My children, ages 14 and 11, who play organized sports very seriously, have little to no interest in professional sports. Quite the opposite of me when I was their age. Like most kids back in the late 70s and early 80s, I grew up following professional sports, watching every game and reading the newspaper’s sports section first the next morning. I woke up and went to bed thinking about my teams. None of that happens with my kids, and I hear from my friends this is a common theme for today’s youth. I used to think this was a shame, and now I find it a blessing.
Can anyone today even name ten current Major League Baseball Players?
Most kids these days are all in for shooting up other kids on video games. That doesn’t leave any time for watching sports on TV, like when we were young.
When we were kids playing pick-up football, we always identified with current NFL players. Same in sandlot baseball. Those days are gone. Gone with the wind....
Flipping through the channels the other night, I stumbled across the MLB 1971 All-Star Game. I was watching my baseball card collection playing. So many Hall of Famers in one game...
Managers Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Bill Freehan, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Rod Carew, Bobby Murcer, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Doc Ellis, Roberto Clemente, Lee May, Willie McCovey, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew and Frank Howard, Willie Stargell and Reggie Jackson and on and on. A lot of home runs. The first game I watched all the way through in years. Brought me back. Awesome. Alas, too bad the cards are long gone...