OT: WOYM Thread

[21&500]

[Fleet 1]

Every thread here is active and robust. Tons of action. Man i cant keep up with the discussions because im constantly having to play the Wizard of Charge Oz. lol Cache cleaning...pushing members through. Hung up email and nofitications. Tables reubuilt. lol I love it.

But this is why i make drive by posts on twitter so much. Its the better place for random Charger thoughts.

Just stoked this place is so dang busy. You guys rock. Stay Bolted.

[Blue Thunder]

For those who enjoy nostalgic stories, I just posted this on Facebook...

April 7, 1984. 40 years ago today. Why is this date etched in my mind? Well, if you’ve got the time, I’ve got a story to tell. A story about football, family, and friends. Mostly football.

Rewind back to 1983. The powers that be decided that year-round football would be a great idea. As a relatively new football fan (everything is relatively new to a 13-year old), I couldn’t have agreed more!

So, the original USFL was born and spring football had arrived. When the first teams were announced, one team immediately grabbed my attention – the Michigan Panthers. At that point, I’d been a big Michigan Wolverines fan for almost a third of my life (a whole four years), but that’s a story for another time. I thought that “Panthers” was a very cool team name and that their uniforms and helmets were awesome! You know, things that are really important to a 13-year old. Who am I kidding? It’s still important to me!

Anyway, to make a short story long, the Panthers won the inaugural championship in 1983. It was the first time that any of my favorite teams had won a championship and I thought “Man, wouldn’t it be awesome to see them play live?”

Fast-forward to the spring of 1984 and the USFL’s second season. The league expanded from 12 to 18 teams and professional football came to my home state of Oklahoma. One of the expansion teams (the Oklahoma Outlaws) was in Tulsa, which was just a couple of hours away from where we lived! Suddenly my dream of seeing the Michigan Panthers play in person became a real possibility.

I talked my Dad into getting us tickets to the game and spent the whole offseason waiting impatiently for April 7^th. In an interesting twist, my friend Lance had an extra ticket to the Outlaws game the week before against the Houston Gamblers (Jim Kelly, anyone?) and invited me to go.

When we entered the stadium, each person was given a playing card as part of an Outlaws team promotion. They were playing against the Gamblers, so it made sense. I was given the seven of clubs. During the first half they made an announcement that they were going to draw a card at half time and if you had the matching card, you would win season tickets for two. Halftime arrived, the card was chosen, and it was… the seven of clubs! It was the first time I had ever won anything big like that. I was super excited!

Now that we had four tickets to the Panthers game, Dad and I invited Lance and my friend who lived across the street, Mike, to go with us. In hindsight, the game itself overall was rather uneventful, BUT I got to see my football heroes (Bobby Hebert, Ken Lacy, Derek Holloway, John Corker, and of course, my favorite – Anthony Carter) play in person. Which was amazing!

Dad and I ended up going to one more game that season against the Oakland Invaders. Since I had won free tickets, it wasn’t too hard to talk Dad into it. We probably would have gone to more games if it had been closer.

We ended up spending almost the entire game against the Invaders in rain panchos and under plastic tarps in a driving rainstorm. Dad wanted to leave early, but I talked him into staying the whole time. That was the last time we would see an Outlaws game in person.

Fast forward again to 1985. The USFL was back for a third and, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, last season. Even before the season started, the league was already beginning to flounder, due to financial issues. Teams were contracted. The Outlaws joined forces with the Arizona Wranglers, moved to Arizona, and became the Arizona Outlaws. Even worse, the Panthers combined with the Invaders, moved to Oakland, and stayed the Oakland Invaders. What kind of bunk was that?!? Suddenly both of the teams I had rooted for in this fledgling league were essentially gone!

You might think that would’ve been the end of it for me regarding the USFL, but I still followed the league almost as closely as before. Plus, I still had the Chargers and Wolverines to root for in the fall and by that time, my love for the game of football had been stoked and grew to become the lifelong passion that it is today. And, as fate would have it, the USFL returned recently, but most importantly, the Michigan Panthers are back!!

Now, every April 7th, this awesome memory comes to mind and as I sit here right now in my replica Michigan Panthers T-shirt watching the new Michigan Panthers battle the Birmingham Stallions on ESPN, I ask the question, “Where were you 40 years ago today?” Not sure? Well, I am. I was having the time of my life at Skelley Stadium in Tulsa (with my Dad and my friends) watching my heroes duke it out on the gridiron.

To quote my favorite coach, “Who’s got it better than us? Nooobody!!”

[northerner]

For those who enjoy nostalgic stories, I just posted this on Facebook...

April 7, 1984. 40 years ago today. Why is this date etched in my mind? Well, if you’ve got the time, I’ve got a story to tell. A story about football, family, and friends. Mostly football.

Rewind back to 1983. The powers that be decided that year-round football would be a great idea. As a relatively new football fan (everything is relatively new to a 13-year old), I couldn’t have agreed more!

