The Good Old Days: Sports When You Were a Kid

[AndrewPF]

Woah! Christ, i forgot about the Hornets playing in Charlotte

[wdm1219inpenna]

I have very very vague memories of my father watching the 1970 World Series on our old black & white set. I do remember it was sunny outside and it was sunny at the ballpark too. It appeared to be Riverfront Stadium, but that's really in the far reaches of my distant memories. I was not quite 4 years old when that World Series was played, but I do remember watching my dad watching it.

When I was in first grade, in 1973-74, my family purchased a brand new COLOR tv set (yes boys and girls I really am THAT old). I remember my dad watching the Minnesota Vikings vs the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC playoff game, and the colorful uniforms really caught my eye. I sat down, watched, asked him what "first down" meant. He patiently explained down and distance, and from that moment since I was hooked on NFL football.

During the summer of 1974, my family and I vacationed at Beach Haven NJ. A movie called "Pride of the Yankees" was on. It was the Lou Gehrig Story, and Lou was portrayed by Gary Cooper. My father asked me to watch with him. When I asked dad if he was a fan of the Yankees, he said yes, and from that moment, I became a fan of the Yankees as well.

Going slightly back, during April 1974, I remember we were visiting my aunt and uncle's house the night Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record.

Living near Trenton NJ, I had the best of 2 worlds. We received New York and Philadelphia stations. This was prior to cable tv which wasn't available to us until 1981.

I grew up watching the New York Mets on WWOR Channel 9, with Lindsey Nelson & Ralph Kiner, the Phillies on at various times Channel 17, & 29, UHF stations, and of course, WPIX Channel 11 and the Yankees, mainly with my father during 1975 - 1978. I remember growing up watching the Yankees, and having Phil Rizzuto in the booth, along with Bill White and the almost forgotten about Frank Messer. I remember watching ABC'S Monday Night Baseball and Rick Burlson of the Red Sox with an around the horn triple play, and the words "TRIPLE PLAY" flashing on the screen. I remember watching Chris Chambliss hitting the home run to win the 1976 pennant, and also the disappointment of the Yankees being swept by the Big Red Machine. 1977 proved to be my favorite baseball year of all time. It was the one time I was able to watch the Yankees win it all, with my father. Dad would die in mid-July 1978, right at the time the Yankees were 14 games out of first place. Whenever the Yankees would be losing, and I grew discouraged, my dad would say "Don't worry about it son, the 7th inning is the Yankees inning". Sure as anything, that fateful 1 game playoff at Fenway Park, Yankees were trailing, up steps Bucky. They took the lead and it was indeed the 7th inning. It was the first time I had openly wept over anything sports related in my life. I remember I was home alone at the time, and at that moment I knew they were going to win it all. That Bucky Dent home run will be the single most significant baseball memory for me, whether I die today, next week, or not for another 1,000 years. I always wanted to write to him to thank him, and to share this story with him.

The first Super Bowl I remember watching and understanding was Super Bowl XI, the Raiders over the Vikings 32 - 14. Little did I know then that would be the last Super Bowl ever played entirely in daylight. The only Super Bowl I ever watched with my father was Super Bowl XII, when Dallas defeated Denver 27-10. January 15, 1978. He would die exactly 6 months to the day after that.

The only basketball memories I have were when the Harlem Globetrotters were on tv. We didn't watch much basketball or hockey. I also have memories of when Janet Guthrie became the first female Indy 500 driver, and what a big deal that was at the time.

This is a superb thread, and I thank you for making it and for allowing me to contribute!

Humbly,

Bill McD.

[TFoA]

I remember watching ABC'S Monday Night Baseball and Rick Burlson of the Red Sox with an around the horn triple play, and the words "TRIPLE PLAY" flashing on the screen.

This thread is awesome because of posts like these. That would be awesome to see something like that, now. Makes me wish I was around back then, instead of a 90s kid.

[Sport]

The Bad Bengals:

Boomer

Jeff Blake

Dan Wilkinson

Carl Pickens

David Klingler

[Sport]

The Good Reds:

Barry Larkin

Chris Sabo

Tom Browning

Eric Davis

[nwtrailtrekker]

no pictures, just words

Gary Payton

Detlef Schrempf

Ken Griffey Jr.

Cortez Kennedy

Warren Moon

Ricky Watters

sad list, isnt it?

[rmackman]

I have very very vague memories of my father watching the 1970 World Series on our old black & white set. I do remember it was sunny outside and it was sunny at the ballpark too. It appeared to be Riverfront Stadium, but that's really in the far reaches of my distant memories. I was not quite 4 years old when that World Series was played, but I do remember watching my dad watching it.

