December 8th, 1980: For me it is one of those dates frozen in time. When I can remember just where I was when I heard the news. There was JFK & RFK, The Beatles on Ed Sullivan......and... December 8th, 1980. I was watching the Monday Night Football game between the Dolphins & Patriots. There were only seconds left in that game as I recall. Place kicker John Smith was just running out onto the field to kick what would be a losing effort at a field goal. But as much of a Patriots fan as I was even back then I only remember those events because of the announcement that came next and the three words uttered by MNF broadcaster Howard Cosell after he told his audience that John Lennon had been shot: "dead on arrival". That's when that piece of time froze for me; and 30 years later I remember it like it was only yesterday. It's only those things that mean a lot to you personally that can have that effect. The image of my mother sitting on the floor as I came home from school after she slid out of her chair in shock about JFK; The image of RFK's own son hearing about his father on television while he sat alone; and three words that took just a bit of my happy youth from me one Monday night in December.
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