Your favorite in-person sporting event

[dukemomLA]

As a sports fan, I wanted to hear stories and memories of your most memorable "I was there" sporting events.

Personally I contribute my three favorites. The WS's win of the Miracle Mets, and the USA Hockey Team in Lake Placid, and Secretariat at the Kentucky Derby.

Sure wish I had been there for "The Shot," and other DBB moments -- such as JWill's crush of Maryland, etc.

Any thoughts

[devildeac]

As a sports fan, I wanted to hear stories and memories of your most memorable "I was there" sporting events.

Personally I contribute my three favorites. The WS's win of the Miracle Mets, and the USA Hockey Team in Lake Placid, and Secretariat at the Kentucky Derby.

Sure wish I had been there for "The Shot," and other DBB moments -- such as JWill's crush of Maryland, etc.

Any thoughts

Just about any game in CIS-are there other sporting events:rolleyes::o;)?

[TillyGalore]

I have only witnessed two noteworthy events in sports history. The first Cal's induction in the HOF, and the second Coach K's 800th win.

As many others stated (no pun intended) about Coach's 800th win the State fans were pretty classless. That aside, during the wanning moments of the game, which was also my first ACC game, I kept thinking to myself a) Duke can't lose as I've never seen them lose and b) they can't lose as I'd love to see the State fans with their mouths shut after almost beating Duke. So glad Duke won that game. :D

[CameronBornAndBred]

Too many in Cameron to mention, so here are the non Duke BBall related...

Davis Cup - Winston Salem. I watched the Bryan brothers defeat the Spanish doubles' team to advance the US to the next round. Wildest tennis match I'd ever seen. The play itself was ok, but the atmosphere was crazy, people playing drums, cow bells, maracas. Everything you wouldn't associate with tennis.

US Open- Forest Hills. I come from a big tennis family, and my grandmother lives in Forest Hills, NY. I remember going every year to watch the open, seeing the greats of the day play over the hedgerows that divided the courts. I also remember meeting Mr. Peanut, the Planter's mascot. I've been to Flushing Meadows to see the matches, but Forest Hills will be my favorite.

Any Duke football game the last 10 years. Unlike the masses that will hopefully be showing up this year, and unlike the masses that were there even in Goldsmith's time (he started out a winner), I've been to every football game that I can possibly make it to. I've seen the gawd-awful drubbings, the very close to major upset games, and the occasional win.
It's been a quest, to see that team get some wins and some respect back. And one day 20 years from now when we've been to a few bowls, I can look back and say, with few others, that I was there during the worst.

[DukieInKansas]

Cameron was great but I haven't had the good fortune of making it there since graduation (mumble mumble) years ago.

I got to watch the Prologue of the 2003 Tour de France - the 100th anniversary of the first tour. Also stood on the corner near the site of the Bastille to watch the first stage go by. Including the introduction of the team on Friday night, the most sports fun I have seen in person in one weekend. I want to make it back for a mountain stage.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

As a sports fan, I wanted to hear stories and memories of your most memorable "I was there" sporting events.

Personally I contribute my three favorites. The WS's win of the Miracle Mets, and the USA Hockey Team in Lake Placid, and Secretariat at the Kentucky Derby.


DukemomLA, this thread revives one we had years ago on the "old" DBR boards!

I saw Secretariat win the 1973 Belmont Stakes to finish the triple crown. Only horse race I've ever been to. How could another possible compare?

I saw game 4 of the 1976 World Series at Yankee Stadium (Yanks were swept in 4).

I've been to four rounds of The Masters (Saturday and Sunday rounds in 1992 and 1993; Olazabal and Langer were the winners).

I've been to two Superbowls - 1971 in Miami (Colts over Dallas) and 1972 in New Orleans (Dallas over my Dolphins).

I've been to two Final Fours - 1986 in St. Louis and 1999 in Tampa. Grrrrrrrr...

The US Open at Pinehurst in both 1999 and 2005. A couple of rounds of each.

