How Much Had Football Changed?

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 28, 2016

Here is a photo of the Kansas City Chiefs during the halftime of Super Bowl I - Jerry Mays drinking a soda pop. Len Dawson smoking a cigarette:
super2.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg

Amazing, no? I've seen other pictures of Bear Bryant and Barry Switzer smoking cigarettes on the sideline during games. Lot of changes from then to now.

FirefightnRick · November 28, 2016

So true....LOL...glad my kids will never know what it's like to have to live in that kind of air.

Riding in the car..windows barely cracked open was the worse.

Rick

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 28, 2016

Yeah. My dad was a car smoker; kept a carton under the front seat at all times. By the time we'd get to Tulsa or Houston to visit grandparents, we'd reek of Marlboros.

Went to visit one of my oldest clients last Monday. Guys still has an ashtray on his desk. When I walked into his office, he was lighting a cigarette...and, already had five butts in the ashtray. It was an 11 a.m. appointment. Guy is 66 years old, so...guess, he's not one for quitting.

Ashtray is real old school stuff when you see it these days. But, boy, as a kid...ashtrays everywhere you went. Everywhere. Houses, offices, restaurants...everywhere.

At Berkner, there was a smoking area for students and teachers! During the morning break, students and teachers would congregate and smoke together.

Amazing how much the world has changed. I don't even think there was an age limit to buying cigarettes back then. I worked at a grocery store back then and can't remember having to card anyone buying cigarettes for age.

If a kid looked too young, though, the cashiers just wouldn't sell them the cigarettes. It was like an eye test/judgement thing where the adult simply made their own mind up about who couldn't buy, even without a law. That being said, seems like anyone 16 or older was buying back then.

Switzer, now 79...just think about how old that makes some of us feel - Switzer will be 80 next year...smoking during a game back in the 70s or 80s.

Edited November 28, 2016 by MeanGreenMailbox

FirefightnRick · November 28, 2016

We had a smoking and dipping section at my HS. That and the toob top all got banned in 1981.

Rick

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 28, 2016

os-rays-smokeless-tobacco-george-diaz-04

Dipping! I think probably 75% of the guys in our high school dipped. I mean, even in class. You just had to make sure the teachers didn't see your spit cup, or make too much noise spitting during class.

(Impossible during tests!)

Lou Gehrig anyone? CIgarettes and beer for the "Iron Horse."

Keith Hernandez in the dugout, mid 80s?

Dave Parker and Grant Jackson...

I guess there was something to Joe Greene's Coke commercial back then after all. Can't remember any athlete endorsing Gatorade or anything like that back then.

Edited November 28, 2016 by MeanGreenMailbox

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 28, 2016

Walt Garrison? Anyone growing up in the 70s remembers the Walt Garrison commercials and ads.

Another change is the beer commercials. Are there any beer commercials these days with athletes? Miller Lite built its brand in the 70s and 80s on those athlete commercials. It would be unheard of today.

Got5onIt · November 28, 2016

1 hour ago, MeanGreenMailbox said:

Yeah. My dad was a car smoker; kept a carton under the front seat at all times. By the time we'd get to Tulsa or Houston to visit grandparents, we'd reek of Marlboros.

Went to visit one of my oldest clients last Monday. Guys still has an ashtray on his desk. When I walked into his office, he was lighting a cigarette...and, already had five butts in the ashtray. It was an 11 a.m. appointment. Guy is 66 years old, so...guess, he's not one for quitting.

Ashtray is real old school stuff when you see it these days. But, boy, as a kid...ashtrays everywhere you went. Everywhere. Houses, offices, restaurants...everywhere.

At Berkner, there was a smoking area for students and teachers! During the morning break, students and teachers would congregate and smoke together.

Amazing how much the world has changed. I don't even think there was an age limit to buying cigarettes back then. I worked at a grocery store back then and can't remember having to card anyone buying cigarettes for age.

If a kid looked too young, though, the cashiers just wouldn't sell them the cigarettes. It was like an eye test/judgement thing where the adult simply made their own mind up about who couldn't buy, even without a law. That being said, seems like anyone 16 or older was buying back then.

Switzer, now 79...just think about how old that makes some of us feel - Switzer will be 80 next year...smoking during a game back in the 70s or 80s.

You older than Plumm? You sound like the grayest gmg'er to date....

KingDL1 · November 28, 2016

1 hour ago, FirefightnRick said:

We had a smoking and dipping section at my HS. That and the toob top all got banned in 1981.

