What were you able to enjoy in the prime of its existence?

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Listening to the Minnesota sports teams primarily on WCCO, with these radio all time greats through the 80s:

Twins - Herb Carneal
North Stars - Al Shaver (best ever announcer in this market IMO)
Gopher football/basketball - Ray Christensen

Before basic cable put virtually every game on the tube, we relied on these guys and they were fantastic. Contrast it to today where many are having a tantrum for having the Gopher/Colorado game being relegated to the limited Pac 12 Network. Maybe give Grimm and Thompson a listen for a change? Recalling Little Brown Jug upsets in '77 & '86, I felt like "I saw" every play, all thanks to Ray (& Washburn Mcreavy et al).
 

The NBC/Thursday night lineup is a great call coolhand, well done.

I know many say "their era" of SNL was the best, but I truly believe many of us were able to enjoy the prime of SNL during the Dana Carvey, Julia Sweeney, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, Kevin Nealon, Mike Myers, Norm Macdonald, Adam Sandler, Will Farrell era was the prime. Just awesome skits, characters, etc that have stood the test of time.

There are two eras of tennis that I've been able to enjoy in their prime - the amazing 80s era of American tennis where nearly 40% of the Top 100 were American's fueled by McEnroe, Connors which blended into the Agassi/Sampras era...and of course we are wrapping up the truly golden era of men's tennis with the Big 3, an unmatched dominance of 3 athletes in any sport. And of course the Serena Era running in tandom.

The Garth Brooks/Tim McGraw/Brooks & Dunn era of country was country at its best. It's become a bit too "popish" for me now (though there is still some really great country that just doesn't get as much radio time, but Spotify/Pandora unlocks it). But the 1990s country music era was fantastic.

Go Great Era's!!
 
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Single class Minnesota State High School Hockey tournament. The change to multi-class ruined the most unique high school championship in the country. Featured in an SI article (unfortunately with drawings rather than photos). The section tournaments were nearly as good - and in some ways even better. The general admission Section 5 and 6 tournaments at the Met Center were some of the most exciting games with the most pure atmosphere that money couldn't buy. The doubleheader of Section 5 & 6 finals (usually Jefferson vs Kennedy in 5 and Edina vs Tonka or someone in 6). Other sections also had packed houses all over the state for the section semis and finals. Truly statewide action and buzz.

Oh - and also, the 1980 Olympic Hockey team. Saw them get smoked by the Russians at the Met a week or two before the Olympics. We all know how that turned around at Lake Placid as we all watched their storybook run. And about 15 of the guys were household names to any high school hockey player at the time, because most of them ran through the MN HS tournament only a few years prior.
 
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GopherJake said:
Single class Minnesota State High School Hockey tournament. The change to multi-class ruined the most unique high school championship in the country.
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Very good call. Surprised it took the second page to be mentioned. I didn't even play hockey and this was one of the things you lived for every spring. There was nothing like it.
 






saintpaulguy said:
Grand Old Days, the early version.
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Did the Turf have a tribute to Neil Young that coincided with Grand Old Day? Something like Grand Old (Neil) Young Day. I feel like I wondered into once after seeing Soul Asylum play on Grand.
 



Ope3 said:
Did the Turf have a tribute to Neil Young that coincided with Grand Old Day? Something like Grand Old (Neil) Young Day. I feel like I wondered into once after seeing Soul Asylum play on Grand.
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Grand Young Day. There is a popular live recording of "Journey through the Past" where Neil hits a real clinker on the piano. A cover band played it exactly that way, with the error in it, and the crowd cheered.
 



saintpaulguy said:
Grand Young Day. There is a popular live recording of "Journey through the Past" where Neil hits a real clinker on the piano. A cover band played it exactly that way, with the error in it, and the crowd cheered.
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That sort of still goes on. The guy who started and first turned the Turf into a new music venue was Rob Rule, who ran sound and played in the house band The Mammy Nuns. He now has a farm in Western Wisconsin and has a weekend long Neil festival there now.

