Memorable sports performances you have actually seen. [Archive]

Len J

08-22-2009, 12:12 PM

Watching Bolts spectacular performances in the 100 & 200 reminded me of some other moments in my sports viewing history that were absolutly amazing. For me, there were 4 that I've actually seen:

- Between 1935 and 1968, the world long jump record increased exactly eight and one-half inches. Coming into the Olympics, the world record was 27 feet, 4� inches, shared by American Ralph Boston and Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. In six seconds, that all changed.
Bob Beamon, a 22-year-old New York native, barely qualified for the Olympic long jump finals after fouling in two of his qualifying runs. Fortunately, he did.
The following day in the finals, Beamon took off down the runway in the thin air of Mexico City. After exactly 19 loping strides, he hit the board perfectly, stretched out with his legs and flew through the air like no one ever had. And finally, he hit the sand in the pit below�29 feet, 2� inches later! The record lasted 23 years!!!!!

- Between 1977 and 1987, Edwin Moses won 107 consecutive finals (122 consecutive races) and set the world record in his event ( the 400 meter hurdles) four times as well as 2 olympic golds. These 122 consecutive races were against world class competition in an event that may be the hardest single event in track & field combining distance sprinting with hurdling.

- Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes in 1973 to clinch the triple crown by 31 lengths in a time of 2:24 for the mile & 1/2. That record still stands 36 years later. In fact, no horse before or since has ever broken 2:25 for that distance on dirt.

- How about Steve Carlton's 1972 season......27-10, ERA of 1.97 on a team that only won 59 games & lost 97 and was the worst offensive team in MLB. Completed 30 of 41 starts. From the middle of July to the end of Sept he was virtually unhittable. 310 strikeouts. A WHIP of .993. In the 10 games he lost, the phillies scored a total of 17 runs or 1.7 runs /game lost.

Each one of these performances, I watched.......ecah one was awe inspiring........each one amazed me.....just like Bolt's performance.

So which performances are most memorable to you?

Len

paczki

08-22-2009, 12:20 PM

I was at the Patriot's "Snow Bowl" game. That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen first hand.

On TV -- Reggie Miller and Spike Lee. I still can't really believe I saw him score that many points that quickly while taunting Spike.

93legendti

08-22-2009, 12:57 PM

Franz Klammer's gold winning downhill run in '76 Olympics
Anthony Carter's TD catch vs Illinois with 6 seconds left

slowandsteady

08-22-2009, 01:04 PM

Eric Heiden medaling multiple times and The famous USA hockey finals in the Lake Placid Olympics.

johnnymossville

08-22-2009, 01:16 PM

I watched Billy Olsen beat Sergey Bubka's indoor Pole Vault World record at an indoor track meet in the Meadowlands as a kid.

What made the event really special is that Sergey had set a new world record earlier the same day in Moscow. Billy was obviously on that night and as he was going after the record the crowd got more and more excited. When he finally broke Sergey's record the packed house went absolutely crazy. I know it was pole vaulting and not my sport, but as a college track and cross country runner I'll never forget the excitement that night.

Interesting note. Billy never went higher than he did that night, but Bubka went on to break the record another 20 or 30 times.

steelrider

08-22-2009, 01:19 PM

Franz Klammer's gold winning downhill run in '76 Olympics
Anthony Carter's TD catch vs Illinois with 6 seconds left

+1 on this. Mom's Austrian, grew up in the Tyrol no less. I remember that run vividly in 1976. I was eight years old and watching it on a 13" B&W TV. Mom was going crazy, you could hear the cow bells ringing and the Austrian defeated the Schwitze (Swiss). Really a memorable evening.

steelrider

08-22-2009, 01:30 PM

TAW

08-22-2009, 01:36 PM

30 years ago I set the jump rope record at my elementary school, 206 in a minute. That record is still there on the wall of the gym. Not very manly,
but memorable. :D

BryanE

08-22-2009, 01:47 PM

I saw Bobo Brazil beat Leaping Larry Shane.
BE

paczki

08-22-2009, 01:49 PM

I got to see Joe Montana's last game in 49ers colors. All the 49er games in the 80's and 90's many props to John Taylor--a stud and true team player, bar none. Again, when Montana was at the helm, you just knew we were going to get it done. Tom who?

