As we gathered around the table for our non-denominational holiday dinner (can't risk offending anyone here) over the weekend, my family reminisced about the year's joys and sorrows. My Mom spoke glowingly about a trip to Hawaii she and my Dad went on. My Dad kept eerily silent. I mean a trip to Hawaii sounds like fun, doesn't it? I'm sure it was. Except for one thing: my Dad missed the Red Sox receiving their World Series rings at the home opener. A championship banner was raised at Fenway Park for the first time in 86 years-for the first time in my Dad's life-and he was off watching lava ooze into the ocean.

This isn't the first time he's missed a major sporting event due to the dreaded "scheduling conflict." In 1998 he went to a play in Boston with my Mom on the last Sunday in January. You remember what the last Sunday in January used to signify, right? Super Bowl Sunday. Of course, usually that wasn't a big deal. But that game was the first one in years that was actually close. The Broncos scored with under 2 minutes to go to take a 7-point lead, and the game ended with Brett Favre and the Packers marching the field but coming up short on 4th down. Denver won 31-24. I remember it like it was yesterday. My Dad remembers Phantom of the Opera. Or Cats.

That's how life is for sports fans. Some games help us remember moments in life and vice versa. The Celtics playing in the NBA Finals in 1986? My family was on vacation in California and my brother stood outside a bar watching one of the games through the window. (Remember Rain Man trying to watch "The People's Court," standing outside that farmhouse? That was my brother.) The final game of that series? We were at a church party hosted by our minister. The entire party was crowded into one room watching the Celtics dispatch the Rockets in Game 6. A former co-worker of mine was married on the final Saturday of October, 1986. For as long as he lives, he will be reminded that the Red Sox blew Game 6 of the World Series on his wedding night. I'm sure everyone at the reception remembers as well.

Sports fans can tell you where they were, who they were with, and sometimes what they were wearing during important sporting events. That's just the way we are. I've forgotten people's names, phone numbers, birthdays, you name it. But ask me about the time I went to a rare Celtics home loss in the '80s and it's as if it happened yesterday.

In 1987-88 the Celtics lost just 4 games at the Boston Garden. Back then Larry Bird always hit the shot that tied or won the game. Not that night. He missed the tying shot against the 76ers and I-along with the entire crowd-filed out with that same "Did I just see that?" look of bewilderment. As if there should have been more time put on the clock or something, because that just wasn't the way it was supposed to end. Quietest train ride home I have ever had.

My brother and I got see the Stanley Cup in 1990 when the Bruins lost at home to the Edmonton Oilers. I remember walking into the Garden and my brother saying, "Hey, if they lose today we get to see the cup!" Always looking on the bright side. It didn't make sense at the time but 15 years later what do I remember? Yep, I got to see the Stanley Cup in person.

Other momentous moments are made even more so because of sports. Plus it makes dates easier to remember too. Anniversaries, birthdays, graduations-who played that day? Then I'll tell you when it was. My friend Andy's wedding coincided with Mike Tyson taking a bite out of Evander Holyfield's ear. Mark McGwire hit #60 the day of my friend Erik's wedding in '98. My friend JL got married on the night of the triple-overtime game between the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals (I was pretty blitzed that night, but I still remember waking up and staring at the TV and yelling "His skate's in the crease!").

There are, of course, those "Where were you when..." moments that are easy to place. Championships. No hitters. Crazy comebacks. But there can be run-of-the-mill stuff that sports fans remember that freaks people out sometimes:

Non-sports fan: "Anyone remember when [such-and-such] happened last summer?"

Sports fan: "Well, the All-Star Game was on that night, so it must have been the second Tuesday in July."

Non-sports fan: "You're a freak, you know that?"

Earlier this year I asked my co-worker Dave when his wedding date was. Being a fellow sports fan, he replied "Game 1 of the World Series." To which I responded, "oh, the 3rd Saturday in October, huh?"

When do we turn the clocks ahead? Final Four weekend. When does the baseball season start? Same weekend. The Masters? One weekend later. Baseball's trading deadline? July 31. The NFL? They start play the Thursday after Labor Day. This is what we do. This is how we think. Summers are often a blur (too many baseball games that all run together). The rest of the year is marked with days and nights of sports memories.

If we sports fans had our way, life would revolve around sports-instead of the other way around. I try, believe me. When making plans, I always consult the calendar. The Sports Calendar. As a matter of fact, there ought to be an actual Sports Calendar that lists all the important sporting events and potential conflicts in life. "Ooh, this weekend's bad. On Saturday, we've got little Timmy's soccer game at 1 and the Kentucky Derby at 6. On Sunday the Patriots are on at 1. How does next weekend look?"

And non-sports fans should be required to use the Sports Calendar as well. As a public service, it should be part of the training for folks in all industries. "All right, ma'am, that's 2 tickets for Shania Twain...oops, hold on...I just consulted the Sports Calendar and that's actually Super Bowl Sunday. Will any sports fans be attending? Well then I'm afraid you'll have to pick a different day."

I'd keep going, but you know what? I have to go now and watch some sports. There are a couple of bowl games on later and some NFL highlight shows. And then some NBA and NHL games. So I have to go. And so do you-because you're a sports fan just like me, right?

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