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By Jeff Bartlett
Things I miss...
n The days we kept track of RBIs (yes it's plural), home runs and batting average. Not exit velocity and bat speed.
n When players played. Not took off a quarter of every season off for some contrived term called "load management", and then got hurt and missed the playoffs anyway.
n When pro golfers looked more like the guys at your local muny -- a little wobbly in the middle but loaded with personality. Not the GQ crew that dot the fairways now with every one named Harrison, Justin or Cameron.
n When they just showed highlights on ESPN, and every host wasn't trying out a new bit for a stand-up career.
n When games came on at a reasonable hour and didn't end an hour after your local news guys sign off. Some of us have jobs.
n The times before every team had a PR director grabbing and whitewashing the personality out of every player and coach.
n Sacrifice bunts.
n When you saw more of the game you were watching each hour compared to the commercial time.
n When you didn't have to take out a second mortgage to go to an MLB game. Be glad each day we have the Curve. Not crazy about the beer prices going up a buck each year. Just saying.
n When professional pitchers didn't go on the I/R for six weeks at a time over an oblique strain or muscle tightness. How did pitchers throw 200 innings a year in the 70s-90s when they had half the medical expertise we have now?
n Complete games
n PBA bowling with Chris Schenkel and Nelson Burton Jr.
n Good American male tennis stars and being able to pronounce at least four of the names from the men's or women's side in any tournament.
n Wide World of Sports with Jim McKay and the guy flying head over butt cheeks off the ski jumping mountain in the show's opening, with the guy with the gravelly voice saying "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."
n When announcers weren't afraid to offend someone while calling a game and said what was on their mind.
n When TV execs weren't overwhelmed thinking we are remotely interested in the mundane facts we are able to extract from Google. Did you know the Pirates are 7-11 on midweek games where there is a full moon? They're wearing their throwback 1970s' unis, and the team they are playing is from the American League East? Exactly. Neither am I.
(Bartlett resides in Altoona.)