99% of the (men's) games in Cameron since 1982.

[DukeDude]

Duke's huge upset of UNLV in the 1991 national semifinals.

I also went to the Rose Bowl in 1995 and watched Penn State complete an undefeated non-championship season by beating Oregon.

Finally, I was there when tiny Lafayette College beat Notre Dame 83-68 in mens basketball in 1988. This doesn't beat watching some of Duke's wins in Cameron, but lots of people here have those same memories.

[dkbaseball]

That's some impressive trio dukemom. I was one of about 8,000 people in the stands for a meaningless regular season game in 1968 in which Reggie Smith made the greatest catch ever. Orders of magnitude more difficult than any other catch I've seen. You'd have to be a gymnast, like Smith, to have made it.

The 1967 Sugar Bowl, in which Alabama completed a perfect season, but didn't get the national championship, given to Notre Dame with a tie on their record. The tie was against Michigan State in a game that, for those too young to remember it, was by far the most hyped college football game of my lifetime.

Bo Jackson's first major league home run. Still, I believe, the longest hit in the Kansas City stadium.

[Bostondevil]

I've been to two Final Fours - 1986 in St. Louis and 1999 in Tampa.

Ozzie, please don't ever go to the Final Four again! Also, we could have met in '86 as I was at that Final Four too, only it was in Dallas, not St. Louis, Reunion Arena to be exact, the last 'smallish' arena to host the FF. Reunion Arena only seats 15,000 or so. The venues have to be much larger to win the event now.

Let's see, I was at the 'Mother's Day Miracle' in Fenway Park last year, 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Orioles. It was also number 2 son's 10th birthday. Very cool. This year for the youngest son's Make-A-Wish visit to Fenway Park (we met Youk!) the Sox won on a walkoff homer by Youkilis himself in 13 innings. Youngest son is a good luck charm but he takes his time about it. (When there's a walkoff, I refer to the gathering at home plate as a Home Scrum.) One last Fenway memory, Game 4 of the 2003 ALCS, the only one at Fenway that the Sox won, Wakefield pitched a masterpiece, thanks Wake. (It was my birthday and the best birthday present my husband ever gave me.)

Under the 'when in Rome' category, I went to an O's game in the summer of '85, Fred Lynn hit a walkoff in the bottom of the 9th with Ripken on base. I was leading the cheering. Actually, Ripken had been 0 for the game and I stood up when he batted in the 9th and yelled, "Ripken, I'm only here to see you hit, don't let me down!" It rallied the section to some raucous cheering, perhaps it helped.

I witnessed Bob Horner hit 4 home runs in a game, July 5th 1986 (it might have been July 6th).

I have to say, witnessing the Boston Marathon as a participant is pretty cool too, especially that last turn onto Boylston when you can see the banner at the finish line. It's still about a quarter mile away though so it seems like a LOOOOONG way at that point.

[dkbaseball]

I've been to two Final Fours - 1986 in St. Louis and 1999 in Tampa. Grrrrrrrr...

Ozzie, please don't go again. And here I always thought tired legs were the problem.

[rasputin]

NFC Championship game after the 1999 season, Rams beat Tampa Bay 11-6 on a last-minute touchdown pass caught by Ricky Proehl. Our seats are in the corner only 8 rows from the field, and the catch was in our corner. That was the season the Rams won it all.

1985 NLCS Game 5--Ozzie Smith's walk-off home run (the Jack Buck call, "Go crazy folks")

2001 NCAA finals--Dunleavy's threes sink Arizona

[greybeard]

The Willis Reed game, about 20 rows up, behind the Knick's bench.

Joe Willie Namath against Daryl Lamonica in the snow in the AFL Championship game that preceded the Jets' Superbowl win; a shoot out like no other;

The Garden in 63, Bradley against a Michigan St. team lead by Cazzie Russell, who at 6'6" was their smallest starter (well next to smallest); Princeton up by 10 with Bradley unstoppable except by the refs; he fouls out, so does Princeton. Best individual performance I ever saw in person in any sport.

