Rare and vintage sports photos that fans probably missed
The look and appearance of our favorite teams evolve over the years, and it’s fun to go back in time and see just how the world of sports has changed. From retro uniforms to legendary plays, take a look at some of the most iconic images of athleticism throughout the year.
Blinded By The Sight Of The Astros
For those of you who remember the ’70s, you remember the vibrant colors that were ubiquitous in every facet of life. The in-your-face clothes and cars and other things could not be avoided. Remember Dance Fever? Remember the all-important disco ball and lights and of course, the music of the time?
The world of sports was no different, as the inaugural Houston Astros baseball uniforms were a dazzling array of orange, yellow, and gold. A touch of a blue star balanced out the wild colors. It might seem funny now that a baseball team wore a rainbow out on the baseball field, but those were the “good times!” Do you hear that Chic guitar riff playing in your head?
Mamie’s Bouffant Belles Running Track
Honey anyone? I’m just kidding around with you all. This photo is definitely reflective of the times. Of course, this photo was taken in the ’60s. The ’60s was another fun time, but also a very turbulent time as well. It was a time of change and social justice. With all of the issues that were around during that time, it was still a fun and beautiful time, especially as a young adult.
This is the UT women’s track team, also known as the “Flamin’ Mamie’s Bouffant Belles.” This was a girl’s track team and the picture was taken in 1964. I swear, every time I see a beehive hairdo, Martha Reeve’s and the Vandella’s Dancing in the Streets starts playing in my head, every time.
Hair, Hair, Hair, with Oscar Gamble
Now there is one thing to actually go back into the past and see all of the culture and experience the music and movies and such, and then there is another thing to actually live in those times.
Hair was a really big thing back then, and it is now, but maybe more so back then. The country has seen the change in the African-American community from the afro to the jheri curl (don’t you laugh!), and then the high top fade came along in the late ’80s. Many have had all of these hairstyles, and understand the luscious fro that Oscar Gamble is sporting because the hair was definitely the crown of the head.
A Little Encouragement from a Pro
Rivalries bring out the best and the worst of people. Facing an opponent can go in one of two ways: an opponent will either have respect for you or all bets are off. This occurs in sports like football and boxing among many other athletic endeavors. For those of you who have been in competition, especially in a contact sport, you know exactly what this is about.
The same applies to the game of golf as well. This photo is from December 1966 and it features Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. These guys were rivals for a very longtime, but out of their rivalry, a friendship developed.
Andre Agassi: A Man of the Times
Hey is that the late George Michael on the tennis court? No, but Andre Agassi sort of resembles George Michael as the style and trend of the late ’80s took effect in the sports world as it always does. Everything seems to interconnect when it comes to fashion and society, and Andre Agassi and his mullet were no exception to the rule.
Working up a sweat and being an athlete does not mean that a person has to look gritty and grungy when it comes to performing in front of thousands of people. This photo was taken on August 27, 1988, while Agassi was eighteen years old.
Clyde the Fashion Statement
The ’70s seemed to be the bridge between modeling and sports. This bridge is very common today, and it is somewhat different from about 40 years ago. Let’s just say that today’s photos of sports stars are a little bit on the steamy side compared to the ones from the past.
This picture of Clyde Frazier is an example of an athlete doing a pose in an expensive fur coat. It is very stylish as he is posing after a Celtics game at Madison Square Garden, aka The Garden. Joe Namath was a football star who was known for taking stylish photos and dressing chic as well.
The Commanders Like You Have Never Seen Them Before
This is one of the old Washington Commanders uniforms. The burgundy and gold colors remain intact. Some football teams, such as the Green Bay Packers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, still use a letter for their helmet logos. Somewhere along the line, the logo changed to the controversial Native American head image, which is no longer on the helmets today.
There was even a change to the controversial logo at one time, making it into an arrow with a feather on it. Thankfully, after the team officially became the Commanders, they kept the tradition of just one letter on the helmet.
Richard Petty Defines the NASCAR Look
There is an eccentric side to entertainers in all fields of art and sports. With John Lennon, it was his glasses. With Don King, it was his trademark hair style. With Michael Jackson, it was the glitter glove. It is very ubiquitous and in NASCAR there is no difference. Yep, even in the racing world, there is this air of eccentricity.
No one perhaps defines the eccentricity of NASCAR more than former NASCAR driver Richard Petty. This photo of him was taken on March 13, 1981. He is donning his famous cowboy hat with the plume of rooster feathers. He also has his trademark sunglasses on and a cigar. With this type of eccentricity comes notoriety.
