1998: present for both McGwire's first on opening day and numbers sixty-nine (giggle) and seventy on the last day of the season.
2004: THE PUJOLS GAME~! July 20 at Wrigley. Cubs up 7-1 after two, 8-2 after three. Pujols GOES TO WORK. Three homers later, the Cards win 11-8, Cubs fall to ten back, and right afterwards on WGN Radio John Williams holds what amounted to a funeral for the team's division title hopes.
Wrestling-wise: Jericho's first "WCW" title victory over The Rock at No Mercy in 2001. Also, the last two WCW shows in St. Louis (Slamboree '99, Nitro one year later) before it went belly up.
Royal Rumble 2004 and Wrestlemania XX, so I got to see Benoit win the Rumble and then the belt. I was also at Survivor Series 2002 for the first Elimination Chamber match.
"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." -- George W. Bush, Good Morning America, September 1, 2005
"President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale." -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, February 6, 2006
1987 Providence beats Georgetown on a last second shot, first sign they were for real on their way to the Final Four. 1990 First Row behind the basket on Easter Sunday for Celtics/Knicks at the old Garden while on crutches. That was a real fun place to get around on crutches. Red Sox and Tigers get into a very impressive bench clearing brawl. 1991 Black Sunday when the Red Sox got within 1/2 game of Toronto and Reardon gives up an 0-2 home run to Roberto Kelly and then the scumbag Matt Young walks the ballpark in the 10th, then the team collapsed for 3 years. 1993 First time Roger Clemens was really boo'ed by the Fenway fans, as he helped conclude a horrid 13 game home span by making an emergency start on 3 days rest against Toronto and Dave Stewart, not lasting 3 innings. 1994 Red Sox home opener 1995 at Fenway the day McGwire took Zane Smith over the net 3 times. Also there that year when Mike MacFarlane beat the Yankees and Steve Howe with a walk-off homer on Mother's Day, the first indicator the Red Sox had awoken from their 3 year Butch Hobson hibernation. Also saw Tim Wakefield throw a 10 inning complete game, plus a bench clearing Red Sox/Yankees brawl on the night the Mick died when the Red Sox were in the process of winning 22 out of 24 to run away with the A.L. East. Probably went to about 200 games at Fenway between '89 and '96.
Believe it or not, I have something that I think qualifies for this thread. (Even though I am so totally not a sports fan.)
For our high school senior class trip, we went to the Twin Cities and saw the very last home game for the Minnesota North Stars hockey team. But that was a very long time ago, so I don't remember anything else.
Originally posted by TheBucsFanHere's another one:
When I was in high school, the two dominant football schools in the county were Palm Bay High and Rockledge High. Every year, the two teams opened the season against each other in a game that regularly draws like 12,000 fans. One season, both teams won state titles in their respective classes and the following year, Palm Bay opened the season ranked No. 3 (I think) in USA Today's national high school football poll. Rockledge was unranked. Rockledge was actually coming off back-to-back state titles and was on a 26-game winning streak.
The openeing kickoff gets returned 60 yards or so by Palm Bay, deep in Rockledge territory. Then, the first play from scrimmage is fumbled and Rockledge recovers, returning it 76 yards for a touchdown. That was the only score in a 7-0 game that saw some of the best defense I've ever seen in a high school game. One of the most intense events I've ever been to.
My school was the laughing stock of Brevard County for more than a decade, and Palm Bay beat us 77-0 two weeks later in their next game.
Lucky you. When I graduated from Palm Bay High in '94, our team sucked.
To stay on topic, kinda... I saw an INFAMOUS moment live - the very first nWo Nightcap in Tampa, FL, which was a week before Goldberg won the WCW title. (Main event was Goldberg vs. GLACIER by the way)
1992 SEC Tournament semi-finals and finals where we saw Kentucky's first steps back to reclaiming their right as THE best college basketball program in the nation. Plus, we saw the awesome Arkansas/Alabama tilt that had Oliver Miller & Todd Day v. Latrell Spreewell & James "Hollywood" Robinson. We snuck in to the post-game press conference after UK won the championship game and I still have a media packet envelope signed by everyone except Feldhaus and Farmer.
Every Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks since '94, and a few others before that.
Saw Ryne Sandberg get into the Cubs "walk-of-fame" in '94 or '95 as they played the Reds.
Was in Jacobs Field the night the Tribe clinched their first playoff berth since the 50's and if the Orioles had experienced a rainout that summer, it would have been the night Cal Ripken broke Lou Gherig's consecutive games streak.
As far as wrestling goes, we were at a Nitro in Cincinnati the night Rick Rude came out to participate in the show ending brawl despite appearing on the pre-taped Raw that same night.
It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them. P. G. Wodehouse (1881 - 1975), The Man Upstairs (1914)
1982-83: I got to see the San Diego Clippers. Yikes!
1983: I was there when Steve Garvey's 1027 consecutive game streak snapped when he tore a ligament in his thumb during game one of a double-header (remember those?) against Atlanta.
1984: I got to watch my Padres beat the Chicago Cubs in game 5 of the NLCS, finishing a comeback from two games down to win the series and their first NL Pennant, 3 games to 2. Nothing was better than getting my Opening Day tickets in 1985 that said "National League Champion San Diego Padres". I still wear my 1984 Padres hat whenever the Cubs are in town.
1986: I was there when SDSU beat BYU to win the WAC and go to the Holiday Bowl.
1991: I saw SDSU Freshman Marshall Faulk set a then NCAA record with 386 yards rushing against Pacific. He also scores 7 TD's.
