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01-11-2002, 10:43 PM
The baseball thread gave me the idea. What are the best things you have seen or gotten to do in person at sports events? Watching on TV doesn't count. Andy Fox may be way ahead with his World Series recollections and watching some games with his father. Significance of the event itself is not determinative. Anything memorable at some meaningless tilt can count if other factors are there. Mine are:


1977 AFC Championship. Broncos-Raiders at Mile High. It was very cold and people were letting us 10 year olds drink a little. Denver was totally crazy about the Broncos and they beat the dreaded Raiders. Just a year or two before I had seen a lot of the same players work out at a high school field near our house during a brief lockout. Ralston coached them and nobody ever figured they would win. 9-5 the year before was the best they had ever been. Red Miller took over and they went to the Super Bowl. My friend's dad wouldn't let us storm the field at the end and tear down the goalposts. Said we were too young for good old fashioned drunken vandalism. Not even that ruined it. Football has never been quite as good since that day.


Some Cubs-Cardinals game in about 1975 or so. A friend and client of my father had front row box seats right by the Cardinal's dugout at Wrigley. Cubs won somehow. We berated the Cardinal's pitcher Eric Rasmussen because he had changed his name from Harry. He didn't like it and heard us and even cussed at us. Saw Lou Brock trying to steal second up close. Another guy with us speared a foul ball and gave it to me. It would be better if I caught it but its on the bookshelf anyway.


Getting to play catch with Tony LaRussa on the field at Mile High before a game between the Iowa Oaks and Denver Bears. LaRussa had played for the Bears but was managing the Iowa Oaks. They were the White Sox AAA team and LaRussa went on to manage the White Sox not long after. Still have that dirty old minor league ball of course.

01-12-2002, 12:37 AM
Going to Fenway back during college days in the 70's, sneaking cans of beer past security (they fit nicely under the armpits and in the socks), sitting in the bleachers and jawing at Bob Montgomery, backup catcher, who responded in kind, a hell of a nice guy, and seeing Luis Tiant pitch.


First game ever at Fenway. I still remember clearly emerging from the darkened tunnel and seeing the glowing field. I think Sonny Seibert pitched that day although it may have been Earl Wilson--talk about a pitcher who could hit.


John

01-12-2002, 01:16 AM
I still remember my first live baseball game. Must have been 1960, maybe 1961. Walking through the dark tunnel to massive Yankee Stadium. The monuments were on the field in play then. First at bat, my hero hits a line drive home run left handed over the 467 sign in left center field. Next at bat, he bunts safely for a single with two strikes on him. What an athlete!


Not a lot beyond that. Nothing comes close, however, than seeing my son make a last second lay-up on a rebound to win a basketball game when he was 9 (2 years ago). His team had trailed the entire game and he had just missed two free throws with them down by one point (ouch!). Department of Recreation and Parks League; the win enabled them to finish 4-4. Not Mickey Mantle, not Yankee Stadium, not a World Series win, but far and away my best in-person sports moment.

01-12-2002, 01:24 AM
i was a little young to remember much. but going to ebbets field to watch the brooklyn dodgers and duke snider play ball.

and going to the polo grounds in north harlem to watch the new york giants play. never went to see the mets play there.

01-12-2002, 03:26 AM
1959 my dad took us to an exhibition game at the LA Coliseum between the Yankees and the Dodgers. It was a tribute to Roy Campanella who was wheelchair bound after an accident. After he addressed the crowd the lights were turned out and every one lit a match. While I don't remember much I can still see all the flickering lights. I had to look up some of the facts but attendance was some 93k. Its still the biggest crowd ever for a ballgame.

01-12-2002, 03:55 AM
I was in Toronto when the Bluejays won their first World Series. Magical moment !

01-12-2002, 05:29 AM
As a kid, I was an insane WWF wrestling fan. As my interest was waning and I got old enough, I decided to take a trip to see a WrestleMania and did it in 1992. I was in a third-row ringside seat for WrestleMania VIII in Indianapolis. The ticket cost me $125 but it was well worth it.


I had also attended many other WWF television tapings in Massachusetts.


Another interesting game I attended was Alex Rodriguez's major league debut at Fenway Park in 1994. I've still got the ticket receipt and hope to get it signed some day- so I can sell it on the Net for mucho $$$.

01-12-2002, 06:58 AM
Ok I have several.


Going to my first Major League baseball game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the late 50's with my Dad. The grass was so green.


Attending a Yankees game at Yankee stadium in the 60's.


Watching Sonny Seibert pitch a no hitter live.


Sitting in the bleachers at Municipal Stadium on a $0.10 beer night in the early 70's, watching streakers run across the field unabated between innings, seeing the Texas Rangers led by Billy Martin storm onto the field when a fan stole Jeff Burrughs hat, seeing a riot erupt on the field, seeing the riot squad called in and seeing Cleveland forfeit the game. It's not a high point but it's something I'll never forget. Some friends and I sat up in the bleachers drinking beer watching it all unfold.


Being at the stadium on the first Monday night broadcast ever between the Jets and the Browns. Joe Willie was so hot that night and the Jets outplayed the Browns but the Browns lucked out and won.