Also, Steve Young! Was it against the Vikings when he was charging head-first without a bucket to get the extra yards! Love ya niners, we'll be back!

Question was what was the greatest performance you ever saw. Book is still out on Brady's greatness.
There was this receiver the 49ers had, what was his name? When he showed up it sure made things a lot easier on the QB! :)

choke

08-22-2009, 03:56 PM

Greg LeMond's victory over Fignon in the TdF.

Franz Klammer's gold winning downhill run in '76 Olympics
+2

KirkKaas

08-22-2009, 04:08 PM

I was 13 it was great
still my only world series game

Willie Davis made three errors in one inning

I think it was Koufax's last start

Kirk

tab123

08-22-2009, 04:09 PM

John Elway's "The Drive" against the Browns. (I don't know if that counts but it really mattered to me at the time.)

Seeing Robeto Clemente in 1972 at Wrigley. He did not do anything spectacular that I remember, but it was his last season and he was my sports hero at the time.

Reading the posts with feats from the Olympics makes me wistful for the Olympic coverage of my youth - when US TV showed events and did not devote so much time to background info (read tear jerk stories) and did not focus solely on Americans. Unless coverage changes in the U.S. we will never be enthralled by the likes of an Olga Korbut, Franz Klammer, Johan Olaf Koss (sp?), Cuban volleyball teams from the 80s, etc. just because they are not from the U.S. I miss those obscure shot putters, discus throwers, etc.

93legendti

08-22-2009, 04:18 PM

Team USA Hockey Gold in '80
Phil Mahre's Slalom Gold in '84
Dan Jansen's 1000m speedskating Gold in '94
Lance's TDF win in '99

tch

08-22-2009, 04:34 PM

...in a small high school gym in CT doing a fundraiser. She "played" with some high school kids against a team with Sue Bird and some other high schoolers. When it got down to the last 3:00 and and it looked like Diana's team might lose, she just cut loose, and Sue and she played essentially 1-on-1. I've never seen such a variety of shots from such a variety of spots, and I'm not sure she ever missed. I think she scored 20-ish in those 3 minutes. The other guys on the teams just stopped playing and watched. Both of them made shots from somewhere closer to the half-court than the three point line.
Incredible.

chuckred

08-22-2009, 05:03 PM

Don't know if TV counts - - I was 9 and and avid Dodgers fan - my dad was an avid Giants fan. I still remember it vividly - I knew as a kid that just wasn't right in baseball!

Off to see the Rockies take on the Giants tonight...

Steve-O

08-22-2009, 05:07 PM

When Hideo Nomo came to the L.A. Dodgers he was the first Japanese player in MLB. I was at Wrigley the first time he pitched for Dodgers against the Cubs. It was a strange experience seeing so many Japanese baseball fans flooding into the stadium to see their hero. After every strike-out there was a faint clapping that came from all over the stadium as the crowd rooted for Nomo against the home team Chicago Cubs.... The Japanese fans were much more well behaved then the typical Old Style fueled Cub fans....

saab2000

08-22-2009, 05:25 PM

Not a famous performance by any means, but I watched Tommy Matush win the 1988 Downer Ave. Criterium in Milwaukee after an amazing breakaway and outsprint his breakaway companion in the rapidly fading light before an enormous and very, very loud (and drunk) crowd.

He raced for 7-Eleven at the time and it was just a cool, cool race. I didn't race it that year and watched the finished from halfway up a tree.

