dimitrig said:

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NIL hasn't really ruined college ball. Star players always got compensated.

Conference realignment hurt, but that has happened before.

What ruined college football was the transfer portal. Kids just jump around all over the place. They don't even pretend to care about school or classes or graduating.

It has had a negative impact on sports and I predict it will have a negative impact on graduation rates for athletes at which point one can argue it is detrimental to most of them as well.

I can't invest in a team if the players aren't invested in the university and the roster turns over every year.

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HearstMining said:

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Grigsby said:

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Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

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Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

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dimitrig said:

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I can't invest in a team if the players aren't invested in the university

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BearSD said:

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dimitrig said:

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I can't invest in a team if the players aren't invested in the university

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Have the universities ever been invested in the players? College coaches run players off their teams all the time (not just in football). Coaches have always cleared out players they don't want anymore to free up scholarships for new players. Coaches who only care about the players most responsible for winning should not get credit for that; it only means the coaches care about preserving their own salaries and careers.

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• There were (are) lots of parks and that's where kids (at least boys) largely hung out: John Hinkle, Codornices (great cement slide that now badly needs resurfacing), climbing around Indian Rock. Some of the parks had offices where you could check out balls or ping pong equipment. Those were great places for rock and dirt-clod fights and the same WWII stuff you did. Now adults do it and call them reenactments.
• Live Oak park was closest when I was a little kid. Cal students and adults played basketball on two of the hoops - serious games. I was in high school when I shot around with Bob Presley one afternoon.
• We rode bikes all over between Spruce and MLK streets, but hills limited the one-speed bikes we had. We'd ride downtown to the movies - California and UC theaters had cheap Wednesday matinees in the summer and all the way down Solano to the Albany theater. Parents didn't worry - they were happy to have you out of the way.
• We shot off firecrackers and bottle rockets; guys talked about cherry bombs, but nobody seemed to have any. We made some homemade ones with match-heads and aluminum conduit - lucky we didn't blow off a finger.
• I never got into slot cars, but they were a big deal in ~1965.
• From about 2nd-6th grades, during the rainy season, yo-yo's would suddenly appear - useful when teachers kept the class inside at recess. I still have a couple of Duncan Imperials and can walk the dog, skin the cat, go around the world, and rock the baby. I'd be a riot at a cocktail party for about one minute.
• We never did ring and ditch, but I do recall crank phone calls to classmates.
• Blow-guns from hollow BIC pens barrels with the end sawed off. We shot spit-balls and something harder but I don't recall what.
• I was into building polystyrene kit model airplanes and ships. The local variety store had no problem selling airplane glue to an 8-year-old then.
• Actually airplanes in general were a big deal that I never quite outgrew. I love flying to/from Burbank because you walk out on the tarmac and up the steps to board. I still love to fly kites and making paper airplanes for my grandkids.

HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Grigsby said:

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Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

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bearister said:

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If memory serves, you and I are about the same age. We played all the sports as boys in the mid 1960's, but what other stuff did you do?

-We played Army (WWII) in the Knowland Park Open Space below Skyline Blvd. (Oakland) and adjacent to our homes. We all wanted to be the Germans because of the cool helmets. When you were Americans you wanted to be Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow) from Combat!

- We rode mini bikes (with chainsaw engines) in the hills;

- We shot birds with sling shots and pellet pistols*and sometimes each other;

- We played in new homes that were under construction.

-We blew the sh@it out of a variety of things with fire crackers, cherry bombs and barrel bombs;

-We played ring and ditch to p@iss parents off in the neighborhood;

-We threw eggs at teenagers in cars on Halloween knowing that they would never find us as we hid in dark alleyways or in the Open Space;

-We made prank phone calls.

Gosh I loved being a f@ucking punk growing up in the 1960's.


I had this one. If you put 15 pumps in it, it basically went in and out the other side of things. I think I was 12. What was my Mom thinking?

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

---

HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

---

Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

---

Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

---

When my friends and I played two hand touch, it inevitably turned into tackle. We "touched" a little too hard!

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bearsandgiants said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

---

Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

---

When my friends and I played two hand touch, it inevitably turned into tackle. We "touched" a little too hard!

---

I think an over 65 tackle league would be more entertaining than the college game.

