<font color="#009900">SPORTABOUT:</font> Christmas then and now

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Discussion

December 22, 2009

Anonymous The Suwannee Democrat Tue Dec 22, 2009, 07:31 AM EST

By Tom Daniels

I was recently reflecting on Christmas presents I received as a child. Having an older brother I got a lot of hand-me-downs, but not on Christmas. The bike was new, the shotgun was new, the baseball glove was new! A family gift of a pool table or ping pong table was not unheard of. Golf had not yet arrived in my family but my neighbor’s dad got covers for his golf clubs. Bowling ball bags were another popular item. I think every girl must have gotten a baton for one Christmas or another. Fishing stuff was a pretty safe bet for guys.

In the pre-color TV era there were of course no computer-like games. There were, however dice, spinners and cards for about every major sport. The hockey table game with the rods you pulled and turned was the most popular. You could never get the electric football players to go straight. Most of you were never blessed with ice skates or handwarmers for Christmas.

One Christmas we got a rather unique present. My father, a former pugilist, put up a regulation speed bag in the garage. He's the same guy who one year got us 16 ounce boxing gloves and headgear, so we could box. He never bothered to explain the whole weight class thing to my older brother. The boxing bag may still be in the old garage anchored to the ceiling. It was installed to survive a nuclear attack. The neighbor kids were always in awe but if you don't know how to hit one it becomes instantly boring. After some practice I learned how to beat out a steady Ratta Tap Tap. My mother would stomp on the floor when I had had enough practice. I would stop, not wanting to emulate the bag.

In January I can remember my dad tattooing the bag like Archie Moore. In retrospect it was probably a way to deal with the now arriving Christmas bills. I never got a pony but we never had a disappointing Christmas.

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