Why in heaven’s name did Wide World of Sports ever go off the air? This was a wonderful program that occupied a good afternoon most every weekend of my youth. I looked forward to it each week and never missed an episode. I may have been a weird kid.
I loved tuning in for more obscure sports such as ski jumping, marathon running, cross-country skiing, and a good triathlon. This was quality entertainment, folks. I truly miss it.
I’m sure that, among my 27-plus streaming services, which I pay God knows how much for, I could find some of these sports, but it’s not easy. I want it delivered to me in a nice little package for two hours on a Saturday afternoon. Back in my youth, they were on network TV every weekend, just waiting for me to tune in and watch.
What got me thinking about Wide World of Sports was the Olympics, of course. I loved tuning into the variety in action and being able to take in stuff I only get to see every two years. I really miss this shit when the Olympics are not on.
I was watching a skiing event of some sort. I can’t remember exactly what one. People, I watched the Olympics non-stop for two weeks. It’s a bit of a blur. Anywho, a skier was taking to the slope. They started talking about how his dad was also a professional skier. Hold on! He was not just any professional skier. He was the “agony of defeat” guy from the Wide World of Sports intro.
You remember this guy, right? The one who takes an absolutely horrific crash whilst coming down the slope. I mean, this fucker rolls, skids, and gets tangled up in the crowd! It was the worst, but by God, if you saw it, you will never forget it. This man damn near killed himself. However, he lives on in infamy thanks to the Wide World of Sports. It’s really brilliant when you think about it. I’m 53 years old, but it’s like it was just yesterday. I can close my eyes and see it still.
As I continued to reflect on my childhood and Wide World of Sports viewing, I realized this show in particular may have ignited my decades-long passion for competition. I crave it. I just loved watching skilled athletes compete. I’m in such awe of their talent and commitment.
I myself am not a competitive person. Nor am I good at any sort of sport, but dammit, I will watch sports till the cows come home. My husband is the same. This may account for our 33-year-long marriage.
There are just so many things to watch on TV now. It is overwhelming. So much so I rarely watch TV anymore—unless it is sports.
I wish we could go back to the good old days of Wide World of Sports. I think it brought people together. It gave us a little taste of the Olympics every week. The world is missing that. Maybe we would be a more peaceful lot if we only had Wide World of Sports again every weekend. I think it is worth a shot. Let’s bring it back!
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
