Most exciting sporting event you've attended

First, I'm hoping that Amaya took those tickets because tonights Yankees/Red Sox game is going to be a classic.

Which made me think about some of the sporting events I've been to in my lifetime.

What's the most memorable sporting event you've ever seen live in person??!!!

Me, probably nothing that exciting. I've been to 2 championship games: Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati Reds back in 1990 (Reds won the World Series that year) and I saw Cleveland vs. Yankees a few years ago (A co-worker got tickets and invited me. I'm not a fan of either team but who is going to pass up a baseball playoff game).

What's your most memorable sporting event you've seen

Montreal. Trackside as a course marshall. Two sets of ear protection. Fast cars. Oh baby!

on any day. Speed, power, grace, beauty, and innocence.

There was a lot of excitement in the stands to be sure! :-)

Win or lose, I'll be remembering that game for years and years.

It's already an overflow hard sell-out. 14,000-plus are expected in the 13,500-seat stadium.

I'm a Dolphin season ticket holder, but nothing particularly memorable has happened. Friday was the first playoff baseball game I'd been to.

... Jacksonville is a big PARTY CITY. And if the Gators whoop-ass, it's even better.

-- Allen

One of the greats. St. Louis already up three games to one, and leading this one 3 to 1. Lou Brock has already set the stolen base record for an entire series. He's on second; a liner is hit to left field. Detroit's Willie Horton throws to the plate; Brock fails to slide, and runs into Bill Freehan, who is blocking the plate. He's out. Game changes. Brock and Curt Flood both later picked off. Tigers win, 5-3, and win next two, with Mickey Lolich beating Bob Gibson in Game 7. Wow. Ah, to be young again.

That must've been great. Lou....give me a great base stealer any day over the HR kings.
BTW, I would've loved to see Jackie Robinson steal home! Who does that nowadays?

Mizzou over Nebraska, 41-24, 10-11-03.

Heck of a game.

2nd place for me was KC Chiefs defeated by Denver, 14-10, 1997 AFC West Division Championship..

-Safi

In my era (zillions of years ago, when students still got dressed up for football games), Mizzou upset a very good Notre Dame. It was extra special to me because I come from a ND family and grew up listening to the braggadocio.

But my favorite sports moment was when I was one of thousands of fans in attendance for Dave Righetti's Yankees no-hitter on a sweltering fourth of July.

I was a Technical Director for SportsCenter's coverage in Oakland for the As-Reds World Series. I didn't even have to start 'working' until the 5th inning. Until that point, I was paid to hang out in the media area, and watch the game. :)

-Lori Price

It was billed as the race of races and it was between Blendway..a true speed dog who ran wire to wire in every race. And T-Bone a classic come from way behind to win dog. Both had gone undeafeated the whole season. The race brought out 30,000 to a track that normally was 7000-10,000.

Blendway broke out in front as expected and 1/2 way down the back-stretch T- Bone was on his heals. T-Bone slipped and broke his leg.

He was rushed off by the vets and I think he survived fine. And in the KC area the greyhounds get adopted out and dont get put to sleep. But that was a very harrowing experience and as far as I know the last head to head race ever.

Creighton University and Utah (State?). Unbelievable game and without a doubt the absolutely most exciting basketball game I have ever seen.

Paul Silas was in his final year at Creighton that year. broke the NCAA scoring record but I think it was at a different game.

Pissed off at the outcome, but it was a lot of fun.

Track and field. Michael Johnson won the 200 and Carl Lewis just missed the gold in the long jump.

Cool...

Canada vs USA

Or the fact that it was under-19 girls

:shrug:

Tennessee was ranked and I don't think LSU was. It went into overtime and LSU won after scoring a TD, then batting a pass away on 4th down during overtime.

I was at the four games in Moscow in September 1972. Of course, the last one was most exciting.

That's fucking nuts man....good story...I had a friend who was at the 87 Hamilton game.

We Canadians were way down at the far end of the arena, and the red light never went on, so it took a while for us to realize that he had scored.

Soon after came one of the biggest regrets of my life. As we were walking down the stairs to our bus, I noticed a Russian man beside me was carrying a broken hockey stick. I offered to trade my little Canadian flag for it, but he wanted my hat. It was a red Gilligan-style hat from Jasper Park Lodge, and I said no deal. Been kicking myself ever since. The name on that stick? Bobby Clarke!

That stick probably ended up in his fireplace that night too!

but that's about the coolest thing I have heard. Travelling to Moscow for Hockey back then makes you one hell of a fan.