When I was in first grade, in 1973-74, my family purchased a brand new COLOR tv set (yes boys and girls I really am THAT old). I remember my dad watching the Minnesota Vikings vs the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC playoff game, and the colorful uniforms really caught my eye. I sat down, watched, asked him what "first down" meant. He patiently explained down and distance, and from that moment since I was hooked on NFL football.

During the summer of 1974, my family and I vacationed at Beach Haven NJ. A movie called "Pride of the Yankees" was on. It was the Lou Gehrig Story, and Lou was portrayed by Gary Cooper. My father asked me to watch with him. When I asked dad if he was a fan of the Yankees, he said yes, and from that moment, I became a fan of the Yankees as well.

Going slightly back, during April 1974, I remember we were visiting my aunt and uncle's house the night Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record.

Living near Trenton NJ, I had the best of 2 worlds. We received New York and Philadelphia stations. This was prior to cable tv which wasn't available to us until 1981.

I grew up watching the New York Mets on WWOR Channel 9, with Lindsey Nelson & Ralph Kiner, the Phillies on at various times Channel 17, & 29, UHF stations, and of course, WPIX Channel 11 and the Yankees, mainly with my father during 1975 - 1978. I remember growing up watching the Yankees, and having Phil Rizzuto in the booth, along with Bill White and the almost forgotten about Frank Messer. I remember watching ABC'S Monday Night Baseball and Rick Burlson of the Red Sox with an around the horn triple play, and the words "TRIPLE PLAY" flashing on the screen. I remember watching Chris Chambliss hitting the home run to win the 1976 pennant, and also the disappointment of the Yankees being swept by the Big Red Machine. 1977 proved to be my favorite baseball year of all time. It was the one time I was able to watch the Yankees win it all, with my father. Dad would die in mid-July 1978, right at the time the Yankees were 14 games out of first place. Whenever the Yankees would be losing, and I grew discouraged, my dad would say "Don't worry about it son, the 7th inning is the Yankees inning". Sure as anything, that fateful 1 game playoff at Fenway Park, Yankees were trailing, up steps Bucky. They took the lead and it was indeed the 7th inning. It was the first time I had openly wept over anything sports related in my life. I remember I was home alone at the time, and at that moment I knew they were going to win it all. That Bucky Dent home run will be the single most significant baseball memory for me, whether I die today, next week, or not for another 1,000 years. I always wanted to write to him to thank him, and to share this story with him.

The first Super Bowl I remember watching and understanding was Super Bowl XI, the Raiders over the Vikings 32 - 14. Little did I know then that would be the last Super Bowl ever played entirely in daylight. The only Super Bowl I ever watched with my father was Super Bowl XII, when Dallas defeated Denver 27-10. January 15, 1978. He would die exactly 6 months to the day after that.

The only basketball memories I have were when the Harlem Globetrotters were on tv. We didn't watch much basketball or hockey. I also have memories of when Janet Guthrie became the first female Indy 500 driver, and what a big deal that was at the time.

This is a superb thread, and I thank you for making it and for allowing me to contribute!

Humbly,

Bill McD.

Gosh, I didn't think this thread would be that popular when I created it. I'm glad everyone's enjoying it.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The more I think about, the more I want to say 1997 was my favorite year in sports history. I was 16 years old, just beginning to get into sports, and everything was exciting. The Broncos were finally good, the Bulls were still killing it, the good guy Yankees were still in their resurgence (even if they lost in the playoffs), the NHL was exciting, and, semi-related, the WWF had its most exciting year in a decade.

Does anyone else have a specific year in sports they count as their favorite?

[Billy B]

Michael Jordan

Scottie Pippen

Sammy Sosa

Rod Beck

Joe Girardi

[Billy B]

Here come the bad part, the Bears quarterbacks.

Cade McNown

Eric Kramer

Chris Chelios

Tony Amonte

[BlueSky]

I remember watching ABC'S Monday Night Baseball and Rick Burlson of the Red Sox with an around the horn triple play, and the words "TRIPLE PLAY" flashing on the screen.

This thread is awesome because of posts like these. That would be awesome to see something like that, now. Makes me wish I was around back then, instead of a 90s kid.

I agree. So much has changed, some for the better, some not. For example, I bought a DVD on eBay of the Saints playing at Chicago in 1977. A nice Saints win (for a change) but what's fascinating about watching it is the extreme difference in how commercials are shown. Back then they showed the game like a TV show, i.e. the commercial breaks are 10-12 minutes apart. In fact, they play until nearly the middle of the first quarter without a commercial. Punts, kickoffs, I think there's even a time-out called...and they stay with the game. Now if a player scratches his a** they go to commercial.