2001: I saw Tony Gwynn's last hit, a pinch-hit double against the Colorado Rockies. I hope to be in Cooperstown next year for his Hall of Fame induction.
2003: I was there for the last two Padre games at San Diego-Jack Murphy-Qualcomm Stadium.
2006: I was at PETCO Park for the Semi-finals and Finals of the First World Baseball Classic.
And I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't mention that I was at Vengeance when Chris Jericho became the first WWF Undisputed Champion
(edited by mountinman44 on 8.5.06 1514) "If you can't believe what you read in the comic books, what can you believe?" -- Bullwinkle
December 19, 1999. Buffalo, NY; the Jets win the AFC East title on the last week of the season, and I'm one of roughly 20 Jets fans there. That's including Helmet-Guy, but he was sitting on the 50 in one of the lower sections, and I was up in the nosebleeds.
(edited by Lexus on 7.5.06 1554) Hold nothing sacred and you'll never be dissapointed. Especially not this statement.
Penguins/Sabres, Game 6, May 2001: Mario Lemieux scores Immaculate Deflection goal, Martin Straka wins it in overtime to send the series to game 7. Penguins/Flyers, March 1998: Darius Kasparaitis kapows Eric Lindros, knocking him out of the lineup with a concussion and kind of sending his career into a downward spiral.
Steelers/Colts, AFC Championship Game, January 1996. Harbaugh incomplete blah blah blah. Last Steelers game at Three Rivers Stadium. Steelers break Patriots' record winning streak in October '04.
Shawn Michaels/Razor Ramon ladder rematch, SummerSlam 95. Kurt Angle wins WWF Title at Unforgiven 2000. Chris Benoit/Triple H 60 minute iron man match in July 2004.
On this night, Byung-Hyun Kim began his transformation from star closer into the New York Yankees' personal bitch. Kim surrendered a two-run home run to Tino Martinez to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. (This exact scenario would be repeated the next night with Scott Brosius in Tino's place.) Kim also on this night surrendered a solo home run to Derek Jeter to win the game for the Yankees just as the clock turned to midnight (and with it, to the first instance of major league baseball being played in November in history).
smark/net attack Advisory System Status is: Elevated (Holds; July 5, 2005) It's good to see that the WWE isn't backing away from Batista or Cena. There's still some questions lingering over a few of the draft moves they either made or didn't make (Jericho being a prime example), but the stage is set for a solid run to Summerslam that may send the indicator down. The longer Triple H stays away is also a plus...
January 1992, the Royal Rumble, first PPV ever in Albany. Flair wins the battle royal, and the title. For three reasons:
1. It marked the first time I had EVER booed a face at a wrestling event, and I did it twice. First was for Dave Boy Smith early on in the match when he had Flair over his head for a press slam and didn't throw him out of the ring (I called him a retard), then for Hogan holding Sid Justice's (Vicious') arm on the outside towards the end of the match, which led to his elimination. 2. Ric Flair winning the world title. My 10-year-old mind was completely flipped when I saw Ric Flair, of all people, holding the WWF Title in victory. I was silent the rest of the night. 3. I started the required "weasel" chant at Heenan.
A distant second is RAW in Albany the night after Wrestlemania XIV (Austin's first championship reign; re-introduction of Sean Waltman and subsequent reboot of dX).
Went to a lot of Albany/Colonie Yankees games as a kid, which began my obsessive laughing at Jim Leyritz for shaking his ass before every swing.
(edited by Deputy Marshall on 8.5.06 0201) Loyal MFer...er....SPFer.
Originally posted by spfI saw Michael Jordan play basketball for the Chicago Bulls. IMO, anytime that happened is something I will remember and treasure.
Oh yeah, well I saw Michael Jordan play for the Birmingham Barons! Beat that :p
I also saw the epic battle between Kane and Chris Jericho that ended their coffee feud...
Originally posted by DrewDewce1992 SEC Tournament semi-finals and finals where we saw Kentucky's first steps back to reclaiming their right as THE best college basketball program in the nation. Plus, we saw the awesome Arkansas/Alabama tilt that had Oliver Miller & Todd Day v. Latrell Spreewell & James "Hollywood" Robinson. We snuck in to the post-game press conference after UK won the championship game and I still have a media packet envelope signed by everyone except Feldhaus and Farmer.
I'm jealous now. I did see Cameron Mills score 31 (I think) against Florida at Rupp in 1998.
I saw the 'Cats lose to MSU in the 1999 Elite 8 in St. Louis.
I saw myself get a double eagle in 1997, but that's only memorable to me.
University of Kentucky basketball isn't a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that.
November 1996, a college football game between UCLA and USC. A friend of mine just happened to get some tickets.
UCLA was down by 17 points entering into the 4th quarter, and came back to win the game in double overtime. Easily, the best football game I had ever seen - live or on television. At that point, I believe UCLA hadn't lost to USC in 15 years.
There's a not-so-funny story about the drive back to Santa Barbara after the game, involving someone falling asleep behind the wheel, dreaming, changing lanes, and waking up to "WAKE UP!! WAKE UP, DAMMIT!!"
But that's for another time.
(edited by Leroy on 9.5.06 0938) "Those of you who think you know everything are annoying to those of us who do." David Brent, The Office
"Oedipus ruined a great sex life by asking too many questions." Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
Because the United States is allegedly classless, we use other markers to tell people apart, such as race, jobs or income. Roger Ebert, Review for Kicking and Screaming (1995)
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