Back to the Future

As a sports fan I find the older I get the more my thoughts go back to "the good ol' days."  If I try to be objective I need to ask whether things really were better back in the day or are they better now  Let's compare the past and present of a sports fan.

Ticket prices:  As a high school student earning roughly $5 an hour I could buy a "fun zone" ticket between $10 and $15, the equivalent of two to three hours of work.  Today a student earning a $15 an hour wage would have to work four to five hours for a $60-$75 "cheap seat."  Winner:  the good old days.

Brand identity and loyalty:  With a few exceptions team when I was growing up rosters had minimal change from year to year.  Each team had two sets of uniforms.  You knew the players and had a loyalty to the team and its players.  With free-agency, more teams in the league and a different uniform each game day currently it is tough to keep track of your team.  If you like team identity and loyalty the winner is the gold old days.  If you like fluidity and change the winner is today's sports world.

Food:  Back in the day you could get luke-warm coffee, flat sodas, hot dogs and stale pop corn.  Current sports venues offer food fare rivalling exotic and gourmet restaurants.  The clear winner is the present era.

Concessions and souvenirs:  Selection of sports merchandise in the past was limited to two t-shirt styles (in adult and youth sizes), two cap styles, pennants and a mini hockey stick/baseball bat.  Today you can purchase anything and everything for you, your car, your home and your pet.  Clear winner is the present.

Stadiums and arenas:  Many of the old venues had limited amenities and would violate current safety and accessibility regulations, but they had character.  Modern sports venues are architectural wonders with all the amenities one could imagine but one could argue they often lack character and atmosphere.  You decide the winner, do you want character and heart or do you prefer beauty and amenities?

The past had its glory, but also its weaknesses.  As times change so does the sports and entertainment world.  The only choice we have is to cherish the past and embrace and enjoy the present.