One of the best sporting memories I have.

jvp

08-22-2009, 05:40 PM

Live?...probably watching a pre TDF, pre cancer lance crush all at a local criterium. He got early seperation, so it was like watching him do a time trial around the ~5 mile loop. Watching the others go by, then watching him go by was like night and day.

alancw3

08-22-2009, 06:16 PM

- Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes in 1973 to clinch the triple crown by 31 lengths in a time of 2:24 for the mile & 1/2. That record still stands 36 years later. In fact, no horse before or since has ever broken 2:25 for that distance on dirt.

Len

+1 ironically the two greatest sporting events i have ever seen are in sports that i don't particularly follow.

first-secretariat's win in the belmont. no one who saw that race will ever forget it. 31 lengths and gaining at the end. years later when secretariat died and they did an autopsy on him they found that his heart was like eight times larger than that of a normal horse.

second-torvill and dean scoring a perfect 6.0 at the 1984 olympics for ice dancing to bolero. so stunning you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium. the audience sensed they were witnessing something special that day.

in both cases the contestants were just in a league of their own.

Dekonick

08-22-2009, 06:24 PM

John Elway in many games with only a minute or 2 left - always down (the coach sucked IMHO - run, run - oh **** - I guess Elway will have to save my ass again - pass....repeat... oh its the 4th qtr and we are losing - oh **** - I guess Elway will have to call his own plays and save my ass... I won't mention the coach...because he isn't worthy IMHO)

Le Tour de France when it came thru Brussels (right down Avenue Louise - was really cool - in and out of the tunnels...)

The space shuttle launch (I know its not sports related, but it leave an impression)

Eric and his amazing olympic 5 medal run... made speed skating actually fun to watch!

The first Ravens game in Baltimore - because football was back!

LA on his many good days - especially before Confidis... when he was just a young puke

Tyler - with his broken wing...

Phelps - does he have gills?

The best of all - don't even know his name... the kid from africa who swam in the olympics - he was TERRIBLE - last place, but what heart!

sjbraun

08-22-2009, 07:06 PM

I spent three weeks in Montreal attending the 76 summer games. while still in high school, me and a buddy sent $75 as a deposit for a Runner's World sponsored trip to the Olympics. For $500 we saw the opening and closing ceremonies, all track and field finals and prelims, and some additional events. Oh, and lodging with a French CAnandian family was included too.We got to see Olga Korbett score the 1st perfect 10 in Olympic competition.

It was a fine time.

DHallerman

08-22-2009, 07:36 PM

I was at Jim Bunning's perfect game against the Mets in June 1964.

And I was at the 7th game of the 1986 World Series, also at the late, not-so-lamented Shea Stadium.

choke

08-22-2009, 07:49 PM

I just thought of another one and since my post is on page 1....

24 Hours of Moab, 1999 - watching Brett Wolfe race in the solo class. He may have only finished 14th with 10 laps....but he did every one of those laps on one leg. That might have been the most inspiring thing I've ever seen.....I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier.

Article on Brett Wolfe (http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/32688_wolfe26.shtml)

MilanoTom

08-22-2009, 08:04 PM

I saw Indurain's time trial at the 1996 Olympics. He seemed almost superhuman... it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen.

Regards,
Tom

JonB

08-22-2009, 09:32 PM

I was also at the 96 Olympics TT when Indurain won. IIRC, it was his last professional victory. Good stuff.

Also, within the last year, the marathon Game 2 of the ALCS. All 5-1/2 hours of it. Seeing the Rays beat the BoSox in an extra inning playoff grinder was pretty darned special.

Back in '93, when the Hoosiers were still considered a Title contender, I was at the Valentine's day game versus Michigan. IU was ranked #1 and UofM was #2 with the Fab 5. By luck of the draw with the student ticketing, I was in the second row on the floor underneath the backboard next to the IU bench. Our section was yelled at by Bobby for chanting obscenities for a bad call. (he threatened to have the entire section kicked out) I was on national TV 3 or 4 times in the crowd shots and was recognized by friends and family throughout Michigan and Indiana. I also reached the pinnacle of my heckling career by calling Chris Webber a pansy between free throws as he was on the block and about 10 feet away from me. He looked at me, mumbled something and went on.

