Sports things you miss (The good old days)

[goalieboy82]

3 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

When I could pee in a 32oz souvenir cup in the concourse in the Vet because the lines were either too long or the pipes were frozen.  That kind of behavior seems to be frowned upon now.

will add souvenir programs too (do they still have those).  

 

[Matthew24]

Two things I missed:

 

1. When ESPN aired NHL games. Growing up I used to worship hockey like nothing else and ESPN was where I used to watch games.

 

2. I also miss AFL on TNN when I was young.

 

Honorable mentions:

 

Remember when ESPNews was just about sports news and nothing else. Pepperidge Farm remembers..

 

Also anyone remember when Stump the Schwab on ESPN. I used to watch the show with my grandparents growing up.

[floydnimrod]

1 hour ago, Matthew24 said:

Remember when ESPNews was just about sports news and nothing else. Pepperidge Farm remembers..

 

Also anyone remember when Stump the Schwab on ESPN. I used to watch the show with my grandparents growing up.

Growing up, I watched ESPNews more than I did Sportscenter, and I was much more familiar with the anchors there than the Sportscenter ones. I remember getting most of my breaking sports news from their little area in the bottom right where'd they'd have like 20 characters to break the story.

 

Isn't there a member of these boards who actually stumped the Schwab?

[El Diablo]

I miss announcers that I was fairly certain were drunk during the broadcast.

[TrueYankee26]

I don't know if I posted this already: I miss the ABC college football theme of the early 2000s.

[JayMac]

47 minutes ago, TrueYankee26 said:

I don't know if I posted this already: I miss the ABC college football theme of the early 2000s.

I miss the old college football theme for ESPN as well. It was a timeless theme.

[Matthew24]

1 hour ago, JayMac said:

I miss the old college football theme for ESPN as well. It was a timeless theme.

I also miss the old ND on NBC theme from the late 1990s to mid 2000s. I loved it, it fits with the team and I also miss the NFL on NBC theme from the 1990s. Classic themes.

 

NBC had some great theme songs for their sports broadcast back then.

[disman00911]

- Cubs on WGN (Harry Carey & Steve Stone.  Even Chip Carey was tolerable)

- White Sox also on WGN (Ken Hawk Harrison and Tom Patorick)

- Braves on TBS Superstation

- This Week in Baseball with Mel Allen

- The Astros as an American League team (Still can't get used to that even though they won a World Series as an AL team.  Strangely, I'm now used to the Brewers as an NL team even though I still remember them as an American League team)

- Montreal Expos

- The Angels as either the CALIFORNIA Angels or ANAHEIM Angels.

- MLB logos on the outfield wall in some of the stations instead of ads.

- Late 90s-to-mid-2000s MLB: Yankees dynasty, Braves in the playoffs all the time, Bonds/Sosa/McGwire home run chase (feel dirty about that one because of the steroids)

- NBA on NBC (Marv Albert, Inside Stuff hosted by Ahmad Rashad, and the theme song by John Test)

- Bulls 90s dynasty (MJ, Scottie, Phil Jackson, etc); also the rivalries with the Pistons, Cavs, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, etc were worth watching. I also miss Johnny Red Kerr and Wayne Larrivee, plus Norm Van Leer)

- Monday Night Football on ABC (Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Dan Diedorf as I wasn't alive when Howard Cosell and Don Meredith were around. Also Hank Williams Jr. "Are You Ready For Some Football")

- Pat Summerall and John Madden announcing NFL games on CBS and later Fox

- Super Bowl being played a week after the Conference Championship games instead of two weeks after (meaning that the game was played in late January instead of early Feburary)

- Solider Field before a spaceship landed on it. (I'm talking about the stadium's renovation after the 2001 season)

- NFC teams dominating the NFL (80s 49ers, 90s Cowboys, etc)

- Houston Oilers

- Chargers in San Diego; Radiers in either Oakland or Los Angeles

- Baseball/Football/Basketball cards

- MLB on Fox having its own unique theme instead of having the NFL on Fox theme

- College Football/Basketball before the birth of super-conferences (i.e. the Big Ten actually having 10 teams + Penn State)

- Seattle Supersonics

- Nets in New Jersey

- NBA teams wearing white (or gold in the Lakers' case) at home; road team in the dark colors.  No association/statement mix and match jersey crap.