Rick

But the Toob top was awesome, why ban it? Man

I remember the early 80's almost all the girls were thin and could really fill out those things.

LongJim · November 29, 2016

I bought Red Man and Levi Garrett while playing pony league baseball. Many, if not most of my HS buddies dipped Cope or Skoal. Never carded, even at 13-14. Of course we also had our .243s in the window racks in our trucks in HS too, and nobody cared.

Cerebus · November 29, 2016

3 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

We had a smoking and dipping section at my HS. That and the toob top all got banned in 1981.

I was in junior high when the Zero Tolerance weapons law went into place. Problem was 75% of the male student population carried a pocket knife.

On the first day went into effect I was standing outside during lunch and my coach/shop teacher came over and asked me for my knife so he could open his can of skoal. I of course, pretended to be shocked that he assumed I would break school policy.

He just said "Cut the shit Cerebus' last name and hand me your pocket knife." I did so, he opened his can, handed the pocket knife and then asked if my friends and I wanted a pinch.

Any of that happened today and we would all end suspended, fired, or suspended then fired.

FirefightnRick · November 29, 2016

10 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

I was in junior high when the Zero Tolerance weapons law went into place. Problem was 75% of the male student population carried a pocket knife.

On the first day went into effect I was standing outside during lunch and my coach/shop teacher came over and asked me for my knife so he could open his can of skoal. I of course, pretended to be shocked that he assumed I would break school policy.

He just said "Cut the shit Cerebus' last name and hand me your pocket knife." I did so, he opened his can, handed the pocket knife and then asked if my friends and I wanted a pinch.

Any of that happened today and we would all end suspended, fired, or suspended then fired.

Wow, yeah things have changed.

My inlaws tell of them having a skeet shooting and hunters' safety class behind Mineral Wells HS as late as '91 I believe? No idea if any school still offers that but they may?

Rick

UNT 04 · November 29, 2016

1 hour ago, Cerebus said:

I was in junior high when the Zero Tolerance weapons law went into place. Problem was 75% of the male student population carried a pocket knife.

On the first day went into effect I was standing outside during lunch and my coach/shop teacher came over and asked me for my knife so he could open his can of skoal. I of course, pretended to be shocked that he assumed I would break school policy.

He just said "Cut the shit Cerebus' last name and hand me your pocket knife." I did so, he opened his can, handed the pocket knife and then asked if my friends and I wanted a pinch.

Any of that happened today and we would all end suspended, fired, or suspended then fired.

Loved this post thanks for sharing

THOR · November 29, 2016

The world just isn't as good anymore...

NT93 · November 29, 2016

1 hour ago, THOR said:

The world just isn't as good anymore...

We should start a movement to make America great again. LOL.

Edited November 29, 2016 by NT93

greenjoe · January 15, 2019

As a 10 or so year old, I recall seeing a photo of Bob Lilly relaxing after a game smoking a cigar in the locker room. I remember saying to my Dad, that Bob Lilly better hope Tom Landry doesn't see the picture.

meaniegreenie · January 15, 2019

On 11/28/2016 at 7:08 PM, Cerebus said:

I was in junior high when the Zero Tolerance weapons law went into place. Problem was 75% of the male student population carried a pocket knife.

On the first day went into effect I was standing outside during lunch and my coach/shop teacher came over and asked me for my knife so he could open his can of skoal. I of course, pretended to be shocked that he assumed I would break school policy.

He just said "Cut the shit Cerebus' last name and hand me your pocket knife." I did so, he opened his can, handed the pocket knife and then asked if my friends and I wanted a pinch.

Any of that happened today and we would all end suspended, fired, or suspended then fired.

I've had to retreat to my safe-space for nearly 14 months after reading that post.

UNTLifer · January 16, 2019

You all are missing the greatest travesty of them all...the banning of the tube top. I loved those things for obvious reasons. We need to start a "Bring Back the Tube Top" campaign. Heck, let's make the ACU game, NT Tube Top Night. That would shock the crap out of those coming from ACU.

GBarksdale · January 16, 2019

On 11/28/2016 at 2:26 PM, MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF said:

Here is a photo of the Kansas City Chiefs during the halftime of Super Bowl I - Jerry Mays drinking a soda pop. Len Dawson smoking a cigarette:

Amazing, no? I've seen other pictures of Bear Bryant and Barry Switzer smoking cigarettes on the sideline during games. Lot of changes from then to now.

And check out the guy behind Dawson wearing the Mickey Mouse Club hat. Yep. Times have changed.