Thursday, September 14, 2006

CFB Thursday Mania: Maryland at WVA

UPDATE (1:50 p.m.): If you haven't checked out the Comment section to this post (and added your own entry), you're missing out. It is INCREDIBLE. See the end of this post. -- D.S.

(Looking for today's Quickie-ish Wrap? It's two posts down, or here's a direct link. )

How do I know it's a slow news day? Because I got 800 words out of the West Virginia game tonight. I guess I'm very serious about promoting them; they deserve it.

FINALLY: A chance for the entire country to see what a juggernaut the 'Eers are.

If I was WVA, I would show no mercy on Maryland, running up the score and essentially FORCING poll voters to respect them. (And I say that as a Maryland sympathizer.*)

WVA arguably has the best and/or most dominant and/or most telegenic offense in college football this season. It is the "spread" as it should be run.

(When I was in Gainesville, I heard some local talk radio caller questioning whether the spread can work in the SEC. Well, my fine cracker friend, it seemed to work just fine as WVA ran it up on Georgia in the bowl game last year.)

Here's my prediction about WVA coach Rich Rodriguez:

It's going to take all of one WVA rout tomorrow night -- combined with one more Michigan shit-laying against Charlie Weis and Notre Dame -- to put Rodriguez at the top of every Michigan fan's list to coach the team next year, even if WVA doesn't end up in the BCS title game.

(I heard an awesome piece of inside dope a few weeks ago that Those Who Decide the Fate of Michigan Coaches have one non-"Michigan Family" name on their short list: Rodriguez. It made sense even before I heard that, but it's an interesting little piece of gossip.)

And I'm working on a parallel theory that, in addition to Michigan, the other most natural place for Rodriguez would be replacing Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Hiring the West Virginia coach seemed to work out just fine for FSU when they imported Bowden.

Oh, and WVA football fans are just about as jack-loony hillbilly partisans as you'll find. And I say that with the UTMOST respect and appreciation. (Seriously, please don't hurt me.) They are THE most underrated fans in college football. As good as ANY of the more "celebrated" fan bases.

Cripes, if there was to be a 64-team single-elimination battle royale to determine the biggest ass-kicking fans in college football, I'd put my money on the WVA fans. Because THEY SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME. In a fun way!

-- D.S.

* -- Maryland? You might be confused, as I have also professed to be a Florida and Northwestern fan. Let me clarify the record, for those of you entering the story late:

Northwestern: I went there for college and, consequently, have an alumni's rabid passion for football and hoops. NU's run to the Rose Bowl in 1995 remains in the Top 3 greatest events of my life. It used to be No. 1, but was bumped for Marriage and Birth-of-child.

(Who else agrees that the "What's the Greatest Event in Your Life?" discussion should include the caveat "Besides marriage and birth of children, if applicable." Maybe the question should simply be "What's the Greatest SPORTS Event in Your Life?" In that case, NU going to the Rose Bowl remains No. 1.)

Northwestern basketball continues to give me tsurris.

Florida: I became a huge fan when I met my wife, who is from Gainesville (contrary to popular myth, she did not GO to Florida, although most of her extended family did). I almost instantly adopted the Gators as my most closely followed team in football and hoops. (That worked out nicely last March.)

Maryland: I grew up in suburban DC on the Maryland side as a huge Terps basketball fan. (Terps football? Not so much. It was never that big of a deal... maybe because the team sucked. College football culture in D.C. is pretty weak, probably because the NFL culture is so dominant. College hoops culture, however, is VERY strong, given the ACC influence.)

I appreciate your patience as I self-indulgently attempt to explain away how I root for 3 different college teams, to varying degrees.

Let me spark the Comments by asking this: I just told you MY favorite sports moment of my life. What's yours? Seriously: I really AM curious. Those of you who ever participated in my "Morning Quickie" chat on ESPN.com know that readers' own opinions are really important to me.

-- D.S.

126 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woodson's punt return against O State.

Ted Hill said...

Josh Beckett's final out of Game 6 of the 2003 World Series.

Anonymous said...

Grey Cup 1994. BC Lions over the Baltimore Stallions! Saw it in person.

Anonymous said...

first barbaro now liriano, please stop making predictions

Anonymous said...

I went to Lehigh vs. Lafayette football game in 2004. Oldest rivalry in college sports and I got so wasted before the game that I blacked out and don't remember anything inside the stadium. Allegedly, though, I fell down a flight of concrete stairs. Also, one of my friends went back to his car and slept for the hole game cuz he lost us when he went to the bathroom. That's probably my favoritest sports moment

Anonymous said...

Dan, mine is just like yours, the Rose Bowl, except mine was with Purdue in 2001. It was kinda eerie, in that the last time Purdue had gone to the Rose Bowl ('67), my parents were in college, and then they made it again when I was in college. Absolutely marvelous to be sitting in shirt sleeves on New Year's Day in California. Although they didn't win, it's easily the greatest sports moment of my life. I definitely can see why it's called "The Grandaddy of them all".

Anonymous said...

My favorite sports moment was when Ohio State beat ND in Columbus. The year escapes me, I was young. A guy that my mom works with went to OSU and had something to do with them when they won the Rose Bowl while he was there. Anyways they had an alumni tunnel for the team to run through. so we had on field pre game passes, just being youg, walking on the field at the 'Show, shaking Eddie George's hand, and getting my hand slapped by each memeber of the team as they ran through the tunnel. OSU dominated the domers, i rushed the field pretended to catch a TD in the endzone, and took a piece of the "O" turf home and kept it as long as i could. I will never remember that day. ever.

Anonymous said...

My favorite sports moment is tough, but it has to be the Red Sox winning the World Series on '04. Growing up as the only Sox fan in a Yankee family, it made my life basically.

I will say that UConn winning two national titles in basketball is a very close second. Mostly b/c family and friends...we all went there and we were all for the same team. Made it a little more fun having people there on the same page.

Anonymous said...

Cie Grant spinning Ken Dorsey to the ground to force the incomplete pass on the last play of the Fiesta Bowl.

Play ran in slow motion for me...probably even slower for Grant, as he was unblocked heading to Dorsey.

No other experience made my heart race like that.


(Although, in an odd twist that you can appreciate, the Kentucky Derby...with the passionate race announcer and the drama always gets me. So do World Cup games)

Anonymous said...

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D, MARYLAND WILL WIN!! Or at least we used to. When I was in college, we won the Nat'l Championship in basketball, went to the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl, and Peach Bowl.. it really doesn't get much better than that (if only the soccer guys could have won the cup when I was there, it would have been perfect). The best of all of those was the win.. sorry.. the schlacking of.. WVU at the Gator Bowl. Coming from a Pitt family, beating WVU is always great.. but its best to beat em when it hurts. Seeing it in person with WVU fans crying all around was even better. That's why tonight will be so sad!

But really, seeing the Steelers win the Super Bowl was amazing last year, even if it was only on TV. It was nice to know what our parents had been talking about all of those years.

Terry_Kelly said...