It's been downhill since then. Oh, wait up, seeing (with my then 10-year old soccer-playing daugher) the US Women win the semis in the World Cup against Brazil in front of a sold out crowd at Fed Ex was pretty freakin amazing too, now that I think about it, maybe at the top.

[EarlJam]

As a sports fan, I wanted to hear stories and memories of your most memorable "I was there" sporting events.

Personally I contribute my three favorites. The WS's win of the Miracle Mets, and the USA Hockey Team in Lake Placid, and Secretariat at the Kentucky Derby.

Sure wish I had been there for "The Shot," and other DBB moments -- such as JWill's crush of Maryland, etc.

Any thoughts

Wow! You saw the hockey game of '80? Awesome!

-I honestly think seeing any game in Cameron remains uniquely special. I was there when J.J. lit Virginia up for 41 points (I think it was 41?).

-Saw Federer and Agassi in the finals of the U.S. Open in '95.

-My first major league ball game (with my dad). 1985, Memorial Stadium. I remember being so impressed with the outside of the stadium (I mean, it was the first "big-time" stadium I'd ever seen). Then, I remember being dissapointed or surprised by the size of the baseball field. I thought it would be huge.

-Duke vs. Maryland then UNC to win the ACC Championship in Atlanta in 2001.

-Previously that same year, Duke vs. Georgia Tech. Nothing really special about the game, but I got to sit on the floor as a stand-in photographer, writer for a friend of mine who covered the game. Got great shots of the players, including one of Boozer that was featured on DBR's main page.

-EarlJam vs. Roger Zorn in a 3.5 hour death match of tennis in '08. I was so upset after losing in the last set, that I totally blew off the press conference and ESPN's Jim Fargonni after the match. Probably cost me 10s if not $100 in endorsements.

-E.........J..........E.J. Hutten!

[Lavabe]

I saw Secretariat win the 1973 Belmont Stakes to finish the triple crown. Only horse race I've ever been to. How could another possible compare?

The Belmont: Affirmed vs. Alydar heads apart for the last 6.91268 furlongs.:D

[dukemomLA]

I don't often start a thread, but am glad I did.

You've brought so many memories to mind!! (...as those which I so sadly didn't witness in person).

PLEASE DBR folk, keep this thread going! Every post brings a great big smile to my face. Thanks!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Ozzie, please don't ever go to the Final Four again! Also, we could have met in '86 as I was at that Final Four too, only it was in Dallas, not St. Louis

Oh, jeez. I went to St. Louis in 78, not 86. Can't believe I made that mistake. Mea culpa.

Also, I went to the Orange Bowl in 1972 - Nebraska with Jeff Kinney vs. Alabama with Johnny "the Italian Stallioin" Musso for the National Championship. No contest - Nebraska killed them.

[Verga3]

One stands out. Hank Aaron's 713th home run on September 29, 1973. He was within 2 of tying Babe Ruth with 2 games left in the 1973 season. They had the Houston Astros in Fulton County Stadium for Saturday and Sunday games to end the season. The anticipation and ongoing drama was unforgettable, especially after he gets 713 on Saturday in his first at-bat. We thought we would surely be on hand as history was made. Alas, it would be April before he tied and broke the record.

When he came out to left field for the last time on Sunday several of us seated in left field stood to applaud and after a few moments he was tipping his cap to a rousing standing ovation. I still get chill bumps thinking about that moment.....especially knowing now all that he endured chasing Babe Ruth and history in that time.

[snowdenscold]

I had never seen it or heard of it before today - but I'm totally intrigued by chess-boxing now and would love to see it in person: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1821639,00.html?cnn=yes

[Cormac]

Having my picture taken with Battier at the 2000 Final Four in Indianapolis when he was there for one of the councils he was a member of. I got lucky and my dad and I saw him out walking to a hot dog cart and he was unbelievably friendly (just as you would expect him to be). I'm 5'9" so seeing me in a picture with an NBA player at 6'8" is kinda funny. Also, I watched Duke cut down the nets in 2001. That was awesome, especially sitting in a maryland section. Well, it wasn't cool for the first half of the semis, but it ended well!