- Hartford Whalers & Quebec Noridiques

- Anaheim Ducks as the MIGHTY Ducks

- GOOD uniforms being worn at the Pro Bowl & NBA all-star game; also the Pro Bowl being played AFTER the Super Bowl

- Sports commissioners that are actually competent! (You know it's bad when Gary Bettman is now considered the BEST commissioner among the Big 4 Leagues)  I miss Paul Tagliabue, the late David Stern, and even Bud Selig.

- ESPN doing sports and entertainment, talk, & news that's actually related to sports.

- No politics on ESPN, NBA, NFL, etc (I watched sports to get away from that stuff!)

[Matthew24]

57 minutes ago, disman00911 said:

- Cubs on WGN (Harry Carey & Steve Stone.  Even Chip Carey was tolerable)

- White Sox also on WGN (Ken Hawk Harrison and Tom Patorick)

- Braves on TBS Superstation

- This Week in Baseball with Mel Allen

- The Astros as an American League team (Still can't get used to that even though they won a World Series as an AL team.  Strangely, I'm now used to the Brewers as an NL team even though I still remember them as an American League team)

- Montreal Expos

- The Angels as either the CALIFORNIA Angels or ANAHEIM Angels.

- MLB logos on the outfield wall in some of the stations instead of ads.

- Late 90s-to-mid-2000s MLB: Yankees dynasty, Braves in the playoffs all the time, Bonds/Sosa/McGwire home run chase (feel dirty about that one because of the steroids)

- NBA on NBC (Marv Albert, Inside Stuff hosted by Ahmad Rashad, and the theme song by John Test)

- Bulls 90s dynasty (MJ, Scottie, Phil Jackson, etc); also the rivalries with the Pistons, Cavs, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, etc were worth watching. I also miss Johnny Red Kerr and Wayne Larrivee, plus Norm Van Leer)

- Monday Night Football on ABC (Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Dan Diedorf as I wasn't alive when Howard Cosell and Don Meredith were around. Also Hank Williams Jr. "Are You Ready For Some Football")

- Pat Summerall and John Madden announcing NFL games on CBS and later Fox

- Super Bowl being played a week after the Conference Championship games instead of two weeks after (meaning that the game was played in late January instead of early Feburary)

- Solider Field before a spaceship landed on it. (I'm talking about the stadium's renovation after the 2001 season)

- NFC teams dominating the NFL (80s 49ers, 90s Cowboys, etc)

- Houston Oilers

- Chargers in San Diego; Radiers in either Oakland or Los Angeles

- Baseball/Football/Basketball cards

- MLB on Fox having its own unique theme instead of having the NFL on Fox theme

- College Football/Basketball before the birth of super-conferences (i.e. the Big Ten actually having 10 teams + Penn State)

- Seattle Supersonics

- Nets in New Jersey

- NBA teams wearing white (or gold in the Lakers' case) at home; road team in the dark colors.  No association/statement mix and match jersey crap.

- Hartford Whalers & Quebec Noridiques

- Anaheim Ducks as the MIGHTY Ducks

- GOOD uniforms being worn at the Pro Bowl & NBA all-star game; also the Pro Bowl being played AFTER the Super Bowl

- Sports commissioners that are actually competent! (You know it's bad when Gary Bettman is now considered the BEST commissioner among the Big 4 Leagues)  I miss Paul Tagliabue, the late David Stern, and even Bud Selig.

- ESPN doing sports and entertainment, talk, & news that's actually related to sports.

- No politics on ESPN, NBA, NFL, etc (I watched sports to get away from that stuff!)

[goalieboy82]

16 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I miss announcers that I was fairly certain were drunk during the broadcast.

[goalieboy82]

20 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I miss announcers that I was fairly certain were drunk during the broadcast.

or at least 1 more beer way to being drunk (by the 4th inning they were).  

also if the game was rained out didn't they fill the time by having the announcers talk sports (instead of this)

 

[Fitzy0220]

I'm 47 (huge Hockey and Baseball fan) and I miss
- Going to a Game for the sole purpose of watching the Game (No checking on Fantasy Geek Nerd crap, No being on a phone or tablet period. No FanCam or KissCam. No hanging out at the concourse bar only paying attention to thee Game when the crowd ohhs or ahhhs due to a play on the Field or Ice or Court) 
- Professional Sports before Free Agency
- Professional Sports before the over the top look at me show boating celebrations and hijinks (Terrell Owens running to the Cowboys mid field logo after a 49ers TD, Antonio Brown arriving at Steelers Training Camp in a Helicopter are just a couple of the many examples)  
- People / Fans before we became a Sue Happy Society (if your sitting directly behind home plate and your dumb ass gets up and turns your back on the Play (During the Inning) and you get hit with a foul ball that hits the netting, That's on You, not MLB or the Team) 

