What Are the 5 Most Memorable Sporting Events You Have Attended

[Chris]

And what makes them memorable?

Mine are from my 'modern era':

1. NFL Playoffs- January 14, 2006- Seattle Seahawks 20 Washington Redskins 10

The game was a disappointment. The weather was miserable. The Seahawk fans were, ahem, challenging. But traveling across this country and spending a great four days with my then 13 year-old son...priceless.


2. 1997 World Series Game 7- Florida Marlins 3 Cleveland Indians 2

The Fish scored one run in the bottom of the 9th to tie and one in the bottom of the 11th to win.


3. NFL Playoffs- January 8, 2000- Washington Redskins 27 Detroit Lions 13

Cold as hell, loud as hell, heaven on earth.



4. 2006 NBA Finals- Miami Heat 101 Dallas Mavericks 100 (OT)

D. Wade scores 43 to bring Miami within one game of the championship. Dirk cries, Cuban melts down, a sign of things to come.



5. 2003 Final Four- New Orleans Superdome

Syracuse, Kansas, Marquette, Texas. Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Bourbon Street.

Did I mention Bourbon Street?

 

[Lanky Livingston]

My list isn't nearly as impressive as yours, lol:

1) Game 7, 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, Philadelphia Flyers @ Tampa Bay Lightning. My first hockey game ever attended - and I was sold. Great goaltending from Esche and Khabibulin (sp?), and that Lightning team was just fun to watch.

2) Game 5 NHL first round playoffs, 2009, Rangers at Caps. Varlamov blank the Rangers 4-0 for his second playoff shutout, Matt Bradley gets a shortie to start things off, and Ovechkin scored another one of his jaw-dropping, highlight reel goals: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO1TuEp8eqI[/media]

3) 11/5/2006 - the "blocked field goal game." Novak misses a 49-yarder to win the game, and the Cowboys get the ball back. Cowboys get the ball, drive to the 42, and Vanderjagt has a chance to win. In steps vet Troy Vincent - he blocks the field goal, and the ball ends up in, as Joe Gibbs said, "the one person's hands you want the ball to be in at that moment." Taylor returns the ball about 15 yards, but a Kyle Kosier facemask gives them 15 more. Novak nails the 47-yarder as time expires to beat the Pukes.
Highlight besides that play: TO stone-hands-ing a long bomb in the 4th quarter that would have sealed it.

4) 11/24/2005 - Santana Moss goes for 3 against the GMen. Offense finally opens up, and some spectacular playmaking from Portis and Moss lead to a 35-20 drubbing, and the Skins one-game away from the playoffs.

5T) 10/6/2006 - Santana Moss goes for 3 against the Jaguars. The second game in a row I made it too, and Santana gets another 3-TDs, including an overtime beaut to ice the game.

5T) Game 1, 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Caps beat the Flyers 5-4. Have to mention this, cause it was just a fun game to watch, and the beginning of great things for DC Hockey!

 

[Yellow41]

1) The final game at RFK.

2) Camden Yards June 1998? Saw Cal Ripken Jr. hit a grand slam against the Angels

3) Darrell Green's final game.

4) My first Redskins game in 1988 vs. the Browns.

5) Five years old and not understanding why the Redskins lost to the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.

 

[Chris]

3) 11/5/2006 - the "blocked field goal game." Novak misses a 49-yarder to win the game, and the Cowboys get the ball back. Cowboys get the ball, drive to the 42, and Vanderjagt has a chance to win. In steps vet Troy Vincent - he blocks the field goal, and the ball ends up in, as Joe Gibbs said, "the one person's hands you want the ball to be in at that moment." Taylor returns the ball about 15 yards, but a Kyle Kosier facemask gives them 15 more. Novak nails the 47-yarder as time expires to beat the Pukes.
Highlight besides that play: TO stone-hands-ing a long bomb in the 4th quarter that would have sealed it.

How in the world did I forget that one!

I thought Sean was going to take that all the way. The walk out of Fedex after that game was amazing!!

 

[HapHaszard]

The superbowl 4 times, the world series in Miami, The Kentucky Derby, and the Indy 500 are mine. I never did get into golf or Tennis but have been to a lot of them.

 

[Jimbo]

1. Super Bowl XVII

2. 1982 NFC Championship Game vs. Dallas

3. 1982 Skins vs. Giants. Moseley hits FG that:
a. wins the game
b. clinches playoff spot
c. sets consecutive FG record

4. Game 6 of the 1978 NBA Finals. Bullets crush Sonics 117-82 on their way to the NBA Championship.

5. Senators final home opener against the Oakland A's. April 5, 1971. Dick Bosman shuts out the A's on 6 hits. Vida Blue, the eventual Cy Young award winner, lasts only 1 2/3 innings.

