All-Time Moment
I'm settling back in from a week of vacation and people are still buzzing about the Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate playoff. I'm told they were packed around the TV in the newsroom last Monday to watch that amazing event. One person told me he built his entire day around the playoff. A number of people have asked where this year's Open would rank among the best events I've ever covered.
Good question. It's still fresh in my mind, which makes it hard to be objective. But this year's Open would certainly make my Top 10 and be a contender for the most memorable event I've covered in person. Here's a quick list of other events that would be in or near my Top 10:
1. Duke-Kentucky regional final in Philadelphia, 1992. The 104-103 overtime game that our guy, Christian Laettner, won at the buzzer. Writers that night were calling it the best basketball game they ever covered.
2. Super Bowl XXV. My first Super Bowl, same as the Bills. The Gulf War, the missed field goal, the gut-wrenching loss for Buffalo. Unforgettable on many levels.
3. Celtics-Lakers final, 1987. The game where Magic Johnson made the baby sky hook over the Celtics' big three. I'm pretty sure it was Game Four. The Celtics and Lakers didn't meet in a final for another 21 years. It just didn't seem the same. How do you measure up to those teams?
4. Kerri Strug's winning vault at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. We all thought she needed to nail it to beat the Russians. One of the most intense events imaginable. Won't ever forget the scene of Bela Karolyi carrying Strug off the floor.
5. No Goal. Sorry to include another crushing Buffalo loss in a championship, but what am I supposed to do? I remember standing outside the Sabres' locker room at about 1:15 in the morning, as the news began to circulate that Hull's skate had been in the crease.
6. 1991 World Series, Game 7: Jack Morris wins 1-0 in 10 innings. Man, it was loud in the Metrodome that night.
7. Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan. The whole ice skating saga was an unforgettable and bizarre experience from start to finish. I still remember the stunned silence when Harding stopped in her free skate because her bootlace broke. I thought she was having a nervous breakdown.
8. The Houston comeback. I wasn't actually working that day. I sat in the stands for the second half of the Bills' historic playoff comeback. I'll confess, I was cheering. How could you resist? I remember feeling that the crowd was a living, screaming force that day, that they willed the Bills to victory.
9. St. Bonaventure's double overtime loss to Kentucky in the first round of the 2000 NCAA tourney. Indelible moment: David Messiah Capers hitting three free throws with no time on the clock to send the game into the second overtime. Jim Baron, you should have fouled Tayshaun Prince.
10. Tiger-Rocco would have to be in there somewhere.
I might have left out some great moments (Home Run Throwback, anyone?). But this is a pretty representative list.
Jerry Sullivan, The News' Senior Sports Columnist, is a man of many opinions and he shares them here. Agree with him or not, Sullivan's take on the latest sports news is bound to be interesting.
Ok, I wasn't there in person, but I saw this stuff on tv!
1. Secretariat winning the Belmont. Was that a horse, or a nuclear powered rocket?
2. Ruffian's breakdown. I had a nasty feeling, someone was going to get hurt in this race. This, Go For Wand, and Barbaro, as well as any number of horses who've broken down, only reinforce my belief that these animals are asked to do too much, far too soon. They are, physically, just kids. You wouldn't order a 12 year old to run a marathon, month after month, would you, and not expect joint problems, muscle tears, and broken bones, would you?
3. No goal/Wide Right. Talk about hearing all of Western NY give a collective scream of agony! To my mind, the Super Bowl is always a boring blowout. One team dominates from the start,and doesn't let up. You end up watching for the commercials and half time show. The one exception that really sticks out, is the first time the Bills got there. They, and the Giants (boo) gave us a REAL football game!
4. Billy Jean King beats Bobby Riggs. LOL! Of course she beat him! Women concentrate on playing the game, not using psych tactics to defeat thier opponent. Anytime you want to see an honest game of tennis, hockey, any team sport, watch two women's teams battle it out. Few fights and arguements, just good old fashioned talent.
5. Anytime Tiger Woods is in a tournament. Ok, I don't play golf, and don't really want to learn. I have to keep being reminded what a birdie or an eagle is, I finally remember from game to game what par is. But, he's cute, he seems like a nice guy with a great smile and a brain in his head, and he makes golf look so easy!
6. Since I moved to Ft Wayne, and can't get Canadian tv, any Hockey Night in Canada. Don Cherry! How many people tune in, just to see what he's wearing?! What he's gonna pontificate on? Just to hear that great theme music, that we all know by heart, as well as the music and lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner and Oh, Canada? I remember when I was a little girl, hearing it...and, that commercial jingle, "Oh, Mabel, Black Label!"
I hate VS. I long for winter nights spent with Don Cherry, and that music.
