Games that meant nothing to you as a fan (but you'll always remember)

Game 7 of the '91 World Series is the best non-Dodgers baseball game I've ever watched (a few times).

I was looking for something today and stumbled upon a photo in a journal I kept in Jamaica. One night after work I got pretty stoned and watched the Hawks/Magic; the showers in Kingston may have sucked but by-god the place I lived had American cable TV.

On this night, February 3, 1998, Bo Outlaw played the game of his life and what he was doing on the court sucked me in even though I didn't give 2 shits about either team. It was a thrilling game and I became a Bo Outlaw fan for life after his 23 points and 17 rebounds but it went way beyond the stats.

I started writing notes late in the game.

Hawks vs Magic, February 3, 1998 | Basketball-Reference.com

He averaged 5.4 points per game in his career.

Afterward they asked Bo what got into him and he gave one of the best natural answers I've ever heard from an athlete after a career game:

"I think it's desire."



Most of us here are lifelong sports nutters who I assume have similar experiences watching great games and/or moments that don't involve their favorite teams or players.

 

High-school LeBron coming to Philly and playing Strawberry Mansion and new city scoring champion Maureece Rice. It quickly became a one-on-one matchup, and even though St. Vincent-St. Mary ended up romping, I never heard the Palestra that loud before or since.

 

I was watching that game, too!

 

The 1982 and '83 NCAA men's basketball finals. And the '83 Houston-Louisville semifinal.

Nicklaus roaring down the back nine to win the '86 Masters.

Cardinals-Packers 51-45 playoff game -- same score as the 1986 Jets-Dolphins shootout between Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino -- and Steelers-Cards Super Bowl.

 

The best basketball game I ever saw was the 1988 Missouri Class 3A girls final between Marshfield and St. Charles Duchesne, both of which came into the game undefeated. I don’t think either team led by more than 3 or 5 the entire game. Marshfield won the game 59-58 on a last-second rebound of an air ball. Its winning streak ended in 1991.

That ‘91 World Series clincher was a close second.

No rooting interest in either game other than deadline, but I still think about both of those games on occasion today when I think about how much I love sports.

 

Duke 61, Butler 59. Gordon Hayward, and fans everywhere, sorely deserved the buzzer-beater there.

 

That San Diego-Miami playoff game in the early 80s was maybe the first “epic” game I remember.

A couple others: the MNF game between Green Bay and Washington that ended something like 46-45.

I also remember Oklahoma vs Loyola Marymount in the late 80s that had a blistering first half in which both teams topped 60 before the Sooners ram away with it.

 

Elizabeth Manley’s silver medal winning performance in the women’s long skate at the ‘88 Olympics.

The media was hyping Debi Thomas vs. Katarina Witt for days, and basically was ignoring Manley. Then during the long skate, she puts on the show of her life, puts on a better performance than the other two, wins the long skate, the crowd goes nuts, and she barely missed out on the gold.

Never underestimate anyone. You never know who’s going to become a star.

 

1986 NLCS Game 6. Listened on the radio on my way to class. Game still going when I got out of my class and when I drove 25 minutes home. Mets had to win to avoid facing Houston ace Mike Scott in Game 7. Mets finally scored 3 in the top of the 16th and held on to win 7-6.

 

Game 7 of the Warriors-Cavs. No offense at all down the stretch, but just a crazy tense 4th quarter.

 

Two games I will never forget - Va. Tech beating Notre Dame in the 1973 NIT championship game, and NC State beating Maryland in the 1974 ACC championship game. Watched both on black & white TVs in college and they remain among the best college basketball games I've ever seen.

I think Tech won five NIT games by a total of six points. Bobby Stevens made the winning basket at the buzzer. We beat Tech in double OT that season so it made their run that much more memorable to me.