At some point, it became unpleasant to wear recreational specs (glasses) in sports. Sometime in the mid to late 1990s, people must have made an announcement that the people wearing them weren’t among the trendy crowd. Well, I think that’s complete mularkey. I mean, they think about that lifestyle. Wearing glasses is a lifestyle choice. This article pays tribute to the men who wore them with pride and wore them night after night.
1.Eric Dickerson. This famous running back carried the Colts and Rams football like no other in his day. He raced across the line and burst out with speed, dodging tacklers not caring in the world that someone might try to measure his eye. Eric will be remembered as one of the best running backs in NFL history, and the only one I can remember with incredible recreation specs.
2.Chris Sabo. He played alongside other Reds greats in Cincinnati like Jose Rijo and Barry Larkin in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Sabo was a terror on the base roads, known for his hustle more than anything. Since Sabo stole bases, he never had to worry about getting loose dirt in his eyes as he sported the recon specs with authority.
3. Kurt Rambis. Another athlete who will never be questioned for his lack of hustle, Rambis ran the floor as hard as anyone the Lakers have ever worn. If there was a loose ball on the ground, Rambis would hit the deck knowing it was his ball he had to lose. Finishing his career just shy of 5,000 rebounds, Kurt never worried about a flailing elbow as he was protected with the best recreation specs money could buy.
4. While we’re talking about famous LA Lakers, who can forget James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? These two dominant players won multiple championships with Lake Show while using recreational specs as well. Both are NBA legends, but known more for their skill than their recreation specs.
5. Horace Grant. A standout player for the Chicago Bulls dynasty that featured the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Horace was a tenacious defender and threat who wore recreational specs anywhere on the floor. Along with the aforementioned Lakers, he owns multiple championship rings.
I go to bed every night hoping that some creative young man who dons the rec specs will stick with the program instead of opting for some trendy Lasik surgery or something else that makes him take off his glasses. Recreational specs are a part of history and the players I have named are famous for using them.
Long live rec specs!
