College Football Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Holiday Bonus
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
“The life I love is
making music with my friends
And I can’t wait to
get on the road again”
The Rubik’s Cube, Pac-Man, the Sony Walkman and Surround
Sound were introduced. It was the year of Solidarity and the beginnings of the
World Wide Web. The term “yuppie” was used for the first time.
Tom Snyder, John Chancellor and the Eagles all said goodbye, while David Letterman and the Weather Channel
said hello. And sadly, two famous rock bands experienced the death of a member.
What year was it?
On the second day of January, Bryant Gumbel began his 15-year stint as co-anchor of NBC’s “Today
Show.” Two days later, The United States, with the support of the European
Commission, imposed a grain embargo on the USSR.
Two days after that, the president of Sicily, Piersanti Mattarella, was killed by the
Mafia. On January 7, the U.S. government gave $1.5 billion in loans to bail out
Chrysler Corporation.
In the middle of January, the Beach Boys, Jefferson
Starship and the Grateful Dead
performed at a benefit concert in Oakland, California, for the people of
Kampuchea. The band Rush released
“Permanent Waves,” which became the group’s fifth platinum album, and Paul McCartney was arrested in Tokyo
for possession of a half-pound of marijuana.
On January 20, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their fourth NFL
championship in six seasons, defeating the Los Angeles Rams, 31-19, in Super
Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
As the month was coming to an end, Israel and Egypt
established diplomatic relations, while six United States diplomats, posing as
Canadians, managed to escape from Tehran, Iran, on a Swiss Air flight to
Zurich.
On January 29, the Rubik’s Cube made its debut at a toy fair
in London, and “Late Night with Tom Snyder” ran for the last time on
television.
“On the road again
Just can’t wait to
get on the road again”
As February began, “Late Night with David Letterman” debuted
on NBC. Six days later, Pink Floyd’s
The Wall Tour opened at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Then, on the 19th
of February, AC/DC front man, Bon Scott,
died after a night of heavy drinking in London.
The first day of March, the Voyager I probe confirmed the
existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn. Three days later, Robert Mugabe was elected prime minister of Zimbabwe.
In the middle of the month, LOT Polish Airline Flight 007
crashed during an emergency landing near Warsaw, Poland, killing a 14-man
American boxing team and 73 others.
During the final week of March, Louisville, coached by Denny Crum, beat UCLA, coached by Larry Brown, 59-54, to win the NCAA
basketball championship at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. “Cagney and
Lacey” debuted on CBS, and the Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapsed in the North Sea, killing 123 of
its crew of 212.
On April 1, the Mariel boatlift from Cuba began, and Brian Johnson was named the new lead
singer of AC/DC, replacing Bon Scott.
The next day, John Chancellor
anchored the “NBC Nightly News” for the final time.
In the middle of April, the Broadway musical “Grease” closed
after its run of 3,388 performances, making it the longest running show on
Broadway at that time. At age 23, Seve
Ballesteros won the Masters Golf Tournament by four strokes over runners-up
Gibby Gilbert and Jack Newton.
At the 52nd Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los
Angeles, “Kramer vs. Kramer” won the best picture award. Dustin Hoffman won the best actor award for his role in “Kramer vs.
Kramer,” and Sally Field took the
best actress award for her role in “Norma Rae.” Johnny Carson hosted the ceremonies.
On April 18, Zimbabwe gained independence from Great
Britain. Three days later, “WKRP in Cincinnati” ran for the last time.
As April ended, Rosie
Ruiz won the Boston Marathon, but was later exposed as a fraud and was
stripped of her title. Dan-Air Flight 1008 crashed in Tenerife, killing all 146
aboard. On the final day of the month, Queen
Juliana of the Netherlands abdicated, and her daughter Beatrix acceded to the throne.
May 1, an article by journalist Dan Rottenberg in Chicago contained the first recorded use of the
word “yuppie.” The next day, the Weather Channel premiered on television.
“The life I love is
making music with my friends
And I can’t wait to
get on the road again”
At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 3, Genuine Risk, ridden by jockey Jacinto Vasquez, won the 106th
running of the Kentucky Derby. The next day, Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito died.
A week later in Florida, the Liberian freighter Summit
Venture hit the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay. A 1,400-foot section of
the bridge collapsed, killing 35 people. At Wembley Stadium in London, England,
West Ham United won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal, 1-0.
