Here's The First Hour of ESPN2, Which Aired 25 Years Ago Tonight

ESPN2 debuted 25 years ago. That’s right, ESPN2 is old enough to rent a car. They grow up so fast. And though I — a sentimental sap who thought the lowercase letters were fresh and fly — wasn’t planning any type of tribute, it’s hard to ignore the treasure trove of content available to celebrate such an occasion.

Feast your eyes on the images tweeted out by Keith Olbermann earlier today. Any one of the lot could serve as an iPhone background or bedroom poster. Inquiring minds want to get to the bottom of each and every one of these pictures.

Perhaps the most prudent thing to do here is to bask in the glory of ESPN2’s first hour. Olbermann’s dire prediction did not come true. His career continued an upward trajectory. The channel didn’t just survive, it thrived.

The walk down memory lane continues with another clip. Hundreds of things have already caught your eye and been frozen in amber, what’s a few more?

Underneath the laughs and outdated fashion, though, are the strong bones of a forward-thinking show. This was SportsCenter without the ties. A bend toward the E in ESPN while still serving the S. It was new and exciting. It catered toward a younger audience.

Flash forward a quarter-century. This is still a major goal and ESPN is trying myriad options to achieve that goal. Perhaps the answer is just showing classic stuff like the above.

Tell me you wouldn’t watch if the suits in Bristol put something like this on again. Nostalgia is hot right now. Leather jackets can always come back in style.

Thanks for the memories.