For non-Duke moments, I remember at the 2000 final four when mateen cleaves returned to the game against florida after rolling his ankle big time and leaving the game. I've never heard a place cheer so loud in my life. It was incredible, seeing him up on the big screen while he was jogging down the tunnel, the whole place went nuts, both msu fans and nonfans alike.

[rsvman]

Basketball first.

1986 NCAA Championship game, Indiana versus Syracuse. That was the game in which Keith Smart made a baseline jumper in the last 2 seconds to give Indiana the win. What an awesome game. (It was the day before my Medicine final, so I should have been studying, but I passed the test anyway and obviously never regretted going to the game instead.)

This won't mean anything to anybody, but in 1977, I was in the audience when tiny, unheralded IDAHO STATE beat the mighty UCLA in a second-round NCAA tournament game. One of the biggest, baddest Cinderella upsets ever. Everybody in the crowd was hoarse by the time the game ended. (A bonus for me was that a friend of mine from high school played for Idaho State.)

Golf.

1992 US OPEN at Pebble Beach. Awesome spectacle.

[cf-62]

I wish the most amazing night of sports in my life was a Duke game, but it really wasn't. See below the list of Duke games for a night I'll never forget -- and never want to.

Duke games:
1) 1991 & 1992 Final Fours
2) Plethora of UNC games
* MY First UNC game in Cameron - 1986
* The first game in the Dean Dome
* The 2OT thriller with Capel's halfcourt shot
* Duke's 1st win in the Smith center
* Elton's comeback
3) The first and only time the NCAA tournament was in the Dean Dome, and DUKE was the ACC team playing there (before pods).
3) My (and Coach K's) First ACC Tournament Final against Ga. Tech - 1986
4) UConn Regional Final (Laettner I) in 1990
5) Tournament fun (Navy in 86, Temple and Georgetown in 88 & 89, Purdue in 94, and many more).

The ultimate spectator experience?

1993 - UNC / NC State in Reynolds
The original "Never Give Up" speech from Jimmy before the game when they honored the 83 NCAA champs. I'm crying as I write this. What a moment. What a man. The atmosphere during warm-ups was frenzied & electric. Then the 83 team comes out and everybody goes ape-****. Les Robinson keeps his guys on the floor to listen to Jimmy.

Then Valvano speaks. It's dead silent. You can hear the guy 5 seats down breathing. Half way through, nobody can breathe because we're choking back tears. When he finishes, the roar is indescribable. Like nothing I've ever heard in any other arena -- EVER! You wanted to go out and eat nails in your job -- and I was a programmer.

Less than a minute into the game, Tom Gugliotta hits a 3 -- and the place goes absolutely crazy! It's the only time I've been to a non-Duke game where I was hoarse for the next few days.

Of COURSE the Pack won!!!!!

1977 All-Star game in Yankee Stadium
The first game I went to with my dad. Tom Seaver (now playing for the hated Reds) comes in to pitch and (to my 9 year old mind) strikes out the side -- gets 3 5-minute Standing ovations -- the ovations and his reaction still give me chills

1978 - NY Cosmos game -- saw Pele score 2 goals

Wimbledon - 1982 & 1999
Saw Connors and Navratilova win on Court 2 in 82
Saw Agassi / Sampras Final on July 4 in 99

Ericsson Open - 2000
This is special because I was an Ericsson Marketing Manager working the event in charge of phone product marketing. We changed the corporate hospitality tent into an interactive hall-of-fame. Got to meet several tennis players and other luminaries like Bud Collins (and his wife -- nice sweet lady), got courtside seats to Agassi and Sampras matches, got skybox passes and pretty much had the run of the place.

1987 - Scab NFL game
Just a lot of fun -- no different than any other NFL game I've been to -- essentially a boring day of football -- 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out, long play -- score.

