DAILY DIRT: Ahhh … remember those days of bench seats, cassette tape players and T-tops?

November 11, 2024 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

The Trans Am Burt Reynolds' Bandit drove in "Smokey and The Bandit" had T-tops ...

and a cassette player, but no bench seats. That didn’t stop Sally Field though.

Daily Dirt for Monday, Nov. 11, 2024

Long live satellite radio, bucket seats and air conditioning … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,110 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The next time you get into your vehicle, you might want to ponder some of the major changes from the not-too-distant past:

Tape, cassette and CD players were once a must for vehicles, but are virtually non-existent these days. Digital music streaming, such as satellite radio, is now available in most cars, trucks and SUVs. (FYI: The last car to come with a standard cassette player was in 2010.)
Pop-up headlights were once all the rage, but their overall bulkiness was a problem, plus being aerodynamically challenged. The electric motors or engine vacuums used for operation also could develop problems.
Hood ornaments were also once extremely popular, offering a chance to personalize a vehicle. Hood ornaments evolved into a type of automotive jewelry, but they became a target for thieves and were eventually eliminated.
Remember those front bench seats? They were once the standard of family cars, especially in the 1980s. Bench seats were eventually removed for safety reasons, especially with the implementation of air bags.
Power antennas were once a feature, but they often broke, were vandalized or became inoperable in colder climates. Today, many vehicles feature “shark-fin” antennas for better reception. Many cars have a wire imbedded in the windshield.
Vent windows were once seen on many vehicles since air conditioning was considered a luxury and not always a standard offering in many cars and trucks.
Remember the famous T-tops? They provided an open-air ride and go as far back as 1948. They became highly popular in 1968 when General Motors featured them on C3 Corvettes. In the 1970s, T-top popularity soared, but safety concerns and other problems eventually saw the feature eliminated shortly after 2000.

2. Did you know (Part 183)

That “Google” has been with us since 1998, YouTube since 2005, Facebook since 2004 and Twitter (now “X”) since 2006.
That if someone drinks too much alcohol they are often categorized as an alcoholic, but if they drink too much Fanta soda they are not referred to as fantastic.
That come February, Cheetos will be offering a “Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle” flavor. Speaking of Cheetos, watch for the cans of white cheddar-flavored minis in the coming weeks.
That also in February, look for a Wild Cherry and Cream flavor from Pepsi.
That Yogi Berra hit the first pinch-hit home run in a World Series game. He also caught the only perfect game in World Series history.

3. Here’s our weekly assessment of college football’s top 10 teams:

1. Oregon (10-0): Will it eventually be an Oregon-Ohio State rematch in the Big Ten championship game?
2. Ohio State (8-1): After the Buckeyes dispose of Northwestern this weekend comes an eventful final two weeks vs. Indiana and Michigan.
3. Indiana (10-0): This year’s Hoosiers might be the best story from college football over the past decade.
4. Texas (8-1): “Despite the Texas Longhorns’ record and ranking, it always felt like they had another gear to hit. Well, they hit that gear on Saturday,” wrote Jon Alfano of si.com following a 49-17 blowout of Florida.
5. Ole Miss (8-2): How many of the playoff bubble teams in the SEC — Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia — will NOT make the 12-team CFP?
6. Tennessee (8-1): Saturday is likely make-or-break week for the Vols and Georgia. They play another between the edges in Athens.
7. Georgia (7-2): Bulldogs’ 10 points against Ole Miss match the fewest Georgia has scored since 2016. Until that loss to Ole Miss, Georgia had won 52 games in a row vs. teams not named Alabama.
8. Alabama (7-2): The Tide’s one-sided win over LSU has REALLY turned up the heat on LSU coach Brian Kelly.
8. Penn State (8-1): Nittany Lions bounced back in impressive fashion from that loss to Ohio State. Penn State should finish 11-1 with games remaining against Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland.
9. Colorado (7-2): Wouldn’t Deion Sanders in the playoffs have the potential for great prime time TV?
10. Boise State (8-1): Victory over last-place (in the Mountain West) Nevada does not diminish Boise’s bid to be the Group of Five’s automatic berth in the playoffs.