Nostalgia kicks in for me this time of year...

[wdm1219inpenna]

For me with baseball:

Knowing a majority of the players names on many of the teams

More colorful caps & uniforms

Announcers such as Phil Rizzuto, Bill White & Frank Messer, from the WPIX heydays

Other announcers such as Ralph Kiner & Bob Murphy

An All-Star Game that featured all STARS, and was played for pride, not for home field in a post-season series

World Series games played in total daylight (at best very vague memories of this)

The Montreal Expos

Mel Allen & the REAL "This Week in Baseball" program, not the crap Fox puts on. Of course thanks to ESPN and internet, a show like that is no longer necessary, sad to say.

NFL Football:

Great announcers such as Merlin Olson, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, Don Criqui, Charlie Jones

Cozier pre-game studios (NFL '81, The NFL Today during the Brent Musberger years)

Quality Super Bowl commercials (especially Bud Bowl)

Quality Monday Night Football matchups on ABC, and even the egotistical announcers such as Dandy Don Meredith & Howard Cosell

The Houston Oilers, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams

The Dolphins & Niners old unis

The Cowboys old unis, where the numbers weren't so royal blue and way too thick

The old "ten-minute tickers" used by NBC sports to update folks on scores every 10 minutes, instead of every 10 seconds like they do now.

Other:

Jim McKay & ABC's Wide World of Sports program, it was ever so classic in the 70s and into the 80s

The Pro Bowlers Tour on ABC, Saturday afternoons

The Olympic Games being about the spirit of amateur athletics (no "Dream" teams)

The USFL (Yes I enjoyed it)

The XFL (Yes I enjoyed that too)

Arena Football (I liked it, not as much, but it was a nice thing to have to watch after the NFL season ended. Sadly it won't be in 2009).

[infrared41]

Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola calling the NBC game of the week in baseball. Thanks to MLB Extra Innings I still get to hear both of them. Joe does some stuff for the D-Backs and Vin is still the voice of The Dodgers. But nothing beat them doing a game together. Seriously, is there anyone that's even close to Vin Scully when it comes to calling a baseball game?

Frank, Howard, and Dandy Don. It doesn't get any better.

This Week in The NFL with Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshire.

The Lakers and Celtics...80's version.

Uniforms that didn't have weird stripes and ugly piping.

The real Cleveland Browns. The Expos. The Baltimore Colts. The Houston Oilers.

Affordable ticket prices.

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

ESPN. (you know, the one that actually covered sports)

[spyboy1]

I miss the World Hockey Association and the fact you never knew how many teams you'd finish the year with.

I miss the era when every great player your MLB team developed didn't go to the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets when his contract expired.

I miss cool CCM NHL jerseys.

I miss the days when a football player didn't go a shimmy-shake dance after every tackle.

I miss days when the NHL was on ESPN.

I miss brown leather goalie gear that let the puck go by.

I miss Howard Cosell.

I miss Magic vs. Bird vs. Jordan.

I miss the Pittsburgh Pirates being competitive.

I miss the days when teal was not a jersey color in any sport.

I miss 24 team leagues.

And most of all, I miss Kirby Puckett.

[fiasco!]

Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola calling the NBC game of the week in baseball. Thanks to MLB Extra Innings I still get to hear both of them. Joe does some stuff for the D-Backs and Vin is still the voice of The Dodgers. But nothing beat them doing a game together. Seriously, is there anyone that's even close to Vin Scully when it comes to calling a baseball game?

...

Being from where you're from, I'm surprised you asked that question. Surely you've heard the great Ernie Harwell call some games on the radio.

[infrared41]

Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola calling the NBC game of the week in baseball. Thanks to MLB Extra Innings I still get to hear both of them. Joe does some stuff for the D-Backs and Vin is still the voice of The Dodgers. But nothing beat them doing a game together. Seriously, is there anyone that's even close to Vin Scully when it comes to calling a baseball game?

...