During the middle of May, rookie Magic Johnson scored 42 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a
123-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76er’s to clinch the NBA championship for
the Lakers. Los Angeles prevailed despite the absence of center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers beat
the 76er’s 4 games to 2. Meanwhile, a three-day race riot began in Miami,
Florida, and the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington erupted, killing 57 and
causing $3 billion in damage.
On May 20, voters in Quebec Province rejected by a vote of
60% a proposal to seek independence from Canada, and “Barney Miller” ran for
the last time. The next day, the “Empire Strikes Back” was released in the
United States, and on May 22, Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game of all
time, was released in Japan.
In overtime, in game six of the Stanley Cup finals, The New
York Islanders won their first Stanley Cup, beating the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Islanders won on a goal by Bobby
Nystrom. Also, in the final week of May, in a car owned by Jim Hall, Johnny Rutherford won his third Indianapolis 500. It was Hall’s
second win as an owner. Vernon Jordan
was shot and critically wounded in an assassination attempt in Fort Wayne,
Indiana, and “Mork and Mindy” ran for the last time.
As June began, the first 24-hour news channel, Cable News
Network (CNN), was launched. Two days later, a series of deadly tornadoes
struck Grand Island, Nebraska, killing five people, injuring more than 250 and
causing more than $300 million in damage.
On June 7 at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, Chris Evert defeated Virginia Ruzici to win the women’s
singles title at the French Open Tennis tournament. The next day, Bjorn Borg defeated Vitas Gerulaitis for the men’s title.
Within the next seven days, a Unabomber bomb injured United
Airlines president Percy Wood, in
Lake Forest, Illinois. At the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, Jack Nicklaus won the U.S. Open Golf
championship. Nicklaus edged Isao Aoki
by two strokes to win the title.
Summer was underway and while not yet able to listen to the
games on the radio, college football fans were listening to “Wondering Where
The Lions Are” by Bruce Cockburn;
“The Rose” by Bette Midler; “Don’t
Fall In Love With A Dreamer” by Kenny
Rogers and Kim Carnes; “Should’ve Never Let You Go” by Neil Sedaka and Dara Sedaka; “Let’s Get Serious” by Jermaine Jackson; “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc; “We Live For Love” by Pat Benatar; “Biggest Part Of Me” by Ambrosia, and “Hurt So Bad” by Linda Ronstadt.
On the 23rd of June, Tim Berners-Lee began work on ENQUIRE, the system that would
eventually become the World-Wide Web 10 years later. At the same time, a two-and-a-half-month
heat wave, that would claim 1,700 lives in the United States, began.
Meanwhile, the radio stations were playing “Steal Away” by Robbie DuPree; “Twilight Zone-Twilight
Time” by The Manhattan Transfer;
“Two Places At The Same Time” by Raydio;
“Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)” by Paul
McCartney & Wings; “Shining Star” by The Manhattans; “She’s Out Of My Life” by Michael Jackson; “Answering Machine” by Rupert Holmes; “Little Jeannie” by Elton John; “King Of The Hill” by Rick Pinette and Oak, and “Let Me Love You Tonight” by Pure Prairie League.
During the final six days of June, the Sony Walkman went on
sale in the United States. Meanwhile, Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 crashed into
the sea near Palermo, Sicily, after an explosion occurred in the air, killing
all 81 people on board. A bomb or a missile was suspected to be the cause. And Vigdis Finnbogadottir was elected
President of Iceland, making her the first woman democratically elected as a
head of state.
“On the road again
Goin’ places that
I’ve never been”
July was upon us
and on the 5th at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet
Club in Wimbledon, England, Evonne
Goolagong Cawley defeated Chris
Evert Lloyd to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon. The next day, Bjorn Borg defeated John McEnroe for the men’s title.
Two days later, a wave of strikes began in Lublin,
Poland. On July 9, Pope John Paul II
arrived in Brazil.
As the summer air grew hotter and thicker, the DJs were
playing, and college football fans were listening to “All Night Long” by Joe Walsh; “One Fine Day” by Carole King; “Stand By Me” by Mickey Gilley; “Against The Wind” by Bob Seger; “Cupid/I’ve Loved You For A
Long Time” by The Spinners; “Angel
Say No” by Tommy Tutone, and “Walks
Like A Lady” by Journey.
At mid-July, an unusually strong, severe and destructive
thunderstorm struck four counties in western Wisconsin, including the city of
Eau Claire. The storm caused more than $250 million in damage and claimed the
life of one person.