So, the original USFL was born and spring football had arrived. When the first teams were announced, one team immediately grabbed my attention – the Michigan Panthers. At that point, I’d been a big Michigan Wolverines fan for almost a third of my life (a whole four years), but that’s a story for another time. I thought that “Panthers” was a very cool team name and that their uniforms and helmets were awesome! You know, things that are really important to a 13-year old. Who am I kidding? It’s still important to me!

Anyway, to make a short story long, the Panthers won the inaugural championship in 1983. It was the first time that any of my favorite teams had won a championship and I thought “Man, wouldn’t it be awesome to see them play live?”

Fast-forward to the spring of 1984 and the USFL’s second season. The league expanded from 12 to 18 teams and professional football came to my home state of Oklahoma. One of the expansion teams (the Oklahoma Outlaws) was in Tulsa, which was just a couple of hours away from where we lived! Suddenly my dream of seeing the Michigan Panthers play in person became a real possibility.

I talked my Dad into getting us tickets to the game and spent the whole offseason waiting impatiently for April 7^th. In an interesting twist, my friend Lance had an extra ticket to the Outlaws game the week before against the Houston Gamblers (Jim Kelly, anyone?) and invited me to go.

When we entered the stadium, each person was given a playing card as part of an Outlaws team promotion. They were playing against the Gamblers, so it made sense. I was given the seven of clubs. During the first half they made an announcement that they were going to draw a card at half time and if you had the matching card, you would win season tickets for two. Halftime arrived, the card was chosen, and it was… the seven of clubs! It was the first time I had ever won anything big like that. I was super excited!

Now that we had four tickets to the Panthers game, Dad and I invited Lance and my friend who lived across the street, Mike, to go with us. In hindsight, the game itself overall was rather uneventful, BUT I got to see my football heroes (Bobby Hebert, Ken Lacy, Derek Holloway, John Corker, and of course, my favorite – Anthony Carter) play in person. Which was amazing!

Dad and I ended up going to one more game that season against the Oakland Invaders. Since I had won free tickets, it wasn’t too hard to talk Dad into it. We probably would have gone to more games if it had been closer.

We ended up spending almost the entire game against the Invaders in rain panchos and under plastic tarps in a driving rainstorm. Dad wanted to leave early, but I talked him into staying the whole time. That was the last time we would see an Outlaws game in person.

Fast forward again to 1985. The USFL was back for a third and, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, last season. Even before the season started, the league was already beginning to flounder, due to financial issues. Teams were contracted. The Outlaws joined forces with the Arizona Wranglers, moved to Arizona, and became the Arizona Outlaws. Even worse, the Panthers combined with the Invaders, moved to Oakland, and stayed the Oakland Invaders. What kind of bunk was that?!? Suddenly both of the teams I had rooted for in this fledgling league were essentially gone!

You might think that would’ve been the end of it for me regarding the USFL, but I still followed the league almost as closely as before. Plus, I still had the Chargers and Wolverines to root for in the fall and by that time, my love for the game of football had been stoked and grew to become the lifelong passion that it is today. And, as fate would have it, the USFL returned recently, but most importantly, the Michigan Panthers are back!!

Now, every April 7th, this awesome memory comes to mind and as I sit here right now in my replica Michigan Panthers T-shirt watching the new Michigan Panthers battle the Birmingham Stallions on ESPN, I ask the question, “Where were you 40 years ago today?” Not sure? Well, I am. I was having the time of my life at Skelley Stadium in Tulsa (with my Dad and my friends) watching my heroes duke it out on the gridiron.

To quote my favorite coach, “Who’s got it better than us? Nooobody!!”

very cool story. i still remember some of the tv coverage from the 1979 chargers when i was 10 years old - especially the playoff game against the oilers. No Pastorini, No Earl Campbell and no Kenny Burroughs, and the chargers still lost. i remember the blocked FG - crazy loss. i am STILL waiting for an Air Coryell throwback uniform game.

[captaind]

Looking forward to the eclipse today. Hopefully no cloud cover.

[bartman83642]

very cool story. i still remember some of the tv coverage from the 1979 chargers when i was 10 years old - especially the playoff game against the oilers. No Pastorini, No Earl Campbell and no Kenny Burroughs, and the chargers still lost. i remember the blocked FG - crazy loss. i am STILL waiting for an Air Coryell throwback uniform game.

Yeah I remember that game as well. Also remember my little brother intentionally trying to make me mad by singing the Houston Oilers, were #1 song that they played. Ugh, still in my brain so many years later.

[northerner]

Yeah I remember that game as well. Also remember my little brother intentionally trying to make me mad by singing the Houston Oilers, were #1 song that they played. Ugh, still in my brain so many years later.

i remember that song. the houston oilers had so much style back then - great uniforms, the song, the vibe. now - they are as bland as you can get.

i sat next to a houston texans fan when i first got my chargers season tix in 2002 (it was like the first or second year of the texans). the guy was pissed that the only name they came up was Texans.