Starting lineups from my program (yep, I still have it)
Oakland Athletics Washington Senators
1. Bert Campaneris SS 1. Toby Harrah SS
2. Felipe Alou LF 2. Curt Flood CF
3. Reggie Jackson RF 3. Frank Howard LF
4. Don Mincher 1B 4. Mike Epstein 1B
5. Sal Bando 3B 5. Joe Foy 3B
6. Rick Monday CF 6. Elliott Maddox RF
7. Dave Duncan C 7. Paul Casanova C
8. Dick Green 2B 8. Tim Cullen 2B
9. Vida Blue P 9. Dick Bosman P

 

[smsmith70]

Given my slightly different path to the Redskins (and having never been to an NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL game before) my list is probably going to require a little more explanation

5. 2005 FA Cup Final Arsenal v Manchester Utd
My much maligned Father-in-Law calls 2 days before the game to say he has two seats in a fully serviced hospitality box for the biggest occasion in the English football year (think superbowl). Would I like to go, and do I know anybody else who would like the other ticket? Very cool, that is definitely a call you are going to enjoy making to your best mate. Lovely meal before the game, free bar and Arsenal beat Man U in a penalty shoot out while I call every person I have ever met from the game.

4. 1989 U16 Football World Cup
In 1989 Scotland hosted the FIFA under 16 tournament, what is normally a low key tournament catches the imagination of the public, games that usually play out in front of a couple of thousand at most start to attract decent crowds. The Scottish team benefit from the vocal homes support, after 4 weeks Scotland has qualified for the final against Saudi Arabia (not exactly a football powerhouse but its easier if there are later proved to be some "date of birth irregularities". The game is at Hampden Park the spiritual home of Scottish football and 65,000 people turn up to watch a bunch of 15 year olds play. Scotland take a 2 goal lead into halftime but eventually the superior strength and fitness of the opposition takes over. The final score is 2-2 and Scotland lose in another penalty shoot out, the Scottish players are heartbroken to lose in what will be for almost all of them the highpoint of their career.

3. 1987 UEFA Cup Final (2nd Leg)
Dundee United, my home town team, plays Gothenborg of Sweden in a European Final. Its difficult to frame the achievement in terms familiar to you guys. For 10 years United had been punching way above their weight in European football, its like Marshall seriously contending in the BCS (I'm just back from W. Virginia) for 10 years before finally making a National Championship. After the first match in Sweden, United are 1-0 down. They throw everything at Gothenburg for the first half hour before being hit by a sucker punch and going two goals down. Despite facing an impossible task in the second half they re-double their efforts and get a goal back but the effort is too much and time runs out. However, despite losing, the crowd doesn't stop singing and cheering their heroes, instead of leaving for the end of the match they stay to cheer the victors and an hour later they are still celebrating, not the result but the achievement, the crowd know its team are breaking up, this will be its peak, player get old and others are sold to stabilise the future of the club. Imagine the Redskins of 1992. European football INVENTS an award specifically to be given to the fans in recognition of their behaviour both on the night and for the previous 10 years.

2. 1982 World Cup
I am 11 years old, my Dad takes me overseas for the first time. The whole family is going to Spain for two weeks to see Scotland compete. 40,000 other Scotsmen all have the same idea. I am in small boy heaven Dad and I travel around Southern Spain to see the games. The absolute highlight is to see Scotland take the lead against the most talented team in the world, Brazil (before losing 4-1). We party long into the night with the only other nation whose fans have the same passion and spirit as the Scots. My favourite childhood memory.

1. 1990 Scotland Rugby Grand Slam
You will have noticed a common theme running through the previous stories, my team always loses. Well, I'm Scottish, it goes with the territory, like most Scots, my nationality is hard coded into me. I didn't choose to be Scottish I just got lucky. The best any Scotsman can hope for is dignity in defiant defeat and the occasional, very occasional glorious day in the sun.

My generations day in the sun came on a windy day in March 1990. The oldest international sporting fixtures in the world are between Scotland and England, in Rugby they have played every year (excepting Global conflicts) since 1871. With a population 10 times bigger than Scotland, England generally has the upper hand, but to a Scotsman, these games mean everything. Its impossible to separate them from the politics or the history of our complicated relationship (try and imagine Dallas week, if we really were all Native Americans and they really were the descendants of European settlers).