Growing up in South Bend, I was at numerous ND football and basketball games throughout the late 70s and 80s, but was too busy goofing off to recognize how special that was.

Oh, I also recall a Monday Night Football game in Detroit that was the first after about a 15 year dry spell that pitted the Lions against the Raiders. Barry Sanders versus Bo Jackson was pretty amazing.

The only two times I've seen the University of Michigan play Northwestern University, NW has won both games. The first was in 1995 as the Wildcats were beginning their run for their last RoseBowl appearance. They had beaten ND the prior weekend, but most thought that the result was a fluke. My UofM friends that I was going to the game with were cocky as normal. By the end of the game, the Big House was in stunned silence. I have never been in the presence of such a large group of people that were so quiet. Truly stunned silence. A beautiful moment.

The second time was in Evanston in 2000 when the Wildcats came from behind to again defeat the Wolverines. The place was wild, raucous and fantastic.

Finally, I was on the Champs Elysses in 2000 for 8 hours with my wife-to-be to watch Lance confirm his greatness by winning the Tour for the second time. It was a banner day for me. That year, the last stage was entirely within the city of Paris. Beause of this there was a free cyclotourist event the morning before the stage where approximately 100,000 cyclists rode the tour route throughout the city as it was already partitioned off for stage later in the day. Riding through the streets of Paris, through the tunnel, past the Louvre, beyond the US Embassy and up and down the finishing circuit was truly a special moment in my cycling life.

Also, I've seen Elvis. Really. October 20th, 1976 in South Bend, my parents took my sister and I to see the King at the ACC on campus. Its one of my earliest memories as I had just turned five years old - A big chubby guy in funny clothes doing Karate kicks.

rounder

08-22-2009, 09:53 PM

On tv...watching Secretariat win the belmont.

live...When the Tour de Trump came to Baltimore for a criterium with the trump princess tied up at the harbor. Never saw a bike race before...you could hear the chains and feel the breeze when they rode by. changed my way of looking at things.

corestates when lance won the 1 mill. i had been there a few times before. a sponsor put up a million for anyone who would win all three stages in the series. Lance had already won the first two. everyone was wondering whether he could do it. it was a close race until the last time up the manyuk wall. lance blew them up away and finished by himself. it was awesome...but not as awesome as when secretariat won.

nahtnoj

08-22-2009, 10:24 PM

First hand?

I saw Kobe Bryant lead Lower Merion High School the the PA state basketball championship his senior year. His ability compared to the others on the court would be like watching Michael Schumacher racing an F1 car against 8 year olds in go karts.

cadence90

08-22-2009, 11:05 PM

People I've known:
My brother winning the CIF Football title. Very special.

Playing bball with Cheryl and Reggie Miller in the back yard.

Me, having Danish international Ole Mikkelsen of UCLA score 3 goals on me in a 7-1 NCAA soccer rout. Ouch. Hurts to this day....

Watching Vera Carrara win her first WC jersey in the points race at Home Depot Center, 2005.

Live:
Connie Hawkins (Suns) beating the Lakers on a buzzer-beater from the corner. Bzzzt. Bummer (Lakers fan 1000%), but a nice guy (autograph after, shaking hands, his fingers went past my elbows!!).
(I also asked Pat Riley of the Lakers for an autograph after that game: that slick-coiffed jerk looked down at me and said, "You're stepping on my shoe, kid." in a really snotty tone. I've disliked him immensely ever since....)

World Cup, 1994, LA when Brazil :mad: beat Italy :) on penalty kicks after Italy's stars Roberto Baggio (Il Divino Codino) and Franco Baresi BOTH missed theirs!!! Baggio's flew right over the cross-bar in front of me. :( 1000% pure heartbreak....
Also saw Colombia (C. Valderrama) v. Romania (G. Hagi).

