Bring Back Wide World of Sports

I really miss ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Remember that Saturday afternoon block of television where you would find a hodgepodge of so-called “fringe” sports, everything from javelin tossing to bowling, from water skiing to ski jumping, from curling to badminton. And who didn’t love the show’s affable, long-serving host, Jim McKay. You didn’t tune in looking for basketball, football, hockey or baseball—it wasn’t about them, at least not the big leagues, which made it perfect. Wide World of Sports was where the lesser-known sports from around the globe were given a chance at the spotlight, and I loved every minute of it.

These past few weeks of sports television viewing has reminded me of a Saturday afternoon spent on the couch watching ABC as a child. With the NHL and NBA coming to a close, I’ve been able to watch so many of the other sports I enjoy. I’ve tuned in for several innings of both college baseball and softball. I spent a good chunk of Memorial Day weekend watching college lacrosse, and as a proud Marylander, it was exciting to see Loyola of Maryland and the Maryland Terrapins battle in the championship game. I can’t get enough of men’s and women’s gymnastics and track and field; this is a truly exciting time as both sports gear up for this summer’s Olympics in London. One restless night, at about 3 a.m., I was mindlessly flipping channels and stumbled upon darts. I watched for 40 minutes and proudly posted a status update on Facebook. (And don’t get me started on curling. Years ago, during a trip to Toronto, I came across curling, and I couldn’t pull myself away from the hotel TV.)

If you haven’t done so already, I encourage all sports fans to broaden their horizons and tune into some of these sports. If you have cable TV or a dish, you probably can find these programs on any number of channels.

My final plea is to ABC, or any network, really. Please bring back Wide World of Sports, ASAP. After all, I’d hate to think that I would have to wait until the winter Olympics before I am able to get my next curling fix.