Writers are first and foremost readers. One writer I always enjoy reading is Bill Simmons, otherwise known as the Boston Sports Guy on ESPN.com's Page 2. In his latest offering, Simmons gives 84 reasons why 1984 is the best year of the last quarter century.
Simmons recalls 1984 as "one of the last years when it was still fun to collect Topps cards," when HBO played "Eddie and the Cruisers every six hours," and "the last time Joyce DeWitt ever filled out a 1040-form" (Three's Company got cancelled in '84). In March of that year, the WWF's "Roddy Piper slammed coconuts into Jimmy Snuka's forehead on a 'You remember exactly where you were when you watched it, JFK-assassination-level' episode of Piper's Pit."
All of it rings true, save for Simmons highlighting ZZ Top's Legs as "one of the five greatest strip-joint songs of all-time"--overlooking the fact that The Scorpions' Rock You Like a Hurricane, the undisputed number one song in this category, also came out in 1984.
Simmons notes that Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go video "is 10 times funnier when you know that....another 15 years passed before I realized that George Michael was gay, and only because he announced it." Reason number one? "Four once-in-a-lifetime athletes enter their absolute primes: Bird, Gretzky, McEnroe, Montana. Good golly."
Dan if I ever hear Rock you like a hurricane in perve row it will be the last time I enter the joint! But you are so right about the Hot Rod smashing Snuka over the head with a coconut, i remember where i was watching and i made sure that Snuka still remembered when i saw him at a truck show a few years ago. It was Snuka, King Kong Bundy, and Captain Lou. I basically heckled Snuka and Bundy until Bundy got angry and it was obvious to me i should stop razzin him. However I had a good talk with Capt. Lou about how wrestling has changed and he hates the direction it has gone as well as I. He was surprised by my rememberance of old school stars and past memorable matches. It was a good time.
Didnt Doug Flutie win the Heisman in 84?
Flutie did indeed win the Heisman in 1984, which Simmons mentions in the article.
Who won the Fidelity House floor hockey championship in '84?
too funny!!!! How many times did cukamunga pull his badge out in 84? Did Dee Kelly have a boombox in 84??
Did you forget Carl Lewis???
Excellent point, Allen. Carl Lewis is one of the greatest athletes in history, and he was certainly in the prime of his career in 1984.
In 1984 Bill Johnson became the first American to win the Olympic Gold medal in downhill skiing.
1984 was also the year the PG-13 rating was introduced to the motion picture industry. The first two movies to have this rating where Red Dawn and First Born.
Piper's Pit was the most entertaining show on TV back in '84.
Carl Lewis has just come out against Bush. Smart man.
Was that a setup? I think we knew Carl Lewis has not preferred Bush since puberty.
DB, you're wrong about Bush "blocking" inquiries whether it was the commission or Saudi ties; not to mention that it has been known that al Quaeda has had ties to the Saudi's since the '90's, so perhaps he was blocking them when he was Governor.
