Let's Go to the Videotape: Mobile Monday Night at the Meadowlands

by Matthew Callan on Dec 9, 2011 12:00 PM EST

Back when I was your age, we didn't have these newfangled smartphones and pagers and whatnot. If we weren't at a game or in front of a TV and we wanted to know what was going on in the world of sports, we had to get creative! Bring a transistor radio and a discreet set of headphones! Find a pay phone and call information and hope we got a sports-mad operator! Train each other in semaphore and relay messages across a network of strategically placed crow's nests!

To see what I'm talking about, you young whippersnappers, check out this clip from an NJN broadcast from October of 1986. You see, after the Mets' epic comeback in game 6 of the World Series, Mother Nature interfered by bringing rain that delayed the decisive game 7 until October 27. That coincided with a Monday night game at the Meadowlands between the Giants and the Redskins. Watch us use elegant, gray portable TVs that weighed a mere 75 pounds to keep up with the goings on of Mets vs. Red Sox!

What I love most about this clip, other than the hairstyles, is how the entire stadium seems to be way more into the baseball game they can barely see than the football game in front of them. The crowd is so caught up in game 7 that they frequently distract both Washington and the home team. Phil Simms seems a bit annoyed by this in his postgame interview.

It is a demonstration of two important historical facts. The first is that people have always wished to be able to concentrate on two (or more) things at once; we've just finally developed the technology to make it possible. The second is that the Mets ruled New York (and New Jersey) in the 1980s. Not even a Monday night divisional rivalry game could supplant that supremacy.

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its true

the mets ruled so hard in the 80s.

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON... BUY THAT MANSION. WE DONT NEED A CONDO.

by kendynamo on Dec 9, 2011 12:05 PM EST reply actions

Happier times...

by TheBigStapler on Dec 9, 2011 12:09 PM EST reply actions

Best sign of Mets' reign in the 80's

When Prince Akeem wants to look like a “real New Yorker” in Coming to America, he buys a Mets jacket.

by dontstopbelieving on Dec 9, 2011 12:50 PM EST reply actions 3 recs

an underrated movie for cosby sweaters

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON... BUY THAT MANSION. WE DONT NEED A CONDO.

by kendynamo on Dec 9, 2011 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

awesome clip

I believe in one Dickey, Maker of knuckles and balls

by HotChipWillBreakYourLegs on Dec 9, 2011 12:58 PM EST reply actions

sigh.....

If only I were old enough to appreciate this at the time. 6-year-olds just don’t know how good they have it as sports fans.

Mark Cuban for owner! Save us from the Wilpons!

by Greenpoint Ian on Dec 9, 2011 1:03 PM EST reply actions

This brought a tear to my eye......

one of the reasons is that you could never do that today……..the “portable” tv’s I mean……

you would not be allowed to carry a satellite dish, nor a spool of cable into the stadium.

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on Dec 9, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions

I was only two. Damn my parents for waiting a few years to have a kid

Also, we totally had one of those portable TV’s. Actually, my dad STILL has his set up in the garage and, up until the Mets switched to SNY, used to use it to watch Mets games while doing yardwork. It should come as no surprise that my dad has not yet figured out how to get the HD channels on the HD TV they have in the basement…

Time to update this: 2009 Did Not Happen. Neither did 2010. Or 2011. Sports suck.

by cjmulrain on Dec 9, 2011 1:27 PM EST reply actions

isnt it infuriating

when someone watches an a channel in non HD on an HDTV? they cable boxes even tell you which button to press to switch to the HD channel.

my dad does the same thing. i’m all like DAD CHANGE THE CHANNEL. GOD.

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON... BUY THAT MANSION. WE DONT NEED A CONDO.

by kendynamo on Dec 9, 2011 3:34 PM EST up reply actions

my dad now fears he wont get to feel like that again

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Dec 9, 2011 2:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions

well, the Mets could always surprise us

But on that note, I said to myself shortly after the Giants win over the Patriots in the Superbowl that I will probably never experience as great a moment again as a Giants fan. I don’t think it’s possible to top a last-drive victory complete with miracle catch in the Superbowl over a heavily favored team that was one of the greatest in NFL history and looking to complete a perfect season.

As a Giants fan, there’s nothing wrong with being too young to remember 1986, as there’s always 1990 and 2007, which had far more thrilling playoff runs anyway. The Mets on the other hand…..

Mark Cuban for owner! Save us from the Wilpons!

by Greenpoint Ian on Dec 9, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

Oh, 1990

We were so close, yet still so far. I blame Juan Samuel.

SELL THE METS

by piazza62 on Dec 9, 2011 3:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I know exactly how your Dad feels

As a late 20 something in ‘86 I’m keeping my fingers crossed I’m around for the next WS championship in Queens.

by MetsFan4Decades on Dec 9, 2011 6:16 PM EST up reply actions

you and me both

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on Dec 9, 2011 7:18 PM EST up reply actions

That makes three of us.

Ralph Kiner: You've gotta change the script, I don't like the script.
Gary Cohen: What's wrong with the script?
Ralph Kiner: Well the script should be the Mets win every day.

by StorkFan on Dec 10, 2011 7:52 PM EST up reply actions

For all of the success the Yankmees have

New York doesn’t truly come alive until the Mets do. It was just like this in 2006 and for most of 2007 and 2008. When the Mets are good again, NY will be the greatest place on earth.

SELL THE METS

by piazza62 on Dec 9, 2011 3:03 PM EST via mobile reply actions

We won then Wilpon got controlling interest, Sell Pons Sell

by Sir Tmac on Dec 9, 2011 3:23 PM EST reply actions

Now I see why they called them the Good old days.

Sir, Our math shows that the bird is equal to or GREATER THEN the word. CHECK IT AGAIN!!!!

by statusquo on Dec 9, 2011 4:03 PM EST reply actions

I had season tickets that year

@JavaJoeX

by JavaJoe on Dec 9, 2011 4:24 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Awesome.

We've got ourselves a ball club, the Mets of New York town!

by kingcritical on Dec 9, 2011 4:29 PM EST reply actions

Good thing no one in my home that night

was into the GIants and football. I had the Mets game on the big old Panasonic console.
If you wanted to watch football, take your self to the little 19 inch in the bedroom.

by MetsFan4Decades on Dec 9, 2011 6:18 PM EST reply actions

Great clip, thanks.

by CervezaVerde on Dec 9, 2011 6:25 PM EST reply actions

I don't care

how many WS titles the Mets win and how many HOF’ers they have from this point out, for me the 1986 Mets will be the greatest baseball team ever.

by lstorie1971 on Dec 9, 2011 9:20 PM EST reply actions

That was freaking amazing.

by Joamiq on Dec 10, 2011 12:41 AM EST reply actions

Wow

Good stuff. I was in middle school at the time of all this and won’t forget any of it.

I remember back in the pre-cell, internet days you could call stadium pay phones and get scores! And it really worked! I remember “Sport” magazine had a listing off all the 4 major leagues and every stadium and arena. Ahhhh the memories…..

by Tierlifer on Dec 10, 2011 10:02 AM EST reply actions

Al Michaels did the MNF game that night

and said on the air that he had Game 7 on a Sony Watchman. When I switched to the football during commercials, Al would give an update on the baseball game.

Ralph Kiner: You've gotta change the script, I don't like the script.
Gary Cohen: What's wrong with the script?
Ralph Kiner: Well the script should be the Mets win every day.

by StorkFan on Dec 10, 2011 7:51 PM EST reply actions