It's been 42 years since this iconic match-up actually budded heads in the postseason and for many fans like myself, this is the first time its happened in my lifetime. The world was an unrecognizable place the last time these two Canadian O6 teams squared off in the playoffs way back in spring 1979.
In hockey:
- There were only 17 teams in the league
- Only one active NHL player (Chara) was alive then
- Gretzky had yet to play his first NHL game
- The WHA was still its own entity
In sports:
- ESPN did not exist
- The 3-point shot in basketball did not exist
- Pro athletes couldn't compete at the Olympics
- Moses Malone was the NBA MVP
- Kevin Keegan won Ballon D'Or
- New York Cosmos with Pele, Cruyff and Beckenbauer were still in existence
- Steelers won their third SB in 5 years
- Muhammad Ali was still an active boxer
- Bjorn Borg was the number one men's tennis player
In entertainment:
- Heart of Glass by Blondie was the number one song
- "Alien" was the top grossing movie
- The Matarese Circle by Robert Lundlum was the top selling book
- Jon Voight and Jane Fonda won best actors and actresses, respectively
- Michael Jackson released his first solo album
- Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right were in its early seasons; Jeopardy with Alex Trebek was still years away from launching
- Three's Company was the most popular TV show in America
In business/technology:
- Apple II discontinued 2 years after release (this company will never make it
)
- Space Invader's was the top selling video game
- Toshiba Blackstripe was the most popular TV model
- Oldsmobile Cutlass was the top selling car in America
- Typewriters were still commonly used (way more than a personalized computer which was a rare luxury)
- Cell phones, internet, and social media was not even in the picture (the only phone available was the one hanging on the wall)
- DNA testing was in its infancy
World news/politics:
- Only 8 countries were in the EU
- China passed the one child policy
- Jimmy Carter was the US President
- Voyager I captures Jupiter
- Smallpox was declared as fully eradicated
- HIV had yet to be discovered
- Canada's Charter of Rights & Freedoms was still 3 years away from being established
- USSR goes into Afghanistan
- Thatcher elected as first female prime minister in UK
It's quite literally been several generations in the making, hopefully this will be an entertaining series despite no fans being in the building!
In hockey:
- There were only 17 teams in the league
- Only one active NHL player (Chara) was alive then
- Gretzky had yet to play his first NHL game
- The WHA was still its own entity
In sports:
- ESPN did not exist
- The 3-point shot in basketball did not exist
- Pro athletes couldn't compete at the Olympics
- Moses Malone was the NBA MVP
- Kevin Keegan won Ballon D'Or
- New York Cosmos with Pele, Cruyff and Beckenbauer were still in existence
- Steelers won their third SB in 5 years
- Muhammad Ali was still an active boxer
- Bjorn Borg was the number one men's tennis player
In entertainment:
- Heart of Glass by Blondie was the number one song
- "Alien" was the top grossing movie
- The Matarese Circle by Robert Lundlum was the top selling book
- Jon Voight and Jane Fonda won best actors and actresses, respectively
- Michael Jackson released his first solo album
- Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right were in its early seasons; Jeopardy with Alex Trebek was still years away from launching
- Three's Company was the most popular TV show in America
In business/technology:
- Apple II discontinued 2 years after release (this company will never make it
)- Space Invader's was the top selling video game
- Toshiba Blackstripe was the most popular TV model
- Oldsmobile Cutlass was the top selling car in America
- Typewriters were still commonly used (way more than a personalized computer which was a rare luxury)
- Cell phones, internet, and social media was not even in the picture (the only phone available was the one hanging on the wall)
- DNA testing was in its infancy
World news/politics:
- Only 8 countries were in the EU
- China passed the one child policy
- Jimmy Carter was the US President
- Voyager I captures Jupiter
- Smallpox was declared as fully eradicated
- HIV had yet to be discovered
- Canada's Charter of Rights & Freedoms was still 3 years away from being established
- USSR goes into Afghanistan
- Thatcher elected as first female prime minister in UK
It's quite literally been several generations in the making, hopefully this will be an entertaining series despite no fans being in the building!
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