When I was growing up in the ’70s, tennis had a mystique for me that’s been missing since. Jimmy Connors, Björn Borg, Billie Jean King … these were icons that helped to define a generation, and I still remember sitting glued to my television (this was pre-VCR, people!) hanging on every serve, every point. I began to lose interest right around the time of John McEnroe, a superb player whose penchant for petulance turned me off the sport completely.

I’ve since moved on to baseball and football, but I’ll often think back on the good old days. And if you’re like me, you’ve got to be looking forward to this weekend’s 2011 Champions Series, featuring champions from several different eras going head-to-head in a one-night tournament. We’re talking Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Las Vegas’ own Andre Agassi, and—who else?—Mr. McEnroe himself. Hey, time heals all wounds, John. I’ll be courtside, if only to see you yell, “You can not be serious!” one more time.

Ah, the good old days.