80s Sports Posters.
January 26, 2012 10:01 AM Subscribe
80s Sports Posters Jerry Rice: Goldfingers. Patrick Ewing: Madison Square Guardian.
If you didn't experience life as an adolescent male in the early eighties, your life is not as rich or intriguing as mine was. Those are so fucking awesome. Tack those up with tape while debating Billy Squire vs. Led Zeppelin on a corded phone with a friend? God, no wonder we are the most interesting generation.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:11 AM on January 26, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by Keith Talent at 10:11 AM on January 26, 2012 [6 favorites]
Oh man I remember these. I personally had the full-door-sized Olajuwon poster when it was still spelled "Akeem," which just looks weird to me now.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:12 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Navelgazer at 10:12 AM on January 26, 2012
I'm in love.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 10:13 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 10:13 AM on January 26, 2012
It's like looking at Pen & Pixel's teenage art projects!
Also: I forgot that Jim McMahon invented Judah Friedlander.
posted by mintcake! at 10:14 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also: I forgot that Jim McMahon invented Judah Friedlander.
posted by mintcake! at 10:14 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Seconds after James Worthy sat for this photo shoot, he called someone and ordered two ladies to be sent to his hotel suite.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:16 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:16 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
My man-love for Barry Sanders is the reason I spent most of the last decade and a half in the horrific depression of the Matt Millen era. Still, I forgive him.
Best Dudes 4 Eva Barry. Best Dudes.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:22 AM on January 26, 2012
Best Dudes 4 Eva Barry. Best Dudes.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:22 AM on January 26, 2012
The Canseco/McGwire one would be more appropriate if thex exchanged the comically large bats for comically large hypodermics.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
I totally had the Eric Davis poster. Awesome!
posted by elwoodwiles at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by elwoodwiles at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
An interview with a guy who did an exhibition of these posters last year.
posted by Copronymus at 10:32 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Copronymus at 10:32 AM on January 26, 2012
What!? No Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins? No "Iceman?"
posted by mctsonic at 10:34 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by mctsonic at 10:34 AM on January 26, 2012
Also, because it didn't make the gallery in the post: The Land of Boz
posted by Copronymus at 10:34 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Copronymus at 10:34 AM on January 26, 2012
Further evidence that LaDanian Tomlinson needs to get a new nickname. There is only one L.T.
posted by rocket88 at 10:35 AM on January 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by rocket88 at 10:35 AM on January 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
I saw these posters last weekend in LA being exhibited in some empty retail space. Going down Sunset Blvd. and seeing a bunch of people standing around admiring campy old sports posters was probably one of the more bizarre things to have happened in my life recently.
posted by ctab at 10:36 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by ctab at 10:36 AM on January 26, 2012
Also, because it didn't make the gallery in the post: The Land of Boz
posted by Copronymus at 10:36 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Copronymus at 10:36 AM on January 26, 2012
Just did a google image search for some of the missing ones that I remember, and found a poster sale site that had a bulk of these. They also had a Len Bias poster. Man oh man he would been good. How sad. Nothing goes up this nose but this finger.
posted by mctsonic at 10:37 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by mctsonic at 10:37 AM on January 26, 2012
Karl Malone, John Elway, Chuck Person and Jim McMahon are going to be strippers at the next bachelorette party I throw.
posted by mullacc at 10:54 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by mullacc at 10:54 AM on January 26, 2012
This must have been the good old days when shorts didn't look like skirts.
posted by MtDewd at 10:57 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by MtDewd at 10:57 AM on January 26, 2012
Ages ago, I thought I remembered seeing an Earl Monroe poster that said Pearl Jam, but I cannot find any proof of it on the Internet. I've heard that Pearl Jam was named after Eddie Vedder's grandmother's peyote jam, but Earl Monroe sounds like a more plausible explanation.
posted by jonp72 at 11:05 AM on January 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by jonp72 at 11:05 AM on January 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
The Canseco/McGwire one would be more appropriate if thex exchanged the comically large bats for comically large hypodermics.
I have a book about baseball that one of my young sons adores. It includes a photo of McGwire, Canseco, and some other normally-shaped human, who later ballooned like muscular airbags when they started getting serious about steroids.
When I read it aloud, I begin with the title: "Mark McGwire, Juice Junkie."
posted by wenestvedt at 11:14 AM on January 26, 2012
I have a book about baseball that one of my young sons adores. It includes a photo of McGwire, Canseco, and some other normally-shaped human, who later ballooned like muscular airbags when they started getting serious about steroids.
When I read it aloud, I begin with the title: "Mark McGwire, Juice Junkie."
posted by wenestvedt at 11:14 AM on January 26, 2012
This must have been the good old days when shorts didn't look like skirts.
