Memory Lane Three diehards use the Web to evoke late and (at least to them) lamented sports leagues

Do you ever talk wistfully of high school flames or find yourself
longing for childhood pets? Then you know how fans of defunct
sports leagues feel. Many of them have found the Web to be an
ideal place to indulge their reveries. For instance, fans of the
North American Soccer League (1967-84) can log on to
home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm, a site run by Chris Page, a Chicago
native who lived and died with the Chicago Sting. "I get hits
from all over the world," says Page, whose site has 32 links,
including one chronicling the histories of all 48 league
franchises. In addition, the site has stats and bios of 146
players.

While the NASL had a healthy lifespan, the headline-grabbing
United States Football League made a bigger splash during its
three seasons (1983-85). Oursportscentral.com/usfl, run by
29-year-old website designer (and Michigan Panthers fan) Paul
Reeths of Marshfield, Wis., details the big-money signings of
such college stars as Georgia Heisman Trophy- winning running
back Herschel Walker (right), who landed a three-year, $3.9
million contract with the New Jersey Generals--the kind of
extravagant deal that gave the league credibility but quickly
doomed it.

A photo on geocities.com/pipeline/5206 of Bobby Hull holding an
enlarged $1 million check is a reminder that during its existence
the upstart World Hockey Association (1972-79) stole several of
the NHL's best. Ryan Hoffman, a 19-year-old student from Langley,
B.C., has put together, among other features, a collection of
team histories and his list of the WHA's top 50 players, with the
Golden Jet at No. 1.

--John O'Keefe

COLOR PHOTO: CHUCK SOLOMON