Watching all of the great Browns vs. Steelers games at the stadium.


Seeing Wilt and Oscar Robertson play live at the old Cleveland arena.


Watching the Cavs play in their early years in the old arena during my college years. Just had to take the Rapid Transit from school to the game. Could get $2.50 seats and they weren't too bad.


The last time I was in Cleveland during the early 80's for my sister's wedding. I went to a Cavs game with my brother. Two lucky people who bought programs had them signed by somebody I can't remember. The two lucky people got to square off in a free throw shooting contest at half time. I was one of the lucky ones. Some little girl around 12 years old was the other. I won and was literally booed off the court. Except that the section I was in got free pizzas so they were happy.

01-12-2002, 12:41 PM
circa 1985... the Browns need to win to be a wild card, the oilers are already in...


first pro game my wife has ever seen (i am a transplanted hillbilly, SHE is the REAL deal)...


anyways, in the nosebleed seats of the dawg pound with, stadium packed, must win to be in the playoffs, about 10 degrees, wind chill -10 or so...


down by a couple touchdowns at the half, 3rd quarter starts and it starts to snow, and seems to get a little warmer (could of been the whiskey, heh)... things start going the browns way, it keeps snowing, and the whole stadium seems to take on a magical mystical feeling (could of been something else, heh, just kidding, heh, not, heh, seriously, i was sober)...


well the browns take the lead, woohoo, but the oilers are driving into field goal range late in the game... warren moon drops back to pass and is sacked by a couple browns out of field goal range and 88,000 fans go completely bonkers....moon doesn't get up, more screaming, couple minutes more, moon still doesn't get up, and the crowd is ROARING, and then i had a feeling what it must of been like in the old roman gladiator days...here moon looked like he was dead for goodness sakes but to these fans all is fair in love or war i guess.i mean dang, i want to win the game and all but jeesh i don't want to see anyone seriously hurt and couldn't believe the crowd was rejoicing with such fervor...


...anyways, we won the game, made the play-offs, but had to play the oilers again the next week on their turf.moon recovered nicely during said week and kicked our butts....


but the wife and i saw a hell of a game...


i think i was 7 or so when Jim Brown retired at his peak and broke a lot of hearts...


I got to see lou groza and leroy kelley play, and paul warfield, before he was traded to miami, man that cat moved like a gazelle running his routes...


also got to see alot of kardiac kids games, and was at the rock crusher when sipe thru the interception at the goal line against oakland when all he had to do was kick the field goal and win the game... brutal loss

01-13-2002, 01:46 AM
When I was a kid my Aunt and her drunken husband took me to Sox park. I saw them play the Yankees, and saw Mickey Mantle and Rodger M...


I don't remember the game but the ride to the game I will never forget. My Uncle who was one of seven husbands my Aunt had, was blind drunk. He raced to the park at high speeds, driving on the wrong side of the road so he wouldn't need to deal with the traffic jam.


SPM,...and I lived to tell the story...

01-14-2002, 01:52 AM
I have alot.... although Im not sure what they will mean to yall /images/smile.gif


Nashwan winning the Derby 1989. A breathtaking thoroughbred: powerful, agile and sleek. And I bet him at 100-1 the year before to win the race /images/smile.gif


My team, Queens Park Rangers reaching the FA Cup final (Englands answer to the Superbowl I guess) we lost, but it was a day Ill remember til I die.


Trevor Sinclair scoring the best goal Ill ever see (again for QPR against Barnsley)


Les Ferdinand, just about the best player whose ever played for my team, signing the match magazine of my 8 year old nephew on his first visit to the ground. He is now a loyal supporter.


Graham Gooch scoring 333 for England against India.


Thats about it,


Cheers,


Keith

01-14-2002, 08:55 AM
No, we want to hear them. People's reaction to sport is similar even if the sports themselves are goofy like soccer or cricket. /images/smile.gif


P.S. I picked up a copy of Fever Pitch when I was in London. It is one of the best sports books I have read even though I knew nothing about your kind of football.

01-14-2002, 09:38 AM
HDPM,


On the advice of someone here, I also read Fever Pitch and it's wonderful--you don't have to be a fan of feetball.


John

01-14-2002, 03:32 PM
Two things come to mind for me.


I am a big Twins fan and many moons ago I was at the game Kenny Landreaux hit 3 triples. I believe it is still tied for a MLB record.


I am a big hockey fan and from Winnipeg. I was at the last WHA hockey game when the Jets won yet another WHA championship.


Ken Poklitar

ohKanada@hotmail.com

01-14-2002, 03:44 PM
@feetball.


We invented football... so perhaps gridiron (where the ball is usually in the hand anyways /images/smile.gif ) should find another name... handball maybe????


And Fever Pitch is truely a great book... best written on sports IMHO.


Cheers,


Keith

01-14-2002, 07:08 PM

01-16-2002, 12:37 AM
After all the posts about baseball, I've begun reading The Southpaw by Mark Harris, which, for some reason, I've avoided all these years. Although it's a great book, Fred Exley's A Fan's Notes is probably the best novel ever written about sports and obsession. Check it out.


John