I'm a die-hard Steelers fan, so the easy choice would be the Super Bowl back in February. However, the Seattle whining kind of took away from it a little, and after they escaped Indy, it seemed like destiny, so I'm going a different way.
As much as I love the Steelers, I love baseball just as much. (And I say baseball because the Pirates haven't given me much to root for since Sid Bream.) So I'm going with the 2001 World Series. I have no affiliation for either team, except I absolutely hate the Yankees. During Game 7 I was visiting my brother in the hospital. When it went into the bottom of the ninth my dad and I decided to leave because we couldn't stand watching the Yankees win yeat another World Series. By the time we got in the car and turned the game on the radio, Rivera was throwing away the bunt into center field. Easily the best World Series I can remember (I was only 7 during the Braves-Twins series in '91) and the Yankees haven't won a World Series since.

(One special note about the bottom of the ninth. Midre Cummings scored the tying run - an ex-Pirate. Tony Womack drove in the tying run - an ex-Pirate. Jay Bell scored the winning run -yet another ex-Pirate.)

Anonymous said...

West Virginia’s close victory over Georgia in last year’s Sugar Bowl was more of an aberration than anything. Georgia fell asleep for the first quarter and got behind 28-0. They then proceeded to completely dominate the rest of the game and were about to march down the field and win when W.V. ran a beautiful fake punt that sealed their victory.

My point is that yes, the spread worked fine for one quarter against a very good SEC defense. Yes, Meyer’s offense in Florida can look good at times. But I don’t think it can work in the SEC over the long haul. SEC teams struggle with that offense occasionally (as well as the option) because they see it so little. Let Florida/W.V/etc. keep trying that crap and these SEC defenses will hand their asses to them.

Btw, West Virginia is mad overrated, as most teams with talent at the skill positions who win an impressive bowl game are. They will lose at least two games this year.

Also, enjoy the blog, how do I become a registered user w/o having to get a blog of my own.

Anonymous said...

Watching Steve Yzerman hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time. While the success after that first cup lasted awhile, it was that first win in the 90's that still gives me chills.

Perks said...

This question is stacked. Is this "best sports moment (period)." or "best sports moment attended"?

If attended, I would have to say that because I'm a big college hoops fan- last year's final shot by Carl Elliot of GW against Charlotte on Senior Day when Scott Van Pelt was sitting with the student section DURING the charging of the court ranks number one.

For witnessing- easily the Sox coming back against they Yanks. Oh, maybe the Irish proving you (Dan included) wrong

Big D said...

Fav Sports moment:

I could (and probably should) take the easy way out here and just say Boston's 2004 run. As a die-hard, lifelong Red Sox fan, that would probably be the easiest thing, and no one would blame me for it (aside from the usual gagging response I get when I mention the '04 Sox).

But as a fan, my favorite single moment to watch was the Patriots' game, vs. the Dolphins, after Foxboro (and most of Massachusetts) was buried under a couple of feet of snow. Watching the fans just out there having fun, tossing snow up into the air in sync with Blur's "Song 2" and Gary Glitter and whatever that song is called, that was a great "moment".

Or Super Bowl XVI, Vinateri beating the Rams, me drunk off my ass in college, staring at the screen in disbelief, wondering how the hell the PATRIOTS, of all teams, could actually win the Super Bowl...

Anonymous said...

my best sports moment was when I was getting a bj while watching Eddie Murray hit his 500th HR.

Anonymous said...

The Choke at the Doak

FSU scored 28 unanswered in the 4th quarter to tie UF (and later beat them in the Sugar Bowl...5th Quarter in the French Quarter), and actually had a chance to win the game if the ref's hadn't taken their sweet-ass time with the clock.

dawg gone round the world said...

#1 Winning the state championships in soccer back in HS. bar none, after all the work it took, #1 moment.


#2 David Greene to Michael Johnson to take the lead against Auburn in 2002, at Auburn, in one of the loudest moment ever in my life.

#3 Reggie Ball throwing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock on 4th down in Athens.

ok, #3 is just to poke fun at Reggie ball.

El Padrino said...

Wide Right, Scott Norwood

Anonymous said...

1985 Bears Football Season; I was 6 years old.

(Backstory)

During the 1984 season, i remember 2 games: Payton breaking Jim Brown's rushing record against the Saints and the Bears losing to the 49er's in the Conference Championships.

The 1985 season was the first full football season that i remember and i can still recall the scores of every single Bears game. At the time, i had never known a Bear's team to be a "loser" and i thought they would always be the best. That team was freaking awesome. Best. Team. Ever.

Corey said...

1. Texas A&M Big 12 Championship in '98. Sirr Parker's diving touchdown in the corner of the endzone in the second overtime. Next half-hour was sort of a blur, but our house was nearly destroyed due to the excitement.

2. 1990 Holiday Bowl - A&M's sheer destruction of Ty Detmer & BYU. BYU was top 10 team (maybe top 5?) and upset they had to play such a paltry team in A&M. Final Score: A&M 65, BYU 14.

3. 1992 NFC Championship: Jimmy Johnson guaranteed victory over the hated 49ers, and the Cowboys delivered, sending them back to the Super Bowl just 3 years from the horrible 1-15 season.

Anonymous said...

Round 1 of the 1996 NCAA Tournament: Princeton 43 UCLA 41, followed by thousands of Princeton students storming into the street shouting "F--- U, CLA"

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

Ohio State beating Miami (FL) or Cincinnati Reds sweeping the A's in the 1990 World Series.

McCoy said...

watching maryland win the 2002 national championship in person, 2 rows behind the basket. quality senior year.

Brien said...

I'll cheat a bit here and list three ... because all three are so close that, on any given day, and in any given mood, I'd list any one of them as the best:

1a) Game Six, 1980 World Series ... Phils end 97 years of waiting. (Cub fans now hold the record of waiting 98 years for a WS title)

1b) 2004 NFC Championship Game ... Eagles finally break the schneid, and a 24-year wait to get back to the SB is over. I actually cried after the clinching TD, realizing we were really, finally, going to win.

1c) NIU 19, Alabama 17 ... I sat in our Convocation Center with a few hundred others, watching the game on the video board. Beating The Tide, *in Tuscaloosa*, was one of the greatest football moments ever for me. That was the year NIU became the first non-BCS team to rank in the Top 15 in the BCS poll.

Brien

Anonymous said...

The 2003 Big 12 Championship game is definitely number one for me since I was there. We were given no chance against "one of the greatest teams of all time" and dominated the game.

The Packers SB in '96 being my number two.

Anonymous said...

DS - first let me say that I loved the Quickie and read it religiously. Like the new blog as well and with Google Reader it is always lets me know when you've made a post. As for my favorite sports moment, I could easily say the SB two years ago in Jax but I'll go back even further. December, 1984 - my first Eagles game...I was 6. I sat next to my Dad the entire game as I have for the last 22 years at every Eagles home game.

GO BIRDS!!!!

Anonymous said...

Robinson... at the buzzer... YES!

(first time since I enrolled that stanford beat arizona at maples)

Anonymous said...

i grew up in portland oregon and was a huge cubs fan (thank you wgn). when i was 16 my dad took my brother and i to chicago to see a 4-game series with the cardinals in late september. by the second game of a saturday twi-night double header most of the crowd had left and my brother and i snuck down to the front row right behind the cubs on-deck circle. bottom of the ninth, down by 2, 2 outs, 1 on and my personal jesus (ryne sandberg) hit a game tying home run off of lee smith. pure bliss.

i was also living in boston during the 2004 playoffs, and even though the cubs 2003 collapse was still stinging and i've never really cared for the red sox, i have to say it was pretty amazing to watch the 2004 alcs with my roommates who were all die-hard sox fans. for that week and a half the whole city felt so indescribably electric. i'm glad i was there.

whocares said...

