Okay, so I decided to dive back into what sports were like in the 80s. It wasn’t like I had a plan, just got curious the other day and started digging around, trying to piece together what it felt like back then.
First thing I did was just try to remember, you know? What popped into my head immediately. Things like:
- Big hair on tennis players, lots of headbands.
- Those really short shorts in basketball.
- Baseball seemed HUGE, like everyone followed it, way more than maybe now?
- Boxing had some massive fights everyone talked about.
So, after just brainstorming from my own dusty memory banks, I figured I should actually look at some stuff. I went online, trying to find full games, not just highlight reels. That was tougher than you’d think. Lots of quick clips, but finding a whole, plain old broadcast was tricky.
Watching the Old Games
I managed to find some old baseball games. And yeah, it confirmed my feeling. Baseball just seemed to be everywhere in the background noise of the decade. Watching those games, the pace felt different. Slower maybe? Less noise, fewer graphics flashing all over the screen. You just watched the game.
Then I hunted down some basketball. Lakers vs Celtics, obviously. Magic and Bird. It really did feel like a big deal, even just watching the grainy footage. The energy seemed pretty raw. And yeah, those shorts were definitely short.
Football watching was interesting too. The players looked, I don’t know, different? Maybe the pads? It felt more smash-mouth, less about the crazy passing stats you see today. Just my impression from the bits I could find.
The Vibe Was Different
It wasn’t just the games themselves. The whole presentation felt less slick. Announcers sounded different. The crowds looked different – the fashion, man, the fashion! It all felt a bit less polished, maybe more grounded? Hard to explain it properly.
And you could sense the money starting to roll in, things getting bigger. That whole prosperity boom people talk about seemed like it was hitting sports too. You started seeing more endorsements, bigger stadiums maybe. Baseball still felt like the king, especially for summer, but other stuff was clearly growing fast.
So yeah, that was my little trip down memory lane, or rather, my attempt to build a memory lane for 80s sports. Just poked around, watched some old clips, tried to get a feel for it. It’s kinda fun seeing how much things change, and how some bits still feel familiar.