Watching my ragazzi Inter Milan beat AC Milan in the derby. Oh, yes!!! :)

Watching Kobe and Shaq do their thing a few times. Pretty awesome up close. "Pretty" being a complete understatement.

TV:
Doesn't count imo, but just about any WC/Olympic 400m and down sprints/hurdles and WC skiing, esp. Stenmark, Tomba and Miller when they were on. Was Stenmark ever NOT on???

Any time the Lakers beat the Celtics, even in pre-season, but especially nice if Magic Johnson drops in a "junior sky-hook" to win Game 4 of the '87 Finals. :D

Oh, and yeah, as mentioned previously by paczki: Reggie Miller absolutely destroying Spike Lee.

Ray

08-23-2009, 05:41 AM

In person, not a lot. I saw a lot of the Baltimore Colt games as a kid in the '60s with Johnny U and Raymond Berry etc, etc, etc, including some pretty great games against the Packers and Cowboys with their great teams of that era. I was pretty young and couldn't fully appreciate it except in retrospect, but I probably loved it more intensely than I would now that I have a bit more perspective. It was HUGE to me in those days. Saw a lot of the '66 - '68 Orioles too, but didn't get to any of the World Series games in '66. My folks went - left me at home. And I didn't appreciate baseball as much in those days as I've come to as an adult.

Saw Laver and Newcomb and Pancho and Stan Smith and Arthur Ashe play tennis, but never in a huge tournament. Saw Johnny Miller win the Tucson Open when he was playing his peak golf. Saw the Bill Walton / Keith Wilkes UCLA team win in the regionals in the year they ultimately lost to NC State ('74?). Saw Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem play and saw a lot of Magic and Bird and early Jordan. Saw the All-Star game in Jordan's rookie year when Magic and Isiah and everyone else froze him out.

Saw Lance in his initial comeback year at the Philly race when he decimated the field on the Wall and set up George for the win. I've seen the Philly race several times, but that was probably the most memorable.

That's about it for stuff I've seen in person - most of it was far from classic.

On TV, good lord, what HAVEN'T I seen??? Every great performance/moment of the last 40+ years, from the Immaculate Reception to Klammer's downhill run in '76 to most of Dr. J's amazing moves to all of Jordan's championships, to every Tour de France since '96 in whatever form I could watch it (and every Flanders and Roubaix I could find too). I've seen EVERY Super Bowl and good chunks of every World Series and NBA final since I was a kid. Chunks of every Wimbledon and US Open too. Saw Mark Spitz set the record and Michael Phelps break it, saw Beamon at the '68 Olympics and saw the madness of Munich in '72, and the Maher brothers skiing in '84. I've been a pretty regular sports fan since about 1965 (when I was six - I watched with my old man and brother before that, but can't say I actually REMEMBER anything before that).

Bottom line, very little in person but damn near EVERYTHING due to the magic of TV.

-Ray

salvatore

08-23-2009, 08:15 AM

Kirk Gibson's HR, and his memorable trot/hobble around the bases in the '88 World Series. More memorable for me because my Dad and I were going somewhere, and I told him, "Hang on a minute here, this guy's going to take one deep."

Mary Lou Retton's vault in the all-around '84 Olympics... come on, that was incredible!

Jack Nicklaus' win at the '86 Masters. "Maybe... YES SIR!!"

tab123

08-23-2009, 08:44 AM

[QUOTE=Dekonick]John Elway in many games with only a minute or 2 left - always down (the coach sucked IMHO - run, run - oh **** - I guess Elway will have to save my ass again - pass....repeat... oh its the 4th qtr and we are losing - oh **** - I guess Elway will have to call his own plays and save my ass... I won't mention the coach...because he isn't worthy IMHO)

+1 It was particularly maddening because the Broncos never had a very good running back. But those games were thrilling!

Len J

08-23-2009, 09:21 AM

Jack Nicklaus' win at the '86 Masters. "Maybe... YES SIR!!"

Forgot about that one....that was awesome.