Best moment: Auburn/ Alabama. Bo over the top.


And I agree with Joel's post. Everyone is ready to hand a shot at the NC to WVA based on last years performance in the bowl game. People seem to forget that it ended up being a 3 point game. UGA was stunned by them early, rebounded, and manhandled them. I give them all the credit for winning the game, but let's all ease up on them shall we?

I mean, this is one of their biggest games of the year and it's against freakin Maryland for Christ Sake!! You telling me beating the likes of Maryland should get you into the title game!!!

God I love college football. And I hate myself for loving it.

jason said...

I went to Game 5 of the 2001 ALCS at Yankee Stadium, and although one moment doesn't stand out, the way the crowd and the players reacted in the late innings when it became clear the Yanks were headed back to the WS was amazing, the loudest crowd I've ever been a part of. It was about two months after 9/11 and I guess it's cliche and lame to say it, but you could just feel everyone just pour all the energy and emotion of the last 8 weeks on the field.

And every moment of that World Series, even Gonzales' bloop single off Rivera. I've seen 4 World Series championships although the 2001 team came up short, that's my favorite Yankee team ever.

Anonymous said...

Home Slice,

As a huge bucs fan my #1 sports moment actually has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. It is when Ronde Barber faked the blitz then dropped into coverage and dooped the most overrated QB in history into throwing the game ending pick in the 2002 NFC Championship game. My favorite part was not the play, it was the silence that fell over the Vet as everyone inside the stadium knew it was over. That as well as the fact that was the last game ever played in that dump makes me feel warm and fuzzy everytime the memory crosses my mind.

UF 32 UT 13

Crabdogg

Anonymous said...

2003 alcs aaron boone's homer. i was in college and as boone made impact off of the worst knuckleball ever, i jumped out of the top bunk while my roommates jumped out of the bottom one. ]unintentional but completely warranted pile on in my dorm room. that followed by the all the yankee fans on campus doing a lap aroudn campus chanting *1918!*. oh yeah- i went to providence college in the heart of new england.

Anonymous said...

If my favorite moment as a sports fan was a team I didn't like not winning, I would feel like a failure as a sports fan. Luckily, I have lots of real, great moments to choose from. I think I'll go with Giants/Bills Superbowl.

Anonymous said...

Favorite moment...October 27, 2004.

John (Portland, ME)

Anonymous said...

1. Red Sox winning world series
2. patriots winning their first and the subsequent parade
3. umass beating uconn on national tv on 12/8/04

Anonymous said...

Favorite Sports Moment:

Bayern Munich winning the UEFA Champions League 2001 over CF Valencia on penalties, thus eradicating the memory of the tragic loss on Manchester United in the 1999 Final.

Anonymous said...

Best sports moments of my life are probably:

Uconn coming back to beat Duke in the semi final game in 2004, with Okafor blocking that last layup to end it.

Walking around Boston in 2003 the night Aaron Boone stuck a daggar in Red Sox fans hearts. No greater feeling than seeing Boston that frustrated. The next day was fantastic as well, because the whole city was completely lifeless.

I'd almost rather see the Red Sox lose to the Yankees in the playoffs than have them cop out and not make it at all like this year.

Anonymous said...

1. (Reserved for the Jets winning the Super Bowl in my lifetime)

2. George Washington defeating Maryland and Michigan State in successive days in 2004.

3. The Devils' first Stanley Cup in 1995.

Anonymous said...

My favorite sports moment is definitely Game 5 of the 2001 World Series. With his team down 2 runs with 2 outs in the 9th, Scott Brosius hit a 2 run homer to tie the game. This was 1 night after Tino Martinez had done the EXACT SAME THING. It really was an incredibly surreal moment, and I still remember running through the hallway of my dorm screaming to nobody in particular.

I imagine Yankee-haters don't have quite the same fondness for this that I do.

ToddTheJackass said...

Red Sox winning the World Series. I was in college, so the celebration was awesome.

Plus my dad is a Yankees fan, so it made it so, so much sweeter.

Adam said...

Attended: The 2002 SC Big 16 State Football Championship. One of my best friends nailed a field goal in overtime to give us the win. And the 2003 SC 4A State Basketball Championship. Another one of my good friends makes a jumper off a long rebound with 5 seconds to go to secure the win. Awesome senior year.

Watched: 1999 Ryder Cup. After Crenshaw's press conference the night before my Dad and I knew something special was going to happen. We watched every hole on Sunday. I will never forget Justin Leonard pouring in that putt and the whole team going nuts.

Phil O'Konski said...

Top 3 Sports Moments:

#1 - Minnesota Wild ending the career of Patrick Roy in game 7 of division playoffs. Obviously this would be usurped by the Wild raising the cup. But watching the almight Roy get completely schooled by Andrew Brunette in what was the slowest developing OT goal in the history of the NHL.

#2 - Minnesota Gophers win first NCAA hockey title in 25 years at XCel in front of 20k screaming fans in OT.. Nothing beats a game tying goal with less than 1 minute, then winning it in OT. Never has the M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A rouser chant been so loud.

#3 - Twins / Braves - Game 7. Why not #1 for me? I was working that night and only saw the 9th and 10th innings.

Anonymous said...

I have to divide this into individual sports, and in person/not in person.

Football - Steelers beating the Colts this year. Super Bowl win was anticlimactic after that.

Football (in attendance): Penn State 17, Ohio State 10. Student section "white-out". Anybody picking Troy Smith to win Heisman should watch a tape of that game and reconsider. Un-believeable. Subsequent Orange Bowl was a close second but we were expected to win that game so it wasn't the same.

Baseball (in attendance): Pirates 3, Astros 0, 1997. Cordova throws a no-hitter. In typical Pirates fashion, we cant score a run in regulation. Rincon comes on in 10th and keeps the no no going. Mark Smith then hits 3 run homer in bottom of 10th of the Aquafresh sign in Three Rivers. Game also briefly put the Buccos in first place. Loudest I've ever heard a Pittsburgh baseball crowd.

Hockey: Penguins vs. Sabres Game 7 2001 Playoffs. Kasparaitis beats Hasek in OT. I was on the way back from prom in the limo listening on the radio. All the guys cheered and bumped our heads off the roof, and the girls instantly went to change the station.

Close second: Finding out the Pens had the rights to draft Sidney Crosby.

In attendance: Same playoffs, earlier round vs. Caps. 3-0 shutout for Moose Hedberg. Awesome atmosphere.

I hate basketball.

Anonymous said...

1972, Akron, Ohio. Akron St. Vincent High School (co-ed) merges with all-girls St. Mary's across town. St. V-M not only wins the FIRST Ohio state AA football championship that fall but Warren Western Reserve wins the fist state AAA (big school) championship. BOTH schools are from the SAME conference. What are the chances of that? WWR went undefeated that year. St. V-M? One loss - to WWR in the regular season. And yes, it is one and the same - Lebron's St. V_M.

Jimmy said...

During the 2001 season I was scheduled to go to one of Cal Ripken's last games. September 11th happened and the game I was scheduled to go to was cancelled. That entire week of games was added on to the end of the calendar and the game I went to ended up being his last game ever. I was born in 1981 and have been a Ripken fan for as long as I can remember. Going to his last game was the #3 highlight on my list (behind marriage and birth's of course).

whocares said...

Did I just see Arena Football in someone's top 3 moments of all times?

