I went to the last NC game in the Rose Bowl (Miami blowout over an undeserving Neb), been to many good extra inning thriller baseball games, hit a few hockey games... but the best sporting event I have ever experienced would have to be a local Div II Basketball playoff.
CSUB Roadrunners had a great year and were capping off the season with a Western Playoff Final to see who would go play for the Div II championship on the other side of the country. The packed crowd was nuts because we were undefeated to that point, and the team was still playing in just a basic campus fieldhouse. Reggie Phillips was the team's big name and he could sky... but on this night some even further unknown guy gets on fire from 3-point land and goes like 14 for 14 from behind the arch. The team went on to beat Troy St. (their last year before going division I... it was a year after they beat some team like 258-140 in a crazy game) in the championship to end the season at a perfect 33-0. Reggie moved on to play some CBA and then joined the Globetrotters or something. The team now plays in a big arena and its just not the same.
OT: What was the greatest sports event you ever attended?
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pk500
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Correct you are. I should have said the first major international sporting event in the U.S. after 9/11.
Take care,
PK
Correct you are. I should have said the first major international sporting event in the U.S. after 9/11.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
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"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. took measure of his place in baseball history, and said, "I know that if Lou Gehrig is looking down on tonight's activities, he isn't concerned about someone playing one more consecutive game than he did. Instead, he's viewing tonight as just another example of what is good and right about the great American game." That evening, Ripken played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Gehrig's "unbreakable record."
and I was there. The longest, loudest, and craziest ovation I have ever heard in my life. Standing on Eutaw street, it was evident that not only was the entire ballpark standing and cheering, but the entire city was as well. Simply deafening. I've yet to see anything come close to the emotion (and I'm a RED SOX fan!). Even gotta give credit to John Tesh for the theme music that accompanied the unveiling of the 2131 banner.
and I was there. The longest, loudest, and craziest ovation I have ever heard in my life. Standing on Eutaw street, it was evident that not only was the entire ballpark standing and cheering, but the entire city was as well. Simply deafening. I've yet to see anything come close to the emotion (and I'm a RED SOX fan!). Even gotta give credit to John Tesh for the theme music that accompanied the unveiling of the 2131 banner.
Sport73
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
The final Phillies game at Veterans Stdium last year was awesome. The game itself was nothing special but the parade of teams after the game topped off by Tug MacGraw's emotional reenactment of the final out of the 1980 World Series. He was very weak from chemotherapy but gathered enough strength to leap off the mound....he died later that year from brain cancer. Very emotional day.
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jLp vAkEr0
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April 2003
Mets vs Expos (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan)
Sunday afternoon game. 1st time I saw a MLB game in person. A. Benitez gave up a solo shot in the 9th to O. Cabrera to tie it at 1 and José Vidro won it the 10th with a HR. Electric atmosfere, our own countryman winning it with a HR in front of his people. Couldn't explain the feeling it even if I tried.
Week later, went to see the Braves play the Expos.. Blah...
August 2002
2nd day of Tournament of the America's bball tournament (Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan)
Skipped work to watch a full day of basketball. Argentina beating Uruguay, Brazil beating Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico lost to Canada and in the nightcap, USA's Dream Team walloped the Dominican Republic. Amazing to watch NBA players upclose. VC and Tmac were spectacular. A dunk clinic.
Mets vs Expos (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan)
Sunday afternoon game. 1st time I saw a MLB game in person. A. Benitez gave up a solo shot in the 9th to O. Cabrera to tie it at 1 and José Vidro won it the 10th with a HR. Electric atmosfere, our own countryman winning it with a HR in front of his people. Couldn't explain the feeling it even if I tried.
Week later, went to see the Braves play the Expos.. Blah...
August 2002
2nd day of Tournament of the America's bball tournament (Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan)
Skipped work to watch a full day of basketball. Argentina beating Uruguay, Brazil beating Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico lost to Canada and in the nightcap, USA's Dream Team walloped the Dominican Republic. Amazing to watch NBA players upclose. VC and Tmac were spectacular. A dunk clinic.
I think it was Game 6 that the Blue Jays clinched their first world series vs the braves(sorry db, lol).
They showed the game on the jumbotron @ skydome as the game was in Atlanta. Watching the game on "tv" with 40 000 other fans was pretty crazy. We all spilled out onto the field and went nuts. I was sliding into 2nd base, running in center field pretending to do that D. White catch against the wall. Watching a big a$$ tv with 40 000 other jay fans while altered is a trip that is for sure!
d.
