Do you remember smoke sheets?

[ChasDee]

I remember when I first started betting on football, way back in college, we used to buy these "smoke sheets" that would predict the scores of the college and NFL games each week. I don't even know if they still sell them...I suspect that because of the internet, they probably don't come out in print any longer, but I'm not sure about that. There were several different ones...I remember "The Gold Sheet" and "Winning Points" and "Pointwise" and there were a couple others. As I recall, some were not too bad, but most of them not so good. 😁

Then there were the phone calls for plays...I can honestly say, I never paid for the phone plays, but I had buddies who did...
And of course, calling for scores was a huge deal. You younger guys probably never had to do that, but there was a phone number you could call (for a fee!!) and get updated scores...like every 10 minutes or something. That was the only way to get updated scores, if you couldn't get the games on the radio. I had buddies who would make like 300 calls to the score phone each weekend...LOL
This was all BEFORE ESPN...

 

[Keyser Soze]

I remember when I first started betting on football, way back in college, we used to buy these "smoke sheets" that would predict the scores of the college and NFL games each week. I don't even know if they still sell them...I suspect that because of the internet, they probably don't come out in print any longer, but I'm not sure about that. There were several different ones...I remember "The Gold Sheet" and "Winning Points" and "Pointwise" and there were a couple others. As I recall, some were not too bad, but most of them not so good. 😁

Then there were the phone calls for plays...I can honestly say, I never paid for the phone plays, but I had buddies who did...
And of course, calling for scores was a huge deal. You younger guys probably never had to do that, but there was a phone number you could call (for a fee!!) and get updated scores...like every 10 minutes or something. That was the only way to get updated scores, if you couldn't get the games on the radio. I had buddies who would make like 300 calls to the score phone each weekend...LOL
This was all BEFORE ESPN...

Yeah, and it was a HUGE move when CNN Headline News hit the air with sports updates every 20 and 50 minutes past the hour. Again, before ESPN had the ticker.


I'm Van Earl Wright!

 

[IX_Bender]

This lore is lost on prob 80% of the audience. I had a sports pager again for a fee to pay for 'updated' scores. A Fucking Beeper! Also remember when my guy had to run like 4 phones and would go over the NCAA slate in rotation by voice on speaker where you had to write down the lines and totals. Good times.

 

[redsfann]

I'm Van Earl Wright!

You mean “I’m Vaaaaaannnnnnnnn Earl wright!”
🤣🤣🤣

Loved that guy.

And Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were better than Dan Patrick and Keith olbermann

 

[ChasDee]

This lore is lost on prob 80% of the audience. I had a sports pager again for a fee to pay for 'updated' scores. A Fucking Beeper! Also remember when my guy had to run like 4 phones and would go over the NCAA slate in rotation by voice on speaker where you had to write down the lines and totals. Good times.

Yeah...I forgot about the sports pager! Man, if you had one of those, you were shitting in high clover!!! 😄

 

[WildBillPicks7]

I still look at the power ratings for Gold Sheet. Also years ago there was a Budweiser sheet with a power number on games that was pretty accurate. Ain’t see the latter since late 90s.

 

[JOHNNYWAD119]

Hahaha the good old gold sheet. My brother use to buy that weekly lol..

 

[Keith 1]

And of course, calling for scores was a huge deal. You younger guys probably never had to do that, but there was a phone number you could call (for a fee!!) and get updated scores...like every 10 minutes or something. That was the only way to get updated scores, if you couldn't get the games on the radio. I had buddies who would make like 300 calls to the score phone each weekend...LOL
This was all BEFORE ESPN...

Scorephone ! 976-1313. King Wally !

The good old days.

 

[ChasDee]

Scorephone ! 976-1313. King Wally !

The good old days.

😆 How in the H do you remember that number?? 😂

 

[Jord20]

Haaahaa - hell yeah. I distinctly remember calling those 800 numbers for scores. I remember paying 800 numbers for picks. I remember just waiting for ESPN or CBS to flash the scores every 15 minutes for updates. I remember the AOL message boards when the internet came out. I remember calling for lines and deciding which team I should say first to trick the bookie into not knowing which side I wanted. I remember writing them down and then calling back with the plays and hoping the line "didn't change."

Amongst a lot of other stupid shit before the phones, wider internet, etc. Good memories

 

[Keyser Soze]

You mean “I’m Vaaaaaannnnnnnnn Earl wright!”
🤣🤣🤣

Loved that guy.

And Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were better than Dan Patrick and Keith olbermann

I'm glad there's someone here who remembers him. Otherwise, it would have been a completely lost post. And you're correct, Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan Earl Wright! The Dodgers lead the Giants 5-1 at Chaveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez Ravine

 

[Junior44]

jeez...memory lane.......those were the days!

 

[Four Corners]

I remember when I first started betting on football, way back in college, we used to buy these "smoke sheets" that would predict the scores of the college and NFL games each week. I don't even know if they still sell them...I suspect that because of the internet, they probably don't come out in print any longer, but I'm not sure about that. There were several different ones...I remember "The Gold Sheet" and "Winning Points" and "Pointwise" and there were a couple others. As I recall, some were not too bad, but most of them not so good. 😁

Then there were the phone calls for plays...I can honestly say, I never paid for the phone plays, but I had buddies who did...
And of course, calling for scores was a huge deal. You younger guys probably never had to do that, but there was a phone number you could call (for a fee!!) and get updated scores...like every 10 minutes or something. That was the only way to get updated scores, if you couldn't get the games on the radio. I had buddies who would make like 300 calls to the score phone each weekend...LOL
This was all BEFORE ESPN...

Used to go down to the soda shop on Franklin St in Chapel Hill to buy "winning points" every Friday during football season. Miss those days (for more than just that reason)!! Don't remember stacking much $$ off their picks!! Remember the phone calls too. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!

 

[ChasDee]

I remember calling for lines and deciding which team I should say first to trick the bookie into not knowing which side I wanted.

😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 Absolutely!!

 

[ChasDee]

Used to go down to the soda shop on Franklin St in Chapel Hill to buy "winning points" every Friday during football season. Miss those days (for more than just that reason)!! Don't remember stacking much $$ off their picks!! Remember the phone calls too. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!

Our buddies Dad had a shoe shop where he supposedly fixed shoes. He was also a runner for the local bookie, so he would hand out parley sheets and take straight bets (for cash, of course). People would come in and drop off a pair of shoes to be repaired and the shoes would be fixed and ready to pick up ...in like 3 months!!! 😄
He also had a cloths line stretched across the back of the shop, where he "hung-up" all the smoke sheets for sale...Winning Points, The Gold Sheet, Pointwise, ect. When he was busy working on shoes, which wasn't very often, we would try and sneak some peaks in the smoke sheets to see who they were taking. He got wise to us, so he started stapling the sheets closed so you couldn't peak at them, that way you would have to buy them! 😁

 

[Four Corners]

😆 How in the H do you remember that number?? 😂

While on topic of remembering numbers and memory lane...Some cities had a phone number you could call to get the time and weather. Ours was sponsored back then by a local federal savings and loan. Coming from a guy who regularly forgets why he walked into the kitchen...I remember the phone number you would call and called it tonight for the heck of it.....well...it's still there giving the time and temperature!!! Do they not realize 98% of ppl have phones? Has someone forgotten they have this number? Someone is paying for that line...or perhaps the institution wants to simply keep some of the old day memories to stay with us.