Seriously?

Anonymous said...

alright Shamoff lets see how bad for golf Tiger is now that he's out of the match play event, 100% chance ratings are way down this weekend.

Matt Hooper Presents said...

this is long, so bear with me. my greatest sports moment was one of my first, and it is rather obscure.

1993 division II national championship game. the first football game i was actually old enough to remember and care about the outcome. plus i was there with my dad, so it was a father-son, "lifetime" bonding thing.

Took place (and still does today) at tom braly stadium in florence, Ala. Our North Alabama Lions versus Indiana University of Pennsylvania (now IUPUI). overflow crowd. temperature: 30 degrees.

UNA trailed by 10 in the fourth when they blocked a punt, setting up a short TD drive. IUP countered with a three-and-out. UNA went five plays in 66 yards for a score (they ran the wishbone in '93) and took a 27-24 lead. Another IUP punt on their next drive led quickly to another UNA TD. 34-24 una leads with three minutes left in the game.

But on their next drive, IUP went 70 yards in nine plays in 1:23. (no shit, I'm looking at the box score) they got the touchdown and then recovered an onside kick. the indians followed the recovery with a six play drive in 1:07 for the gamw-tying touchdown. 34-34 with 0:47 remaining.

UNA (again a pure option team under former temple coach bobby wallace) takes a page out of the spread and PASSES the ball downfield to the one-yard line. QB sneak with 10 ticks left sealed the win, 41-34.

UNA went on to win two more consecutive titles, becoming the only NCAA scholarship football team to win 3 straight titles. the 1993 team was led by veteran LB ronald mckinnon.

so there you go.

Anonymous said...

As a fellow NU alum (albeit one who came in the post Rose Bowl application boom), this one is easy....November 2000, NU 54-Michigan 51, in one of the most ridiculous football games in NU history. After rushing the field, I went home and was physically too worn out to go out drinking and celebrating....just too much excitement from the game.

At night, I still dream of Anthony Thomas' fumble, and how awesome and yet eerily predictable it was - no game like that could have ended with Michigan running out the clock. There had to be a turnover, and it happened.

Matt Hooper Presents said...

and no ragging arena football. i worked for an arena team for five years in birmingham, ala. it really is something you should see live to appreciate. tv doesn't do it justice.

Anonymous said...

I have to also give a top three, because they're all pretty close:

a) Villanova women's basketball ending UConn's 70 game win streak and winning the big east tournament (March 11, 2003)

b) Baltimore Ravens winning the Super Bowl... proving you really CAN win the super bowl after 5 weeks of scoring no touchdowns. (January 28, 2001)

c) Villanova men's basketball dropping #2 kansas like a bad habit. (January 22, 2005)

I wanted to add something about the most recent 'nova men's basketball season, but it was taking me too long to pick a single game.

Mikepcfl said...

Maryland winning the 2002 NCAA Basketball Championship. I grew up living and dying with Maryland basketball. I cried the day Len Bias died. The team was the Red Sox of college basketball...they always got close and always lost in the most excruciating ways possible. There was always 1 team better (UNC or Duke). Then there was the 2001 season...the "gone in 60 secs" game and blowing a 20+ lead over Duke. But when I finally realized Maryland would beat Indiana to win the title, I couldnt even look up at the tv. The final minute of the game I kept my face buried in my hands, too overwhelmed to move or even think. But I will never forget Juan and Lonny hugging on the court. No moment in sports will ever match that for me.

Anonymous said...

1)Hitting a home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th on senior day at college;
2) getting the game winning, confernece title clinching RBI vs are arch rivials the year before;
3) Cie Grant/Ken Dorsey play to end the national championship game

Anonymous said...

Shoot, this isn't fair...I am from Cleveland for crying out loud! Should my favorite moment be "The Drive", "The Fumble", "The Shot by MJ", Jose Mesa blowing it in Game 7 of the World Series against the Marlins (it's his fault, not Tony Fernandez's)....I could go on and on! HAHA

My favorite sports moment was Ohio State beating Miami for the National Championship, but I wasn't there.

Nothing beats college football. It is so great tailgating and then going into a stadium with a zillion cheering fans. I went to Ohio University, so I never experienced this until after my college career.

My mom and I took a weekend bus trip to Notre Dame in 2000 and saw them beat Stanford. My husband and I went to the Ohio State-Penn State game in 2002 when Clarett was hurt before we were even in our seats and Chris Gamble's interception return was the only TD of the game. In '03 we were in Happy Valley when Mike Nugent kicked a FG to win it.

In 1997, I was in the front row of the bleachers at Jacobs Field when Jaret Wright beat the Yankees in the playoffs during his rookie season. That was a great game. My (now) sister in law and I were a little tipsy and kept yelling at Paul O'Neill. He flipped us off...classic.

Matt, I'm so jealous you shook Eddie George's hand. He's my all-time favorite Buckeye. We are going to Columbus next month and I hope to go to his new restaurant.

Am I the only "chick" here?

Brian said...

I was a freshman at Saint Joseph's when we went 27-0 and made the Elite Eight Run.

So my best sports moment was being at the 27th game at home against St. Bonaventure. The fieldhouse was louder and more packed than ever before, and ESPN's rare presence only made it better. Plus, I got to be in one of the intro's to EA's college basketball game the next season when they came to tape people shouting "It's in the game."

Unfortunately, my worst sports moments include witnessing the loss to Xavier in the A-10 tournament, and watching the Elite Eight game on TV.

Anonymous said...

(sidebar -- to Kevin way up at the top: I loved the Baltimore Stallions, definitely had season tickets. wow, i haven't thought about that team probably in years.)

Anonymous said...

greatest moment was watching bryan fail in high school in the most important woman's volleyball game in school history. All he had to do was set up the winning spike but he got nrevous and hit the ball over, he was rightly ridiculed mercilessly, and that lead up to his subsequent shirt selection. its just so ugly, like his face.

Damian said...

Being at the game when Ryne Sandberg announced his retirement (for the final time) and hit two bombs to win. Downside of his career but an incredible game.

Anonymous said...

anonymous who was in the Penn State "white out" last year...Troy Smith is so different this year.

Watch out, Lions.

Anonymous said...

Attending 1991 NCAA BB tournament first round games in both Cincinnati and Dayton. Saw 12 games in 4 days. Whew! Saw Miami (Ohio) nearly upset UNC in Cincy, Ohio State's Jim Jackson in Cincy, saw Huggins final 4 team in Dayton, Cincy fans going crazy in Dayton as UTEP upsets Midwest #1 seed Kansas. But the best, the absolute best, was Howard University's dancing mascot, the Blue Bison. The cheerleaders from all the schools were fun to watch (hey, 12 game in 4 days - you're eyes start to, um, wonder) but that Bison, that Bison could seriously dance!

Anonymous said...

Seattle Seahawks beating the Panthers in the NFC Championship game in Seattle. My ears were ringing for a full week and I had no voice for a couple days. Qwest Field that day was the most electric atmosphere I had ever been a part of

Anonymous said...

ucla's run to the final last year. it started with box seats at staples for the pac-10 tourney (care of a friend that works there and has keys), continued through adam morrison's dick vermeil impression, and ended with alfred aboya giving noah a full view of his crotch on that vicious dunk (i've erased all else about that game from my memory). maybe it'll be replaced this year by the football team's surprise over usc (that is, maybe we'll not let them cover the spread).

