I'm going to share a couple of my favorite sports memories today. If you witnessed and remember them, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If these are new to you-I hope you enjoy!
1. Favorite moment at a live sporting event-Dec. 22, 1996, Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars were in their second season. After starting 4-7, the Jags won 4 in a row to set themselves up for a 'win and you're in' situation. Their opponent was the Atlanta Falcons, who were 3-12 and thought to have mailed it in for the season. The Jags got out to an early lead, but the Falcons hung tough and eventually took the lead. Jacksonville recaptured the lead at 19-17 with about 2:00 to go. The Falcons moved the ball down the field almost at will against the Jag defense. They got deep into Jacksonville territory and stopped the clock with 3 or 4 seconds. They brought on one of the best kickers ever to play in the NFL, Morten Andersen to try a chip shot 30 yard FG to win the game. While all this was happening, I was cringing in the stands-knowing that we probably blew our shot at the playoffs. I was already ready to watch the Falcons celebrate on our field. Then there was the snap, the kick, and the biggest roar I've ever heard. He missed!! Wide left!! Later I saw that he slipped when he went to plant. In the stands, every person was jumping up and down and hugging anybody that they could find. I don't think anybody left until about a half hour after the game because everybody was mentally exhausted. When we did leave, the hugs didn't stop-down the tunnels, in the parking lot, at Ruby Tuesday's after the game-it was THE most incredible feeling.
The Jaguars went on to the playoffs and upset Buffalo and Denver before losing to New England in the AFC Championship. The playoff wins were great too, but nothing was like that moment when Morten missed the kick.
2. Favorite baseball moment-October 1997, Game 7 of the World Series-Cleveland Indians at Florida Marlins. The Marlins were huge underdogs-they were the first Wild Card team to make it to the World Series. Let me start by saying that I was lucky enough to go to game 6, where I thought the Marlins would wrap it up. However, they were beat 4-1 to force Game 7. I couldn't get a ticket to game 7 so I had to watch on TV. I remember that the Indians went up 2-0 early and it seemed like the Marlins were just getting mowed down. Finally, in the seventh inning, Bobby Bonilla smacked a home run cutting the lead in half. But that was all the damage they could do. They held the Indians in the eighth, but didn't score in the 8th themselves. They again held the Indians in the 9th-with a great play at the plate from Charles Johnson-a gentleman that I went to high school and played Little League Baseball with. In the bottom of the ninth, Moises Alou singled to start off the inning. Then, after a flyout, Johnson hit a single to right field that advanced Alou to third base. Rookie second baseman Craig Counsell then came up and hit a sac fly scoring Alou to tie the game. The Marlins couldn't push the winning run across so they had to go extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Florida got the bases loaded with only one out. Devon White came to the plate. He was the Marlin leadoff hitter-and I was down on him for underachieving all year. But, now I was hoping he would throw it in my face. NOPE! He hit a ground ball and they got the out at home-so the bases were still loaded with 2 outs for Edgar Renteria-a young shortstop known more for his defense than his bat. Well, he smacked a line drive right up the middle scoring Counsell from 3rd base and I just remember running outside and yelling at the top of my lungs. It was after midnight but I didn't care. This was an awesome finish to an awesome season.
I remember watching the Marlins-Indians game on the tube. I was really pulling for the Marlins, because of the way Moises and some of the other players had stopped on their way in after warm ups and signed autographs for my daughter before a spring game. When Edgar hit that shot up the middle I about hit the roof. Good Times!
I remember my mom, who is a die-hard Indians fan, screaming Noooooooooo!! when Renteria singled in Counsell. Probably the maddest I ever saw her. Save when my Steelers came back on the Browns in '02. Haha. But my favorite memory, Steelers Super Bowl run in '05, from putting the Bengals in their place, to shocking the Colts, beating the #### out of the Broncos, and holding on in the Super Bowl, all of it was great beyond belief.
2. 97 Marlins. I watched it with a girlfriend who said, "Who are we cheering for?"
The underdog Marlins, silly. FL won and later that evening, so did I. Great 3rd party memory.
Mine was in 1988 when the Dodgers went on an amazing run from August on. Orel Hershiser pitched (including playoffs) 67 CONSECUTIVE scoreless innings. (He pitched 8 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the NLCS before allowing a run to the Mets) And I LOVED it when Kirk Gibson hit that HR to win Game 1 of the World Series. When they clinched the World Series, I screamed at the top of my lungs! This was a team NOBODY expected to contend. They were picked to finish anywhere from 3rd to 5th.
I also remember watching the Marlins-Indians series. I was pulling for the Marlins because I'm an NL guy. I typically pull for the NL in the World Series.
My favorite football moment was when the Panthers made it to Super Bowl 38 and nearly pulled it out. Had I had my "under the bus" blog back then, I'd have thrown John Kasay under it! He kicked the ball OB with just over a minute remaining, allowing Tom Brady to drive the Patriots down the field for the winning FG. (At the time, it was the first time in Kasay's career he kicked a ball OB on the kickoff)
I went to a small community college for two years right out of high school. The College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. In my sophomore year, COS defeated the Fresno City College Rams in Fresno for the Valley Conference championship in the final seconds of the game then went on to defeat West Valley College from San Jose, Chabot College from Hayward and finally met and defeated Fullerton City College for the California State Championship. Every one of those schools had at least three times the enrollment of the College of Sequoias Giants!
Then there was Joe Montana and Dwight Clark... "The Catch" Now that was way cool watching the vaunted Cowboys go down in flames!
Dwindy-OUCH! I grew up a Cowboys fan-and still love them today as much as the Jaguars. That game has a definite different meaning for me. I was 8 years old then and I remember getting my mouth washed out with soap that night because I yelled #### real loud. My mom wasn't having that-she let me finish watching the game and then off to the bathroom for my punishment.
jon-I'm a Marlins fan, but before I started rooting for them, the Dodgers were my favorite team. I especially remember a big HR that Mike Scioscia hit in the NLCS against the Mets. Scioscia was not known for his HR power and that is what helped them get to the World Series. Funny story-that spring before they won the Series, I was sitting in the stands in Vero Beach, and this tall guy came and sat in front of me about the 8th inning. My brother knew who it was and told me to ask for his autograph. I didn't know who it was-but I did. He autographed my glove-I couldn't read it but the first letter in each name let me know who it was-O.H. I still have that glove today-it has a bunch of autographs on it now-but Orel is the first one that signed it.
Last edited by jaguarjoe72 on June 29th at 4:13 PM.
