The Endangered Media Guide

With advances in technology allowing for quicker access to information some delightful treasures are fading into the mist. The trusty media guide is one of those treasures. It's a gem. Every sports team produces some version of a media guide each season. One could consider these guides a beefed up game day program. As the name suggests, media guides were produced mostly for and used by the media. Whenever you heard a game announcer toss out an exciting nugget of information, it was likely found in these guides. Now, some computer wonk probably finds it and relays it to the talking heads. Nearly everything that anyone would need to know about a team is found in the pages of a media guide. Rosters and player, coach and administrator profiles. Team history. Team records. Schedules. All kinds of good stuff. I have been purchasing the Minnesota Vikings media guides for the past several years. Each is not much different from the previous one, but there is enough change to always make them worthwhile. Unfortunately, they are becoming harder to obtain. It's likely that the teams are simply producing fewer and fewer guides. Some teams have foolishly stopped altogether. These teams are making a downloadable version available on their web sites. Very sad. I have that option with the Vikings, but it just isn't the same. I can be nostalgic about many things. The media guide is one of them. There is just something warm and reassuring about them. I fear the day when they are no more. But not this year. My 2011 Minnesota Vikings Media Guide should arrive today.