T-Mill said...

I've got a top 2.

1. When my high school went to the last Indiana HS basketball winner-take-all tournament final 4 in 1997 and I was a junior on the team.

2. Being a Junior at Purdue and going to the Rose Bowl, like Clinton from Indianapolis. I still get chills playing the Brees to Morales for the win over Ohio State on my computer. Being in the stands for that game, absolute bedlam! It was worth the trip out west even though we lost.

Anonymous said...

I have three:
1) Playing in the state basketball tournament in HS. The adrenaline rush of winning to get there was incredible.
2) Univ. of Washington capping off the perfect season by beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Mario Bailey doing the Heisman pose after scoring a TD to rub it in Desmond Howard's face was icing on the cake.
3) Being in the Kingdome when the Mariners beat the Yankees in the '95 Division Series was incredible. I still get chills remembering Griffey Jr. blazing around the bases on Edgar's double in the corner. The Kingdome almost exploded it was so loud.

Anonymous said...

1. NE vs. MO 1997 "The Catch" - from the opposite endzone, couldn't tell what happened. Didn't know until 2 hours later.
2. First game at Yankee Stadium
3. Playing Sandhills Golf Club in Mullen, NE.
4. NE vs. CO 1994 - 200th consecutive sellout. Talent-wise, CO should've won easily, but NE stomped them. That's why I always bet against Kordell Stewart in big games.
5. Pedro Martinez 1 hits KC. Sitting behind home plate, it was VERY impressive.

Sean said...

Steelers over Colts...what a roller coaster!!

JUBILANT - Steelers control the tempo for most of the game
CONCERNED - Colts stage a comeback
JUBILANT - Polamalu interception to win it.
JUBILANT - Replay to confirm it and let us cheer again.
CONCERNED - WHAT? Over-ruled?!?! How is that possible?
CONCERNED - Colts score (three point game).
CONCERNED - Colts get the ball back.
JUBILANT - Porter sacks Manning TWICE to ice the game.
CONCERNED - Bettis fumbles and who the hell is going to catch and tackle the DB?
JUBILANT - Big Ben makes the tackle and Indy still has work to do.
CONCERNED - Indy drives into field goal range.
JUBILANT - At least they didn't get the TD to win and we still have OT.
JUBILANT - He missed it! (said in tandum by Bettis, Cowher and Manning)

Agreed that the Super Bowl was anticlimactic after this game.

Close second - the year after the Pens won back-to-back cups and were supposed to be unbeatable and win another...OT loss to the Islanders...five hole...end of season.

Zach said...

As far as things witnessed in person:

Being at the Kingdome (and skipping school) to see Randy Johnson and the Mariners beat the California Angels 9-1 in a one-game playoff to earn the first playoff berth in team history.

Seeing Marques Tuiasosopo become the first, and still only, D1 player to compile 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in one game (against Stanford).

As for on TV,

Mariners winning Game 5 of the ALDS against the Yankees in 1995

The Rose Bowl win over Michigan in 1992 (1991 season) and the national title

Sonics beating the Jazz in Game 7 of the 1996 NBA WCF to earn a spot in the NBA Finals

Ken Griffey, Jr homering for the 8th straight game, back when the Mariners still sucked.

Anonymous said...

A couple stand out for me.
My freshman year of college at New Mexico State on my birthday, NMSU stuns then #18 Arizona State. Stuns not quite the word Shellacks is more like it, 35-7 trouncing of the Devils in Tempe.

Joe Montana vs. John Elway Halloween night Monday night football the two of them trading blows before Montana and the Chiefs won it late.

Also any of the Yankees post 2000 chokes especially '01 against the D-Backs and '04 against the Sox.

Anonymous said...

Its been fun reading everyone's comments!

Mine has to be the 1984 World Series, Tigers over Padres. I was 8 years old but it was the most memorable event related to sports in my childhood. Gibby's homer. The pitching. The best double play duo in baseball at the time in Tram and Whitaker. Those old Padres uniforms were something else too, eh?

In person, I've been part of a couple of college football games that were decided in the last seconds of the game that were pretty exciting. Most recently, Michigan over Penn State, last October.

Scott said...

My most recent great sports memory, the Monday night Cowboys/Redskins game last year when Brunell hit the 70 yard bomb to Santana Moss.

My wife was falling asleep (as most people were, including Terrence Newman and Roy Williams) and I threw my hands up and tears started coming down my face.

I have never seen a more beautiful throw in recent memory.

Anonymous said...

I only have to distinct moments that have really stood out and I have been fortunate enough to witness both in person:

1) Illinois' (my alma mater) comeback against Arizona two years ago in the elite eight. Just unbelievable, the place went from dead silent to the roof about to come off. Just unreal experience.

2.) Game 2 of last years world series. Not Pod's walkoff but Paulie's slam in the rain. The feeling in the park was electric and everyone just knew something big was about to happen and it did. I don't even remember seeing or hearing fireworks.

Jake C said...

1986, game 6...and NOT because of Bill Buckner's error (that is only a small part). It's because my dad is a Sawx fan, and I am a Mets fan.
At that point in the game, my dad was convinced it was over and went to use the bathroom (for a few minutes, not the short stop-in) before the end of the game.
Well, as we all know, Buckner had the infamous error, and there I was...banging on the bathroom door, yelling to my dad, "You'll never guess what happened!!! It's not over...the Mets will win...hurry up and get off the crapper!"
Ah, memories

Anonymous said...

Look, any Sox fan will give any number of moments from 2004. Lord knows I cried after Game 4.

So here's a bender for you: Amy Van Dyken winning the 100m fly in Atlanta in 1996. A shock-the-world touch-out win over a heavily favored Chinese swimmer, Limin Liu, AVD pratically jumped out of the pool after pulling off the win, then in the post-race interview on the deck looked into the camera and said that her win was for "all the nerds out there." HUGE moment for swimming, for women's sports and for kids watching who were ever made to feel miserable for their talents.

Unknown said...

1. Lance Armstrong winning the '99 Tour de France.

2. Syracuse winning the NCAA championship in basketball. Underdog in almost all games in tournament to pull it out.

3. Yanks 1978 World Series - (I was 12 and that was an incredible season).

4. Jets win Super Bowl LX in the year 2026.

Anonymous said...

Favorite game played in:
Winning the conference championships at home in my freshman year of college, cutting down the nets, and dumping the water cooler on my coach.

Favorite tv game:
Tate George's shot at the buzzer when UConn beat Clemson in the Sweet Sixteen in 1990. I was only 11, but that's the most excited I ever remember being about a game.

Favorite in person game:
Even though I'm a UConn fan, it had to be when George Mason beat them to go to the Final Four last year. Just watching those guys cut down the nets, especially Jim Larranaga, you could tell how hard they worked and how special the experience was to them. And the whole game was amazing, too, especially when UConn came back to send it into OT.

Anonymous said...

I remember the Amy Van Dyken moment, very nice moment.

But I thought she looked into the camera and said....

"..dis is fo da killas and da hun-ed dolla billas...ya heard"

Dan Shanoff said...

Can I just say that this comment string was INCREDIBLE!

I hope everyone enjoyed it, not just adding your own, but reading everyone else's.

This was great. I'm going to think of ways to do this type of stuff more often.

-- D.S.

Badass Of The Year said...

