A Time Before ESPN (say it isn’t so)

Due to an unfortunate oversight by my “friends” at TimeWarner, I was left last evening without cable or internet access.  Now how is a girl supposed to watch the Yankees game? (Props to them for having a near flawless run since the All-Star break, 11-1 last night against the Mariners last night in case you too missed it.  The picture above is a relic of the Yanks of old) 

Lacking any form connection to my preferred method of tracking sports I got to thinking about life before ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, YES, SNY and even broadcast sports coverage.  Obviously there were other outlets from which people could follow their favorite teams, but unless physically present I can only assume that sports during the early 20th century lacked the interactivity that we take for granted today.  How could one possibly fully enjoy the thrill of a 11th inning walk-off or the devastation of a 4th inning slaughter without streaming coverage and highlights?

Perhaps the during these simpler times we had a bit more imagination, however I still can’t seem to wrap my head around this one.  It clearly speaks to the passion and pleasure that sports derive even if one is only able to follow through newspaper and WOM (word-of-mouth for those not in a marketing field) that sports have survived and flourished throughout history.  That energy has carried various sporting activities to the 21st century and beyond, but boy am I glad that I grew up in the cable era!

Update: Cable turned back on today. First order of business; SportsCenter.