Too much. Too little. The sports television viewer lived both extremes in 1994.
The excesses? Tonya and Nancy. O.J. and Nicole. Donald Fehr. Gary Bettman. The void? No World Series. Or Wayne Gretzky highlights after the springtime. Or a night without a work stoppage update.And, as the year nears an end, there are more questions than answers, even for those of us who spend a good deal of time in front of the set.
For instance:
Is the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan saga finally on ice, or are we going to be offered a pay-per-view skate-off with the loser getting Oksana Baiul autographed hankies?
Can Tommy Moe bring as much enjoyment to us as another Moe who combined with a Larry and a Curly to make us laugh?
Will advertisers support baseball with replacement players and a product bound to insult long-time watchers?
Does Jimmy Johnson really expect us to believe that he has no "out" in his new three-year contract with Fox?
Will there be more viewing and less eating and drinking at Super Bowl parties now that the Bills have passed along their spot as sacrificial lamb?
How many will deny interest in O.J. Simpson's trial, yet roll videotapes to view the proceedings every night after work?
Is George Foreman reserving a hospital bed for the night he takes on Mike Tyson in the biggest pay-per-view event ever?
Has Dennis Rodman thought to dye his hair the colors of a peacock each time he appears on NBC?
Will we forgive the imbeciles ruining baseball and hockey once things return to normal - or as normal as things can be when .200 hitters are making $1.5 million a season and inept defensemen are demanding renegotiations of their excessive contracts.