Wow good question, I may have to visit this topic more in depth on my blog at some point, but for now I'll try to narrow it down to top 4 in person and on TV:

In person, in no particular order:

#1 This past August in Canton for the enshrinement ceremony. Just one of those great lifetime moments, especially since 2 Cowboys went in. Rayfield got up there and his speech was like a sermon, can I get an amen? And Troy, so much love for Troy, #8 jerseys everywhere. When he started getting emotional in his speech and breaking up the crowd just lifted him up again. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.


#2 My first game at Madison Square Garden, Patrick Ewing's jersey retirement ceremony. I moved here after he had retired so I never got to see him play in the Garden, but on that night I did get to hear the announcer call out for one last time, "At Center, from Georgetown..." and the Knicks win in double OT. This was before Isaiah killed my soul.

#3 Games 6, 2004 ALCS, Schilling was god on the mound. Crispy cool October night, taunting Yankee fans in their house and seeing the greatest comeback ever.

#4 Monday Night Football, Parcells first game back to Giants stadium as the coach of the Cowboys. Not only was it a miracle come from behind win for my Cowboys, but I met Madden in the tunnel before the game. I was working the sidelines and got to rush the field to get postgame interviews. The locker room was buzzing after like we'd just won the division.

On TV:
#1 TX beating USC in the Rose Bowl.

#2 1992 Duke-Kentucky thriller

#3 The Cowboys beating the Steelers in our last Super Bowl. Not did that win give us the most SB rings, at the time. But that team such a finely tuned machine that we won a Super Bowl with Barry Switzer as our coach.

#4 LJ's 4 point play against the Pacers in the 1999 playoffs. Damn I miss those days.

jhawkjjm said...

Agree that best moment has to have the marriage and baby caviat. Top sports moments:

1. Sox coming back from 3-0 and THRASHING the Yanks in NY in game 7 (even more than winning the WS)

2. The Pats first Super Bowl win over the Rams. Was a GTA at KU and had lots of fun rubbing that one in to all my St Louis fans.

Worst moment: KU bball losing to Syracuse by 3 by shooting around 30% from the free thow line in the National Championship game.

darprice said...

Being from Michigan originally, my absolute favorite sports moment is when the Red Wings finally won the Stanley Cup.

Aside from that, when the Pistons first hoisted the NBA Championship in '89 was special and last, when the Tigers run, short of the series in '87 for personal reasons.

whocares said...

Undisputed #1:

Watching Kobayashi put down number 53.

I think Americans shed a collective tear that day.

Brien said...

As a junior at Bowling Green, a frat bro of mine that worked for the AD said there was a rumor that ESPN Game Day was gonna come to BG for the Northern Ill. game.

Dude, your best day was one of my worst (NIU alum, here). We'd beaten Maryland, Alabama, and Iowa State, and had gotten as high as #12 in the BCS poll. We'd just found out that our games at BGSU and at Toledo would be shown nationally on ESPN2.

We were flying high ... until we met Omar Jacobs. Boy, did the Falcons put a whuppin' on us in front of a national TV audience!!

However, those games, and that "MAC Daddy Weekend" that year where NIU, Toledo, Miami, Bowling Green, and Akron all beat BCS schools, really awakened folks to how good the MAC is.

Brien

darprice said...

Hmm, all those years of degrading hockey, and it seems Dan has a HOST of hockey fans.

Best attended moment - NHL All Star Weekend 2003. Won the trip, had a great time and truly enjoyed watching Dany Heatley score an obnoxious amount of times against my Western heroes. Best part - shootout. Most.Exciting.Finish - EVER.

Eric said...

My personal sports moment would be the Mad-City Ski Team (which I'm on) winning the 2004 National Championship. We won again this year, but '04 is special. First one for me.

From a spectator's perspective, it would be when the Packers beat San Fran on a Monday night game. 10/14/96. That was a big game for the Packers to win.

TJ said...

1 (a) Sitting in the band about 30 feet away from Corey Brewer as he made that impossible shot to give UF the lead over Georgetown in the Elite 8 game this year. Funny how no one seems to remember we were losing with about 30 seconds left. One of the more gut wrenching games I've been to, given the stakes.

(b) Playing in the band in a packed O'Dome on campus as we watched the game on a giant screen. I'd say between going to the Regional Finals and experiencing the Finals in G'ville (including the crazy massive party on University all night) I got almost as good a deal as the band people who got the Trip to the finals.

2. Getting home from a little league game in time to see the last 5 innings of the Cubs' 1998 One Game Playoff win over the Giants, including Mark Grace (my favorite player of all time) making the final out. I don't care that it was only on TV, I was 15 and baseball meant a little more to me than it should have.

3. Christening Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium with a UF win in the Zooker's final game. Once Chris Rix threw the final INT, all the FSU fans filed out so that after the game it was pretty much only Gator fans leaving the stadium. It was an awesome feeling, especially as payback for the year before.

James & Kristen Sharp said...

Manchester United scoring two goals in extra time vs. Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final to win 2-1.

Ben Bromley said...

My favorite sports memory is definately the William and Mary-Delaware football game in the 2004 I-AA (Championship Subdivision now) Playoffs. Seriously, if the game had been between Florida and FSU instead of William and Mary and Delaware, it would have been one of those games you always see on TV.

Delaware was the defending national champion at the time, and was up 21 points in the 3rd quarter. William and Mary scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, including a pick for a TD, to come back and tie the game. Both teams score in the 1st OT, sending it to a second OT. William and Mary scores a TD first, and then Delaware has its shot. The WM defense, notorious for being average at best, holds Delaware 4 times... but there's a penalty on the 4th down, giving Delaware 4 more shots to tie the game. On the second 4th down, a WM defender knocks the ball in the air and picks it off, ending the game, as William and Mary students rush the field.

Kevin said...

Game 7, 2001 World Series. Most of my friends were Yankee fans and I had adopted the D-Backs as my team before the season started.

I'm only 15, so it's not like I have a plethora of moments to choose from...

Juke Box Hero said...

Montana Tech vs Carroll College football games during Carroll's run to 4 straight NAIA national championships

Unknown said...

Best sports moment:
Red Wings Stanely Cup 1997
1984 World Series, Tigers Win

All State Academic Team in High School Cross Country. Yeah it may sound lame but after all the miles and the work we were all really proud.

CMFost said...

I can not really decide, it would be either Vinetari Kick to win the super bowl against the Rams or The Red Sox Winning the World Series. Oh wait forget that it is the Red Sox pulling the greatest comeback in the history of sports against the arch rival the yankees

CMFost said...

I am also going to add that my best sports moment that I was actually at the game is when the Boston bruins retired Phil Esposito's number and Ray Bourque made the incredibly callsy move of taking off jis jersey changing his number so phil's number could fully be retired

FreKy J said...

Greatest moment of my sports life. High school football playoffs. Nine seconds left in the game and my home team just gave up the go-ahead touchdown. Players on the sidelines are crying because they were a top team that was supposed to go deep into the playoffs. The first kickoff went out of bounds, and the coaches opted to have the team rekick, but now with only four seconds left in the game. Second attempt at the kickoff is a squib down the middle of the field. The kick returner mishandles the ball and it shoots through his legs and back another 15 yards. He scrambles back to go and get the ball, but the opposing team assumed that he would just dive on the ball, and were walking off the sidelines. He picks up the ball and starts to run with it to the opposite side of the field and runs untouched into the endzone. Touchdown. Game. Over. Pandemonium in the stands.