In 1990 Scotland had spent 11 years suffering as their traditional industries were destroyed by the policies of an uncaring government in London that only a tiny minority of Scots had voted for. Its fair to say that the sight of the suave and sophisticated English rugby team, coming to Edinburgh, very publicly assuming victory was a formality, was very, very strong motivation.

That England team were fast and skilful, with great running and handling skills and a moviestar young captain who had led them to stunning victories in all 3 of their games that season. I hated them. Scotland on the other hand were hard and gritty and determined and had squeaked narrow victories in all their games too. Everything was on the line in the final match of the season

The match was like watching the 85 Bears play the 2007 Patriots. After an almost unbelievable build up (I had queued up for 11 hours overnight for my ticket) that had wound up nationalist fervour to fever pitch, the Scots hurled themselves bodily at the English. I can still remember the stunned look on the faces of the English players after 15 mins. This wasn't how it was meant to be going, they had conceded 6 points and Scotland we not co-operating with the top of the ground beautiful rugby that England wanted to play. At that point England made a fatal mistake, they abandoned their finesse game, instead they were drawn into an arm wrestle with the Scots, throwing away their speed and skill advantage. The game became a battle of wills and there was absolutely no doubt which team WANTED it more, Scotland won 13-7 and I cried like a baby for a full hour afterwards.

It was another 10 years before Scotland would beat England again, but by that time Scotland would have achieved a measure of political independence which now allows us to express our cultural differences in a more positive way. The 1990 Grand Slam match was more than a game, it wasn't the start of the process towards independence but it was a step along the path.


Apologies for getting a little carried away, its a slow night here!

 

[Miles Monroe]

#1
Sorry, no actual date except it was the summer of1965, twilight double, Yankees VS Detrot. The Yankees lost both games, but what made the event memorable was meeting Mickey Mantle on the field.

Late in the second game, my drunken uncle took this tired 4 year old to a seat behind the Yankee dug out, and told me to stand up when he called my name. As the inning ended, he called my name and I stood up as I was told to do. I was under his arm, and over the short wall next to the dug out before I knew what happened. He ran over to Mantle saying that I wanted to meet him. As he put me down, New Yorks finest were on us, but Mantle stopped the coppers from escorting us off the field long enough to shake my hand, pat me on the head, and say nice to meet ya kid.

#2
Also takes place at Yankee Stadium, but it was 9-26-71, and the Redskins had come to town. This was the day I became a Redskins fan for life. The Gmen were gettin plastered, and in the mezonine there were redskins fand slamming the old wooden seats chanting Redskiins... Redskins.... I joined in, which pisse off my uncle and his friends to the point that when my day went to the head, they bound and gagged me with jackets in a seat. Dad wasn't all too pleased, but only agreed to untie me if I moved far enough away from the group to cheer.

#3
July 11th, 1971, Madison Square Garden to see one of my boyhood hero's, "Evil" Knievel do his thing. I was hooked on auto racing and motorcyclin at a very young age, and this was the highlight of the summer for me. I was a huge fan, to the point my moto cross gear was identical to his.

#4
My first Redskins home game, Oct 07. While associated with a well known Redskins fan site, I had the distinct honor of covering the game that we dismantled the Lions. As an amateur photographer, shooting on the Redskins home field was a dream come true. Capturing Sean Taylor as he intercepted a ball was the highlight, as we lost him just a few weeks later. Meeting so many of the people I knew on line for many years was almost as much of a thrill.

#5
October 08, Riverdale Fl. Watching my daughter score the hat trick while playing on her High School soccer team. Sorry folks, proud papa can't be denied.

 

[Huly]

Lots of Clemson Bowl Games!

 

[Blondie]

1. The Gibbs Redskin win @ Texas Stadium.

2. Mavericks NBA Finals game

3, Several Cotton Bowl games........Texas A&M being the winner.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

How in the world did I forget that one!

I thought Sean was going to take that all the way. The walk out of Fedex after that game was amazing!!

The best part - I was sitting next to these two Cowboy fans who had been pretty decent all game, but they were starting to hoot and holler. "Game over, man!" Then the block, and ST gets the ball. Then a flag, and my heart sinks again, thinking its against us, then back on top cause its against the Cowboys, then the game is over. Amazing.

And I agree, the walk down the ramps was the best ever. Lost my voice and feeling in my hand (from high-fives, lol) on that walk!

 

[skinsfan44]

1) My first Washington Senators baseball game at RFK back in 1969 (Can't remember the date). It was against the California Angles.

2) My first regular season Redskins game at RFK on 9/15/85 against the Houston Oilers.

3) The 1987 NFC Championship game against the Minnesota Vikings. It was also my 28th Birthday that day.