I was standing in the 2nd row behind the 16th green on Sunday at Augusta when Tiger chipped in from off the green against DeMarco.

Len

malcolm

08-23-2009, 09:54 AM

I saw Greg Louganis at an olympic trial type event at the brand new LSU natorium. I'm no diver and don't know anything about the sport but he was in such a league of his own it was painfully apparent. He was absolutely breath taking to watch.

Bud_E

08-23-2009, 12:29 PM

Elefantino

08-23-2009, 02:23 PM

rwsaunders

08-23-2009, 02:43 PM

Seeing Robeto Clemente in 1972 at Wrigley. He did not do anything spectacular that I remember, but it was his last season and he was my sports hero at the time.

Watching the Great One in right field at Forbes Field as a kid is still burned in my memory. There might have been better seats available, but kids crowded that section of that stadium just to have Roberto wave at them. After the games, we all tried to make basket catches and we played a game of trying to throw runners out at home from right field.

If you're from my neck of the woods, the Immaculate Reception has to go down as one of the greatest Steeler plays of all time. We were at the game at the time and nobody in the crowd could have predicted that victory, let alone the catch. Essentially, that play was the birth of the Steeler Nation.

http://steelers.fandome.com/video/110732/Immaculate-Reception---Original-Broadcast/

R2D2

08-23-2009, 02:45 PM

On TV:
Roche chasing down Delgado up La Pagne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQojh-wqL04

Man o man did Fignon have a big gear going.

Elefantino

08-23-2009, 02:48 PM

If you're from my neck of the woods, the Immaculate Reception has to go down as one of the greatest Steeler plays of all time. We were at the game at the time and nobody in the crowd could have predicted that victory, let alone the catch. Essentially, that play was the birth of the Steeler Nation.
It was an illegal forward pass.

rwsaunders

08-23-2009, 02:59 PM

It was an illegal forward pass.

I smell a Raider's fan. :cool:

Ray

08-23-2009, 03:39 PM

How about just now? The Phillies just beat the Mets after nearly blowing a big lead on an unassisted triple play by utility infielder Eric Bruntlett. First time in major league history a game has ended on an unassisted triple play. Wild thing to see. Things are going to hell in a hurry and then BOOM, it's all over in about a second and a half.

Edit: Apogies - turns out it's the SECOND time it's happened. The first since 1927. Still, not too shabby!

-Ray

trophyoftexas

08-23-2009, 03:55 PM

Now THERE is a name outta the past!!!
For me I guess it was seeing Nolan's 5000th strike out and his 300th win. We followed the Rangers north to Chicago, Detroit, and finally to Milwaukee to the the 300th win game...the boys were 11 and 8 and they thought the games we saw in ballparks that they had never seen were pretty neat.
I saw Bobo Brazil beat Leaping Larry Shane.
BE

kipjac

08-23-2009, 06:21 PM

My daughter won the Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon for her age group two years in a row at the ages of 16 and 17.

Bud_E

08-23-2009, 06:27 PM

On TV:
Roche chasing down Delgado up La Pagne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQojh-wqL04

Man o man did Fignon have a big gear going.

I remember watching it on TV. When Roche was on his way to the start of the next day stage he was surrounded by press asking him how he was going to be able to race after his collapse the day before. His reply was "I'm a strong lad".

Bud_E

08-23-2009, 06:30 PM

I saw Bobo Brazil beat Leaping Larry Shane.
BE

Was he the one with the "cocoa butt" head slam ?

Elefantino

08-23-2009, 08:31 PM

I smell a Raider's fan. :cool:
First season ticket, on my own, when I was 8: When the Coliseum opened in 1966. Kept it until I went to college.

Played two years for the Oakland Junior Raiders.

Family friends with Wayne Valley, co-founder and owner who was edged out by Al Davis. Also friends with other minority owners. Used to crew on a sailboat in SF Bay with Raiders in the offseason. Columbia 40, Morgan design. George Buehler was a particularly good sailor.

