Nostalgic

I'm on a much needed vacation this week. This is the last official week we (managers & associates) are allowed to take before all the holiday fun begins. I take the same week each year & find myself enjoying it more & more each year.

During this last official week each year I seem to feel very nostalgic. I don't know if it's because it gives me more time to relax, but this is the week that does it too me each time.

Anyone who knows me knows I love football. (I love my faith & family more) I am sure I watched more football before, but the first game I remember was on January 1, 1978 the day the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 31-6 in the Orange Bowl costing the Sooners the National Title (Although I had no idea about the national title). I remember my dad & Jim Chambers watching the game & Jim shaking my dad's hand at the end & saying "we'll I'm going to go home & cry". I remember not long after my parents were adding onto our house & their "old" bedroom was still unoccupied. All left in the room was a queen size mattress that was leaning up against the wall. I can remember playing football in this room & I was Billy Sims ("the man that can fly" as Channel 8's Chris Lincoln put it) & I would dive into the mattress.

The earliest NFL game I can remember is back on January 15th, 1978. That is the day the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos 27-10. Again, I am sure I watched game prior to this one, but it's the one that sticks out. I can remember watching the game before church & then sitting in our vega with my dad waiting for my mom to come to the car after church listening as the clock wound down & Dallas was crowned the champion.

Your probably wondering why I am rambling, but this was a special time in a young 8 year old's life. For many reasons I wish the "simpler" times would come back. I especially wish they would come back in the NFL.

When I was younger the Cowboys, Vikings, Rams, Steelers, Raiders & Dolphins were the dominate teams in the NFL. The players seemed to be larger than life in the late 70's & early 80's. Now they just seem like a lot of "prima donna's. Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Kenny Stabler, Jim Hart just to name a few seemed so much better than today's players.

Here are some things I wish:

1. I wish the Baltimore Colts never left Baltimore.
2. I wish the Los Angeles Rams never left Los Angeles
3. I wish the Houston Oilers would have never left Houston.
4. I wish the Cleveland Browns would have never left to go to Baltimore.
5. I wish the St. Louis Cardinals would have never left St. Louis
   
6. I wish the St. Louis Rams would go back to their blue & yellow helmet & uniforms.
7. I wish the Denver Broncos didn't change their helmet of the 70's & 80's with the D on the helmet.
   
8. I wish the San Diego Chargers would go back to the helmet of the 70's & 80's with the blue helmets & gold lightning bolt.
9. I wish the Philadelphia Eagles still had the helmet they wore in the late 70's & early 80's.
10. I wish the New England Patriots would have never changed their uniforms of the late 70's & early 80's.
11. I wish the Atlanta Falcons would have never changed their helmet from from the late 70's & early 80's with the red helmet. They let Jerry Glanville change it....JERRY GLANVILLE!!
    
12. The only changes I like are the Buccaneers change, the Jets going back to their "old" uniform & helmets, the Giants going back with the NY on their helmets.
13. With all due respect I don't like the expansion cities. The Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars & Carolina Panthers. If I had it my way their would only be 28 teams with no teams in Jacksonville, Carolina, Tennessee, Indianapolis or Arizona.
    
14. The Titans would be the Oilers, Indianapolis would be the Baltimore Colts & Arizona would be the St. Louis Cardinals.
15. I wish there was a channel to where you could watch any "old" NFL or college football game that you wanted. You could just order what you want & presto its on & it would not cost $$$.
    

Bottom line as you can tell I wish football was back to the 1978 season. That was to me the best season ever for football. My football hero growing up & still is to this day was Roger Staubach. I only got to watch him for one full season & he is still my most favorite athlete of all time. Who is the Roger Staubach of my kids generation? Peyton Manning? What I wonder is what will be nostalgic to my kids? I have a soft place in my heart for Tulsa, Oklahoma. Always have & always will. Although, my goal is to move back to Oklahoma City by the time my oldest starts college. The only thing is my family enjoys living in Springfield, Missouri. I enjoy it as well. Cheaper cost of living, much less crime rate & it has a "small time" feel.

Call me crazy, but I really miss the NFL I grew up with not to mention many other things when I was a kid. Don't get me wrong, I do miss other things. I just felt to write about the NFL today. I miss working at the candy store at the Old Outlet Malls of America in Broken Arrow. I miss the Tulsa Roughnecks & the NASL. I miss hanging out with my friends from high school. But, I would NEVER trade it for what I have today with my family. What about you....what do you miss?