They showed the game on the jumbotron @ skydome as the game was in Atlanta. Watching the game on "tv" with 40 000 other fans was pretty crazy. We all spilled out onto the field and went nuts. I was sliding into 2nd base, running in center field pretending to do that D. White catch against the wall. Watching a big a$$ tv with 40 000 other jay fans while altered is a trip that is for sure!
d.
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dbdynsty25
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Did anyone investigate Thurman Thomas?Badgun wrote:Super Bowl XXVIII in the Georgia Dome, January, 1994.
My Cowboys are down 13-6 to Buffalo at halftime, but come back to win 30-13. I sat right behind Tony Casillas' family and he came up in the stands after the game and was high fiving and hugging everyone.
Very good post. Tough one for me but I would have to say 1975 Fiesta Bowl. Upstart ASU was playing Nebraska and of course Nebraska was heavily favored. ASU beat them thanks to Coach Kush's son kicking the game winning field goal. ASU finished season 11-0 and finished #2 behind Oklahoma 
Must say that the Nebraska fans showed total class after the game.
Must say that the Nebraska fans showed total class after the game.
1) 1996 Olympics Track and Field Atlanta (8/1/1996) - Michael Johnson decimates the world record in the 200m taking his 2nd gold on the way to 3. Carl Lewis caps off his 16 year international career with an unprecedented 4th Long Jump gold at the age of 35 giving him 9 total Olympic golds in his career. Haile Gebrselassie(Ethiopia) and Paul Tergat(Kenya) wage a war for 25 laps in the 10,000m. We were sitting in the midst of the Ethiopian fans who went absolutely nuts when Haile unleashed his last lap kick to win. Really amazing night.
2) 1984 US Olympic Trials LA - Carl Lewis sets the stage for winning 4 golds at the LA Games and tying Jesse Owens record. Many still believe the US trials were a harder test for Lewis than the actual games were. Edwin Moses continues his dominance of the 400 hurdles. Earl Jones and Johnny Gray single handedly change the way the 800m is run.
3) 1988 Olympic Trials Indianapolis - FloJo sets record after record wearing outrageous outfits of her own making. Who knows if she had "help", but at the time it was magic and FloJo owned the crowd at that meet.
4) 1991 Indy 500 - Rick Mears 4th win tying AJ Foyt and Al Unser Sr. Battle with Michael Andretti over the last several laps is what Indy is about. Sitting in the first turn and seeing each back and forth pass between them. My two favorite drivers at the time, I was at a loss as who to pull for. Rick for his 4th and most likely final win, or Michael for his first. I opted for Rick, figuring Mikey had plenty of shots left. Doh! I could probably list several 500's from the 70's or 80's but this one stands out.
5) 2000 USGP F1 Indianapolis - Just like Paul described. I had been to the Speedway many times through the 70's, 80's, and 90's, but that crowd was something special. Sitting huddled with the masses in the rain, drinking a Foster's Oil Can and knowing that the race was going to go off rain or shine was something I had never had the joy of experiencing at Indy.
I had been an F1 fan for many years, but always had to follow it through magazines, newspapers, internet, TV, etc., but now I was finally getting to witness the "circus" in person. Driving into Speedway first day of practice I remember rolling my window down when we were still a mile or two away and the sound of the F1 cars screaming down the frontstrech was amazing.
6) 2002 Indy 500 - Virtually all of the best drivers and teams finally back at the greatest spectacle in racing. A great race overall with lots of leaders and players from both sides. Will always be distinguished by the controversy and the confusing way the thing was handled in the month that followed, but for 198 laps it was an awesome race. For the first time in many 500's, I actually never left my seat from start to finish. Witnessed "the pass" first hand. The sad thing is that who knows just how great that last lap could have been if there had not been a yellow.
7) 1984 NCAA Basketball Tourney East Regional Semifinals Atlanta - Indiana Hoosiers stun top-seeded Tar Heels in what would be Michael Jordan's last college game. Freshman Steve Alford scores 27 points for IU and is ice from the free-throw line. This game may as well have been a UNC home game. My brother and I were lone IU fans in a sea of blue and we took abuse most of the game, but by the end we were dishing it back out. I was in high school, he was in elementary school. I am surprised we made it out alive. Probably the only sporting event I have attended where I may have acted like an ass, but it was deserved by then and I was trying to protect my younger brother. Have hated UNC ever since.
8 ) 1994 Brickyard 400 - Seeing Jeff Gordon win in front of the adopted "home" crowd was pretty cool. I was a big Gordon fan at the time as I had followed his sprint car career and this was before he had legions of haters. This crowd was definitely on Jeff's side on this day. The Bodine brothers took each other out right in front of us when they both had cars capable of the win. This actually started a family feud that lasted for some time.
9) Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears Nov. 23, 1980 Atlanta - I grew up a Bears fan and Walter Payton was the man. Memorable because it was the only time I saw "Sweetness" live.
10) 1979 US Clay Court Championships Indianapolis - Saw Connors, McEnroe, Vilas, Lendl. In the final Connors defeated Vilas, who was my favorite at the time along with Borg. Connors was in his prime, McEnroe and Lendl were still kind of the young upstarts. There was a cool vibe there. A few weeks later, McEnroe would win his first US Open title at the age of 20.
2) 1984 US Olympic Trials LA - Carl Lewis sets the stage for winning 4 golds at the LA Games and tying Jesse Owens record. Many still believe the US trials were a harder test for Lewis than the actual games were. Edwin Moses continues his dominance of the 400 hurdles. Earl Jones and Johnny Gray single handedly change the way the 800m is run.
3) 1988 Olympic Trials Indianapolis - FloJo sets record after record wearing outrageous outfits of her own making. Who knows if she had "help", but at the time it was magic and FloJo owned the crowd at that meet.
4) 1991 Indy 500 - Rick Mears 4th win tying AJ Foyt and Al Unser Sr. Battle with Michael Andretti over the last several laps is what Indy is about. Sitting in the first turn and seeing each back and forth pass between them. My two favorite drivers at the time, I was at a loss as who to pull for. Rick for his 4th and most likely final win, or Michael for his first. I opted for Rick, figuring Mikey had plenty of shots left. Doh! I could probably list several 500's from the 70's or 80's but this one stands out.
5) 2000 USGP F1 Indianapolis - Just like Paul described. I had been to the Speedway many times through the 70's, 80's, and 90's, but that crowd was something special. Sitting huddled with the masses in the rain, drinking a Foster's Oil Can and knowing that the race was going to go off rain or shine was something I had never had the joy of experiencing at Indy.
I had been an F1 fan for many years, but always had to follow it through magazines, newspapers, internet, TV, etc., but now I was finally getting to witness the "circus" in person. Driving into Speedway first day of practice I remember rolling my window down when we were still a mile or two away and the sound of the F1 cars screaming down the frontstrech was amazing.6) 2002 Indy 500 - Virtually all of the best drivers and teams finally back at the greatest spectacle in racing. A great race overall with lots of leaders and players from both sides. Will always be distinguished by the controversy and the confusing way the thing was handled in the month that followed, but for 198 laps it was an awesome race. For the first time in many 500's, I actually never left my seat from start to finish. Witnessed "the pass" first hand. The sad thing is that who knows just how great that last lap could have been if there had not been a yellow.
7) 1984 NCAA Basketball Tourney East Regional Semifinals Atlanta - Indiana Hoosiers stun top-seeded Tar Heels in what would be Michael Jordan's last college game. Freshman Steve Alford scores 27 points for IU and is ice from the free-throw line. This game may as well have been a UNC home game. My brother and I were lone IU fans in a sea of blue and we took abuse most of the game, but by the end we were dishing it back out. I was in high school, he was in elementary school. I am surprised we made it out alive. Probably the only sporting event I have attended where I may have acted like an ass, but it was deserved by then and I was trying to protect my younger brother. Have hated UNC ever since.
8 ) 1994 Brickyard 400 - Seeing Jeff Gordon win in front of the adopted "home" crowd was pretty cool. I was a big Gordon fan at the time as I had followed his sprint car career and this was before he had legions of haters. This crowd was definitely on Jeff's side on this day. The Bodine brothers took each other out right in front of us when they both had cars capable of the win. This actually started a family feud that lasted for some time.
9) Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears Nov. 23, 1980 Atlanta - I grew up a Bears fan and Walter Payton was the man. Memorable because it was the only time I saw "Sweetness" live.
10) 1979 US Clay Court Championships Indianapolis - Saw Connors, McEnroe, Vilas, Lendl. In the final Connors defeated Vilas, who was my favorite at the time along with Borg. Connors was in his prime, McEnroe and Lendl were still kind of the young upstarts. There was a cool vibe there. A few weeks later, McEnroe would win his first US Open title at the age of 20.
Last edited by DChaps on Sun Sep 12, 2004 6:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Game 4, 1995 Eastern Conference finals. Antonio Davis gave my school some tickets, and Rik Smits hits a game-winning buzzer beater to win the game. This is the (not really) infamous Anfernee Hardaway "pinwheel" game, where he complained to the refs and they were outlawed from that point forward.
Game 3, 2002 ALDS. Twins win the game mostly due to an A's defensive implosion. First home playoff game for the Twins since Jack Morris' 10-inning masterpiece. Unbelievable noise and excitement in the crowd that day with the Homer Hankies waving for most of the game. Went to game 3 of the ALCS and even though the Twins won 2-1, the crowd wasn't nearly as rowdy.
I'll put another vote to the first USGP. Awesome build-up, awesome crowd. I was in the infield on a mound--still my "seat" of choice because of how close to the action it is. Totally different crowd.
The 94 Brickyard 400 was awesome as well. I remember going to the Goodyear official tire tests a couple years before the race; finally seeing the Cup cars on the track was cool. The novelty has definitely worn off for me, but the Gordon win put a storybook finish to the event.
Was it the 1992 Indy 500 qualifications where AJ Foyt abruptly announced his retirement? Not sure I've ever seen my Dad so shocked, his hero hanging it up even though he ran some of the fastest laps in morning warmup.
And a final racing one. Elkhart Lake 2000 CART event--my first as an "insider" so I was on the grid for the start, in the pit box, and all that jazz. Plus, I got a picture with Rick Mears that weekend.
Game 3, 2002 ALDS. Twins win the game mostly due to an A's defensive implosion. First home playoff game for the Twins since Jack Morris' 10-inning masterpiece. Unbelievable noise and excitement in the crowd that day with the Homer Hankies waving for most of the game. Went to game 3 of the ALCS and even though the Twins won 2-1, the crowd wasn't nearly as rowdy.
I'll put another vote to the first USGP. Awesome build-up, awesome crowd. I was in the infield on a mound--still my "seat" of choice because of how close to the action it is. Totally different crowd.
The 94 Brickyard 400 was awesome as well. I remember going to the Goodyear official tire tests a couple years before the race; finally seeing the Cup cars on the track was cool. The novelty has definitely worn off for me, but the Gordon win put a storybook finish to the event.
Was it the 1992 Indy 500 qualifications where AJ Foyt abruptly announced his retirement? Not sure I've ever seen my Dad so shocked, his hero hanging it up even though he ran some of the fastest laps in morning warmup.
And a final racing one. Elkhart Lake 2000 CART event--my first as an "insider" so I was on the grid for the start, in the pit box, and all that jazz. Plus, I got a picture with Rick Mears that weekend.
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paytonsplace
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Bears 12 Giants 9 Dec 17, 1977
It was the last game of the season. The Bears needed to beat the Giants to make it into the playoffs for the first time since 1963. I was ten years old and my Dad was taking me to my first Football game at Giants stadium in the Meadowlands. It was also Walter Paytons best year. In this final game, Payton had the chance to break the single season rushing record of 2003 yds.
The field was white with snow and ice. It was also very cold, but that did not matter to me. I was a crazy ten year old Bear fan who was finally going to see his team play (in a very important game as well).
Well the game was a struggle. There was an exchange of field goals and I believe the score was 3-3 at the half. I would not leave my seat during halftime. I imagine my Dad was getting concerned about how well I was doing in the cold, but I didn't even feel it. My adrenaline was racing as my mood swang with the fortunes of the Bears. Finally, the Bears scored a touchdown but missed the extra point (kicker Bob Thomas was having trouble in the snow). Bears 9 Giants 3. The Giants fought back and added 2 more field goals to tie the game and send it into overtime.
At this point something strange started to happen with the Giant fans sitting around me. They started rooting for the Bears. My Dad always said it was because of me. I imagine they saw this little kid all decked out in his Chicago Bears coat and hat rooting his guts out for the Bears and figured at least this kid will be happy if they win.
Overtime was crazy. Bob Thomas missed his first field goal attempt. I thought we had lost but then the Bears get it back and drive down for another field goal attempt. This time QB Bob Avellini bumbled the snap and then tried to toss a pass (at first I was confused, why are they doing a fake field goal ?, I thought) . The pass was dropped. My heart sank again. When the Giants got the ball back they tried to run out the clock in overtime because a tie would be just as good as a loss for the Bears i.e. they would miss the playoffs. However the Bears manage to get the ball back and drive it down the field again. This time, with 4 seconds left in OT Bob Thomas went for the FG. From my angle, I thought he missed it. Again my heart sank. But then the refs arms went up. It was GOOD!!!
For 5 quarters I sat in that seat and did not move. I could barely feel my feet as we walked out in the parking lot. But none of it mattered, I could not believe it. My Bears (losers since I started liking them) were going to the playoffs. Payton did not break the record. The Giants keyed on him all game (the snow didn't help either). Strangely enough Larry Czonka for the Giants gained 103 yds. None of that matterd though, my Bears won.
The field was white with snow and ice. It was also very cold, but that did not matter to me. I was a crazy ten year old Bear fan who was finally going to see his team play (in a very important game as well).
Well the game was a struggle. There was an exchange of field goals and I believe the score was 3-3 at the half. I would not leave my seat during halftime. I imagine my Dad was getting concerned about how well I was doing in the cold, but I didn't even feel it. My adrenaline was racing as my mood swang with the fortunes of the Bears. Finally, the Bears scored a touchdown but missed the extra point (kicker Bob Thomas was having trouble in the snow). Bears 9 Giants 3. The Giants fought back and added 2 more field goals to tie the game and send it into overtime.
At this point something strange started to happen with the Giant fans sitting around me. They started rooting for the Bears. My Dad always said it was because of me. I imagine they saw this little kid all decked out in his Chicago Bears coat and hat rooting his guts out for the Bears and figured at least this kid will be happy if they win.
Overtime was crazy. Bob Thomas missed his first field goal attempt. I thought we had lost but then the Bears get it back and drive down for another field goal attempt. This time QB Bob Avellini bumbled the snap and then tried to toss a pass (at first I was confused, why are they doing a fake field goal ?, I thought) . The pass was dropped. My heart sank again. When the Giants got the ball back they tried to run out the clock in overtime because a tie would be just as good as a loss for the Bears i.e. they would miss the playoffs. However the Bears manage to get the ball back and drive it down the field again. This time, with 4 seconds left in OT Bob Thomas went for the FG. From my angle, I thought he missed it. Again my heart sank. But then the refs arms went up. It was GOOD!!!
For 5 quarters I sat in that seat and did not move. I could barely feel my feet as we walked out in the parking lot. But none of it mattered, I could not believe it. My Bears (losers since I started liking them) were going to the playoffs. Payton did not break the record. The Giants keyed on him all game (the snow didn't help either). Strangely enough Larry Czonka for the Giants gained 103 yds. None of that matterd though, my Bears won.
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DivotMaker
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The 1980 Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.
I was a contestant in both the discus and shotput. I had never been to Hayward Field, but I quickly discovered that this was the absolute best venue I had ever experienced in all my Track and Field experiences. These fans were the most knowledgeable and expressive of ANY I had ever witnessed and this includes comparisons with over 15 European cities that regularly host Track and Field events.
What blew me away while competing in the discus finals was the reception that they gave current and former UO Ducks (like Mac Wilkins) but also EVERY competitor. During warmups, you could feel the electricity in the air, but it was not until the actual competition began that the true meaning of "interactive support" could be achieved. When Mac Wilkins entered the ring for his first throw, the crowd stoo in unison and began a rhythmic stomping on the wooden bleachers in the Hayward Field bleachers. It was unbelievable. Mac reacted by breaking the Olympic Trials record on his first throw and actually won with that throw. The reception for Al Oerter was also deafening as well as very supportive. I got so pumped up that I forgot about the butterflies and had the second best throw of my career there and ended up 7th as well as spending the summer of 1980 representing Nike in Europe as a reward. None of my experiences in Europe or anywhere else can match the sheer emotion and electricity of those 5 days in Eugene, Oregon.
I was a contestant in both the discus and shotput. I had never been to Hayward Field, but I quickly discovered that this was the absolute best venue I had ever experienced in all my Track and Field experiences. These fans were the most knowledgeable and expressive of ANY I had ever witnessed and this includes comparisons with over 15 European cities that regularly host Track and Field events.
What blew me away while competing in the discus finals was the reception that they gave current and former UO Ducks (like Mac Wilkins) but also EVERY competitor. During warmups, you could feel the electricity in the air, but it was not until the actual competition began that the true meaning of "interactive support" could be achieved. When Mac Wilkins entered the ring for his first throw, the crowd stoo in unison and began a rhythmic stomping on the wooden bleachers in the Hayward Field bleachers. It was unbelievable. Mac reacted by breaking the Olympic Trials record on his first throw and actually won with that throw. The reception for Al Oerter was also deafening as well as very supportive. I got so pumped up that I forgot about the butterflies and had the second best throw of my career there and ended up 7th as well as spending the summer of 1980 representing Nike in Europe as a reward. None of my experiences in Europe or anywhere else can match the sheer emotion and electricity of those 5 days in Eugene, Oregon.
Tudor started game 7 did he not? As I recall Tudor imploded rather quickly at St Louis brought in one hurler after another to no avail. Andujour probably did blow too as he had a short fuse. If I'm not mistaken you have Tudor confused with Bruce Suttor. He was the one who came in amd ended the Brew Crew's hopes of a world titleNo blueduke, Joaquin Andujar blew up in game 7 of the 85 series vs KC