On July 20, at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, Scotland, Tom Watson won the British Open Golf
Championship by four strokes over runner-up Lee Trevino. Five days later, the album “Black is Black” was
released by the Australian band AC/DC. Two days after that, the deposed Shah of
Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, died in
Cairo, Egypt.
The summer airwaves continued to be filled with good music, including
“I’m Alive” by Electric Light Orchestra;
“Misunderstanding” by Genesis; “It’s
Still Rock And Roll To Me” by Billy Joel;
“Magic” by Olivia Newton-John; “Gimme
Some Lovin’” by The Blues Brothers;
“In America” by The Charlie Daniels Band;
“More Love” by Kim Carnes, and “Take
Your Time (Do It Right)” by The S.O.S.
Band.
On the final day of July, China’s population hit one billion
people, and the Eagles ended their
tour in Long Beach, California. They would not play together again for 14
years.
Just two days into August, a terrorist bombing at the
Bologna Central Railway Station in Italy killed 85 people and wounded more than
200. Five days later, Lech Walesa began
the first of many strikes at the Gdansk Shipyard in Poland.
Meanwhile, summer was coming to an end and college football
fans couldn’t wait for the season to begin. Ohio State was the No. 1 team in
the preseason polls, and the top songs on the radio were “Empire Strikes Back
(Medley)” by Meco; “JoJo” by Boz Scaggs; “Take A Little Rhythm” by Ali Thomson; “Let My Love Open The
Door” by Pete Townshend; “Into The
Night” by Benny Mardones; “Sailing”
by Christopher Cross; “Fame” by Irene Cara; “All Out Of Love” by Air Supply; “Love The World Away” by Kenny Rogers, and “Make A Little Magic”
by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
On August 10, category 3 Hurricane Allen pounded
southeastern Texas. At the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester,
New York, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA
Golf championship by seven strokes over runner-up Andy Bean.
Around mid-August, Dorothy
Stratten, the Playboy Playmate of the Year, was murdered by estranged
husband Paul Leslie Snider, who
subsequently committed suicide. Then, in Australia, baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared from a campsite near Ayers Rock,
reportedly taken by a dingo.
Just days before the first games of the season, college
football fans were grillin’ and chillin’ to “Old Fashion Love” by The Commodores; “Drivin’ My Life Away”
by Eddie Rabitt; “I Can’t Let Go” by
Linda Ronstadt; “Why Not Me” by Fred Knoblock; “One In A Million You”
by Larry Graham; “Boulevard” by Jackson Browne; “Emotional Rescue” by The Rolling Stones; “Give Me The Night”
by George Benson; “You’re The Only
Woman (You And I)” by Ambrosia; “I’m
Alright” by Kenny Loggins, and
“Upside Down” by Diana Ross.
Later in August, in one of aviation’s worst disasters, 301
people were killed when Saudia Flight 163 caught fire in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Seein’ things that
I may never see again
And I can’t wait to
get on the road again”
September was upon us. On the 5th, the Gotthard
Road Tunnel opened in Switzerland, the world’s largest and longest highway
tunnel at 10.14 miles. The next day, at the National Tennis Center in New York
City, Chris Evert-Lloyd defeated Hanna Mandlikova to take the women’s
singles title at the U.S. Open Tennis championship. The following day, John McEnroe defeated Bjorn Borg for the men’s title.
Meanwhile, the college football season was underway, and
fans were tailgating to “Under The Gun” by Poco;
“Hot Rod Hearts” by Robbie DuPree;
“You’ll Accompany Me” by Bob Seger;
“He’s So Shy” by The Pointer Sisters;
“Don’t Ask Me Why” by Billy Joel;
“All Over The World” by Electric Light
Orchestra, and “Jesse” by Carly
Simon.
In Columbus, Ohio, on the opening weekend of college
football, Ohio State played an uninspiring and lackluster game, beating a
mediocre Syracuse 31-21. Two days later, Alabama became the No. 1 team in the
country.
Also, on opening weekend, USC beat Tennessee, 20-17, on the
final play of the game, on Eric Hipp’s
41-yard field goal. The same day, Illinois beat Michigan, 20-17, on the final
play of the game, on Mike Bass’
38-yard field goal.
A few days later, Elton
John played a free concert for 400,000 people in New York’s Central Park.
On September 17, after weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk,
Poland, the trade union Solidarity was established. Five days later, the
Iran-Iraq War began.
