The Kansas City Royals are currently in uncharted waters for the franchise…first place. This is a team that has not earned a trip to the playoffs since its miracle run to the World Series back in 1985. To put that into perspective, President Obama was younger the last time Kansas City made the playoffs than Mike Trout is right now. Just think about that for a second.Â
It’s been a long time coming. And the Royals hope this latest hot streak snaps a less successful streak of 29 years without a playoff spot.
Here at Sportsnaut, we thought it would be fun to check in on what was happening in the United States and the sports world the last time Kansas City played a meaningful October game.
The Titanic was Found
Nearly three quarters of a century after it sunk, the RMS Titanic was found 370 miles off the Newfoundland coast. The movie Titanic starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet wouldn’t be made for another 13 years after the discovery.
Nick at Nite Debuts on Nickelodeon
This is a station that most of us grew up on, especially if you are between the ages of 25 and 35. Some of the first shows that aired on Nick at Nite included: My Three Sons, Mister Ed, The Monkees and Dennis the Menace. As much as this might have been a part of our childhoods, it also connected us with our parents generation. Shows that they grew up on quickly became shows that we watched religiously on a nightly basis. On another note, isn’t it time that they bring back Mork and Mindy? That’s what I thought.
Back To The Future Hits the Theaters
More so than any other movie of the 1980’s, Back To The Future represented the era that some of us grew up in. From Marty McFly and Emmett Brown to the futuristic Delorean, this was the hip movie that defined a generation. How many of us dreamed of owning a Hoverboard?
San Francisco 49ers Defeat Miami Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX
Joe Montana led the 49ers to a second of what would be four Super Bowl championships with him under center. The game was played on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, which is a few dozen miles from Candlestick Park in San Francisco. At the end of the day, Montana completely outplayed his counterpart Dan Marino, throwing for 331 yards and three scores. 49ers running back Roger Craig added 135 total yards and three touchdowns himself. For their part, the Dolphins tallied just 25 yards on nine rush attempts, as Marino was forced to put the ball up 50 times. I bet this sounds familiar to you old time Dolphins’ fans.
The Cosby Show and Family Ties Topped T.V. Ratings
Who didn’t grow up watching the Huxtables? From Cliff and Clair to the children, including a back-talking Theo, this was one of the most popular shows of the era. Played by Bill Cosby, Cliff would give his children life lessons in every episode, leaving us real-life children contemplating exactly what he had to say. It was also the very first time that a black family was portrayed on the television set as being upper-middle class, which went a long way in terms of creating an idea equality that wasn’t shown on television shows before.
On the other hand, Family Ties was that upper-middle class family we all knew from before. But with one minor hiccup. The star of the show, a young and healthy Michael J. Fox, portrayed an idealist young republican in the form of Alex P. Keaton with what were then aging hippie parents. This show catapulted Fox’s career and led him to some of the most-popular movies of the decade. It also became a major hit, along with The Cosby Show, on Nick at Nite.Â
Los Angeles Lakers Defeat Boston Celtics in NBA Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G1mp1rI-WA
The Lakers earned their third championship in a five-year span by defeating a Celtics team that were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the Bill Russell era. The greatest rivalry of the decade, led by Magic Johnson of the Lakers and Boston’s own Larry Bird, gave way to a six-game series that defined what the NBA was all about during this era. Los Angeles took Game 6 and the series behind a stellar effort by Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who put up 29 points in the win. Kareem went on to win the Finals MVP award.
Live Aid Fundraiser Airs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-kGSLjLfLI
This collaboration of some of the greatest musicians of all-time took place on multiple continents in order to help with famine in Africa. The likes of Elvis Costello, Phil Collins, U2, Queen, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, among countless others, took part in the fundraiser that was viewed by nearly two billion people world-wide. It was, however, this one song that remains in the minds of so many who were alive during this event.
We are the World became an instant hit around the globe. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, it still remains one of only 30 singles that has sold 10 million or more copies throughout the world. It’s also one of the most passionate and stunning songs in history, especially the original version embedded above. It is estimated that nearly $200 million was raised in an event that represented the best in the human spirit.
The Internet’s Domain Name System is Created
All you need to know is that this innovation was needed in order to get the Internet up and running some six years later in what could possibly be called the mainstream. The Internet (as we know it) really didn’t get rolling until the mid 90’s. But like with any major technological advance, there are steps needed to get to the end result. This was one of the most important.
Ronald Reagan Sworn in for Second Term
Not much to really add here. Reagan defeated then Democratic Presidential nominee Walter Mondale by receiving 525 of a possible 538 electoral votes, something that is foreign to those of us who began voting much later. Reagan, who ended his eight years in office as one of the most popular public figures in history, defeated Mondale by over 18 percent of the popular vite. For comparison’s sake, the last five presidential elections have been decided by a combined 20 percent.
Villanova Wins NCAA Basketball Championship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woDd5erJtbQ
In what many still consider to be the greatest upset in the history of college basketball, the No. 8 seeded Villanova Wildcats defeated the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas to nab the 1984-1985 national championship by the score of 66-64. It was the first season that the NCAA expanded the tourney field to 64 teams, but the Big East was the top dog with Georgetown and St. Johns trading off the top national spot throughout the regular year.
No one expected Rollie Massimino’s Villanova team to go far in the tournament, let alone defeat John Thompson’s powerhouse. After all, it had lost to Georgetown twice during the regular year. In addition to this, the Wildcats won their first three tournament games by a combined nine points before beating North Carolina for a spot in the Final Four. In the end, Villanova made 22 of its final 27 shots from the field and held Patrick Ewing without a single free throw in the two-point victory.
Pete Rose Becomes All-Time Hits Leader
It’s hard to believe now, but Rose was once the most popular player in baseball. Known simply as Charlie Hustle, his hard-playing ways captivated baseball fans the world over. So when Rose passed Ty Cobb on MLB’s all-time career hit list, it was a good day for the game. After all, Cobb himself was the least-liked player in the history of the game. Unfortunately, scandal clouded Rose’s career and he is still banned from the game he loves so much. Hey Mr. Selig, you there?
Nintendo Entertainment System Released
I remember playing my first game of Mario Brothers. It was a surreal feeling for such a young kid. My aunt, who would take my sister and I for a few days over the course of the year, had one set up at her house. It was such a treat to play the OLD NES system. In addition to Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt and the Legend of Zelda became fixtures in my house when our mother decided to dole out the cash for the system. For anyone who grew up in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, this console was part of our childhood. So many great memories.
Commercials From 1985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__3-VUVom0
Rambo and ThunderCats. That’s all.