For the past few Christmases, one of my personal Yuletide traditions has been to browse YouTube for random '80s commercials in an attempt to awaken my inner child. Between Barney sliding down the chimney to steal Fred’s Fruity Pebbles and a creepy voice hawking the Clapper, I recently stumbled on a classic Super Mario Bros. 3 ad.

I was hit with an extra wave of nostalgia because unlike cereal and geriatric gadgets, this game was something I actually wanted. Somehow, this commercial had lodged itself in the the recesses of my mind, and seeing it instantly transported me back to elementary school.

Following that bit of classic advertising, I took pause to reflect on just how much video games, specifically sports games, have affected my almost-30-year lifespan.

My very first video-game memory involves finding my parent’s Pong console in the storage space above our garage. Hooking it up involved unscrewing (literally, with a screwdriver) the antenna from the little black and white TV in our basement.

Thus, a relatively crude, 10-year-old machine that played only one game soon became one of the greatest things I had ever seen. Just the ability to manipulate something on a television screen was a novelty. I cannot say that I played it that much, but for a little boy, it was a pretty awesome find -- and how cool was it that my parents used to play video games.

Other early childhood memories can also be credited to my parents, who at some point had amassed a small collection of handheld sports games, which I inherited as I got older. Made up of primarily red LEDs, I remember enjoying racing, hockey and football games. The hockey game was especially sweet because you could play "head to head" with someone else. Granted, the "puck" was just a light bouncing between players painted on the "screen."

The first sports game I actually received as a gift was a racing game which, believe it or not, required a VCR, a steering wheel and a toy car that was mechanically attached to the television. You simply popped in the VHS tape, which featured "first-person" views of a car careening through cities and winding through forested roads. You controlled the tiny car using the steering wheel, which would flash if you "hit" an on-screen obstacle. Looking back, the whole rig was kind of Wii-esque -- it engaged the entire family that Christmas morning.

In 30 years we went from Pong to Top Spin 3.

Chronologically, my sports-game experience gets less unique but probably more familiar: Track and Field with the floor mat, a late night NHL '93 playoff bracket at a friend’s house, Tiger handhelds, California Games and Test Drive on an Apple IIGS, and Basewars. I also remember a friend owning the rare Phillips CD-i, which ran a pretty realistic (for 1993) tennis game.

My first major purchase as an "independent" college student was a Nintendo 64. I would cut class each year on the day that Acclaim’s All-Star Baseball came out. And while Goldeneye was the game I played most, the last game I ever bought for that system was NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant.

I recently wrote about how I won a Dreamcast, as well as the early 2K games. The NFL 2K series was also the first one I played online, both on Sega’s console and later Xbox Live.

You know, as I sit here writing this, it is amazing how easily those specific gaming memories come to light. It seems like some of my fondest and most socially formative experiences occurred with a controller in my hand.

This is even more surprising once I consider the fact that I did not own a legitimate gaming console until the original Gameboy. As a child, I lamented the fact that Santa never brought me a Nintendo Entertainment System. However, I see now that playing video games was an activity I had to do with friends because it made the times doing so that much more special.

This has led to a tradition of playing with friends, whether it be in a dorm, online or now (occasionally) with my wife. Hopefully, the latest addition to my family will, despite her gender, think playing a sports game is a suitable way to spend quality time with her dad.

Despite my parent’s inventory of simple electronic games, I assume they expected me to someday grow out of playing video games. Growing up in the '80s, I think conventional wisdom labeled games as toys for children. The "funny" thing is that those children eventually turned into adults.

As 2008 ends (and I approach my 30th birthday), I see now that sports gaming is a daily part of my life. Even if I do not physically sit at a console, part of my regular thought process involves gaming.

Sometimes it is relatively formal, like writing for OS. Like you, I probably check OS and general gaming sites as often as I can -- without it interfering with work. Occasionally, it is just daydreaming about trades I would like to make or plays I need to work on. I also find time to listen to multiple podcasts during my morning and evening commute.

Sports gaming has become my hobby, like fly fishing or model railroading is to others. It is a way to live out childhood fantasies, vent about and then re-create a favorite team’s missed opportunity, or simply to reduce stress. Like all hobbies, from time to time it takes up too much of my time and too much of my money. But then again, as they say, you cannot take it with you.

While my journey has taken me through Pong and NFL 2K, we have all "arrived" at the same place. If you are reading this, you probably care enough about sports games to use them as a springboard to a communal experience. Regardless of where and how you live, we can all appreciate the memories of those first pixelated athletes, late-night playoff sessions, and the appeal of tearing the wrapper off a new game -- and just maybe the random creepy voice shilling the Clapper.

In any case, enjoy a new year of sports gaming with friends, whether they are in your living room or across the country.