4) The 1991 NFC Championship game against the Detroit Lions.

5) The 2005 home game at FedEx Field against the Cowboys on 12/18 when we whipped their ass 35-7.

Honorable Mention:

1) The "Blocked field goal game" against the Cowboys on 11/5/2006.

2) The Arizona Cardinals game in Tempe, AZ on 12/11/05 where us Redskins fans took over the stadium. It was easily 60 percent Redskins fans there and our group from Redskin-Roadtrips had 80 seats in one end zone and we started the "We Want Dallas" chant that got the whole stadium singing it as time expired on the 17-13 win.

3) The 2008 ceremony and HOF game in Canton, OH. Redskins Nation's finest hour. Enough said.

 

[Sarge]

I was at the Seat cushion game vs Atlanta

In either 84 or 85 a friend and I bought cheap seats for Wimbledon. Somehow we ran into a Brit that was leaving because the British guy had been eliminated and she wasn't interested in seeing anyone else. She asked if we wanted her tickets, so we took them. Turns out they were centre court seats and we got to watch John McEnroe win the title.

 

[Neophyte]

So what does it say about you when the most memorable sporting event you have attended is the Sugar Bowl and the team you were routing for lost (UVa v Tennessee in 91 I think it was)?

#2 would be the Lakers and Jazz while on a ski vacation in Utah back when Showtime was still running. Magic, Kareem, and the boys. Way fun...

I need to get our more.

 

[Burl]

1. The blocked field goal game. I was back in the cave seats. Leaning up against that fence watching and listening to the crowd as they rolled out was an amazing feeling.

2. The HOF game and ceremony. My buddy who is a Raider fan came with me and stood and applauded for Monk's entire ovation along with all of the Redskins fans. He knew how much he meant to us. Colt's good game was a nice bonus.

3. The come back against the Panthers when Tim Biakabatuka was running wild in the first half, and they stopped using him for some reason.

4. I don't remember the team the Cubs were playing, but seeing Ryne Sandberg hit a homer and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame with Harry Caray (as part of the crowd, not in the booth) before he passed away.

5. My first Blackhawks game when they played the Hurricanes in Greensboro, NC.

 

[Henry]

1. The last Redskins playoff victory. 27-13 over Detroit at FedEx in 1999. Come to think of it, that's the last time I've been to a Redskins win. Sigh.

2. Game Four of the 1978 NBA Eastern Conference finals. Bullets 121, Sixers 105. I remember my dad saying "If we win this game we only have to win one more" and thinking "well shouldn't we be going to THAT game then?" Sue me. I was 8.

.... That's about it, actually. I haven't been to a lot of 'important' games.

 

[LegionOfDoom]

1. My very first Redskins game 1982 NFC Championship game. I don't remember the details of the game but just being in the place you couldn't help but to be a fan! I was hooked completely. Years later my Pops told me he wanted me there so I wouldn't be like him...a team flip flopper!

2. Canton Ohio for the Hall of Fame induction of D. Green and A. Monk. Simply one of the finest sporting event days of all time!

3. My first game as a season ticket holder 2007 against the Dolphins.

4. Week 10 of the 2007 season against the Eagles. It was the last game I saw Sean Taylor play.

5. Wizards playoff game against the Bulls in 2005. I never saw the Verizon center as packed and energized for the Wizards ever.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Canton was one of the best weekends of my life - I didn't consider it a sporting event, I was thinking games. But yeah, it definitely takes the top spot for me. The 4 minute ovation felt like an hour, and was pure magic. Great people, great tailgating, and seeing the best man to ever wear a jersey finally get his due - still gives me tingles to this day.

 

[Huly]

Canton was one of the best weekends of my life - I didn't consider it a sporting event, I was thinking games. But yeah, it definitely takes the top spot for me. The 4 minute ovation felt like an hour, and was pure magic. Great people, great tailgating, and seeing the best man to ever wear a jersey finally get his due - still gives me tingles to this day.

I do have to agree with you on this one.

A saddest but most memorable is the ST memorial

 

[Mark The Homer]

I was at the Seat cushion game vs Atlanta

Yes.

It's hard to nail down 5. But as far as pure emotion goes, #1 is the seat cushion game for me too.

We pretty much dominated that game - but we dominated all season, so it was par for the course. The game was really more a celebration of greatness than a contest.

When those yellow seats came cascading down, I cried. It was mass euphoria, unequalled by anything I've ever experienced. I had never felt anything like that before. And I acknowleged that to myself at the time, as it happened.

I said to myself "Mark, you will never experience this feeling again."