September 20 saw Notre Dame beat Michigan, 29-27, on the
final play of the game – a Harry Oliver
51-yard field goal.
On September 25, Led
Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was
found dead. Future “Seinfeld” actress Julia
Louis-Dreyfus began a three-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s “Saturday
Night Live.”
The following day, in a right-wing terror attack, a pipe bomb
exploded at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, killing 13 people and injuring
211. Also, the Mariel boatlift officially ended.
College football fans were celebrating their wins and
mourning their losses to “How Do I Survive” by Amy Holland; “Late In The Evening” by Paul Simon; “Xanadu” by Olivia
Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra; “Let Me Be Your Angel” by Stacy Lattisaw; “Never Knew Love Like
This Before” by Stephanie Mills;
“The Legend Of Wooley Swamp” by The
Charlie Daniels Band; “Out Here On My Own” by Irene Cara, and “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen.
On the last Saturday in September, Tulane knocked off Ole
Miss, 26-24, on the final play of the game – a 29-yard field goal by Vince Manhalla.
On the last day of September, Digital Equipment Corporation,
Intel and Xerox introduce the DIX standard for the Ethernet.
“Family Ties” (NBC), “Knight Rider” (NBC), “At the Movies
with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert” (Syndication) and “Cheers”
(NBC) all made their TV debuts in September.
“On the road again
Like a band of
gypsies, we go down the highway
We’re the best of
friends
Insisting that the
world keep turning our way”
The 1st of October arrived. In London, Associated
Newspapers announced The Evening News would close and merge with the Evening
Standard. Two days later, English rock band The Police released their third studio album Zenyatta Mondatta.
A week later, a 7.1 earthquake struck northern Algeria,
killing close to 5,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000. On October 15, James Callaghan announced his
resignation as leader of the British Labour Party.
Two college football games were decided on the final play of
the game on October 18. As time expired, Connecticut scored a touchdown on a
4-yard pass from Ken Sweitzer to Ken Miller. The Huskies trailed Holy
Cross, 17-16. Then UConn completed a pass from Sweitzer to Keith Hugger for the two-point conversion, beating Holy Cross,
18-17. Then in Palo Alto, California, Washington beat Stanford, 27-24, as the
clock ran out, on a 25-yard field goal by Chuck
Nelson.
Two days later, the last MG MGB roadster rolled off the
assembly line at the Abingdon-on-Thames factory in England. The automobile had
been in continuous production since 1962. The very next day, October 21, the
Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals, 4-1, in game six of the
World Series to win the championship.
As Halloween approached, college football fans were carving
their pumpkins to “Look What You’ve Done to Me” by Boz Scaggs; “Midnight Rocks” by Al Stewart; “Could I Have This Dance” by Anne Murray; “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC; “Real Love” by The
Doobie Brothers; “On The Road Again” by Willie Nelson; “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross; “Woman In Love” by Barbra
Streisand; “Walk Away” by Donna
Summer; “If You Should Sail” by Nielsen-Pearson;
“Without Your Love” by Roger Daltrey,
and “Dreaming” by Cliff Richard.
On Halloween Day, the Polish government recognized
Solidarity, and Reza Pahlavi, eldest
son of the Shah of Iran, proclaimed
himself as the rightful successor of the Peacock Throne.
Remington Steele (NBC),” “CBS Morning News,” “Nature” (PBS)
and “Newhart” (CBS) all made their television debuts in October.
The price of a first-class stamp was 15 cents, and the price
of a gallon of gas was $1.19. A loaf of bread coast 50 cents, a pound of bacon
was $1.43, and the price of a dozen eggs was 91 cents. A pound of butter was
$1.88.
On the very first day of November, in Veterans Memorial
Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, unranked Mississippi State upset No. 1
Alabama, 6-3. Two days later, Notre Dame became the No. 1 team in the country.
Also, on November 1, Tulane beat Kentucky, 24-22, on the
final play of the game – a 22-yard field goal by Vince Manhalla. It was Manhalla’s second game-winning field goal of
the season.
As the college football season was nearing an end, college
football fans were singing to “Hold On” by Kansas;
“Dreamer” by Supertramp; “That Girl
Could Sing” by Jackson Browne; “The
Wanderer” by Donna Summer; “Master
Blaster (Jammin’) by Stevie Wonder;
“She’s So Cold” by The Rolling Stones;
“I’m Happy That Love Has Found You” by Jimmy
Hall, and “Turning Japanese” by The
Vapors.