Then let's talk facilities. The Superdome is obviously a far "nicer" venue than old Tulane Stadium was...but the game experience was much better at Tulane Stadium, at least to me. There were hard bleachers full of 81,000 rabid fans, the Dixie beer man wearing a dispenser that looked like an astronaut's backpack, and a steel section of the stadium that shook like crazy when people stomped their feet...and oh yeah, open skies and natural grass! In those early years, the Saints decorated one end zone in their colors and the other in the opponents', like they do in bowl games or the Super Bowl now, and they had the "chin guy" logo at midfield. (Can't find a pic of that logo but look at this video to see it at midfield...note also the Saints' beautiful unis and the "shield" logo in the end zone.)

Growing up in New Orleans, I was very, very lucky when it came to attending sports events. Aside from the previously mentioned Dempsey 63-yard FG, saw the Cowboys win their first championship (Super Bowl VI), Pete Maravich play basketball, Ray Guy of the Raiders hit the Superdome's hanging replay screens with a punt in the Pro Bowl, Nebraska spank LSU in the '85 Sugar Bowl, Walter Payton throw 2 TD passes in a game (At N.O., 1983 - Saints won 34-31 in OT), and some Dolphin rookie named Marino come in for Don Strock (1983 again - Marino was the Dolphins' starter from then on). After I moved away, I still returned to visit family and go to Saints games, most memorably their first playoff win (2000 vs. Rams - "There is a God after all!") and the big "return to the Superdome" MNF game last year. Good times.

[floydnimrod]

1st Row: Kenyon Martin - he was the most exciting player I ever watched.

-Pete Mickeal - He was always so dependabe for UC. He could consistently put up 20 a night and grab 7 rebounds.

-Steve Logan - my favorite basketball player of all time. Also sporting the best basketball jersey ever.

-Larry Johnson - I remember watching him during the playoffs in 1999 I think(against the Spurs? in the Finals). I also remember they played the Pacers in the playoffs once and he had a beard that attatched to ihs hair on the back of his head. But i specifically remember him for his 4 points play in the playoffs.

2nd Row: Michael Jordan - 'nuff said

-Scottie Pippen - the robin to MJ's batman.

-Reggie Miller - one of my favorites of all time. I loved his shot.

-Pepe Sanchez - This man was a Bearcat killer. One of my most hated players when I was growing up. UC would always play Temple and he was always making plays.

3rd Row: Shane Battier - He was the reason I watched Duke Basketball.

-Eddie Taubensee and Scott Sullivan - Sullivan was the first "submarine" thrower I'd ever seen, and he instantly became on of my favorite players. Eddie Taubensee was an awesome catcher but his back forced him to retire. I also remember Taubensee was one of the slowest guys on the team and he almost got an inside the park homerun.

-David Robinson and Vlade Divac - The Spurs were always on TV when I was a kid and Vlade Divac was awesome, he just didn't look like a basketball player to me, if anything he looked like Raffi.

4th Row:Grant Hill: one of the most likeable guys in the NBA. I wanted to cry when he signed with Orlando. That is the second best basketball jersey ever.

-Gary Payton - one of the least likeable guys inthe NBA, he was always running his mouth, but I liked him. Call me crazy but I want that jersey.

-Andre Miller - the first basketball game I ever watched was the National Championship game between Utah and kentucky in '98, and Andre Miller was the first college basketball player I ever knew.

-Rashon Burno - When UC was in Conference USA, they would play DePual every year and i was so amazed by how small Burno was that I would contantly search for DePaul to be on TV.

5th Row: Brett Favre - Brett Favre was on tv so much I felt like I could watch him play on wednesday afternoons.

-John Elway and Terrell Davis - My two favorite football players ever. I loved the Broncos.

-I watched NASCAR as a kid and these were three cars that i always saw. the top is Jeff burton's 99, middle is Mark Martin's 6, and the bottom is Bill Elliot's 94.

-Greg Vaughn - was my favorite baseball player. but I've always had bad luck with choosing my favorite players: I don't even know what happened to Greg Vaughn, Aaron Boone was traded('twas also that day he was traded that he became my least favorite player because he kept whining about how his dad was fired as Reds' manager), Dernell Stenson was shot, killed, and run over by his SUV. I feel like Edwin Encarnacion is now jinxed.