1991-1995 Was The Craziest Time For Sports

[Soundwave]

If you really look at it, the top athletes going into 1991 were Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Aryton Senna, Diego Maradona arguably. OJ Simpson was one of most beloved retired athletes in the US with a movie career and still appearing in TV commercials.

Not sure how many people here were even around for this era, but looking back at it now, 1991-1995 was absolutely the craziest time in the world for sports. The sporting world basically lost Magic Johnson to a shock announcement, Mike Tyson going to jail in 1991 (shock), Larry Bird, the death of Michael Jordan's father and then shock retirement in 1993, the OJ chase of 1994 interrupting the NBA Finals, the death of Aryton Senna the no.1 name in F1 racing, Maradona banned from the 94 World Cup for doping.

In 95 you have Jordan's return and the shock conclusion of the OJ trial.

Like it's almost crazy to think about it now. If social media was around back then it would've like been unbelievable at all the things happening.

Even Jordan's 1st retirement I remember getting a call late in the evening from a friend who was watching the baseball playoffs that word was spreading that Jordan was retiring and I remember I laughed it off. In about 2 years flat the NBA lost Magic, Bird, and Jordan and at the time we had no idea if Jordan would come back.

[RogueBorg]

Also lost Joe Montana, who at the time was considered the greatest QB ever, to retirement.

[guy]

Don’t forget you had the two of the most heralded sports teams at their peak, the 90s Bulls and 90s Cowboys, the latter of which had a ton of drama. Also had some crazy college basketball rivalries/storylines i.e. webbers timeout. Then you had some off the wall crazy shit happening like the Monica Seles stabbing in the middle of a match and the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding debacle.

[tomtucker]

hockey was huge as well

[iamgine]

I dunno if those can hold up to 2020-2023 with Kobe's death, Covid, Maradona's death, Pele's death, Messi winning WC, etc

[90sgoat]

Cycling was also massive with Indurain, Rominger, Zulle, Jalabert.

No helmets either.

[ArbitraryWater]

I dunno if those can hold up to 2020-2023 with Kobe's death, Covid, Maradona's death, Pele's death, Messi winning WC, etc

wtf do their deaths have to do with the event of sports or why it would it be crazy with the exception of Kobes helicopter crash

[HoopsNY]

If you really look at it, the top athletes going into 1991 were Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Aryton Senna, Diego Maradona arguably. OJ Simpson was one of most beloved retired athletes in the US with a movie career and still appearing in TV commercials.

Not sure how many people here were even around for this era, but looking back at it now, 1991-1995 was absolutely the craziest time in the world for sports. The sporting world basically lost Magic Johnson to a shock announcement, Mike Tyson going to jail in 1991 (shock), Larry Bird, the death of Michael Jordan's father and then shock retirement in 1993, the OJ chase of 1994 interrupting the NBA Finals, the death of Aryton Senna the no.1 name in F1 racing, Maradona banned from the 94 World Cup for doping.

In 95 you have Jordan's return and the shock conclusion of the OJ trial.

Like it's almost crazy to think about it now. If social media was around back then it would've like been unbelievable at all the things happening.

Even Jordan's 1st retirement I remember getting a call late in the evening from a friend who was watching the baseball playoffs that word was spreading that Jordan was retiring and I remember I laughed it off. In about 2 years flat the NBA lost Magic, Bird, and Jordan and at the time we had no idea if Jordan would come back.

Not to mention the baseball strike in 1994. The 90s in general was a crazy time. The nation was hitting its peak for murder rates, Biggie and Tupac got murdered, we were coming out of Desert Storm and the crack era. That time was insane and kids today will never know it.

[RogueBorg]

The best era of music ever.

[Soundwave]

Don’t forget you had the two of the most heralded sports teams at their peak, the 90s Bulls and 90s Cowboys, the latter of which had a ton of drama. Also had some crazy college basketball rivalries/storylines i.e. webbers timeout. Then you had some off the wall crazy shit happening like the Monica Seles stabbing in the middle of a match and the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding debacle.

Yes! I had forgotten about Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding happening in the 1994 too.

Like what the f**k, it's basically a movie plot that you if you saw it in a movie you wouldn't really believe it.

And yeah Monica Seles getting stabbed on the court ... like what the heck was in the water during the early 90s, lol.

2020 was crazy with COVID shut down and Kobe's death, but I feel like the early 90s is still crazier.

Like imagine the NBA today losing their three top players in marketability to retirement, but even that wouldn't really cover it because I just don't think there are 3 players in the league that mean as much to the league today as they did when Magic + Bird + Jordan were there.

[RogueBorg]

If you can find it, watch the 30 for 30 about June 17, 1994.

This was day of the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase. Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets was on live. The network broke in and there was a split screen of the game and the police following O.J.'s Bronco all over Los Angeles. There were like 15 cop cars following him. Man it was great to watch live. But there were other sporting events going on that day. The New York Rangers Stanley Cup parade was earlier in the day. The U.S. Open and World Cup were all taking place that day. Highly recommend watching.

[guy]

If you can find it, watch the 30 for 30 about June 17, 1994.

This was day of the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase. Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets was on live. The network broke in and there was a split screen of the game and the police following O.J.'s Bronco all over Los Angeles. There were like 15 cop cars following him. Man it was great to watch live. But there were other sporting events going on that day. The New York Rangers Stanley Cup parade was earlier in the day. The U.S. Open and World Cup were all taking place that day. Highly recommend watching.

My favorite 30 for 30. What’s great is they did it with no commentary / interviews. Just straight up old footage.

[HoopsNY]

If you can find it, watch the 30 for 30 about June 17, 1994.

This was day of the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase. Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets was on live. The network broke in and there was a split screen of the game and the police following O.J.'s Bronco all over Los Angeles. There were like 15 cop cars following him. Man it was great to watch live. But there were other sporting events going on that day. The New York Rangers Stanley Cup parade was earlier in the day. The U.S. Open and World Cup were all taking place that day. Highly recommend watching.

I remember Mark Messier guaranteeing a win that year. Good times for us Rangers fan.

[Soundwave]

I remember watching the OJ chase thinking he's going to shoot himself on live TV. Also by that evening it had totally overtaken the NBA Finals, like lol it felt like the NBA Finals game that same night happened 2 nights before or something. Seismic TV event.

[RogueBorg]

I remember watching the OJ chase thinking he's going to shoot himself on live TV. Also by that evening it had totally overtaken the NBA Finals, like lol it felt like the NBA Finals game that same night happened 2 nights before or something. Seismic TV event.

I thought for sure he was going to too. Growing up in the 70's he was my favorite football player. He was telling the police he didn't want to live anymore. The newscast was stating he was in the back of the Bronco with a gun. I couldn't stop watching it. Can you imagine if all those people standing on the overpasses and sides of the road had social media to add to the mix?

[Soundwave]

I thought for sure he was going to too. Growing up in the 70's he was my favorite football player. He was telling the police he didn't want to live anymore. The newscast was stating he was in the back of the Bronco with a gun. I couldn't stop watching it. Can you imagine if all those people standing on the overpasses and sides of the road had social media to add to the mix?

The funny thing is I was a kid, so I missed OJ's sports career. I thought "oh it's the guy from the Naked Gun movies" :oldlol:

I remember waking up that day and vaguely seeing on the news that there was a warrant out for his arrest, so the news story was out there, but it was kind of like "oh it's one of those things happening in LA".

Then when it interrupted the NBA Finals, I was like "holy shit", I was also like "this dude is totally guilty because no innocent person would do that".