Notre Dame didn’t hold onto the No. 1 position very long. On
November 8, at Grant Field in Atlanta, Georgia, unranked Georgia Tech tied
Notre Dame, 3-3. Two days later, Georgia became the No. 1 team in the country.
The following week, Kentucky again lost on the final play of
the game. This time Florida beat the Wildcats, 17-15, on a 34-yard field goal
by Brian Clark as time expired.
“And our way is on
the road again
Just can’t wait to
get on the road again”
On November 21, a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on
the Las Vegas Strip killed 85 people. The same day, a record number of viewers
tuned into the soap opera Dallas to learn who shot J.R. Ewing.
Two days later, an earthquake registering 6.9 on the Richter
scale shook southern Italy, killing close to 5,000 people and injuring nearly
9,000.
At Thanksgiving, college football fans were stuffing themselves
with turkey and pumpkin pie, while listening to “This Time” by John Cougar Mellencamp; “Lonely One” by
The Jacksons; “You’ve Lost That
Lovin’ Feeling” by Daryl Hall & John
Oates; “More Than I Can Say” by Leo
Sayer; “I Believe In You” by Don
Williams; “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar; “Lady” by Kenny
Rogers; “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” by The Korgis, and “Never Be The Same” by Christopher Cross.
The consensus All-American first team offense consisted of
wide receiver Ken Margerum – Stanford
(6-1, 175) Fountain Valley, CA; tight end Dave
Young – Purdue (6-6, 242) Akron, OH; -lineman Mark May – Pitt (6-6, 282) Oneonta, NY; lineman Keith Van Horne – USC (6-7, 265)
Fullerton, CA; lineman Nick Eyre –
BYU (6-5, 276) Las Vegas, NV; lineman Louis
Oubre – Oklahoma (6-4, 262) New Orleans, LA; lineman Randy Schleusener – Nebraska (6-7, 242) Rapid City, SD; center John Scully – Notre Dame (6-5, 255)
Huntington, NY; quarterback Mark Herrmann
– Purdue (6-4, 187) Carmel, IN; running back George Rogers – South Carolina (6-2, 220) Duluth, GA; running back Hershel Walker – Georgia (6-2, 220)
Wrightsville, GA, and running back Jarvis
Redwine – Nebraska (5-11, 204) Inglewood, CA.
On December 2, a missionary and three Roman Catholic nuns
were murdered by a military death squad in El Salvador. Then, just a week
later, John Lennon was shot dead
outside his apartment in New York City.
South Carolina running back George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy. Rogers was followed in the
voting by (2) Pitt defensive end Hugh
Green, (3) Georgia running back Herschel
Walker and (4) Purdue quarterback Mark
Herrmann.
Hugh Green won
both the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award presented to college
football’s most outstanding player.
The Outland Trophy for best interior lineman went to Pitt
offensive tackle Mark May. The
Lombardi Award for best lineman or linebacker was won by Hugh Green.
Some of the best albums of the year were “Get Happy” by Elvis Costello; “Remain in Light” by Talking Heads; “Scary Monsters” by David Bowie; “Searching for the Young
Soul Rebels” by Dexys Midnight Runners;
“The River” by Bruce Springsteen;
“Signing Off” by UB40; “Uprising” by
Bob Marley; “Warm Thoughts” by Smokey Robinson; “Warm Leatherette” by Grace Jones; “Soldier” by Iggy Pop; “Growing Up in Public” by Lou Reed; “Hotter Than July” by Stevie Wonder; “Diana” by Diana Ross; “Shadows and Light” by Joni Mitchell.
Also, “Back in Black” by AC/DC; “Permanent Waves” by Rush;
“Dirty Mind” by Prince; “Departure”
by Journey; “Making Movies” by Dire Straits; “Common One” by Van Morrison; “Peter Gabriel” by Peter Gabriel; “Gaucho” by Steely Dan; “Pretenders” by The Pretenders; “Hi Infidelity” by REO Speedwagon; “Panorama” by The Cars; “One-Trick Pony” by Paul Simon; “Earth & Sky” by Graham Nash; “Duke” by Genesis; “Glass Houses” by Billy Joel; “Unmasked” by KISS.
