Television was different years ago. Broadcasting days used to end shortly after midnight and the station would carry test patterns until new programming started, usually after 6:00 a.m. Game shows were different in the early days of television too. When a contestant missed a question or failed in a challenge to end their bid to win, the announcer would routinely say, “No, I’m sorry, but be sure to pick up your consolation gift on your way home.”
It was a much kinder time.
Today, stations are broadcasting and streaming 24-hours a day on more outlets than any of us could have imagined fifty years ago. As for game show participants, some are removed from their participation today with trap doors that drop them to who knows where without even a word before sending them off.
Years ago, when a National Football League team was eliminated from postseason possibilities and got a chance to close out their season against an opponent that did earn a postseason slot, they took their frustrations out with a big effort. Particularly if the opponent headed to the playoffs had nothing to play for in the season finale.
Well, here is the good news, while a lot of things have changed over time, that little gem is still in play. Case in point is Sunday's NFC West contest between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Last week, the Seahawks narrowly won their game at Soldier Field in Chicago to keep their prospects of winning their division this Sunday over the Rams alive.
Had the Rams lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, this game would have been for the NFC West Division title. Even after the Rams edged the Cardinals in Los Angeles, the Seahawks still had a chance to win the West if three of six teams lost in Week 17 matchups. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, only two lost, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. The final straw to eliminate Seattle was the Sunday night overtime win by the Washington Commanders which made this week’s game at SoFi Stadium meaningless. That is meaningless as far as the playoffs are concerned.