Some sporting events or achievements, much like historical events, just stick with you. You remember EXACTLY where you were when you saw or heard about it happening. You knew, as soon as you saw or heard about it, that history had just been made.
What was it for you?
On October 17th, 1989, I walked with a friend toward the entrance of San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for Game 3 of the World Series between the Giants and the A’s when a 6.9 earthquake hit. I could feel the parking lot’s up-and-down motion and hear car alarms go off from the southern end of the parking lot and move to the northern end (the epicenter was south in the Santa Cruz mountains).
We continued into the stadium; there was no power. Players from both teams were on the field with their families. We got to our nosebleed seats and saw the smoke coming from the marina. I turned on my portable TV and saw that the Bay Bridge had collapsed. I will never forget that day.
Here’s an old one. I remember exactly where I was when I learned Bruce Jenner (as he was then called) won the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. I was sitting in the Olympic Stadium, watching him.
The last inning of game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
I’ve written about this before - damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. I have more vague memories of when the Mets won game seven a couple of days later, but sitting there on my parents’ couch seeing unlikely event after unlikely event unfold was unforgettable. A friend was there and said it felt like Shea Stadium was going to fall over from everyone jumping up and down.
I was at a shopping mall in suburban Chicago; I was walking past the entrance to the Montgomery Ward store, where they had several big-screen TVs set up, and tuned to the game. Seeing that the game wasn’t in progress, I went closer to the TVs, and could then hear the announcers talking about what had happened.
I have vivid memories of sitting at my favorite bar with about all of my local friends watching the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2008. A drunken celebration was had, and afterward a fight broke out behind me by a guy who tried to pick one with me moments earlier. He got one punch KO’d. A great-great time.
My dad took me to Three Rivers Stadium to see the Pirates play the Mets September 30, 1972. He was pretty sure Clemente would get his 3,000th hit and he was right.
A few months later I was at a neighbor’s house playing. My friend’s mom told us to keep our voices down, as Mr Clemente was in the study doing paperwork (the dad was a lawyer).
A few minutes later Roberto Clemente left. I was introduced to him and told him I was at the game and saw #3,000. I said my dad would never believe I’d met him.
Just two weeks later, on December 31, 1972 he died in a plane wreck while doing humanitarian work.
October 8 1956 - Game 5 of the world series. Bob Larsons’ no-hitter. Everybody watched or listened to that game. I was in the flight simulator building of Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas NV. When I walked outside I could hear the game almost unbroken from car radios and open windows.
I was waiting for the bus home, wondering why it was So late, when I heard people were celebrating the Cavs win, thanks to LeBron
I’d gotten a portable transistor radio as a Christmas present that year (I was 7); I remember turning it on to listen to the radio at some point that day, and hearing the news about the crash of Clemente’s plane.
The Red Sox and Cubs FINALLY winning a World Series has to be up there.
I was at Chavez Ravine the night Éric Gagné broke the record for Consecutive Saves and I was there the night he set the current record of 84.
Don Larsen, perhaps?
Super Bowl 42. Nearly everyone, seemingly, - including Cowboys fans, all kinds of NFL fans, were rooting for the Giants. The Patriots were the Evil Empire and the Giants were the Rebels. When Burress caught that touchdown, people leapt to their feet.
A kid who worked for me gave me a birthday present of his season ticket seats for a Texas Rangers game, and it ended up with Kenny Rogers pitching a perfect game in front of us. I was also there when Derek Harper dribbled out the clock against the LA Lakers thinking the Mavericks had a lead rather than a tie (that one was at least famous locally). I was also there when RG3 blew out his knee (or rather, had it blown out for him) in a game against the Ravens.
As for watching on TV, I definitely remember exactly where I was sitting (and then jumping up and down) when I watched John Riggins break that fourth down run in the Super Bowl.
I was at Milwaukee County Stadium in August, 1982, when Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock’s single-season record for stolen base. Brock was at the game, sitting a couple of rows away from us, and was part of the on-field ceremony after Henderson broke the record.
Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004. I was unfortunately in my car between exits X and Y on a Boston area highway. When I got home 15 minutes later the cul-de-sac had an impromptu block party on. A couple of grown men were crying because their fathers had not lived to see the day.
I’m not a Boston sports fan and it was incredible to me the amount of emotion that people expressed over a sporting result.
At the age of 9 and totally into baseball in 1961, I remember watching Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his record-breaking 61st home run. I can picture it now, in black and white of course, because that’s how I saw it.
And like many people, in 1989 I’d just settled down to watch the World Series when the bay area was hit with an earthquake. I remember the great sportscaster Al Michaels putting on his news hat to report on what had happened and updating the story as it grew. That was great broadcasting.
I remember some football matches: Champions Leagues’ win for Barcelona, the Wolrd Cup for Spain… but the one that I remember most vividly still, after all this years, is Germany’s win 1974 against the Netherlands in Munich. I was at my grandparent’s house in South-Germany and I was rooting for the Netherlands (because of Cruyff, and Neeskens, and Rinus Michels, and just because!). I remember how sad I was afterwards, and me staring out of the kitchen window and looking at the rain.
My grandfather came in and did not understand at all.
I was nine years old.
I was at both Senna’s and Vettel’s first F1 races. Ayrton DNF’ed after 8 laps and I thought (to myself, to be sure!), “So much for the Hype”. In hindsight, I kinda botched that one. Years later Seb scored points (set record for youngest to do so) and I thought, “This kid’s going places”. Nailed that one.
I was in The Silver Bowl when Doug Henry won on a YZF-400 four-stroke against all the two-strokes. I said to my girlfriend’s kid, “You just saw history and the end of the two-strokes”.
Was in The Rose Bowl for one of USC’s National Championships. Sitting with my friend Jim. Southwest End Zone, more or less.
I think I got all the ticket stubs for these. Borderline Hoarder, Me.