Oh-and Rick Jennerete. I can't get MSG, either, here. WOnder if I got a sattelite dish, if I could get either Don or Rick? No one else knows how to talk about hockey, or call a game.
Posted by: Karen | July 10, 2008 at 02:12 PM
"I dropped a deuce the size of a Buick."
It's cracks like that which keep me comin' back to this blog.
Posted by: Don F | July 09, 2008 at 07:55 PM
My all tyme moment wuz at da grapevine. I stared at da fishtask fo' hours. Jus' like Orenthawl James.
Posted by: marshawn | July 08, 2008 at 08:49 PM
My all time moment came the morning after enjoying a prime rib buffet at Adam's Rib.
I dropped a deuce the size of a Buick.
Posted by: Janice Okun | July 08, 2008 at 12:00 PM
1) Have to be put Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series in there. I was in college at a party when it happened, and everybody was watching and were in awe when the no-legged Gibson put it into the seats.
2) 1986 World Series, Game 6. Once again, when you can remember exactly where you were when it happened, it has to mean something.
3) Buster Douglas's knockout of Mike Tyson. Was in college at the time, and we watched the fight at our aprtment. later, we went to the bars, and even the girls were talking about the shock of seeing Tyson grabbing for his mouthpiece. When non-sports fans remember, it transcends sports.
4) How about Federer-Nadal from yesterday? Not too bad.
Posted by: John | July 07, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Tonya Harding over the 1980 US olympic hockey team???? Please.
Posted by: Nancy | July 03, 2008 at 10:45 AM
My all time moment was when Jerry bought me a new pair of shoes for Christmas last year. They were used, the wrong size and I caught a nasty foot fungus from them but it's the thought that counts.
Posted by: Rex Carr | July 02, 2008 at 02:22 PM
My all time moment was the night that Jerry and Ed Kilgore double-teamed me in my first "Devil's Triangle". It was a night I will never forget.
Posted by: Esther Gulyas | July 01, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Man, I must be getting old, because I remember all of these quite well except #3. For No Goal, I was living in Illinois with my then-girlfriend, unable to see the game, and received a post-midnight call from my dad with the unfortunate news. He knew already there would be a controversy.
For #9 I was a senior at Bona, and remember the whole camnpus getting shut down for the game. My mom made the mistake of calling the registrar's office while the game was on, and was told no one could answer her question because they were all watching the game. (That may have been taking Bonnies mania a bit too far.) Anyway, we now know the whole thing was a mirage, because the regime in place at the time, blinded by thoughts of big-time glory for their little school, broke or twisted every rule they could. I personally saw two different players on that team, who had terrible grades and usually skipped class, get assured by professors that they would get all the help they needed, wink wink. I know that happens at almost every other NCAA school, but St. Bonaventure is supposed to have higher standards. At least, that is what the people who run that place tell us alums as they continually ask us to donate money, as if we haven't already given them enough.
As for Tiger-Rocco being top 10, I dunno about that, but I do know my favorite Tiger moment. Unquestionably it is that chip-in at 16 in the Masters a few years back that took about 5 minutes to land in the hole.
Posted by: Matt | June 23, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Oh and by the way - I saw the music city miracle on ESPN classic recently "again"
Boy did the Bills get screwed on that one.
Forward pass - you bet your
BUTT !
Posted by: LT | June 23, 2008 at 04:49 PM
BILLS vs GIANTS
WIDE RIGHT
I'm still in therapy for this one. I will NEVER get over this one !
Posted by: LT | June 23, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Instant Classic!
Posted by: DonG | June 23, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Who cares? It's not a %%&&ing sport?
Posted by: Tricky Dick | June 23, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Another one I just thought of: Sox-Yankees 2004, games 4 and 5 (the Roberts/Ortiz show). Were you there for that?
Posted by: Mike C | June 23, 2008 at 01:59 PM
I watched Woods/Mediate on Monday and it was absolutely compelling. The only thing that would have made it more of a classic was if Rocco could have pulled it out. Imagine if he could have holed that chip shot on the 19th OT hole...
But didn't you just know Tiger was going to find a way? Going into 18 he was down one stroke, and yet I still saw little chance of him losing. Now that Tom Brady has been shown to be human, Tiger is clearly the clutch athlete of his generation.
But it would have been nice to see Rocco do it. I love Tiger, but this was Rocco's time.
As for the others you listed, what about the Pats-Panthers and Titan-Rams Super Bowls, or the Pats-Raiders playoff game (tuck rule, miracle Vinatieri kick) or of course, Pats-Giants (the best game I've ever seen, period). Did you cover any of those games?
Posted by: Mike C | June 23, 2008 at 01:53 PM