Styles change. The short shorts of the pre-Jordan era were themselves predated by longer shorts.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:21 AM on January 26, 2012
Styles change. The short shorts of the pre-Jordan era were themselves predated by longer shorts.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:21 AM on January 26, 2012
And I was always partial to The Supreme Court.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:23 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:23 AM on January 26, 2012
jonp72 - it's possible, as I know for certain that Pearl Jam was called Mookie Blaylock before they were Pearl Jam, and that they pulled that name out of one of the packs of basketball cards they were buying every day. "Ten" was then supposedly named after Blaylock's number. But considering they've been pretty forthcoming with that story, I have no reason to disbelieve them on the "grandmother's peyote jam" story.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:26 AM on January 26, 2012
posted by Navelgazer at 11:26 AM on January 26, 2012
I was an adolescent in the early '90s, but I remember more than a few of these.
It was tough being a young Cleveland Cavaliers fan in the early 90's. While the team was good, you always knew that they never stood a chance getting to the NBA Finals because they'd always eventually run up against--and be destroyed by--the Bulls.
In addition, while the team was talented, they weren't exactly exciting in the highlight reel wow-did-you-see-that sense. The star was Mark Price, a great point guard by any measure, but was mostly known for his free throws. Yes, free throws. So when you're a kid in Cleveland flipping through NBA posters in the sports store you see photos of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in mid air, about to dunk. Or Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing shooting over some poor defender. Then you got to the Mark Price poster which showed him...shooting a free throw.
posted by mcmile at 11:29 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
It was tough being a young Cleveland Cavaliers fan in the early 90's. While the team was good, you always knew that they never stood a chance getting to the NBA Finals because they'd always eventually run up against--and be destroyed by--the Bulls.
In addition, while the team was talented, they weren't exactly exciting in the highlight reel wow-did-you-see-that sense. The star was Mark Price, a great point guard by any measure, but was mostly known for his free throws. Yes, free throws. So when you're a kid in Cleveland flipping through NBA posters in the sports store you see photos of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in mid air, about to dunk. Or Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing shooting over some poor defender. Then you got to the Mark Price poster which showed him...shooting a free throw.
posted by mcmile at 11:29 AM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Further evidence that LaDanian Tomlinson needs to get a new nickname. There is only one L.T.
Yes, but could the original L.T. hit that hole with the Electric Glide like LaDanian could? No, I didn't think so.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:34 AM on January 26, 2012
Yes, but could the original L.T. hit that hole with the Electric Glide like LaDanian could? No, I didn't think so.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:34 AM on January 26, 2012
My google-fu is failing me right now but growing up in San Francisco my favorite poster was the "Pacific Sock Exchange" with Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell.
Can anyone find that online?
posted by Sandor Clegane at 12:01 PM on January 26, 2012
Can anyone find that online?
posted by Sandor Clegane at 12:01 PM on January 26, 2012
ZOMG - I had the Jordan one on my wall as a kid
posted by I am the Walrus at 12:23 PM on January 26, 2012
posted by I am the Walrus at 12:23 PM on January 26, 2012
I was looking at these posters... These titles would make totally believable names for porn flicks. And the posters would not even need that much alteration.
posted by dfm500 at 12:30 PM on January 26, 2012
posted by dfm500 at 12:30 PM on January 26, 2012
Where are the Bad Boys?!?!?!
Jordan was nothing until that team was dismantled.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:38 PM on January 26, 2012
Jordan was nothing until that team was dismantled.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:38 PM on January 26, 2012
also, '80s sports thread needs more Gastineau:
Markan the Barbarian
posted by mrgrimm at 12:39 PM on January 26, 2012
Markan the Barbarian
posted by mrgrimm at 12:39 PM on January 26, 2012
...while debating Billy Squire vs. Led Zeppelin
Wait...what??? That's an actual point of debate?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on January 26, 2012
Wait...what??? That's an actual point of debate?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on January 26, 2012
...while debating Billy Squire vs. Led Zeppelin
Wait...what??? That's an actual point of debate?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on January 26 [+] [!]
It was when you were fourteen and the year was 1982.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:07 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wait...what??? That's an actual point of debate?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:44 PM on January 26 [+] [!]
It was when you were fourteen and the year was 1982.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:07 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Further evidence that LaDanian Tomlinson needs to get a new nickname. There is only one L.T.
Yes, but could the original L.T. hit that hole with the Electric Glide yt like LaDanian could? No, I didn't think so.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:34 AM on January 26 [+] [!]
How can I have lived with never seeing this before? My life is suddenly complete.
My only question, post-modern irony or earnest effort? And I thought LT would be a better dancer. To answer my on question, LT doesn't seem like the type for introspective tributes to youth, so I'm saying TOTALLY EARNEST.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:11 PM on January 26, 2012
My dad has a great Rice be nimble poster kicking around.
posted by paulschreiber at 5:00 PM on January 26, 2012
posted by paulschreiber at 5:00 PM on January 26, 2012
This was my favorite when I was a kid. This and the Eric Davis one.
posted by rainperimeter at 10:41 PM on January 26, 2012
posted by rainperimeter at 10:41 PM on January 26, 2012
The Black and Blues Brothers is the poster I remember seeing everywhere in the Chicago area back in the day.
posted by SisterHavana at 11:20 PM on January 26, 2012
posted by SisterHavana at 11:20 PM on January 26, 2012
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posted by Chrysostom at 10:09 AM on January 26, 2012