Delivered Al Davis' Oakland Tribune.

And it was an illegal forward pass.

taz-t

08-23-2009, 08:49 PM

Both baseball:

Saw Hank Aaron hit #715 - I was 10, sitting in left field upper deck with my dad.

Georgia vs Auburn @ Foley Field - Saw Bo Jackson hit a home run that hit the lights in center field, ball was still going up when it hit them. Probably would have landed in the tennis center. He went 3 for 4 that night with 3 home runs.

- taz

taz-t

08-23-2009, 08:56 PM

I saw Indurain's time trial at the 1996 Olympics. He seemed almost superhuman... it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen.

Regards,
Tom

I was there too... about 75 yards past the start/finish in front of Fellini's pizza. I remember thinking he was so smooth he didn't look fast at all, that Olano looked faster and being surprised at Mig's time.

EddieBirdsell

08-23-2009, 09:49 PM

Saw Phelps qualify for his first Olympic team when he was 15 years old from the pool deck at Olympic Trials 2000 in Indianapolis.

Also watched him break his first 200 IM World Record during a lazy preliminaries session at an outdoor meet in Santa Clara.

rwsaunders

08-24-2009, 12:15 AM

First season ticket, on my own, when I was 8: When the Coliseum opened in 1966. Kept it until I went to college.

Played two years for the Oakland Junior Raiders.

Family friends with Wayne Valley, co-founder and owner who was edged out by Al Davis. Also friends with other minority owners. Used to crew on a sailboat in SF Bay with Raiders in the offseason. Columbia 40, Morgan design. George Buehler was a particularly good sailor.

Delivered Al Davis' Oakland Tribune.

And it was an illegal forward pass.

I still like Madden and Stickum.

MarleyMon

08-24-2009, 09:41 AM

As a sophomore at UCLA in 1971-72 I attended every home game of the basketball team. A fellow soph named Bill Walton led the Bruins to a perfect season crushing every team by an average of 30 points. IMHO Walton is the greatest college player of all time.

I only saw Walton play once, when UCLA came to So. Bend in Jan. 1974.
It was the first time he lost in college.
Walton was not in top form, it was his first game in 2 weeks due to illness and back problems. He only shot 12 for 14.
That day was 3 years (nearly to the day) after the Bruins' last lost, which was also to Notre Dame in So. Bend.

Yes - I saw both of the ND victories that "bookended" the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball history - 88 games.

I also attended the first game at Wrigley Field under the lights on 8/8/88, but it was rained out and not an official game.

ejh

08-24-2009, 09:43 AM

Way back in 1988 watch Davis Phinny lap the field in a crit on L.I. by him self. Thats when he become my faverate cyclist.

johnnymossville

08-24-2009, 09:48 AM

The first time I broke the 3200m school record in a track meet back in high school. Does that count? LOL

d_douglas

08-24-2009, 10:18 AM

I didn't see this, as it was long before my time, but my Father in Law (Lorne Loomer) won gold in the 1956 Olympics in Sydney (and Silver in Rome in 1960 but he plays that down) in mens 4's and 8's rowing respectively. I was recently at their house and he showed me this little gem. Don't worry - it's in a safe deposit box now.

I have seen a few photos of him, but a few years ago, the Canada's national television station (CBC) produced a short documentary on his winning race for the Athens Olympics. It was grainy footage, but it was pretty cool to see him and three others cranking it out. Afterwards, on the podium was pretty amazing too. Needless to say, my elderly Father in Law was BUFF! Nothing but muscle on him.

He is now an accomplished artist (well, he has been for about 40 years) and spends his time painting, teaching and relaxing in his garden with my Mother in Law.

Cool.

William

08-24-2009, 10:21 AM

Ahneida Ride giving Ti Designs a beat down on a town line sprint at the Ramble. Awe inspiring!!! :cool:

;) :D

William

William

08-24-2009, 10:22 AM

I didn't see this, as it was long before my time, but my Father in Law (Lorne Loomer) won gold in the 1956 Olympics in Sydney (and Silver in Rome in 1960 but he plays that down). I was recently at their house and he showed me this little gem.