Also, “Zenyatta Mondatta” by The Police; “Hawks and Doves” by Neil Young; “Boy” by U2;
“Love Stinks” by The J. Geils Band;
“Bryan Adams” by Bryan Adams;
“Against the Wind” by Bob Seger &
The Silver Bullet Band; “On Through the Night” by Def Leppard; “Just One Night” by Eric Clapton; “Snakes and Ladders” by Gerry Rafferty; “Roses in the Snow” by Emmylou Harris; “Emotional Rescue” by The Rolling Stones; “Hold Out” by Jackson Browne; “The Game” by Queen;
“Guilty” by Barbra Streisand, and
“INXS” by INXS.
“The life I love is
making music with my friends
And I can’t wait to
get on the road again”
In the first bowl game of the season on December 13, Southern
Miss beat McNeese State, 16-14, in the Independence Bowl. The next day, Houston
beat Navy, 35-0, in the Garden State Bowl.
On December 20, BYU won the Holiday Bowl, beating SMU,
46-45. The next day, Florida beat Maryland in the Tangerine Bowl, 35-20.
With Christmas near and bowl games in the air, college
football fans were doing their Holiday shopping to “Deep Inside My Heart” by Randy Meisner; “Suddenly” by Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard;
“De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” by The Police;
“It’s My Turn” by Diana Ross; “Every
Woman In The World” by Air Supply;
“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang;
“Love On The Rocks” by Neil Diamond;
“Guilty” by Barbra Streisand and Barry
Gibb; “(Just Like) Starting Over” by John
Lennon; “Hungry Heart” by Bruce
Springsteen; “Together” by Tierra,
and “I Love A Rainy Night” by Eddie
Rabbitt.
The day after Christmas, Penn State beat Ohio State, 31-19,
in the Fiesta Bowl. Three bowl games were played the following day. Nebraska
won the Sun Bowl, beating Mississippi State, 31-17. Purdue beat Missouri, 28-25,
in the Liberty Bowl, and in the All-American Bowl, Arkansas beat Tulane, 34-15.
Some of the popular movies of the year were “The Empire
Strikes Back;” “Airplane;” “Nine to Five;” “Any Which Way You Can;” “Private
Benjamin;” “Coal Miner’s Daughter;” “Smokey and the Bandit II;” “The Blues
Brothers;” “American Gigolo;” “Atlantic City;” “Caddyshack,” and “Urban
Cowboy.”
Some of the better reads during the year included Some of
the better reads during the year included “Smiley’s People” by John le Carre; “Triple” by Ken Follett; “Sophie’s Choice” by William Styron; “The Establishment” by Howard Fast; “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe; “The Devil’s Alternative” by
Frederick Forsyth; “Jailbird” by Kurt Vonnegut; “Memories of Another
Day” by Harold Robbins, and “The
Bourne Identity” by Robert Ludlum.
Also, “Who’s On First” by William F. Buckley Jr.; “Kane & Abel” by Jeffrey Archer; “Back Bay” by William
Martin; “The Ninja” by Eric Van
Lustbader; “Random Winds” by Belva
Plain; “Innocent Blood” by P.D.
James; “Rage of Angels” by Sydney
Sheldon; “Sins of the Fathers” by Susan
Howatch; “Solo” by Jack Higgins;
“Princess Daisy” by Judith Krantz,
and “Firestarter” by Stephen King.
Also, “The Fifth Horseman” by Larry Collins; “The Origin” by Irving
Stone; “Fanny” by Erica Jong;
“The Key To Rebecca” by Ken Follett;
“Loon Lake” by E.L. Doctorow; “The
Tenth Commandment” by Lawrence Sanders;
“The Covenant” by James Michener;
“The Second Lady” by Irving Wallace;
“The Hidden Target” by Helen MacInnes;
“The Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean M.
Auel, and “Answer as a Man” by Taylor
Caldwell.
On December 29, Surround Sound was introduced for home use
by Dolby. The same day, Pitt beat South Carolina, 37-9 in the Gator Bowl.
“On the road again
Goin’ places that
I’ve never been”
Well-known people who were born during the year included Sergio Garcia; Albert Pujols; Lin-Manuel
Miranda; Christina Ricci; Chelsea Clinton; Tony Romo; Channing Tatum;
Jessica Simpson; Adam Scott; Mark Prior; Chris Pine; Kim Kardashian; Ryan Gosling; Christina
Aguilera; Jake Gyllenhaal; Macaulay Culkin, and Gisele Bundchen.
