Well, 1975 is coming to an end and, boy, what a year it’s been. The world population has surpassed 4 billion, the U.S. national debt reached a staggering $530 billion (can you believe it), and unemployment peaked at 9 percent in May (and has since barely come down).
But hey, let’s start with the good news. It was an exciting start of the year for Pennsylvanians. In January, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings to win their first Super Bowl. Franco Harris earned MVP, while quarterback Terry Bradshaw said they won it for owner Art Rooney, the “greatest man who ever walked.” In baseball news, the Pirates won the National League East once again, the fifth time in six years, while the Pittsburgh Penguins (who some speculated were relocating to Seattle) also made the playoffs.
In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Bullets, while the American Basketball Association (ABA) with those crazy three-point shots looks like it’s off to an interesting start this season – although many here stopped paying attention after Pittsburgh’s team folded in ’72. That Julius Erving is quite something though. And how about that Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier? You could watch it on some cable TV channel called HBO, but I was stuck hearing about it on the radio the next morning…