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01Bear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

---

Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

---

When my friends and I played two hand touch, it inevitably turned into tackle. We "touched" a little too hard!

---

I think an over 65 tackle league would be more entertaining than the college game.

---

Lol! That would be crazy! But it would definitely keep the local hospitals busy!

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bearsandgiants said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

01Bear said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

Grigsby said:

---

Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

---

When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

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Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

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When my friends and I played two hand touch, it inevitably turned into tackle. We "touched" a little too hard!

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I think an over 65 tackle league would be more entertaining than the college game.

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Trumpanzee said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Grigsby said:

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Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

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Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

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Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

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Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

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When I was a kid, it was tough getting 10-12 guys free at the same time to play baseball. We would usually have no more than 8 people, so we'd end up playing basketball or football. Baseball was still fun, though, we played it in PE and also enjoyed watching the games during the season.

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Having droned on about baseball above, football was always my first sport, played either on grass or in the street. Always two-hand touch, or maybe tackle if on grass. In the street, one goal line was maybe a telephone pole, the other was maybe the front of a parked car. Three completed passes was a first down or maybe the midfield point. Three alligator rush. Suckers walk. The last time I played touch football, I was 28 YO with some guys from work - never had more fun! I still get one of my sons to throw with me once every autumn. My oldest grandchild is 5YO - hopefully next year it will be her turn. I still throw as hard as ever, but the ball just doesn't go as far. If there was an over-65 touch football league around here, I'd consider it.

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When my friends and I played two hand touch, it inevitably turned into tackle. We "touched" a little too hard!

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I think an over 65 tackle league would be more entertaining than the college game.

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You must have missed the Tyson fight, the only thing old men should be doing is watching TV, drinking beer and scratch something that itches......

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Grigsby said:

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Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

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59bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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01Bear said:

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HearstMining said:

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Grigsby said:

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Become a San Jose Shark fan. They have an incredible 18 year old who is the best Rookie in the NHL since Auston Matthews.

---

Sure, root for whomever you like, but how many of us in California ever played ice hockey? If you grew up loving sports, you almost certainly played touch football in the street, baseball/softball in little league or an after-school league, pick-up basketball at the local playground/gym, or youth soccer. You know what it feels like to catch a pass or pick up a ground ball and throw it to first base, Sure, it's not required that you play a sport in order to become a fan, but honestly, it's just not the same, at least not for me.

---

Different generations.

For many in my generation, it was just as likely (if not more likely) for them to play street hockey as it was for them to play any of the other sports you mentioned. You could play street hockey with fewer players than needed for a baseball team and it was about as easy to set up as touch football. Plus, you didn't need as much space as you would for the other sports. Hockey was pretty popular among SoCal kids in my generation, thanks in no small part to Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Kings.

---

Good point, I forgot about street hockey which my kids played but it never translated into any NHL interest, maybe because nobody like Gretsky ever came to NorCal.

Just as a point of information, in Berkeley, as 7-12 year-olds, we frequently played baseball with fewer than 18 players. If there were 10-12 players we called it "work-ups" with 3-4 batters. When a batter made an out, they moved to right field and all defensive players shifted one position. Eventually, you moved from catcher to become a batter and batted until you made an out. Fewer players than that? Play with two outfielders and say that any ball hit to right-field was a foul ball, and/or play without a first baseman and say any hit ball thrown back to the pitcher before the runner reached first base was an out. I wasn't even a huge baseball fan, but you played what was in season, plus in the Bay Area in the 1960s, Willie Mays was a god. I assume "work-ups" wasn't just a Bay Area thing, but probably existed elsewhere under different names.

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We played work-ups in the Sac Valley in my era ('40s-'50s). Also a 2 person street football game we called "kick back" in which you punted or passed back and forth over a half block or so "field" between designated goals, a light pole or large tree. The object was to gain advantage by out kicking/passing your opponent until you were in position to score by drop kicking over an imaginary crossbar at the opponent's goal. The local rec department opened up the high school gym on Saturdays for pickup basketball, tumbling classes and boxing/wrestling. In the summer, our local pool (a converted small boat harbor) was free and offered lessons. Between morning lessons, afternoon and evening open swim sessions, those inclined could be at the pool 10-12 hours per day. As teens, sometimes we'd go back after closing to jump the fence and swim in the dark.

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