Barry Bonds AB's

I was lucky enough that every time I went to PacBell Park, Bonds hit one out and the giants won (couldn't care less about the latter).

But watching Bonds hit was awesome. He would literally get 1 pitch a game that was MAYBE just sort of close to a strike -- BAM!!!! There it goes. Regardless of where you stand on the steroids witch hunt that has enveloped our country's politics (for some reason), he was simply amazing to watch.

[dkbaseball]

I wish the most amazing night of sports in my life was a Duke game, but it really wasn't. See below the list of Duke games for a night I'll never forget -- and never want to.

Duke games:
1) 1991 & 1992 Final Fours
2) Plethora of UNC games
* MY First UNC game in Cameron - 1986
* The first game in the Dean Dome
* The 2OT thriller with Capel's halfcourt shot
* Duke's 1st win in the Smith center
* Elton's comeback
3) The first and only time the NCAA tournament was in the Dean Dome, and DUKE was the ACC team playing there (before pods).
3) My (and Coach K's) First ACC Tournament Final against Ga. Tech - 1986
4) UConn Regional Final (Laettner I) in 1990
5) Tournament fun (Navy in 86, Temple and Georgetown in 88 & 89, Purdue in 94, and many more).

The ultimate spectator experience?

1993 - UNC / NC State in Reynolds
The original "Never Give Up" speech from Jimmy before the game when they honored the 83 NCAA champs. I'm crying as I write this. What a moment. What a man. The atmosphere during warm-ups was frenzied & electric. Then the 83 team comes out and everybody goes ape-****. Les Robinson keeps his guys on the floor to listen to Jimmy.

Then Valvano speaks. It's dead silent. You can hear the guy 5 seats down breathing. Half way through, nobody can breathe because we're choking back tears. When he finishes, the roar is indescribable. Like nothing I've ever heard in any other arena -- EVER! You wanted to go out and eat nails in your job -- and I was a programmer.

Less than a minute into the game, Tom Gugliotta hits a 3 -- and the place goes absolutely crazy! It's the only time I've been to a non-Duke game where I was hoarse for the next few days.

Of COURSE the Pack won!!!!!

1977 All-Star game in Yankee Stadium
The first game I went to with my dad. Tom Seaver (now playing for the hated Reds) comes in to pitch and (to my 9 year old mind) strikes out the side -- gets 3 5-minute Standing ovations -- the ovations and his reaction still give me chills

1978 - NY Cosmos game -- saw Pele score 2 goals

Wimbledon - 1982 & 1999
Saw Connors and Navratilova win on Court 2 in 82
Saw Agassi / Sampras Final on July 4 in 99

Ericsson Open - 2000
This is special because I was an Ericsson Marketing Manager working the event in charge of phone product marketing. We changed the corporate hospitality tent into an interactive hall-of-fame. Got to meet several tennis players and other luminaries like Bud Collins (and his wife -- nice sweet lady), got courtside seats to Agassi and Sampras matches, got skybox passes and pretty much had the run of the place.

1987 - Scab NFL game
Just a lot of fun -- no different than any other NFL game I've been to -- essentially a boring day of football -- 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out, long play -- score.

Barry Bonds AB's

I was lucky enough that every time I went to PacBell Park, Bonds hit one out and the giants won (couldn't care less about the latter).

But watching Bonds hit was awesome. He would literally get 1 pitch a game that was MAYBE just sort of close to a strike -- BAM!!!! There it goes. Regardless of where you stand on the steroids witch hunt that has enveloped our country's politics (for some reason), he was simply amazing to watch.


Incredibly vivid account. You should be a sportswriter. I envy you those experiences. And agreed on Bonds -- I don't know if I've ever seen athletic accomplishmnt to match his AB's back in the earlier part of this decade, regardless of how he got there (the recent Nadal-Federer match is the first that comes to mind as a close competitor for athletic greatness). And as a long-time Seaver fan, I'd have given anything to see his first welcome back to New York.