What makes it even sweeter is that a few weeks later, my home team goes on to win the state championship.

Mike McBride said...

Bobby Nystrom, OT winner 1980 Stanley Cup. I was not quite 12 years old. I've never stopped loving hockey, or the Islanders, (despite the absolute joke they've become) since.

Matt said...

My greatest sporting event memory has got to be watching Greg LeMond win the final time trial and the overall Tour de France in 1989. Parents and I were out at a Chili's, and I went into the bar to watch CBS's coverage on the TV. Even though it wasn't live, this was pre-internet, so I'm yelling at the TV along with the rest of the people in the bar, most of whom had probably never even seen a bike race. Fignon hit the line 8 seconds too late, and the bar exploded in cheers. Great times.

Anonymous said...

-vince young versus uscs defense.rose bowl 2006.

-the red sox winning the 2004 world series.

William Joseph said...

1. 1993 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup win

2. Joe Carter's game winning homerun

Marcus T said...

1.) Steelers - Colts from last year's playoffs. Being a Steeler fan during that game was the most nerve racking, traumatizing, and heart attack (literally) inducing thing I have ever witnessed in my life.

It started off good with a nice lead, but knowing Cowher, you knew the "play conservative and let the other team come back" strategy was going into full effect. Then it started...the long Dallas Clark TD where 3 Steelers missed a sure tackle, AHHHH...the Polamalu INT overturned, AHHHHHHHHHHHHH...the Bettis fumble, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!...the FG kick to tie....NO GOOD, HOLY F$&K S&*T, A$$!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO. WOW!

2.) Being a Pirate fan all my life (23 years) hasn't brought me too much joy, but there are three. The Francisco Cordova/Rincon no hitter against the Astros in the "freak show" year of '97 where we almost won a very bad NL Central.

The second one happening on my birthday, first game of a day-night double header against the Astros. I was in attendance of the first game. Down 8-2 in the bottom of the ninth w/ 2 outs and nobody on and coming back to win. Brian Giles capping it off with a walk-off grand slam. AMAZING.

Lastly, and I'm not sure how many non-Pirate fans remember this, but in 2004 during a double header against the Cubs, Rob Mackowiak hitting a walk off grandslam to win it in the first one, and then a 2 run homer to tie it in the 9th inning of the 2nd game. His son was born just that morning. Just an incredible night, I watched the Sportscenter highlight of that at least a million times that night/morning.

Whew, that was long, but I enjoyed typing it out.

Brien said...

Bobby Nystrom, OT winner 1980 Stanley Cup.

I refuse to acknowledge this goal, because the Isles were clearly offside on the game-tying goal.

Therefore, the Flyers won the game in regulation. And, much like Bill Simmons and Rocky 5 ... overtime never happened. I refuse to admit otherwise.

Yeah ... I'm still bitter.

Brien

davidgallo said...

Italy scoring in the last 3 minutes of this year's past world cup against Germany...I still get chills.

darprice said...

How about when Bill Sims leapt over all those Houston Oilers?

(Leapt over 1, stepped on next, leapt over a third and went down to the fourth)

Most.Spectacular.Run.

I was a young whipper-snapper, which is why it doesn't register as a top sports moment for me, but it still stands out in my mind as an incredible run.

Kedro said...

Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay over New England.

I grew up in Wisconsin suffering through Forrest Gregg and Lindy Infante's teams with Lynn Dickey, Randy Wright, and Don Majkowski at QB...but we always had NFL Films to remind us of the great teams of the past. Though I could listen to John Facenda describe Lambeau Field all day long, it was sweet to see the Packers win the SB in real-time. Even better to be watching the game in the Boston suburbs with my college roommates and their families, all Pats fans. The look of depression on their faces was priceless after the Pats' last TD when Desmond Howard ran back the ensuing kickoff to put the nail in the coffin. The cheese and sausage my dad shipped to me from WI for the game never tasted better.

Of course, nowadays I'm back to watching NFL Films.

erocking said...

The Miracle in Michigan. Colorado Buffalos down by 5 with 0:06 seconds left in the game. 64 yards from the end zone with no time outs. Kordell heaves a hail mary that bounces off Blake Anderson into Michael Westbrook's hands as he's being dragged down in the end zone by Ty Law. Colorado wins. Just incredible.

The Rev said...

I gotta jump on this one here...

My favorite sports moment is a bit unusual.

Seeing Rich Ashburn inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the same day as Mike Schmidt. I just loved that day. It meant a lot to Philadelphia after waiting too many years for him to get in.

My second favorite is actually seeing Ray Bourque touch the Stanley Cup for the first time. It really gave me chills. I loved Ray Bourque for a long time as a player.

As you can see, I like moments where someone finally gets redemption after a long time waiting.

Nick Lee said...

1991 World Series, game six, Kirby's home run. For an 11-year-old Minnesota boy, it was head and shoulders above every sports moment I'm likely to ever have.

Brien said...

As you can see, I like moments where someone finally gets redemption after a long time waiting.

If you live long enough ... you're gonna LOVE IT when the Cubs finally win the World Series :)

Brien (A Phils fan in Chicagoland)

Shaggy said...

Well I have some great moments I have seen on TV, but my Top 3 "live" sports moments are:

1. Allen Iverson crossing over MJ; it was incredible to see. Everybody, even MJ knew what was going to happen and yet AI pulled it off. The place went crazy. It was just absolutely bedlam.

2. As much as I hate to admit it, Eagles v. Dallas, in Dallas. T.O. went crazy that game and McNabb scrambled and threw that crazy bomb to Fred-Ex. We were all seated on the end zone side Donavan threw from and it was incredible to watch. To this day my Wife is upset she was in the ladies room for this play.

3. Don’t know if this qualifies as a Sports Moment, but shaking the hands of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Sammy Sosa with Harold Reynolds. There was an Achievement Ceremony where they all spoke. It was so cool to sit back have dinner and listen to those two legends talk about how the MLB when they played. And afterwards just being able to say hello and shake their hands. So cool.

Anonymous said...

Game 1, Mets-Yankees World Series, never spent so much energy in a game. O'Neill's epic battle against Armando Benitez, the Todd Zeile shot off the wall and Timo's poor baserunning, longest world series game ever (at the time). The idea of a Subway Series, Let's go Mets chants following Let's Go Yankees Chants. THe opening Yankees montage on the big screen made me cry. The best part was being there with my dad, looking at him after the montage, and seeing him crying too. Easily the gretaest sports moment of my life. What a game that was.

Writing By Committee said...

The New Orleans Saints winning their first playoff game against the St. Louis Rams.

xcdannon said...

i'm still waiting for that BIG sports moment for one of my teams...but so far

Attended: LeBron's first game in the NBA in Cleveland. My dad took me and my two brothers and it was great even though the cavs lost

Seen: Ohio State Men's Basketball upsetting #1 Illinois perfect regular season in 2005 on Matt Sylvester's three-pointer.

The 24-7 OSU win over Texas this past saturday was great and was more meaningful in the long run, but that basketball game had more thrill.

The heroin sheik said...

My top five sports moments are as follows.

#1 jacquez green's catch at the end of the uf fsu game in gainesville the year after we won the title. After the LSU loss the entire town seemed to feel shitty but when quezzy caught that pass and we scored moments later you could feel the magic return to the city. We might have had two losses but we beat FSU at home

#2 Game 5 NYY FLA. I hate the yankees but my older brother scored tickets so I drove down after work to see the game. The big screen showed this girl take her top off in the jacuzzi in the outfield. Awesome.

