Bob Cousy's Endorsement Package

John Karalis  
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These are the kind of endorsements players used to get. Imagine Kevin Durant pitching a line of cigarettes as part of his endorsement package





bob



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I remember, "4 out of 5 doctors recommend XXX cigarettes" commercials on radio and TV.

My Mom smoked up until she became pregnant with my oldest sister in the mid-1950's. Then she quit. That was rare back then, to quit when you were preggers.

My Dad lit the next one off of the last one. He often had two going in the ash tray at the same time. I don't remember that the house had a stench about it, but it must have. We just didn't notice. Almost everyone smoked back then.

My dad was a chain smoker as well. Fell in love with a new convertible and figured out the money he spent on cigarettes was the difference in affording the car or not. Quit cold turkey and got the car. Lung cancer still got him years later anyhow. After he quit, he couldn’t stand to be around cigarette smoke. Made him sick to his stomach. He was a purchasing agent and purposely had no ashtray in his office so salesmen had to put them out before entering.

Lucky Strikes, Old Golds, I can remember these packs around my house for years. My Dad was an Old Gold smoke, along with my Mom, then they "switched" to a better filter cigarette for them, Winstons!! My Uncle had yellow fingers from holding the Lucky Strikes between his fingers. All my family smoked, not one of my Uncles or my Paternal Grandfather made it to 50, my Dad lasted until he was 80. Both my Mom and Dad stopped smoking when my Dad had his first heart attack. She knew he would never succeed in stopping if she continued so before he came home she stopped. When she was diagnosed with cancer, the first question they asked was if she smoked. My sister's reply was "didn't they all?" By then she was in her 90's so life was slowing down.

When I had open heart surgery that was the first question they asked me..."did you smoke and how much?" They had a hard time believing that not one cigarette ever touched my lips, I hated the smell. Thank God I didn't, who knows what condition my heart would have been in.

When you look back there are so many big stars who advertised cigarettes. I guess this validated it as okay to smoke. If we only knew back then what we know now????????????????
Still tons of smokers out there though but no stars advertising for the tobacco industry