seymourherald.com

an outside view

remember when?

(Terry is taking a little time off this month so we are rerunning one of his timeless columns of the past)

Sports aren’t what they used to be, at least not in my book.

They’ve lost some of the sparkle and magic it seems. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of the good ole days. For example:

Remember when it was chewing tobacco and not steroids that made baseball players poor examples for our kids?

Remember when you had to go to a hockey game rather than an NBA game to see a good fight?

Remember when you heard “NBA player” and “court” in the same sentence and you just assumed they were talking about a basketball court and not a court of law?

Remember when we watched the Super Bowl for the game instead of the commercials?

Remember when we were able to crown a national champion in football without the help of computer geeks?

Remember when people talked about voter irregularities and they were referring to presidential elections rather than football polls?

Remember when Americans made fun of soccer?

Remember when the women’s basketball coach at UT was the most popular coach in town?

Remember when a five-year contract really meant five years?

Remember when poker wasn’t a sport?

Remember when game officials publicly humiliated basketball players by making them raise their hand when they committed a foul?

Remember when extortion wasn’t a part of a university’s season ticket policy?

Remember when O.J. was known as a football star rather than a murderer?

Remember when the Pride of the Southland Band played the Vols’ real fight song rather than that dreadful “Rocky Top”?

Remember when respect was something earned by a basketball player with his effort on the floor rather than with his fists in the stands?

Remember when athletics really did build character?

Remember when college was about graduating the kids and not just keeping them eligible?

Remember when basketball shorts really were short?

Remember when football linemen were fat and slow?

Remember when loyalty was a virtue in sports?

Remember going to the ballpark and hearing the crack of the bat instead of the ping of metal?

Remember when athletes wanted to be good role models?

Remember when the Major League Baseball All-Star game was truly a mid-summer classic instead of an exhibition game that no one wants to see?

Remember when a unicycle was an integral part of pre-game warm-ups at UT basketball games?

Remember when everyone knew who the heavyweight boxing champ was?

Remember when the SEC was known more for the number of football teams in the Top 20 each year rather than the number of schools on NCAA probation?

Remember when New Year’s Day bowls were actually played on New Year’s Day?

Remember the Boston Patriots?

Remember when the Red Sox were cursed?

Remember when Alabama and Notre Dame were football powers?

Remember when we didn’t have millionaires competing in the Olympics?

Remember when folks talked about Tennessee football and you didn’t have to wonder if they were talking about the Vols or Titans?

Remember when Barry Bonds was a skinny kid?

Remember the red, white, and blue balls of the ABA?

Remember when UT football success was measured in SEC championships?