- NHL Home Team wearing White 
- NHL Wales and Campbell Conferences with Patrick, Adams, Norris and Smythe Division names
- NHL Stanley Cup Final ending in May 
- Not a popular opinion but I miss Tie games

- MLB before Interleague play (my 4yrs in the Navy (Norfolk Va) I became an Orioles fan, so while I do like the fact that the Orioles come to PNC Park and the Pirates go to Camden Yards but still to me the 2 Leagues NOT playing until the World Series made it special imo) 
- MLB Double Headers
- Just the Basics at MLB Parks (Burgers, Dogs, Peanuts, etc)
 

[WillLanigan]

ABC Sports!
MNF on ABC!

The Wide World of Sports!

No MLB interleague!

Small ball—bunts, pinch hitters/runners, etc. 

Montreal Expos!

Astroturf!

Stros in the N.L.!

The Astrodome!

MLB on Network Television!

Affordable Tickets to sporting events!

Expansion in general in professional sports!

[El Diablo]

17 hours ago, goalieboy82 said:

Man, I remember watching the Cubs on WGN when I was a kid. I was too young to know what drunk was then, but looking back I think there were games when he was blitzed before he even went to the booth.

 

Sports announcers nowadays should be allowed to drink. 

[Red Comet]

15 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

Man, I remember watching the Cubs on WGN when I was a kid. I was too young to know what drunk was then, but looking back I think there were games when he was blitzed before he even went to the booth.

 

Sports announcers nowadays should be allowed to drink. 

 

If you've ever seen Rex Hudler on TV, you'd wonder if they actually stopped.

 

 

[El Diablo]

That warms my heart.

[Red Comet]

30 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

That warms my heart.

 

Thing is, I had an old co-worker at a ticket broker I used to work for (long story) who said that when he worked at a liquor store, Rex Hudler would come in and get 5 shot bottles of Seagram's 7 before he'd go to the booth for Royals home games. I imagine that those were simply liquid appetizers. 

 

Rex is certainly one of those love him or hate him guys. But, he's certainly not forgettable which is a trait that so many broadcasters now unfortunately possess.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Red Comet

[El Diablo]

41 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

 

Thing is, I had an old co-worker at a ticket broker I used to work for (long story) who said that when he worked at a liquor store, Rex Hudler would come in and get 5 shot bottles of Seagram's 7 before he'd go to the booth for Royals home games. I imagine that those were simply liquid appetizers. 

 

Rex is certainly one of those love him or hate him guys. But, he's certainly not forgettable which is a trait that so many broadcasters now unfortunately possess.

There's been a definite slide into blandness in the broadcast booth the last few years, especially since all the older guys have been retiring. I know that guys with the charisma of a John Madden or Harry Carey are hard to find, but there doesn't seem to be much of an effort to replace them, either.

[Red Comet]

15 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

There's been a definite slide into blandness in the broadcast booth the last few years, especially since all the older guys have been retiring. I know that guys with the charisma of a John Madden or Harry Carey are hard to find, but there doesn't seem to be much of an effort to replace them, either.

 

Why find people with charisma when there are so many ex-stars needing work? I emphasize ex-stars as Rex Hudler did play in the big leagues but was mostly a utility player. Seems like guys like that make better coaches and broadcasters. 

[tBBP]

2 hours ago, Red Comet said:

 

Why find people with charisma when there are so many ex-stars needing work? I emphasize ex-stars as Rex Hudler did play in the big leagues but was mostly a utility player. Seems like guys like that make better coaches and broadcasters. 

 

I know some didn't care for him, but I really enjoyed Jon Gruden when he was in the booth. He didn't talk too loudly or fast, and of course had that same fire (albeit subdued because TV). And, until ESPN turned him into Sean Salisbury 2.0, I really liked Trent Dilfer as an analyst, as well. Neither would be mistaken for Madden or Summerall, but they weren't wooden like a Troy Aikman or *gasp* Joe Buck, either.