I have seen a few photos of him, but a few years ago, the Canada's national television station (CBC) produced a short documentary on his winning race for the Athens Olympics. It was grainy footage, but it was pretty cool to see him and three others cranking it out. Afterwards, on the podium was pretty amazing too. Needless to say, my elderly Father in Law was BUFF! Nothing but muscle on him.

He is now an accomplished artist (well, he has been for about 40 years) and spends his time painting, teaching and relaxing in his garden with my Mother in Law. Cool.

Now that's cool!!!

William

Len J

08-24-2009, 10:41 AM

I didn't see this, as it was long before my time, but my Father in Law (Lorne Loomer) won gold in the 1956 Olympics in Sydney (and Silver in Rome in 1960 but he plays that down). I was recently at their house and he showed me this little gem. Don't worry - it's in a safe deposit box now.

I have seen a few photos of him, but a few years ago, the Canada's national television station (CBC) produced a short documentary on his winning race for the Athens Olympics. It was grainy footage, but it was pretty cool to see him and three others cranking it out. Afterwards, on the podium was pretty amazing too. Needless to say, my elderly Father in Law was BUFF! Nothing but muscle on him.

He is now an accomplished artist (well, he has been for about 40 years) and spends his time painting, teaching and relaxing in his garden with my Mother in Law.

Cool.

Awesome....what event?

len

d_douglas

08-24-2009, 11:00 AM

Awesome....what event?

len

Oh yeah - I forgot that - it was in Men's (obviously) 4's and 8's rowing. Gold in fours and silver in eights.

His olympic oar is also hanging in my Mother in Law's sewing room. He also stole an real and massive olympic flag from the stadium in Rome - ha ha !!

lemonlaug

08-24-2009, 11:06 AM

I had the joy of watching Ben Roethlisberger in his final season at Miami (2003).

342/495 (69.1%) for 4486 yards and 37 TD vs. 10 INT. 67 carries for 111 yards and 3 TD.

I think 4 of those interceptions came in a jittery first game at Iowa. They won the next 13, and Ben rarely played even 3 full quarters.

Tom

08-24-2009, 12:12 PM

Nomo's no hitter for the Sox. The O's fans were something, they groaned when one of their guys hit a long drive (in the 8th inning trailing by only 2) and cheered when it curled foul.

Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin getting in a fight in the visitor's dugout in Fenway, from a perfect vantage point in the right field bleachers.

67-59

08-24-2009, 12:20 PM

Most notable in-person events:

1. Doug Flutie and Boston College beating Miami at the Orange Bowl with his last-second hail mary pass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail_Flutie One of the most amazing college games ever - back and forth all day, and just when we thought Miami had won, he beat 'em. The silence walking out of the stadium was surreal. I was dating a girl who lived in Miami at the time, and was visiting over Thanksgiving break. We decided to go to the game with her dad, and almost left early. Glad we didn't....

2. Marquette beating North Carolina for the 1977 National Championship in Al McGuire's last game. Still have my Marquette season tickets....

3. Hank Aaron's last major league game. He finished up with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976. I was stunned that the game was nowhere near a sellout. Of course the Brewers stunk, but I couldn't believe they didn't fill the place just to watch one of the greatest hitters ever play for the last time....

EDIT: Writing this post got me to thinking about how small the crowd really was for Aaron's last game. If you could say only one thing about the baseball gods, it's that they're fanatical about keeping statistics about everything forever...meaning that it was pretty easy to find the box score at baseball-reference.com, with attendance and play-by-play. It turns out that my recollection was correct -- the attendance for the last game of one of baseball's all-time greats was only 6,858. For the record, his last at-bat was an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. The manager put Jim Gantner in to pinch run, and get a baseball legend one last ovation. I'm not much into baseball anymore, but I still get goose bumps about that one....