In keeping with the theme of this thread I have been to the Turf in all it's recent incarnations. Country music dive bar, dive bar with new bands on Wednesdays trying to lure college kids with cheap drinks, successful local music venue and finally now as part of the First Ave Empire. All had something to recommend them. Must admit the first time I was in there was on a Sunday while in college, when it was a total dive. My buddies and I were shrooming and needed beer so we went in to the Turf and had...an experience.
 
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Frink said:
That sort of still goes on. The guy who started and first turned the Turf into a new music venue was Rob Rule, who ran sound and played in the house band The Mammy Nuns. He now has a farm in Western Wisconsin and has a weekend long Neil festival there now.

In keeping with the theme of this thread I have been to the Turf in all it's recent incarnations. Country music dive bar, dive bar with new bands on Wednesdays trying to lure college kids with cheap drinks, successful local music venue and finally now as part of the First Ave Empire. All had something to recommend them. Must admit the first time I was in there was on a Sunday while in college, when it was a total dive. My buddies and I were shrooming and needed beer so we went in to the Turf and had...an experience.
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Shrooming in the clown lounge?……
 

Frink said:
That sort of still goes on. The guy who started and first turned the Turf into a new music venue was Rob Rule, who ran sound and played in the house band The Mammy Nuns. He now has a farm in Western Wisconsin and has a weekend long Neil festival there now.

In keeping with the theme of this thread I have been to the Turf in all it's recent incarnations. Country music dive bar, dive bar with new bands on Wednesdays trying to lure college kids with cheap drinks, successful local music venue and finally now as part of the First Ave Empire. All had something to recommend them. Must admit the first time I was in there was on a Sunday while in college, when it was a total dive. My buddies and I were shrooming and needed beer so we went in to the Turf and had...an experience.
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Grant Hart would play a monthly gig at the Turf for several years, and even though I went at least a half dozen times, I regret I didn't go more often.

A nice touch in the now refurbished Clown Lounge, they have a tribute photo of him above the bar.
 

Baseball cards back in the day. When you were just kids trading them and putting rubber bands around them. Not pulling them out of packs and putting them immediately in sleeves lest you damage a corner. That pink piece of cardboard gum was a blast, too.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
A lot of us are old enough to remember when boxing, especially the Heavyweight division, was one of the hottest tickets going. You didn't miss a big fight on tv during those years. Some really great fights and some really great rivalries/matchups
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My grandpa lived and died with boxing. Sugar Ray and Roberto Duran were on closed circuit in an auditorium back in the day. I saved up some money and took my dad and grandpa. I couldn't sleep for two days with the excitement. We go there, go seated, and back then anyone could smoke in a building. There was soooooo much smoke and fumes, you couldn't see the dam screen. I was so pissed off. We really never saw the fight.
 

Boxing was really fun to watch with Duran, Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, etc. Early in Leonard’s pro career he fought Rafael Rodriquez who was from north Minneapolis. Was on national tv, went 10 rounds and never really close, but of course some of the locals claimed Rafael won.
As Jake mentioned, the state hockey tourney and the Olympic hockey team. Henry Boucha was truly an amazing high school player.
Was on a hockey team when they won the gold in 1980 and we were in the locker room getting dressed for a game. Everyone was just ecstatic and I had to screw around and say “who won?” Honestly, thought I was going to get beat up.
Loved Monday Night Football. Some of those games! Dang.
 

Sub-section of Boxing: The Boxing pay-per-view. Growing up, my friends and I convinced one of our parents to get every Tyson fight. We'd cram 10-15 kids into a basement, order Dominos pizza and watch a 1 minute fight. It was fantastic.

Tyson's ring entrance had more excitement than the entire 12 round slow dance of the last PPV I ordered 6-7 years ago.
 

balds said:
Sub-section of Boxing: The Boxing pay-per-view. Growing up, my friends and I convinced one of our parents to get every Tyson fight. We'd cram 10-15 kids into a basement, order Dominos pizza and watch a 1 minute fight. It was fantastic.