Being from where you're from, I'm surprised you asked that question. Surely you've heard the great Ernie Harwell call some games on the radio.

I was talking TV. I should have specified that. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to baseball on the the radio there are Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, a huge drop off, and everyone else.

[fiasco!]

Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola calling the NBC game of the week in baseball. Thanks to MLB Extra Innings I still get to hear both of them. Joe does some stuff for the D-Backs and Vin is still the voice of The Dodgers. But nothing beat them doing a game together. Seriously, is there anyone that's even close to Vin Scully when it comes to calling a baseball game?

...

Being from where you're from, I'm surprised you asked that question. Surely you've heard the great Ernie Harwell call some games on the radio.

I was talking TV. I should have specified that. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to baseball on the the radio there are Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, a huge drop off, and everyone else.

I can agree with that, although I love the Kaline and Kell broadcasts for the Tigers in the 70s/80s/90s.

[floydnimrod]

I miss when I used to know hundreds of college football palyers, and I wouldn't have to research 80% of those who get drafted in the NFL.

I miss the early 2000s Colorado Avalanche - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, and Ray Bourque.

I miss Dernell Stenson. RIP.

I miss competitive UC Bearcats Basketball.

But most of all I miss watching the Bearcats games from the past 8 or 9 years. They have a different feel to them. I miss Steve Logan, Kenyon Martin, Ryan Fletcher, Field Williams, Pete Mickeal, Jason Maxiell, John Meeker, Tony Bobbitt, Eric Hicks, James White, Armein Kirkland, and the list goes on and on. Beofre all the conferences changed, I truly believe that that the old Conference USA was the most fun conference to watch in terms of basketball. Any team on any given night could upset each other.

[crashcarson15]

Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola calling the NBC game of the week in baseball. Thanks to MLB Extra Innings I still get to hear both of them. Joe does some stuff for the D-Backs and Vin is still the voice of The Dodgers. But nothing beat them doing a game together. Seriously, is there anyone that's even close to Vin Scully when it comes to calling a baseball game?

Frank, Howard, and Dandy Don. It doesn't get any better.

This Week in The NFL with Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshire.

The Lakers and Celtics...80's version.

Uniforms that didn't have weird stripes and ugly piping.

The real Cleveland Browns. The Expos. The Baltimore Colts. The Houston Oilers.

Affordable ticket prices.

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

ESPN. (you know, the one that actually covered sports)

You my friend are extremely crazy. Never been there (I'm 13), but heard it was nothing more than a crapshoot.

[Neon_Matrix]

The Leafs being well over .500.

[NJTank]

The Hartford Whalers

[sc49erfan15]

The 49ers being good, early 1990s Nascar, and sleeves on football uniforms.

[IceCap]

The Expos, mostly.

Oh, and any of the Jays' pre-black/graphite unis.

[njmeadowlanders]

Divisional Playoffs in the NHL

[The_Admiral]

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

You my friend are extremely crazy. Never been there (I'm 13), but heard it was nothing more than a crapshoot.

I remember when they would call it "The Eyes of a Snake on the Lake."

[infrared41]

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

You my friend are extremely crazy. Never been there (I'm 13), but heard it was nothing more than a crapshoot.

There was nothing like going to a Browns game in that old dump. It was loud, it was ugly, it was affordable, and no one wore suits. The real dawg pound was the very heart of Cleveland Browns fans. Today we have a created Dawg Pound filled with idiots, a -ing DJ spinning tunes, and the scoreboard tells people what to do. Whether The Browns were 3-10 or 10-3, there was real passion in Old Cleveland Stadium, it didn't need to be created like it does today.

[crashcarson15]

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

You my friend are extremely crazy. Never been there (I'm 13), but heard it was nothing more than a crapshoot.