Were you in Moscow independent of Team Canada?

followed by the 2000 opening season game for the New England Revolution, they lost, but it was still super exciting.

She's 11 and kicks butt, usually scoring at least 25% of the points for her team, usually more. I was awful at sports and I'm so proud of her!

Sarah (praying for scholarships)

at USC.

Last year...Vancouver won that game and came back to win the serioes 3-4. It was insane inside the Garage. Big Party Poured out onto the street and the cops had to shut down Robson for the 10,000 fans.

Other than that, I was at the game in 1995 when Linden put the guy into the crowd.

2 minutes, 2 1/5 seconds.

Brewers win to go up 3-2 on the Cardinals, but lose it in seven in St. Louis.

Oh, and the Mariners-Red Sox game in Safeco in August of this year, when Ichiro popped a grand salami. The place was rockin' that night.

sort of. Ole Miss pulled off a major upset against a nationally ranked Notre Dame.

Philies win their only World Championship.


Only 3 months later in the same building I saw the
Eagles beat the Cowboys for the NFC championship.

I was in 3rd grade, I guess, and my father had me save allowance money all year to pay for a ticket. My family sat in the closed endzone of the Orange Bowl, next to the Baltimore Colts corral of professional fans. I can remember and picture all the memorable plays, including Johhny Orr waving for the ball on the flea-flicker, completely wide open in the end zone in front of us, while Morrall threw it elsewhere, intercepted by Randy Beverly.

Can't say I was overly surprised at the result. My dad had taken me to see Namath & Co. stuff the Dolphins 31-7 in Miami's home finale a few weeks earlier.

Most exciting:

'Canes 31, Cornhuskers 30, January 2, 1984 in the Orange Bowl. I was jumping up and down throughout the final Nebraska drive, and 2-point conversion failure, along with most of the fans near me. Miami had been pathetic for the bulk of the previous 20 years, and we had no idea of the dominance to come. It seemed like a one-shot chance at a miraculous national title.

The national championship game at the Fiesta Bowl versus Tennessee and Florida State a few years ago. I also got to see John Glenn at halftime too.

Actually to be honest in 1997, the undefeated streak is on the line and Arizona State beats USC in a double overtime game. Best game I ever been too.

It was a birthday present from a friend of mine who had season tickets. You know how announcers say, "There's electricity in the air!"? That's how the Alamodome felt that night. Then the Spurs went on to win the series! Whee! :bounce:

Runner-up: 1986, Baylor @ Texas A&M football. Baylor jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the 1st quarter. My guys fight back and with a couple minutes left in the game, Kevin Murray to Tony Thompson, TD! 31-30 victory! Whee! :bounce:

Not a big sports fan, but this was my daughter's high school and I knew most of the boys on the team.

16 innings which advanced the Mutts to the WS.

Of course, Fred Brocklander should have been given a key to NYC for his calls in NY.

:7

We were locked in our office!!!!! Snuck into the stadium just as Billy Hatcher hit his homer.......it really is true about feeling the "electricity" of a crowd.

My love for baseball has waned over the years but that game was special!

1997 Rose Bowl long ride home for me.
Game 4 ALDS 2003
Game 5 ALCS 2003
Game 3 ALCS 2003
NCAA Ice Hockey Championships 1998-2002
all were good games with an OT or two mixed in.

Game 7 1995 Stanley Cup Finals. Devils win the cup.
I am sure there are more, too many to remember this morning.

The game Messier "guaranteed" a victory and then went on to score three goals.

I sat right behind the Devil's goal at ice level. You can see me (or at least by belly) on game highlights.

I went to the Thanksgiving day game with my father and not one person in the stands left the game early. Nebraska would take the lead and OU, lead by Jack Mildren(a good Democrat, who is thinking of running for Don Nickles seat in the Senate), would would march right up the field and take the lead. Then Nebraska would take the lead, then OU, and finally Nebraska won the game with 1 minute to go. An incrediable game and one that I will never forget.



Game of the Century left lifetime of memories
By Chris Schenkel
Special to ESPN Classic



(Four-time National Sportscaster of the Year, Chris Schenkel was the voice of ABC's NCAA college football for 12 years.)

Bud Wilkinson, Bill Fleming and I were fortunate to televise 1971's incredible struggle for No. 1 in the country. On Thanksgiving Day, this game lived up to all the hype. No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 2 Oklahoma matched the No. 1 defense of the Cornhuskers against the No. 1 offense of the Sooners. At stake was only the Big Eight title and a chance to take on Alabama in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.