The consensus All-American first team defense consisted of
lineman Hugh Green – Pitt (6-2, 222)
Natchez, MS; lineman E.J. Junior –
Alabama (6-3, 227) Nashville, TN; lineman Kenneth
Sims – Texas (6-6, 265) Groesbeck, TX; lineman Leonard Mitchell – Houston (6-7, 270) Houston, TX; middle guard Ron Simmons – Florida State (6-1, 230)
Warner Robbins, GA; linebacker Mike
Singletary – Baylor (6-1, 232) Houston, TX; linebacker Lawrence Taylor – North Carolina (6-3, 237) Williamsburg, VA;
linebacker David Little – Florida
(6-1, 228) Miami, FL; linebacker Bob
Crable – Notre Dame (6-3, 222) Cincinnati, OH; defensive back Kenny Easley – UCLA (6-3, 206)
Chesapeake, VA; defensive back Ronnie
Lott – USC (6-2, 200) Rialto, CA, and defensive back John Simmons – SMU (5-11, 188) Little Rock, AK.
Famous people who passed away during the year included Andre Kostelanetz; Barbara Britton; William O.
Douglas; Jimmy Durante; Bon Scott; David Janssen; Graham
Sutherland; Wilhelmina; Dick Haymes; Jesse Owens; Red Sovine;
Jean-Paul Sartre; Alfred Hitchcock; Henry Miller; Peter Sellers;
Katherine Ann Porter; John Bonham; Steve McQueen; Mae West;
George Raft; John Lennon, and Elston
Howard.
At the end of the year, the Dow Jones average stood at 963.
The most popular TV shows of the year were “Dallas;” “60
Minutes;” “M*A*S*H;” “The Love Boat;” “The Jeffersons;” “Alice;” “House Calls;”
“Three’s Company;” “Little House on the Prairie;” “One Day at a Time;” “Magnum
P.I.;” “Happy Days;” “Fantasy Island;” “Laverne & Shirley;” “CHiPs,” and “The
Waltons.”
During the last few days of the year and on New Year’s Eve,
college football fans were partying, drinking, celebrating and singing to “The
Tide Is High” by Blondie; “He Can’t
Love You” by The Michael Staley Band;
“One Step Closer” by The Doobie Brothers;
“I Made It Through The Rain” by Barry
Manilow; “Tell It Like It Is” by Heart;
“Time Is Time” by Andy Gibb;
“Killin’ Time” by Fred Knoblock and
Susan Anton; “Passion” by Rod
Stewart; “The Winner Takes It All” by ABBA;
“Miss Sun” by Boz Scaggs; “Hey
Nineteen” by Steely Dan; “Smokey
Mountain Rain” by Ronnie Milsap; “9
To 5” by Dolly Parton; “Keep On
Loving You” by REO Speedwagon;
“Games People Play” by The Alan Parsons
Project, and “Giving It Up For Your Love” by Delbert McClinton.
New Year’s Eve, North Carolina won the Bluebonnet Bowl,
beating Texas, 16-7. At the ninth annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC, the Charlie Daniels Band, Billy Preston, Syretta, Chuck Berry and
Barry Manilow were featured.
“Seein’ things that
I may never see again
And I can’t wait to
get on the road again”
New Year’s Day, Alabama won the Cotton Bowl, beating Baylor,
30-2, and Michigan beat Washington, 23-6 in the Rose Bowl.
Also, on January 1, Oklahoma won the Orange Bowl, beating
Florida State, 18-17, and in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia beat Notre Dame, 17-10.
In the last bowl game of the season, played on January 2,
Miami (Florida) beat Virginia Tech, 20-10, in the Peach Bowl.
Georgia, under coach Vince
Dooley, finished its season at 12-0. The Dawgs were crowned the national
champions by both the Associated Press and UPI. Georgia had several close calls
during the season. The Dawgs beat Tennessee (16-15), Clemson (20-16), Ole Miss
(28-21), South Carolina (13-10), Florida (26-21) and Notre Dame in the bowl
game (17-10).
“On The Road
Again” was written, recorded and made famous by country music singer Willie Nelson. The song debuted on
Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on September 6. It remained on the chart for 20
weeks, throughout the remainder of the football season and beyond, falling off
the chart on January 24. “On The Road Again” peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100
chart, and at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country chart, in November. It was Nelson’s
ninth No. 1 country hit and became one of his most recognizable tunes. Nelson
wrote the song on a barf bag during an airplane flight.
The year and
football season was 1980.
Merry
Christmas!
Touchdown Tom
December 21, 2018
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