We are all looking for ways to Fill the Void right now. There are missions both noble (for me: clean the attic!) and trivial (for me: filling inexplicable pop-culture voids by planned binge-watching of “The Simpsons” and “The Office”).
We can pretend to be excited if we can pull in a cricket match somewhere deep in our channel lineup (I’ve actually covered a cricket match in my day, and I still have no idea what’s happening), or if the odd bowling tournament should happen upon our screen.
We are, of course, fortunate to live in a time of YouTube, so that means there is no reason to go cold turkey in this time of sporting absence. A few helpful readers, notably Marc Aronin, have suggested what I think is the perfect solution: Take advantage of the times we live in, find a full game on YouTube, and watch one per day.
I’ll start with Marc’s picks for how he spent his Thursday and Friday night. I endorse both. The ones that follow are also available, in their entirety, by doing a basic search on YouTube. You will no doubt find others. Hey, it isn’t perfect, but what about out world right now is?
Super Bowl XXV: Look, if you’re a Giants fan, you can kill a whole week sitting back and watching Big Blue play in five Super Bowls (they’re all available) — and only one of those will end badly (and since that one was, in essence, over before it began, no harm, no foul). But XXV — from Whitney Houston’s forever “Star-Spangled Banner” on — remains gripping, all these years later, even if you know all the details by heart.
LJ’s Four-Point Play Game: Also known as Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference finals, when Larry Johnson’s late 3-pointer (aided by a phantom foul) helped the Knicks beat the Pacers. Notable not only for a quick reminder of what the Garden is supposed to look and sound like at this time of the year, but also for Bill Walton’s unique game-long commentary, which is an underrated national treasure.
1985 NCAA Championship Game: Maybe you have to be a certain age to understand just how thrilling Villanova 66, Georgetown 64 was, but watching this start to finish gives you a pretty good sense. The Hoyas show just enough of themselves early to give a taste of just how dominant they were, then, in the second half, the Wildcats simply refuse to miss. Ever. By game’s end, even 35 years later, you wonder who’s doing all the yelling and you realize it’s you.
1978 American League East playoff: The images are all timeless by now — Old Man Yaz’s early home run off Ron Guidry, Bucky Dent’s homer, Goose Gossage popping up Yaz to end it. But the old Ch. 11 broadcast is timeless, from Bill White’s “Deep to LEFT!” call of the homer to Scooter Rizzuto not even bothering to slip on an objective mask, his fandom on display for the world to see.
Game 6, part 1: That would be the ’86 NLCS, Mets 7, Astros 6. Some have called it the Greatest Game Ever Played. Here’s all I know: It is impossible not to know every detail of the game already. And yet the Mets’ stirring comeback in the ninth, and Jesse Orosco barely hanging on in the 16th, still gets the heart pounding the way it did back on Oct. 15, 1986.
Game 6, part 2: Of course, 10 nights later this happened. And Vin Scully describes it thusly, forever: “Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!”
Game 7, 1970 NBA Finals: From the moment the great Jack Twyman spots Willis Reed coming out of the tunnel until the moment the Knicks sprint off the Garden floor with their first NBA title, it is a reminder that all the poetry we’ve heard about that ’70 Knicks team was absolutely gospel truth.
Game 6, 1976 ABA Finals: The last game ever played in that red-white-and-blue league, and it offers a rare glimpse of just how much fun that league was with two peerless players — Julius Erving for the Nets, David Thompson for the Nuggets — at the absolute top of their game. Steve Albert on the call, a nice bonus.
Super Bowl III: You’ve seen the NFL Films highlights ad nauseam. Watching the whole game offers insight as to just what a brilliant game Joe Namath played. And the whole time it seems like the great Curt Gowdy can’t believe what he’s watching.
Start with these. Maybe we’ll add a few others in the weeks to come. Enjoy!
Vac’s Whacks
In these trying times, I am fairly certain that all I need are the essentials in life: food, water and @Super70sSports.
It should be lost on no one that in a year when zero — maybe less than that — was expected from St. John’s, the Johnnies managed to go 17-15 and maintain Mike Anderson’s streak of 18 winning seasons in 18 years as a head coach. Things are going to be bright on Utopia Parkway for many years to come.
Joe Mihalich at Hofstra, Steve Pikiell at Rutgers and Kevin Willard at Seton Hall would be the first to tell you that if you’re going to feel empathy for anyone, direct it toward their players who missed out on this year’s NCAA Tournament. And that is fair. And it is also absolutely right to point out just how much top-shelf coaching was on display throughout the area this college hoops season. Many coaches at the very top of their craft.
In lieu of any actual March Madness this year, may I recommend the latest gem from college basketball’s poet laureate, John Feinstein: “The Back Roads to March.”
Whack Back at Vac
Steven Schafler: I never thought I would say this but … I wouldn’t mind watching a Knicks game right now.
Vac: My kingdom for an indoor lacrosse game. Just one.
Eric Vetter: Ugh. Now we’ll have to stand on the streets and yell “Sell the team!! Sell the team!!” instead of at Madison Square Garden.
Vac: If ever I worried about the resilience of the New York sports fan in the face of this sporting blackout … worry is over. You guys are the best. Ever.
@j_ducketts: Can MLB Network just run a constant loop of the Astros getting brushed back in spring training — kind of like “24 Hours of ‘Christmas Story’ ” on WTBS?
@MikeVacc: I know one team that wouldn’t mind spending the season playing in empty ballparks, how about you?
Christopher Bogner: The Yankees are so flummoxed by their recent rash of injuries, I hear they’ve hired a new medical team — Drs. Howard, Fine and Howard. And they may call in Dr. Seuss for a second opinion.
Vac: Remember the good old days — like last week — when this seemed like the most pressing stuff in the universe? I miss the good old days.
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