What you'll never see again in sports

[RubberSoul1979]

Aside from the wildly exciting playoffs, the Kings' possible move from Sacramento to Anaheim is the biggest story going in the NBA. It's another reminder of what rules in this era.

Quote Randy Moss: Straight cash, homey.

Quote Charlie Sheen: Duh.

If you're in your early/mid-'30s, consider some of the major moments in sports since your became aware. Maybe you unpacked from summer camp as Michael Jordan accepted the gold medal with a US flag - hiding a Reebok logo. Or you got your driver's license the fall they cancelled the World Series. Or you nursed your first New Year's hangover while TV kept going on and on about something called the BCS. There's a theme ($$$$) here. It's like you have to go back to your own days with overalls and Hot Wheels to find when in major pro sports wasn't nearly so rare.

Personally, I don't long for such bygone days as much as I used to. I love all the games being on TV. I love all the access to information and the more teams with a seat at the big table (at least in college football).

But as my city might lose its NBA team, it's worth noting what else in sports is gone for good. List three things in sports - from your own youth - that are extinct for good and a reminder of more innocent days. I'll start.

1) Wrigley field without lights
2) USA vs. USSR
3) The Final Four at a basketball arena

 

[dixiehack]

50-50 Iron Bowls at Legion Field.
First two rounds of NHL playoffs staying within the division.
Alcoa's Fantastic Finishes.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

1. Teams having just a home and road uniform.
2. Multi-purpose stadiums (this is a positive).
3. Four divisions in the NBA and MLB.

 

[dooley_womack1]

--When stadiums and arenas were named only after cities or regions, beer or the team owner.
--When Wide World of Sports meant something.
--When boxing was worth caring about

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

45 saves and 122.2 innings pitched (Bruce Sutter, 1984)

A catcher stealing 50 bases (King Kelly, 1888)

Joe Morgan in a broadcast booth

 

[dixiehack]

Your childhood, not spnited's. (RIP)

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I definitely agree about The Final Four being in a basketball arena.

My uncle went to the Nova-Georgetown game at Rupp and said there was nothing like it.

I covered a ****load of Final Fours, but I never saw one in a basketball-only arena.

 

[CarltonBanks]

1. Three to make two.
2. Quarterbacks punting (Hello, Danny White)
3. Quality sportswriting...talking about long narrative features that took your breath away.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

New Year's Day Bowl Extravaganza. I would wake up at 10 and start with the Outback Bowl and wouldn't end until the Fiesta Bowl that night.

IBM Presents "You Make the Call."

Hartford Whalers

 

[ringer]

1. NBA players' legs
2. Olympians who can win both sprints and long distances (Eric Heiden)
3. Printed media guides (bummer)

 

[Stoney]

A bunch of statistical records amassed during the NBA's early 60s wacky run n gun era--Wilt's 100 pt game, Russell's 25 rebounds per game, Oscar averaging an annual triple double, Wit's 50 ppg, Baylor's 38 ppg, etc.

Nearly all home run marks amassed during MLB's late 90s wacky steroid era--Bonds 73, everything McGwire and Sosa did, 16 guys hitting over 40 in the same season, etc.

Nearly any offensive record amassed in the NBA from around 61-64 or MLB from around 97-01 should be taken with a gigantic grain of salt. We won't see statistical eras like that again in either sport.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Relievers riding to the mound in bullpen cars that look like giant batting helmets.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

-The Olympics really being about anything altruistic.
-Final Fours being played in actual basketball arenas
-Kids playing all college sports - not just the non-revenue/Olympic sports - for the love of the game. Thanks, NCAA. Thanks a lot.
-Alcoa's "Fantastic Finishes"
-IBM's "You Make The Call"
-Highlights of the Sunday games during "Monday Night Football." And I mean during the game, not a rerun of Chris Berman's highlights from Sunday. Different presentation, and by different, I mean better.
-New Year's Day bowl games, their finality of the season and the fact that it meant the best teams were playing.
-Another Keith Jackson announcing the game.
-Knowing that a baseball player or cyclist really did accomplished what he/she did without PEDs.
-More players too short/too small/too light/not strong enough being given the chance to succeed. Evolution, specialization, training and nutrition have come a long way, but stop making it about the point guard needing to be "this tall," a defensive lineman needing to weigh at least this much or telling any linebacker he's too short to get the job done.

Hartford Whalers

"Brass Bonanza" in your honor. BYH will gladly cuss out Peter Karmanos on your behalf:

 

[poindexter]

Athletes not showing their dong on the internet

George Michael revving up the Sports Machine

Basketball players dunking and then not pounding their chest to show that they have heart

Super Bowl halftime shows without Septuagenarians.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

-Affordable tickets to the masses. Blue-collar guys only to be seen in person by the whitest of collars.

 

[Gator]

1) When fans, and not corporate hacks, paid reasonable prices and sat in good seats at Fenway Park.

2) Short shorts and basketball scores in the 130s.

3) 50-cent packs of baseball cards that you had stacks and stack and stacks of.

 

[cyclingwriter]

A winning Pirates season (unless they get moved to AAA at some point, and then all bets are off).

one-piece goaltender masks.

Actually woods and irons in normal sizes.

And here is a "hear:' no artifical noise being blasted into an arena/stadium.

 

[king cranium maximus IV]

New teal uniforms.

 

[Mark2010]

The Oakland Raiders being a team to be feared (rather than laughed at).

The Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals finishing before Memorial Day.

World Series games played in the daytime.

White players on the All-NBA team (Larry Bird, Bill Walton, John Havlicek, etc.)

A tennis player winning all four majors in the same calendar year.

An NBA lottery pick playing his senior season in college.

 

[dirtybird]

Relievers riding to the mound in bullpen cars that look like giant batting helmets.

And we are all worse off for that.