Tyson's ring entrance had more excitement than the entire 12 round slow dance of the last PPV I ordered 6-7 years ago.
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Yeah, the pre-internet era left enough to the imagination that you could sell PPVs so much better back then. It was almost like WWE. Tyson was a great example of this.
 

Ope3 said:
Listening to the Minnesota sports teams primarily on WCCO, with these radio all time greats through the 80s:

Twins - Herb Carneal
North Stars - Al Shaver (best ever announcer in this market IMO)
Gopher football/basketball - Ray Christensen

Before basic cable put virtually every game on the tube, we relied on these guys and they were fantastic. Contrast it to today where many are having a tantrum for having the Gopher/Colorado game being relegated to the limited Pac 12 Network. Maybe give Grimm and Thompson a listen for a change? Recalling Little Brown Jug upsets in '77 & '86, I felt like "I saw" every play, all thanks to Ray (& Washburn Mcreavy et al).
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Listened to Saturday's game on the radio since I didn't bother to figure out a Pac-12 option. Mike Grimm really is great. He & Thompson make a good team. "The place has gone nuclear" is right up there with "And we'll see you tomorrow night" in all-time great MN sports calls.
 

Nokomis said:
Listened to Saturday's game on the radio since I didn't bother to figure out a Pac-12 option. Mike Grimm really is great. He & Thompson make a good team. "The place has gone nuclear" is right up there with "And we'll see you tomorrow night" in all-time great MN sports calls.
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Me too, plus I was in the car anyway coming back from golf for the 1st half. 2nd half it was old school (though I was listening via Sirius XM app) and did chores. Sounded fun.
 

I welcomed the Twins in 1961 but in 1982 I got season tickets through 1995 at the dome. Saw the team develop and win two World Championships going to almost every home game.
Williams Arena as a kid going to the MSHSL basketball tournament every year.
Like others have said, Williams Arena was electric in the 70’s 80’s and college basketball was the best.
The Vikings under Bud Grant were well coached and a team you knew wasn’t going to beat themselves. They won a lotta games. You trusted them. Q
Collecting sports memorabilia in the 80’s and 90’s won’t ever be the same again.
Season tickets to the Timberwolves the first handful of years was pretty special. I enjoyed Musselman’s coaching. There was not a lot of talent but he coached q em up and they competed!
Awesome times!

The one I missed: The Beatles at Met Stadium in 1965.
 


I barely remember any of it, but I was able to go to the Minnesota Fighting Saints games for a few years with my dad. I saw Gordie Howe play as a 52 years old.

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tikited said:
Seven words....

Do you have some on right now?
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In the words of Ace Ventura... "That's none of your damn business, Dan and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs"

I actually never owned a pair, but ya gotta admit, for a brief moment it brought back a few memories for some of you
 

A couple more of these came to mind recently...

Was conversing with some co-workers and one had never seen Pulp Fiction, which brought back the memory of when it came out, seeing it during a late night showing in a movie theatre and those two heart pounding scenes (the adrenaline shot to the heart and "bring out the gimp") and how Quentin Tarantino became the hottest name in movies and indy movies emerged as a force.

Also, speaking of sports, I overlooked the NBA in the '80s and early '90s--as a kid, Sunday afternoons in the winter time on CBS were must see TV with the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers and of course later the Pistons and Bulls, but there were so many solid teams back in that era, such as the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Mavs, Cavaliers, Rockets, Hawks. Thinking about those Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals which were such high level basketball. And then early Jordan (and Pippen, Grant, et al) having to fight through the Celtics and Pistons. It wasn't long after when bully ball, led by Pat Riley's Knicks, came into vogue and really slowed down that beautiful game (and I'm also guessing without doing any research that some financial caps came into play which kept teams from stacking their rosters so deep), but I don't know that basketball has (pro and college) ever been better than that stretch or if you ever will again.
 

The Rolling Stones, say touring the U.S. 72 - 78. They are aged or dead shadows of their former selves now and pre- 50s or so don't have a clue.
 

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