It was the daily MLB, NBA, and NHL page with captions and box scores that we waited to see every night. There also was the Monday morning or afternoon NFL page with all of the highlights and box scores from Sunday’s games that captivated our world.

When I broke into the business many years ago, I discovered it was officially called the agate page.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column – reminiscing about sports and pop culture from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and sometimes before and beyond – I’ll look back at some of the sports’ weekend staples and some non-related sports items through the years.

Do you remember the “George Michael’s Sports Machine,” or the “Gillette Calvalcade of Sports?” And who was Gordon Solie?

It Was Our Weekend: On any given Sunday, we couldn’t wait to open a Sunday paper – preferably The Philadelphia Inquirer – to look at the large baseball agate page that contained all of the batter who qualified to be listed.

All of the local newspapers carried a daily agate page, but the Sunday paper editions were the best.

We read down each line to see what our favorite players were hitting or what our favorite pitcher was doing. It didn’t matter that the print was small. It was one of our favorite things to do on the weekend.

On a Monday morning, it was another treat to pursue through the football box scores to see all of the stats and each individual score. That was our ESPN back then, and we didn’t have any visual highlights. Those were only available in a flash during the few minutes of the sports segment of the newscasts on channels Three, Six, and 10.

Like most things back in our day, it was simple, yet very satisfying.

Worth the Wait: Before the weekend agate barrage, our sports media week began on Thursday when Sports Illustrated was delivered in the mail. You always were anxious to see who made the cover, and the pictures were usually mesmerizing.

It wasn’t until I was in high school that I really appreciated and understood the articles that were always written well.

Remember the Faces in the Crowd section at the back of the magazine? You would always look at the black-and-white photos with the brief descriptions to see where they were from. Once in a great while, you would see someone from Pennsylvania and the greater Lehigh Valley area.

Also, there was the “For The Record” section, which listed highlights of nearly every sport, primarily if there was a record set in the particular sport. Those weren’t just the “big four” sports, but also nearly every sport played.

On Friday, “The Sporting News” would arrive, and your weekend would be set.

I received it in the mail for a period, and then I made it to my favorite newsstand to make sure I had it. It included a page on each team during their season, and their baseball coverage was outstanding. The magazine also had an ample supply of statistics of various varieties.

A Razor’s Edge: Anyone recall “The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports?” Back in 1942, the razor company began as a radio broadcast then evolved into a successful TV program. It ran on NBC until 1960.

This was the precursor to ABC’s Wide World of Sports, as it featured a variety of sports outside the accepted ones. The show primarily focused on boxing and horse racing. Boxers Jimmy Powers, Rocky Marciano, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Joe Louis were among the regulars.

It was billed as being “sports all year around.”

Weekend Highlights: Before there was ESPN and the Sunday local highlight shows, there was the syndicated George Michael’s Sports Machine on a Sunday night that began nationwide in 1984 after a four-year run in Maryland as “George Michael’s Sports Final,” in 1980

When you didn’t see the local highlights, you would stay up to watch the show that usually aired at 11:30 p.m. Michael had a collection of national highlights that you wouldn’t normally see. His upbeat personality was the perfect complement. Michael also had a feature or two that you wouldn’t normally expect.

Even with the drawing of Sports Center, Michael’s show was always a must watch, and it lasted until 2007.

More Weekend Whirlwind: Along with our feed of sports, Saturday afternoon meant it was time for American Bandstand (AB).

From 1952 to 1989, Dick Clark hosted the hottest solo artists and bands as well as playing the top 40 songs mixed with some classics. Philadelphia was host for the show for its native son Clark until it moved to Los Angeles in 1963.

I remember watching the show before a college football game, and the famed “AB” symbol. It was great to see the artists and bands you wouldn’t see back then.

WWF/WWE Wrap: Each week, I’ll recall a former wrestler – or personality from the squared circle. Does anyone remember former wrestling broadcaster Gordon Solie? He was considered to be a pioneer in the sport for his distinctive voice and delivery.

Solie’s career began in Florida and then became renowned as the host of the Georgia Professional Wrestling Show as well as “Pro Wrestling This Week.”

I remember hearing Solie on shows broadcast on New York’s channel nine and Philadelphia’s channel 29.

He became further renowned for his work with the ICW and WCW, the latter which aired on TBS.

Solie never worked in the WWF or WWE, but he is a legend in the sport.

By the way, in 1969 Vince McMahon made his debut on “All-Star Wrestling” on Philly’s Channel 48, and later it changed into “Championship Wrestling.”

See ya Joie: Recently, I learned that former colleague Joie Jackson from the East Penn Press retired after her stellar 41-year career. I always enjoyed working with Joie, and she was a true credit to the profession.

Joie, best wishes on your next chapter and be well.

Julie, Eartha, or Lee: Recently Batman got his well deserved star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In your opinion, what actress portrayed the best Catwoman? Was it Julie Newmar, who made the role famous during the series’ first two seasons in 1966 and ’67? Or was it Eartha Kitt, who took over the role during the final season? Perhaps you liked Lee Meriweather, who had the role in the ’66 Batman movie?

Batman is still my favorite show, and it arguably was a major piece in our sports/pop culture world.

My favorite was Newmar, who really captured the role, and she truly had a connection with Adam West. Kitt just didn’t seem to have it. And Meriwhether starred in the film, and it would have been interesting to see how she fared in the series.

Let me know.

Had To Ask It: When you start comparing Catwomen, you have to bring up the classic debate from the 60s … was it Maryann or Ginger?

They both played major roles in Gilligan’s Island, which was a lost classic.

Also, let me know.

Your thoughts? Email me at tnsports@tnonline.com.