Before the game started in Norman, Bud and I went to the field and as we walked through the tunnel leading to the artificial turf, the crowd of 61,826 spotted the legendary Bud Wilkinson and exploded into applause, cheers and admirations. They stood as one and sustained the display of joy and respect for my partner. Tears streamed down both our cheeks -- as nothing ever matched this hero worship then or since.

At the beginning of hundreds of NCAA college football telecasts I would proclaim: "see the color and excitement of NCAA college football. What a way to spend an afternoon!" This holiday afternoon was the stage for one of the most incredible kick returns I ever saw. In the first quarter, Johnny Rodgers, a future Heisman Trophy winner, fielded an Oklahoma punt on his own 28 -- 72 yards later Johnny had faked, cut, juked and outrun the Huskers for a touchdown, overwhelming everyone in the stadium and those watching on national television.

snip


That day neither team lost. Nebraska just scored four more points. Nebraska went on to win the national championship beating Alabama, 38-6, in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners crushed Auburn, 42-22, in the Sugar Bowl.

I'll put the 1971 Nebraska/Oklahoma game up against the others I've done -- the 1958 NFL championship game between the Colts and Giants that the Colts won in sudden death overtime, the 10-10 tie between Michigan State and Notre Dame in 1966, the Texas 15-14 win at Arkansas in 1969 -- and still marvel at that day in Norman 30 years ago.

http://espn.go.com/classic/s/ou_neb_memories_schenkel.html

I had adopted the Sooners a year earlier. Lived and died with their wishbone exploits for the next 18 years.

That was easily the most anticipated college football game of my lifetime, with Nebraska the defending national champ and OU certifying itself by destroying USC and Texas early in the season. The Sooners were averaging 500+ yards rushing for the season.

Sports Illustrated did a cover story previewing the game, predicting that Oklahoma would prevail as long as they didn't lose 3 fumbles or more. Sure enough, OU lost exactly 3 fumbles and the game at the end, Jeff McKinney scoring after Nebraska and QB Jerry Tagge converted a 4th down during the drive.

The Big Eight was so dominant in '71 that Colorado ended up third in the final polls after a lopsided Bluebonnet Bowl win, although the Buffs were shattered by Nebraska and OU.

I think it was 1982. The Heels were down by 8 with 16 seconds to play.After a furious rally, Jerry Stackhouse canned a 3 at the buzzer to send it into overtime; and we kicked Dookie ass in the extra period.

Many years ago, in the mid-sities, Ben Hogan, Bryon Nelson, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer played together in a charity event at Preston Trails. Four of the greatest of the game in one foursome with limited admission, up close and personal.

Hogan, Nelson and Snead were nearing the end of their playing careers and Arnold was the "tiger" of the era.

They were all having fun and screwing around except Hogan who never cracked a smile, he was one serious dude.

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on a Saturday night...

I've been to a lot of games in my life, mostly English and thought I'd seen passion for a team run deep...but folks...there is absoloutely no sporting event on this earth that matches the spectacle that is a cup final in Rio.

The lead up for the game began on Wednesday of that week. Every car and bus in the city was decorated in team colours. By Friday the city had come to a virtual standstill...the only thing that mattered was the game on Saturday.

Saturday, it took us about four hours to get to the stadium. I don't know how many people were at the stadium...more outside than inside.

The two teams playing, Vasco da Gama and Flamengo took to the field that night in front of an crowd of 200,000. The Maracana soccer stadium doesn't have a bad seat in the house. The fans were dancing and the Samba bands were non-stop.

It was a night game on a beautiful evening...warm enough to wear a light shirt.

I really don't remember the final score, but the atmosphere was one of total enjoyment.

Each time a team scored the stadium would erupt and the bands would play louder. It was absoloutely fantastic.

My dad dragged me to a bad neighborhood. We got tix in advnace (paid 15. each) but got there to find a total riot. Someone counterfitted tickets and the place was oversold double. We got in though. Cops and Firemen showed up. But when the prelim. started, everyone calmed down and it was a rowdy party packed to the rafters. I smelled booze. i smelled pot. I must have been about 11 and I never saw so many guys yelling so many raunchy hysterical one liners. Blue collar. Rich guys. And everyone was just hanging. It blew my mind. i think my sense of humor was entirely shaped that day. The fight's projection on the screen was black and white and blurry... totally crude, almost no detail. No one cared though. This fight was so hyped at the time... To make things cooler, there was a nasty R rated movie for those who went early, like me and my Dad who asked me not to tell Mom about the flick.