John McEnroe Headband and All
A lot of inspiration comes from the past. Many of the arts today were inspired by some trend of the past. If you thought this was Will Ferrell, aka Jackie Moon from Semi –Pro, then think again. This is not Ferrell, but tennis legend John McEnroe who was 18 years old at the time when this photo was taken circa January 1978.
You could probably see where Ferrell got the inspiration for the Semi-Pro movie. The big hair thing was in back in the late ’70s and so was the sweatband. The sweatband even carried over into the ’80s and temporarily returned in the earlier part of the 2000s.
Rare Leaping Namath
The Super Bowl champion Broadway Joe Namath was a huge sports icon. He was known for a lot of things such as famously calling a victory in Super Bowl III, TV actor, sports broadcaster and being injured frequently at towards the end of his career. And one thing he had was a cannon for an arm.
People kind of glossed over the fact that he had weak knees. He shined so brightly in everything else that he did his weaknesses were never a topic of the conversation. This photograph showcases him leaping in the air to complete a pass against the Houston Oilers, something he rarely ever did.
Horizontal Player
Say hello to Bobby Orr. This photo is from 1970 and it is illustrating what it looks like to hit a game winner in game four of the Stanely Cup Finals. You never see hockey players in the air completely horizontal like this, even if they did just win a championship. This is a rare sight indeed because it mixes pure joy with uncalculated risk. Orr ended up winning the MVP honors and it was the Boston Bruin’s first cup in 29 years. Maybe that explains his intense happiness that’s here on display.
Glory Time For Carl
What you see here is not only a world record-setting anchor leg time but a world record for the 4×100 relay. Carl Lewis wasn’t just fast, he defined fast. In this specific race, he ran his anchor leg in an outstanding time of 8.85 seconds. That was a record that stood until 2007. This image not only captures the world record the team broke but it also sees a man who just ran the fastest anchor in history. The other two celebrating were just happy to be receiving a medal at the Olympics. They didn’t stand a chance.
Barefoot To The Finish
A race that is truly an acquired taste is the marathon. Not many are built to take the battle of a multi-hour race. It isn’t easy to train for as well but the satisfaction you get once you finish the race is one of the most amazing feelings. It’s even better when you do it on a world stage for a gold medal in the Olympics.
Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila is who you see above back in 1960. The Olympics were in Rome that year and the marathon had to be held at night due to all the heat. Bikila ran the race with no footwear and won it in 2:15:16.2.
Pay Attention To The Teacher
It should be common knowledge for any aspiring athlete to pay close attention whenever a professional is giving out tips and tricks. They say you’re not listening when you’re talking so for those fans who were surrounding Ted Williams this day in 1956 at training camp, you can bet they were silent.
Williams would go on to hit a major-league best .479 on-base percentage and hit .345. It’s like he was giving out free power. One of those fans probably had a great season too following that impromptu teaching lesson. Imagine if all athletes gave out advice often.
Bolt Loses?
Outside of Bolt’s last 100m race in the world championships in 2017, you would have to search high and low to find a time when Usain Bolt lost a race on the world stage. The man won three straight Olympic titles for crying out loud. That is the biggest stage for a sprinter. However, during the 2004 Olympics, Bolt’s first appearance a the Olympic level, he would fall.
Bolt’s favorite race is the 200 so you wouldn’t have thought that he would lose. He was eliminated in the heats after running a time of 21.05 (something college athletes do with ease). Four years later he breaks the world-record running a 19.30.
Be Safe Where You’re Going!
This almost looks like something out of an apocalyptic movie. Three skiers ride off into the fog at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Anna Holmlund of Sweden, Katrin Ofner of Austria and Stephanie Joffroy showed no fear as they were competing to advance to the next round. Assuming their vision was blurred or not at it’s best, this is a pretty gnarly situation to be in. It would be like skateboarding on a ramp in a well-lit room then all of sudden the lights go dim and you can’t see as clearly.
The Hardest Dunk
Dunking is already difficult as it is. So when the NBA has dunk contests that showcase the best of the best dunkers, it always ends up as the main event. In those dunk contests, players jump over cars, put the ball behind their back or even jump over five people!
Never has ever been a person to complete a 720 dunk. Yes, two spins in the air then throw it down. One man was able to complete it and his name is “Air Up There”. He was an And 1 player but before him, no one was able to complete it and even current NBA players like Andrew Wiggins tried but failed.
