TV channel for college sports / MON 3-1-2021 / Laudable Lauder / "And you?" to Caesar / Sweetheart, in Salerno

Theme answers:

• SPACE NEEDLE (18A: Seattle, 1962)
• EIFFEL TOWER (27A: Paris, 1889)
• FERRIS WHEEL (45A: Chicago, 1893) 
• WORLD'S FAIRS (58A: Events for which the answers to the three italicized clues were built)

Word of the Day: EDSEL (33D: '50s Ford flop) —

Edsel is a brand of automobile that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to give Ford a fourth brand to gain additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors. Established as an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury Division to three brands (re-christened the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division), Edsel shared a price range with Mercury; the division shared its bodies with both Mercury and Ford.

 (Wikipedia)

Happy August Monday! I think we need one of those right now. It's been so snowy and rainy and cold here. Where's the sunshine? 

Breezed right through this one, despite the ESPNU/UTE cross being nigh impossible for me as someone who doesn't like sports unless I'm the one playing 'em. East side had me saying wheeeeeeeee thanks to all the E's. I complained about AXE/AXLE in the crossword discord and was quickly reminded that the words don't actually share a root, which, fair. But they sound so similar! Also, yeah, I had POSTAL for PARCEL too despite sort of knowing in my heart that it wasn't gonna be right. 

This was a really cute theme for a Monday! Learned a little World's Fair trivia. It's wild to me that the Space Needle was completed as recently as 1962. Does anyone remember reading about it in the paper, or maybe even going to see it in person soon after construction? Or ever? I've never been, myself. 

Speaking of the World's Fair, did you know the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair boasted human zoos? Exhibits consisting of people? Yeah. 

Bullets:

• EIFFEL TOWER (27A: Paris, 1889)  — Ah, the top of le tour d'Eiffel. That was where I first got to know my high school sweetheart. (We then proceeded to get separated from the rest of our school group and wander around a metro station for two hours trying to find them again before giving up and going back to the hotel. Never did see Notre Dame...)
• SNAIL (50A: Word before shell or mail) — Do you want to watch a snail eat for four minutes with me? 
  
  
• AXE (61A: Jack Nicholson's weapon in "The Shining") — I can't think of this movie without thinking of my stepfather scaring the living bejeezus out of me by sticking his head through the staircase slats and yelling HEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY! at the top of his lungs while I was watching with a friend. 
• OSCAR (29D: ____ the Grouch) — This dude loves trash. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student.

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