hooks on end of poles in order yank him inside.  Fortunately he was a good enough climber that he survived ham-handed attempts to kill him preventing Chicago further embarrassment.

How significant was this event?  If you use Wikipedia as a measure, the Spider-Dan climbing the Hancock is half of their write-up of Jane Byrne's tenure as Mayor of Chicago. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Byrne

I remember this incident and I agree it was that significant for Byrne, mainly because most Chicagoans looked at it in horror that the fire department was literally trying to kill him for climbing the Hancock building.  No other way to describe what they were doing.

Like I said above ... fast forward to last night and we have 180 degrees the opposite response from Chicago ... they were encouraging Wallanda to risk his life on TV and went out of their way to make it happen, even using tax payer money to make sure this event was "made for TV."

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I guess I understand the comparison, but what's your deal with this "Spider Dan?" That was eons ago!