There was nothing like going to a Browns game in that old dump. It was loud, it was ugly, it was affordable, and no one wore suits. The real dawg pound was the very heart of Cleveland Browns fans. Today we have a created Dawg Pound filled with idiots, a -ing DJ spinning tunes, and the scoreboard tells people what to do. Whether The Browns were 3-10 or 10-3, there was real passion in Old Cleveland Stadium, it didn't need to be created like it does today.

This is true. It's sad where (pro) sports have gone. It's sad that at HS games here the announcer needs to tell the fans to make noise on third down. Sad.

[BB61]

I miss Gene Hart.

Best Hockey play-by-play man, hands down.

[infrared41]

Crazy as it sounds, I miss old Cleveland Stadium.

You my friend are extremely crazy. Never been there (I'm 13), but heard it was nothing more than a crapshoot.

There was nothing like going to a Browns game in that old dump. It was loud, it was ugly, it was affordable, and no one wore suits. The real dawg pound was the very heart of Cleveland Browns fans. Today we have a created Dawg Pound filled with idiots, a -ing DJ spinning tunes, and the scoreboard tells people what to do. Whether The Browns were 3-10 or 10-3, there was real passion in Old Cleveland Stadium, it didn't need to be created like it does today.

This is true. It's sad where (pro) sports have gone. It's sad that at HS games here the announcer needs to tell the fans to make noise on third down. Sad.

Not to fear young man. It all changes as time goes on. When you're my age you'll be feeling the same way I do about the old days. Except that your "old days" are happening today. You are living your "old school" moments right now. That's pretty cool. Enjoy it. And make sure you save all your ticket stubs, cards, and anything else sports related. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

[Shumway]

- Dan Majerle....the NBA's lost its luster, and this imposter "Thunder" isn't gonna cut it.

- Barry Sanders/Herman Moore/Chris Spielman....basically a Lions team that's worth watching

- All-Star games that didn't include fan voting

- Veterans Stadium...seriously.

- A Baltimore Orioles team worth watching. At least now I know the Angels will probably win when I go to B-More to see them. I miss seeing Ripken, however.

- Hem stripes on a hockey jersey...kudos to the original 6 (sans Leafs) for keeping these.

- Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Paul Coffey, Darren McCarty(yes, I know he's still in Detroit, but he rarely dresses)

- J.T. Snow, Tim Salmon, Chili Davis, Gary DiSarcina in Anaheim, although I'll keep the division titles, thanks.

- "Steroid-Ridden" pro wrestling. I miss the 90s WWF.

[TFoA]

I'm only 20 so bare with me here:

-The NBA on NBC. That was the first thing that popped up in my head. It really was a showcase of the best, at the peak of the NBA's popularity.

-MNF on ABC, when it came on at 9 and I used to always fall asleep at the end of the 3rd unless the Falcons were playing. It gave me more incentive to:

-Watch Sportscenter back when it was all about highlights. Dan Patrick, Kenny Mayne, Bob Ley, Keith Olbermann, and all they did was go over the highlights and have a few special reports here and there. No talking heads, no talking about only the 1-5 most "popular" teams in a particular league, just straight up highlights with a quirky sense of humor at that.

-NHL on ESPN. Gary Thorne was basically the voice of hockey for me when I was a kid. Idc what anybody says, hearing Gary Thorne doing PBP for a sport other than hockey is just weird.

-The Dirty Bird dance. It only lasted one season, but that dance is still felt all around the city and the league. I think Rolle did the Dirty Bird after he scored a touchdown in that wild card game to taunt us. It was lame, but he did it PERFECTLY which shows just how far-reaching that that dance was.

-The Monday Night Wars. WWF vs WCW. My favorite sports growing up were Football, Baseball, Basketball and Wrestling. I couldn't miss RAW, but I had to see what was going on on Nitro at the same time. Same when Smackdown came out, and it had to compete with Thunder. JUst an awesome time to be a wrestling fan.

And probably the most important thing that I miss:

I really took the Dynasty years for granted. You never know how good just making the playoffs via Division title is until you're in full rebuilding mode. Good times, good freakin times.