Burning Memories in 1981

During the 1981-82 school year, I was a big strapping forward on the Ithaca boys’ basketball team. My socks were long, and my shorts were short. That was the style, and it was not until Michael Jordan and other big-name players gained fame later in the decade that wearing longer shorts became a thing. The mighty Bulldogs were competitive that season. I led the conference in points scored in warmups. The best teams in the conference were Weston and North Crawford. They battled it out for the league title. We played them well, but we were more like the Washington Generals. They were the team that always played and lost to the Harlem Globetrotters. The team called me the Doctor after Dr. J. I believe this may have been a sarcastic nickname given to me by my mates. They were a great cast of characters. One of the top songs that winter was Centerfold by J. Geils Band. I turned 18 in November of that year. The team bought me an adult magazine as a birthday present. They gave it to me after practice, and I returned home with it where I immediately had to go outside to do my farm chores. At this same time my aunt and uncle stopped for a visit. They were asking about my future school (Trans American School of Broadcasting). My mother went to my room to look for the booklet about my post high school choice. Guess what she found instead? I wondered what was smoldering in the burning barrel as I approached the house. Mom was also smoldering when she angrily told me what she had discovered. When I told her I did not buy it and I never even looked at it, she did not believe me. But it was the truth!

What an amazing mix tape one could make featuring the hits of December 1981. Favorites on the player bus were Let’s Groove-Earth, Wind and Fire, Young Turks-Rod Stewart, Don’t Stop Believin’-Journey, Our Lips are Sealed-Go-Go’s, Start Me Up-Rolling Stones, Shake It Up-the Cars, Under Pressure-Queen-David Bowie, and Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You-Bob Seger.

During this weekend’s Those Were the Days radio show, I will be playing the top hits from December of 1981. Songs that will bring back memories of frosty bus windows (on the inside) and a stinky team heading to a Friday night destination. Usually someone that was sitting in the back over the only heat the bus had would cut the cheese.

It will be awesome to be back in the studio with you to take requests and have some conversation Saturday night. I had an amazing birthday last weekend. There has been good response to the One Hit Wonder show. I hope you enjoyed it. Please join me for Those Were the Days Saturday night between six and midnight on WRCO FM 100.9, WRCO.com, and the Civic Media app.

Philip Nee-Class of 1982 President