Thanks for the Memories

During one of my late night tube-surfing fits, I watched an old favorite - SportCenter on ESPN. In years past, I was one of those that skipped the morning talk shows and went straight to SportCenter. Recently, I either haven't had the time to watch an entire episode or The Girls won the battle of the remote. This particular night, I needed my FIX.

I guess I must have gotten into the broadcast about half was through, but the story that caught my eye on the ticker was that one of my favorite sportscasters is leaving. Dan Patrick will depart ESPN after nearly 18 years on August 17th, 2007. This is a little difficult for me. It's a just another way of life saying YOU'RE GETTIN' OLD, CHICKY!


Thinking that Dan Patrick has been with ESPN for nearly two decades, I thought I'd look back at a few things from 1989...

• The cost of a gallon of gas was $1.12 (give or take a couple of cents, depending upon where you lived).
• Our President was George H.W. Bush, and Dan Quayle was the VP.
• A first-class stamp cost $0.25.
• On average, you would expect to pay $148,800 for a new house.
• A gallon of milk was $2.34.
• A dozen eggs cost $0.96.
• The median household income was $28,906.
• The population of the United States was 246,819,230.
• The average life expectancy was 75.1 years.
• Inflation was at 4.6%.
• Our federal debt was $2868.0 Billion.
• "The Little Mermaid", "When Harry Met Sally" (one of my all time favorites!), "Born on the Forth of July", "Steel Magnolias", and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" were in theatres.
• Best Picture went to "Driving Miss Daisy" (Bless the soul of Ms. Jessica Tandy).
• The San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowl XXIV.
• The Detroit Pistons were the NBA Champs (Bill Lambier and Isaiah Thomas - what a pair!).
• The Oakland A's won the World Series in 4 games over the San Francisco Giants (remember the earthquake right before the first pitch???).
• The Exxon tanker Valdez ran aground off the coast of Alaska, dumping 11 MILLION gallons of oil.
• The drug AZT is shown to slow the onset of AIDS.
• Lucille Ball, Salvador Dali and Sugar Ray Robinson all died in 1989.
• Robert Fulgham's All I really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was released.
• Frozen yogurt, Tetris, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the "IT" things.
• Nolan Ryan records his 5,000th strikeout - at age 42 (thank you very much!).

I guess I could say "Ahh, for the good ol' days", but why would I? I'd still be in high school -albeit a Senior in high school - and I wouldn't have the wonderful family and friends that I have today. So let's just say it this way... I'm happy the good ol' days are just that - good.

Thanks for 18 great years, Dan. May you find peace in all your future endeavors, and may you have a long life filled with happiness.

Now if Stuart Scott leaves, I'm really going to have a problem...