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The SI Cover That Pulled Me In
Sports Illustrated Cover with Dwight Gooden Growing up as a sports fan in the 1980s meant Sports Illustrated was always there, whether you realized it or not. It was just part of the environment. It showed up on coffee tables, in waiting rooms, at friends’ houses. You didn’t subscribe to it so much as absorb it. For a long time, though, it was just background noise. Until one cover wasn’t. April 15, 1985. That was the first Sports Illustrated cover I ever really saw . Dwigh
rhett80
Jan 303 min read


My Top 5 Favorite Arcade Games of All Time
A nostalgic look at my top 5 favorite classic arcade games from the 70s and 80s, plus why Dragon’s Lair missed the cut and a Star Wars pinball nod.
rhett80
Jan 154 min read


Why the Best Soundtracks of All Time Aren’t Always the Best-SellinG
Soundtracks matter because they do more than accompany a movie or television show — they extend it. The best soundtracks keep the story alive long after the credits roll, selling the mood, the era, and the attitude. In the right hands, a soundtrack becomes just as iconic as the film or show itself. Flashdance Soundtrack In the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, soundtracks were a marketing weapon. Songs doubled as movie trailers on the radio. MTV turned soundtrack singles into fu
rhett80
Jan 124 min read


The Sports Posters That Ruled Our Walls in the ’80s and Early ’90s
Some sports posters didn’t just decorate walls — they defined an era . The 1980s and early 1990s produced unforgettable images that blended athletic dominance, attitude, and the rise of brand power. These posters became shorthand for greatness, swagger, and identity. Before highlight reels lived in your pocket and social media told you what to like, sports fandom was personal. It lived on your bedroom wall. And in the ’80s and early ’90s, the posters you chose said everything
rhett80
Jan 115 min read


The IT Girls of the 1980s: How Cable, MTV, and VHS Created a New Kind of Icon
The 1980s didn’t just create new stars—it changed how fame worked. Thanks to the rise of cable television, MTV, and VHS , stardom was no longer tied strictly to new releases. What mattered most was repetition. Visibility. Being everywhere. Superstations like WTBS ran nonstop reruns of shows such as Gilligan’s Island , I Dream of Jeannie , and The Brady Bunch . MTV turned musicians into visual icons. VHS made movies endlessly rewatchable. Together, these technologies created
rhett80
Jan 810 min read


The 1984 Fleer Baseball Update Set — A True ’80s Classic or Junk Wax?
For many of us who grew up collecting baseball cards in the early 1980s, a small handful of sets stood above the rest. Among them, the 1984 Fleer Update holds a special place in the in the memory of many collectors—not just as another card set, but as the set everyone wanted to own. Count me as one of those who has never owned it but always finds myself captivated by the blue box when I see it in card stores. Box from 1984 Fleer Update Set A Unique Moment in Baseball Card H
rhett80
Jan 84 min read


The Battle for The Best Activision Atari 2600 Game: PITFALL II vs H.E.R.O.
Ask any longtime Atari 2600 fan to name Activision’s best game, and the debate almost always comes down to H.E.R.O. or Pitfall II: Lost Caverns . Both pushed the aging console far beyond what anyone thought possible, but they did it in very different ways. Choosing between them isn’t easy—but that’s what makes the comparison fun. I never solved the original Pitfall! and I know I’m not alone in that confession. But despite my shortcomings with Pitfall Harry’s first adventur
rhett80
Dec 27, 20253 min read


Fletch At Forty: Still Funny or Just Old?
Released in 1985, Fletch is one of those movies people love to quote, recommend, and defend with an almost unreasonable level of passion. Starring Chevy Chase at the height of his powers, the film became a cult classic thanks to its rapid-fire humor, endless disguises, and a lead character who refuses to take anything seriously—even when people are actively trying to kill him. I honestly don’t remember the first time I watched Fletch . It definitely wasn’t in a theater. More
rhett80
Dec 16, 20254 min read


Thriller vs. Bad: Which Michael Jackson Album Really Wins?
I never thought there was much of a debate over which Michael Jackson album from the ’80s was better—until I actually stopped and thought about it. Then I went a step further and did what we all do now: I Googled it. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who had mentally lined up Smooth Criminal against Billie Jean and tried to figure out which album really deserved the crown. So here’s my breakdown—and my opinion—on the best album from the biggest pop icon of the decade, if not
rhett80
Dec 15, 20254 min read
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