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Whether it’s watching TV, hiking or sharing a meal, take this time to create fond memories

By Matthew Burdette - Editor in Chief | May 16, 2020

Some of my earliest memories are of my family gathering around the television on weekends, taking in popular programs like “Hee Haw,” “Fantasy Island,” “Dallas” and many others.

I still fondly remember the whole “Who shot J.R.” story line and can almost hear the music and banter of Roy Clark, Minnie Pearl, Buck Owens and Grandpa Jones.

Those were honestly the best days of television, in my humble opinion. In fact, I would rather watch programs from the 1960s through the 1980s than what’s on TV today. (For the record, I’ve never watched “The Bachelor” or “Bachelorette,” “American Idol,” “Big Bang Theory,” “Friends” or even “Seinfeld.”)

But, I digress.

Perhaps my most prevalent weekend television memories, though, are of my father – and oftentimes my mother, believe it or not – taking the time late Saturday afternoons to watch the Wide World of Sports program on CBS. If my mind serves me right, it was on around 4 p.m. and featured a variety of sports, with boxing being the favorite of my dad.

I also recall Saturday night boxing matches on HBO, which we all stayed up late for, shelling peanuts and sometimes shouting at the television.

All this popped in my mind last week when I read about Mike Tyson’s potential comeback to the boxing ring.

Although Iron Mike wasn’t necessarily a favorite in my house, the art of the comeback certainly was.

In 1994, I remember setting on the couch with my father watching “Big” George Foreman beat Michael Moorer for the IBF and WBA titles. At 45, Foreman became the oldest fighter to win a world championship – oddly enough wearing the same red trunks he wore when he was bested by the legendary Muhammad Ali 20 years earlier.

The Foreman-Moorer fight likely will go down in history as one of the greatest comeback bouts of all time, especially considering Foreman wasn’t ranked at the time, and Moorer was favored to stroll to an easy win.

Will the same thing happen with Iron Mike? Probably not, but the art of the comeback in sports certainly is intriguing and exciting.

Aside from Joe Louis and Ali, Tyson is probably the best boxer of all time. His speed, viciousness and power is unrivaled. His personal choices, though, obviously leave a lot to be desired, but second – and third – chances are earned and oftentimes deserved. It’s just too bad Cus D’Amato – Tyson’s mentor – didn’t live longer to steer the heavyweight in the right direction. If that were the case, Iron Mike would have stayed on top much longer.

All that aside, those fond memories from many years ago still resonate and hold a special place in my heart.

Whether it’s gathering as a family to watch TV, or hitting the great outdoors for a hike, or even sharing meal, those simple things create memories that can last a lifetime.

In these uncertain times, I truly hope families take pause to enjoy one another’s company and fill those memory books that are tucked away in all our minds.

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