"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

976-1313

Sports_Phone_tee_copy

 

I’ll never forget the number. Sports Phone. Man, I used to sneak calls as much as I could in the early-mid-Eighties. I had to sneak them because the calls were expensive and if too many showed up on the phone bill my ass was new mown grass. But still, in those days I’d do whatever I could to get an up-to-date score so the risk was worth it.

For a good time, head on over to Grantland and check out this history of Sports Phone by the talented Joe Delessio.

[Photo Via: No Mas]

11 comments

1 Jon Weisman   ~  Feb 24, 2015 12:43 pm

Totally remember this - I even had a promotional poster for it. Really felt like I was breaking the rules to use it.

2 Alex Belth   ~  Feb 24, 2015 2:08 pm

That's classic, man.

3 Bronx Boy in NC   ~  Feb 24, 2015 2:18 pm

That's right there in the vault with Dial-A-Joke.

And if you were in the right place at the right age to remember those, you probably also remember frustrated kids shouting

PIX!
PIX!
PIXPIXPIXPIXPIX!!
dammmit PIIIIXXX!

into the phone on channel 11.

4 Chyll Will   ~  Feb 24, 2015 2:35 pm

[3] Haaaa! You have to also remember Magic Garden and the Intellivision game console. Check this out...

5 Ara Just Fair   ~  Feb 24, 2015 5:20 pm

[4] I don't recall the sports number but I used to watch The Magic Garden each day after school. I'll break out some sweet YouTube clips occasionally to bug my wife because I still think the one lady is mad cute. Lol...

6 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Feb 24, 2015 7:44 pm

You guys are killing me..such wonderful memories. And this place of course, the TV ads for it scared the bejeezus out of me: http://www.darkinthepark.com/Haunted%20Mansion/History/lbhistory.htm

[5] Agree totally!

7 Chyll Will   ~  Feb 24, 2015 8:56 pm

Seems like we had far more fun as kids than kids nowadays do. We were so oblivious to real life. Growing up is so stupid.

8 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Feb 24, 2015 9:19 pm

[7] It was awesome..and yet every generation says that right?

9 Alex Belth   ~  Feb 25, 2015 8:50 am

8) Very true. And this generation has things that we would have loved--I mean all the video games, the shit on your phone, all these amazing Pixar movies. Of course, there are downsides--like for every generation--but some of the cool shit kids can dig these days in enviable.

10 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Feb 27, 2015 1:44 pm

[3] Yes to Dial-a-Joke and YES to PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX PIXPIXPIXPIXPIXPIX!!!!!

11 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Feb 27, 2015 1:45 pm

I even had the Magic Garden record. Sent away for it.

The cover was black and white, to be colored in.

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver