My Top Ten
Lefty wrote about his favorite moments at Giant games and it made me think about the great sporting events I’ve attended in my almost 54 years. I’ve definitely seen some classics, enough that the Brian Johnson game and Will Clark up the middle off Mitch Williams didn’t make the top ten. Here they are:
10 - Joe DiMaggio’s last homerun. It was in a Yankee old-timer game in the late sixties, but Joe himself was in his late fifties. They gave him an extra pitch to swing at, and he showed that long, sweet swing and put one into the left field bleachers at the Stadium. Now that I’m approaching the age that Joe hit that homer, it’s even more impressive.
9 - The Knicks score the last 16 points of a game in 1971 (or so) to beat the Alcindor-led Bucks by a point.
8 - Games 2 and 3, 1975 NBA finals. Both games were come from behind wins over the Bullets on the way to a sweep. The games were played in the Cow Palace because the Oakland Arena was booked for a circus, or ice dancing, or what not. To this day, the greatest Cinderella team in pro sports history.
7 - Steve Young gets the monkey off his back as the Niners beat the Cowboys in the 1995 NFC championship game. That was the loudest outdoor event I’ve ever attended.
6 -Mets pennant clincher, 1969. Al Polak and I cut school to go to see the game. I saw Mr. O’Connell, my track coach there. It’s not as if he could turn us in for ditching school.
5 - Affirmed wins the Belmont, 1978 by a nose over Alydar. The last triple crown. I’ve still got an uncashed win ticket on him in mint condition.
4 - The Play. I saw it, but had no idea what the hell was going on.
3 - Jim Bunning’s perfect game, Fathers’ Day, 1964. It was the first game of a double header. With two outs in the first inning of the second game, a Met walked and got a standing ovation. This was the first game I ever personally bought the tickets for.
2 - Secretariat wins the Belmont, 1973 by 31 lengths. Broke the track record by over 2 seconds. The first triple crown in 25 years. And to commemorate it, the 2-5 exacta paid over $50.
1 - Warriors win the western conference, 1975, game 7 against the Bulls. The loudest event I’ve ever attended. They came back from 19 down to win it and go on to the finals against the Bullets. I’d pay real money to get a tape of that game. Al Attles said it was the greatest game he’s ever seen, and he was there when Wilt scored 100. In fact, he and Wilt hold the record for most points in a game by a pair of teammates – 117.
Some day I’ll write about meeting the Three Stooges.
posted by PEFACommish at 5:10 PM
1 Comments:
I thought I'd list the Top 5 sporting events that I attended and, interestingly enough 3 of them involve family members:
#5 - In 1972, my freshman year at Cal, A bunch of friends and I hiked up to Cheapskate Hill behind Memorial Stadium to take in the Big Game along with mass quantities of adult beverages. Cal was behind the entire game until the last play. .. . .a pass from Vince Ferragamo to the left corner of the end zone to Steve Sweeney to beat Stanford. Unfortunately, the left corner of the endzone is the only spot from my vantage point that could not be seen, so I saw the pass made, then I waited for the roar of the crowd. Amazing. . .. . . as was the rest of that night, what little of it that I can remember.
#4 - January 20, 1985, Stanford Stadium, 49ers maul the Dolphins and their Golden By, Dan Marino in the Super Bowl. This was by far the Niners best team up and down the lineup. Just so completely solid. What made this so interesting is that I almost could not go to this game. My wife was pregnant with my second son, Scott, and her due date was imminent. During this period, there was a 2 week break between the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl. My son had the good sense and timing to be born 4 days after the NFC Championship game on January 10, 1985 (exactly 3 years to the day after "The Catch") and 10 days before the Super Bowl which allowed enough time to get everyone home and settled so that I could use my tickets. Whew! As a postscript, I am still waiting for him to show that same sense and good timing again. Perhaps some day.........
#3 - In May of 2004, UC Santa Barbara beats Colorado State University 8-7 to win their first National Championship in collegiate club lacrosse. My eldest son, Ryan, proves that he "basically doesn't suck" by leading his team to a 24-1 record while garnering WCLL Defensive Player of the Year, 2nd team National All-American and 1st team National All-Tournament at goalie. The National Tournament was held in Fenton, Missouri that year which is interesting only to Kenny9, who noted that the National Beer Can Collectors of America offices are located there.
#2 - In May of 2005, UC Santa Barbara beats Sonoma State University (their bitter rivals from the same conference which made it all that more sweet) by a score of 8-7 to capture a 2nd National Championship in two years. They were the first and only team to accomplish this feat. The tournament this year was held in Blaine, Minnesota and was played in bitter cold, the coldest May 13th in 105 years of weather recordkeeping in Minnesota. Interesting moment during the game, UCSB was protecting an 8-7 lead with 3:37 to go and went into a zone defense which totally confounded their opposition. UCSB never got the ball back during this period, but kept the Sonoma State offense at bay the whole time. With 0:37 to go, a loose ball on the ground attracted a number of players to try and retrieve it. For some reason, Ryan left the goal to try to gain possession. During the scrum the Sonoma player gained possession and broke in the clear with an open net in front of him. For some reason, the whistle blows and play stops. The Sonoma head coach had called time out at possibly the worst time!! While running over to the sidelines, Ryan passes by the coach and points to him and says "thank you" .........and also possibly, "that's a shame."
#1 - After attending every 49er home game with my Dad since the 1967 season and him attending every one since their inception, January 10, 1982 became a watershed moment for all Niner fans. Candlestick Park...NFC Championshp Game....49ers v. Dallas.....with 0:52 seconds remaining in the game and on 3rd down, Joe Montana drifts towards the right to try to hit Freddie Solomon in the end zone, but he was not open. Keeping drifting towards the right sideline while also backpedaling with Ed "Too Tall" Jones in pursuit and pumping the pass more than once, he lofts a dying quail to the back of the end zone only to have Dwight CLark seemingly come out of nowhere and elevating over Everson Walls to make "The Catch." What an electric moment! To this day, when I see replays it still runs chills down my spine remembering the feeling at that moment. I remember looking at the guy who occupied the seats in front of us, who had been going to games as long as my Dad, in tears bawling like a kid, but with the biggest grin on his face. I don't think I will ever have another moment at a sporting event like that.
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