All downhill from here

Is there any surer sign of impending fogey-hood than finding ESPN Classic the most compelling cable channel on the air? I mean, really, I have only 500 channels at my disposal thanks to the magic of DirecTV. I can order dozens of movies. I can see high quality modern sports, played by living people, any time I care to. News. Music. Comedy. All at my fingertips. But hey, what’s that? The 1991 Sugarbowl? Cool. An obscure Cowboys-Falcons game from the early 1980s? I’m there, even though I can’t stand either team. The low point, of course, is I am sitting here watching the 1958 light heavyweight championship fight in Montreal where Archie Moore went 11 brutal rounds against Yvon Durrelle and finally dropped him. And I am enjoying it no end. It’s amazing how much more gentlemanly these fighters seem. And it’s also a little amazing to see the all white crowd howling for Archie Moore’s black blood, even though Moore was clearly a better fighter. All this just nine years before I was born.

Gosh, I wonder what ancient contest is on next. To hell with news. To hell with movies. I sure do hope it’s downhill skiing from the 1980 Olympics…