The Good Ol' Days of Sports

Once upon a time, the MLB All-Star Game was one of the biggest television draws of the summer.  Now everyone tunes out the game and tunes in the Home Run Derby. 

Remember when Pete Rose took out Ray Fosse in the “just for fun exhibition”?

I’ll admit I’m getting older, but I still remember a time where I made it a point to watch the All-Star Game, the Indy 500, the Kentucky Derby and Heavyweight Boxing Championship fights? 

What happened to those days?

Looking at the Heavyweight Boxing division, I definitely see a drop-off from the Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes days, but is that due to a lack of good heavyweights or a lack of interest from the fan base to get guys excited about being boxers?  Nowadays everyone wants to watch the WWE (fake) or MMA/UFC (why not just go watch a bar fight?) which I just can’t fathom.

The Indy 500 used to be a reason to stay up late on a Tuesday night to see AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Bobby Allison fight it out for the checkered flag.  Now you are lucky to find a TV listing or commercial touting the 500 and the chief draw is Danica Patrick. 

Hey, don’t get me wrong, she looks good in a bathing suit but she’s not my thought of an Indy racer.  I wonder what AJ thinks of her?

Does anyone remember which horse won the Kentucky Derby?  I grew up with Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and Alydar.  Mine that Bird couldn’t hold a candle to those horses.  And the interest wasn’t just winning the Triple Crown, but rather the Derby could stand on its own in years past.

So what happened?  Why the dropoff in the sports Classics?  Is it lack of interest or lack of talent? 

I can’t say I know the answer; I can say I miss those days…