#3 Watching my little brother knock the shit out of Shaun King in a high school football game.

#4 About five yrs ago my buddy and I went to a braves d-rays game in st pete and we had tickets near the batters box about ten rows back. I yell to chipper jones "hows that illegitimate kid of yours" The next swing is a homer and when he comes to home he points at us.

#5 world cup finals 1994. I wasn't there but my neighbors were from brazil and had a huge party. I wound up having a threesome with probably the two hottest girls I will ever get to sleep with while watching the game. Even crazier is that the game was better than the sex which was pretty fucking amazing

Unknown said...

Attended: 2002 Texas Tech vs. Texas, interception on last play by Ryan Aycock to secure 42-38 Tech upset.

Watched: 2004 Holiday bowl against #9 Cal. Cal was complaining more than anyone I had ever seen about not making a BCS bowl game. And we SMEARED them by something like 20 points, and at one point had something like a 35 point lead.

I know, it's small time stuff, but everything life-changing is happening on the East and West coast, and I'm not there.

Eric Chase said...

Donovan Mcnabb holding the NFC Championship trophy over his head on a cold snowy Philadelhia day in January. As a 27 yr old life long Philly fan, it's the best I've got.

Unknown said...

1991 World Series games 6 and 7. As a young buck in South Dakota, I loved watching Kirby Puckett and Jack Morris win the series for the Twins.

MoL said...

A couple come to mind...

Men's 800 Freestyle relay in Athens. The US were going against a heavily favored (and loaded) Australian team. The US front-loaded the relay to give Klete Keller a substantial lead. Thorpe dove in and immediately began reeling him in. Keller, somehow, held on and out-touched the Aussies. This was payback from the 400 Free Relay in Sydney.

MSU v Kentucky 2OT thrililer in the 2005 Elite Eight. What a game!! Watching a team at a school I actually went to go to the Final Four was amazing. Add the fact that the women made the Final Four also..EL was rocking.

OSU/Miami...words don't justify this game.

#1 is reserved for a future date when a Cleveland team brings home a championship (ha ha).

Marcus T said...

Matt Hooper, I read your post about that Division II championship game. If by some miracle you see this, could you email me or IM me? My contact info is in my blogger acct. I have a few questions about that game. Thanks.

I just wanted to post a couple more moments, non-Pittsburgh related that I have since thought of. I have read all the moments hear and shocked to not see the LSU-Kentucky Hail Mary on here anywhere. I was watching that game with a group of friends during our drunken college football Saturdays. We all just fucking lost it. This was a hail mary that had to be caught AND run in, INSANE.

The last one which sticks out in my head as the all time blunder is the Saints lateralling the ball 7-8 times to score the touchdown, as time expired, to bring them within one. Only to see their kicker miss the extra point and lose the game.

Lucas Punkari said...

1)USC v. Notre Dame - 2005...Still the greatest game I have ever seen
2)Soo Greyhounds v. Peterborugh Petes - 1993 - Home town teams wins Canada's Junior hockey title at our home arena
3)Purdue v. Ohio State/NC State v. Florida State - 2003 - Both on the same day...when I became hooked on college football forever

Gary said...

It's hard to say what my favorite sports moment is.

My favorite sports year was 2004. I was at UConn for the year the Men and Women won the nat'l championships and the Red Sox won the World Series in the Fall. Great year. (not a Pats fan, so I don't take that into consideration)

My favorite live sports moment was being at game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. Bloody Sock Schilling at Yankee Stadium. It was amazing. The nervous energy in that place was palpable. I loved listening to WFAN on my way back to UConn and hearing all the Yankee fans nervous about losing game 7. It was a great day, and I only had to miss 4 classes to go!

CYGNUS003 said...

virgil said...

Well being from Cleveland, and born in the 70's, memorable sports moments are slim pickens(at least happy ones anyway. But trying to keep a positive frame of mind I would have to go with the Ohio State's 2002 National Championship.

Sean said...

Kirby Puckett's homerun in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series. Nothing else is even close.

Anonymous said...

Greatest Event Attended:
1.) 1994 - PSU vs. MSU in Happy Valley - last game of the undefeated season on the way to the Rose Bowl. It was over Thanksgiving weekend and it was the single coldest game I've ever been to...only the dedicated fans were there...it was electric. Ki-Jana Carter piles up 230 yards in limited duty in the blowout.

2.) I was a freshman in '94...when the Tom Osborne-loving media gave Nebraska the title over an undefeated and clearly dominant PSU team locked into the Big Ten Rose Bowl commitment. When Nebraska came to town in 2002 for Michaal Robinson's coming out party, Beaver Stadium was jumping with 108,000 people venting 8 years of pent-up angst. PSU wins 40-7.

3.) 2001 NBA All Star game - Iverson and Marbuy lead the East in an amazing comeback versus a vastly superior West team. Who says All Star games aren't competitve?

Greatest Moment Attended -
1.) The "LaVar Leap" - Arrington jumps the line vs. Illinois to stuff Elmer Hickman on 4th and 1.

2.) Courtney Brown records a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and a TD against Drew Brees at Purdue.

Greatest Moment Ever Watched:
1.) PSU over FSU in 3OT's in the Orange Bowl last year. As late as this game ended, it took me another 3 hours to get to sleep, the adrenaline was pumping so hard.

2.) Kerry Collins leads the Nittany Lions back from a 21 point 4th quarter deficit on the road against a stout Illinois defense featuring Simeon Rice and company to preserve the undefeated 1994 season. Every door in the dorms was open as every TV was on this game...people yelling room to room and down the hall...."WE ARE....PENN STATE" cheers....it was like being in the stadium while lying in bed...crazy....

3.) Art Monk passing Steve Largent on the all time receptions list - MNF vs. DEN. May not mean much now, but these were my first tears of joy as a young sports fan.

Honorable mention - PSU 17, OSU 10 - 2005. (as mentioned above)

DR said...

My all time best sports moment has to be two plays in one game. Knowing that I am a Twins fan, I'm sure you can guess the plays and the player. 1991 World Series, Game Six, Kirby Puckett, Game saving catch, game winning homer in extra innings. Also, Brett Favre press conference when he told the world about his drug and alcohol abuse has to rank pretty high.

Stormy said...
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Stormy said...

For elation - being in the stands as UVA knocked of FSU for the Noles first ACC loss ever.

For being witness to history - seeing Ryan Minor's name in the lineup instead of Cal Ripken at Camden Yards and watching Cal work the stadium like Clinton worked a room.

Hey Dan, don't forget the Big East's influence on basketball culture in the DC area back in the 80s. Having Georgetown bring St. John's, Villanova, Syracuse & BC to the Cap Centre played a huge role in the growth of college basketball. Back in the day - the ACC tournament was on channel 7, the Big East on channel 5, and if your mom was cool enough, you'd get to skip school on Friday to watch the afternoon quarterfinals of each tournament (back when they both finished on Sunday).

Details said...

Favorite sports moment is definitely Robin Ventura's grand slam single against the Braves in 2000 before the Mets folded in the Subway Series. One of my first memories was going so crazy when they won in 1986 that my father bought me a complete set of baseball cards the next year. 2000 was just wonderful. Hopefully they can top it this year