Do you remember where you watched big sporting events?

First Super Bowl you watched. Fuck. I'd watched XVI by that point. Bitch.

 

2004 World Series, Game 1
Went to a huge high school party (I was 15 at the time) with no parents around, a big screen TV, and boatloads of alcohol. First time I ever got completely wasted...started pounding down beers and taking a few celebratory shots. I remember hazily waking up on a trampoline with about 10 other bodies, dragging myself up and driving home with a hangover wondering who won the game. I found out the Sox won on WEEI and almost crashed into the car in front of me in excitement. I snuck inside while my parents were still sleeping, threw on my work clothes, and was off to work as a shoe salesman at a department store. Longest 6-hour shift of my life.

Three Patriots Superbowl wins were watched at my grandparents house. Three generations of Pats fans sitting on the couch (my grandfather, father, and me) tense and focused, talking about plays but occasionally silent for stretches, with a few plates of chicken wings and some Samuel Adams to wash 'em down. Some fantastic nights.

 

The 1982 Chargers/Dolphins game: at my grandparents' house
Game 6 of the 1986 World Series: at a keg party in Farmington, Conn. outnumbered by Mets fans (and Yankees fans who suddenly became Mets fans) 35-4.
Sugar Ray Leonard/Marvin Hagler fight: in the Hartford Civic Center
1984 Orange Bowl: in my parents' house during my senior year of high school

 

Super Bowl 24: 49ers fuck up the Bengals. This is the first Super Bowl I remember watching; I was at my grandma's. I was eight and got really excited when Steve Young came in. I'm not sure why, but I think I thought it was cool Bill Walsh had the class to put in the reserves. Not that I really thought of it in those terms, though.

Super Bowl Wide Right: By myself in the family living room, sitting on the floor with my back resting on my dad's recliner.

1995 ALDS Yanks-Mariners Game 2: Fell asleep with the radio on, had no clue about Leyritz's home run until I woke up and saw it in the paper. How novel.
1995 ALDS Yanks-Mariners Game 5: My bedroom, up past my bedtime. Threw my remote at the floor after Griffey scored. Got the chance to tell Griffey he broke my heart eight years later.

1996 World Series clincher: On a stool in the basement about three feet away from the TV.

1998 NBA Finals Game 6: Sitting on my bedroom floor, completely spellbound by Michael Jordan. Haven't watched an NBA game from start to finish since.

2003 ALCS Yanks-Sox Game 7: I was in the bathroom at work when Boone hit his home run. I misjudged the commercial break.

 

The Drive: My parents' living room floor.

The Fumble: My parents' living room floor.

1992 Duke-Kentucky: My parents' living room floor, in a different state than the other floors had been.



That's about it.

 

At 15, a nap on my grandmother's davenport felt more appropriate than watching the Buffalo Bills yet again disappoint me. I snuggled into the corner of the sofa, my head atop a pillow that smelled of joint balm and Scotch-Guard.

Damn Oilers.

7-3 ... 14-3 ... 21-3 ... 28-3 ...

Yep, a mom and dad won't be home for a couple of hours, I can grab a cat nap and wash away another year of oh-so-close. To say I remember what I dreamed, or if I even did, would be fabrication. Yet what I awoke to will be forever seared in my memory, like that first kiss ... like that first day of high school.

Thirty-two yards, through the upright and into next week: 41-38. Forever a Buffalo Bills fan.

If grandma has only known to wake me. Maybe it's best she didn't. The stuff of dreams.

 

Game seven of the 2001 World Series: Watched it in the parking lot at Trees [Dallas, TX] with the Supersuckers while grilling brats. The birth of the "Lot Brat"!

 

every game of the 1977, 1978 world series. i learned to love and hate my dodgers all at the same time.

 

Memories...

Duk Koo Kim - I was waiting as a 9 or 10 year old to go out to dinner with my folks, watching it on a black-and-white in the kitchen. Came back later that night to find out that I watched a man die.

Sid Bream - By myself in a college apt.

Buckner - in the back of a Hagaan Daz my buddies "worked" at when I was in high school.

Cooney/Holmes - on closed circuit at a local venue. My best friend's dad, who ran numbers, was pissed because he lost 4K on Cooney. He would never bet on a white guy again, he said. I could only think that 4K was a lot of money and what my friend's family could have done with it. It's the reason why I do not bet today.

Duke/UK - Parking cars at a county club in a valet shack and having about 4-5 male members in the shack with us as the game unfolded. I'm sure they caught hell from their wives who were waiting outside.

Wells' perfecto - 20 rows behind the Yankee dugout in a free seat.

I have never watched a Steeler SB in a bar.

Boone/Pedro - With a BoSox fan at my house. I brought down the scorecard from the Wells perfecto when I felt the Yanks needed a boost. My buddy broke his glasses in anger when Godzilla ripped the double down the line.

Those are the ones at the top of my head.

 

Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS (Braves-Pirates. Francisco Cabrera. Sid Bream. gag) - gathered around the television in the production room at my college paper along with most of the editorial staff, even the ones who didn't care about baseball. I've never heard that group of people so quiet.

AFC championship, 1992 season (game in early '93) -- Sitting with a smaller group of a lot of the same people at one of the guys' apartments. The Steelers find a way to lose a game they had pretty much dominanted from the opening snap as Neil O'Donnell's fourth-down pass intended Barry Foster in the end zone is knocked down with only seconds remaining. More stunned silence as we wondered how it could happen again.

Two moments that symbolized the '90s for Steelers and Pirates fans, rough experiences for someone who barely remembers the Pittsburgh championship teams of the '70s. The two Stanley Cup Penguins teams were fun, but hockey just doesn't have the same place in my heart.

Then....

Super Bowl XL: Steelers' victory over the Seahawks. My living room. I was on my own, nervously pacing and talking to the television, for about three quarters. My wife and our then 2-year-old joined me for the fourth quarter. I will never forget watching as the Steelers finally took control of the game as I sat on the couch, my little one at my feet playing with a Terrible Towel. A beautiful thing.

 

Great thread.

Some from the wayback machine:

Game 1, 1969 World Series: My first real memory of any sporting event (I was 6 at the time)At my grandfather's house. Was a big Mets fan, and I believe Don Buford homered in the first and
I didn't like the way things were going, but they ended up turning out alright.

1972 US/USSR Olympic basketball game: Also at my grandfather's house. I remember my aunt going crazy when Collins hit the free throws, and then the entire room in silent shock over what transpired after that.

1976 or 1977? - Spinks/Ali first fight: At home, watching with my dad. Talk about how boxing has changed: this fight was on regular television and it was a weeknight, because I remember going to school the next day. Being from St Louis was rooting for the hometown boy and was in near disbelief that a guy with 7 professional fights was hanging with the Greatest. Was standing up and throwing punches with Leon in round 15.

1980: Miracle on Ice: Had purposely avoided hearing the result (game was shown on tape delay) so I could watch it without knowing what would happen. My Mom and sister come home from somewhere somewhere during the middle of the game, and my sister goes, "Can you believe they won?"

1986 Celtics/Hawks playoff game 5: On one of my first ever visits to Atlanta, in a bar. Place was going absolutely apeshit as the Hawks took out the mighty Celts to take a 3-2 series lead. That turned out to be the apex of Hawks basketball in the ATL.

 

Big Ben's tackle- How could I forget that one? At home with a buddy, and I decide to call a friend, and I remember leaving a voice mail message saying something like.. and now I will just watch the Bus get a little added glory. Then the ball popps out. The next few minutes are a blur.

God Bless McFadden for breaking up that pass in the end zone. Vanderslice never gets a chance if that pass is not broken up.