5. 2001 World Series Game 7 Yankees-Diamondbacks
Date: November 7th, 2001
-The World Series, pushed back into November because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was one of the best ever. It touched those who were most closely affected by the tragedies in New York and gave anyone with a pulse chills. The Yankees and Diamondbacks were tied at 3 games a piece for a Game 7 in the desert. Two legends...Curt Schilling vs. Roger Clemens on the mound...a dynasty (New York) and an upstart (Arizona). After the game was even through seven innings at 2...young Alfonso Soriano launched a shot into the Arizona night and into the left field stands to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The dynasty looked like it would continue. It was going to be their 4th straight World Series. Mariano Rivera was coming in for a two-inning save, "fuggetaboutit". Then in the Bottom of the Ninth something funny happened. Rivera got hit. And he threw the ball away. And he hit a batter. After a Tony Womack single tied the game and Craig Counsell was plunked to load the bases...Luis Gonzalez stepped up to the plate. With the infield in, Gonzalez got jammed by the famed Rivera cutter and lifted it just barely onto the outfield grass plating the winning run and ending the Yankees run.
4. Mark McGwire Breaks Maris' Record
Date: September 8, 1998
-More Baseball. We talked about how Ripken's streak helped bring baseball back...well the summer of '98 and the Sosa-McGwire home run chase did the rest. It was a frantic time of checking Sportscenter every morning to see what McGwire and Sosa did the night before...how close were they getting to the record. On a fox special a tuesday night game between the Cubs and the Cardinals was televised from St. Louis. McGwire was on 61 home runs...tying him with Maris.
As flash bulbs went off for every single pitch he faced...finally in his second at-bat in the 4th inning, McGwire made contact. While most of his HRs were moonshots, this was a low line drive heading into the left field corner. It just cleared the top of the wall. And Joe Buck yelled, "62!". As the Maris family was there to greet him, players on both teams, including Sosa (who would also surpass Maris) congratulated McGwire on the amazing accomplishment. While today, this is no longer the record (Bonds has it) and drug allegations have tarnished what happened, this moment will never change for those who witnessed it. The feeling in that moment was that you witnessed something truly great.
3. Gum on the Helmet- Super Bowl XLII
Date: February 3rd, 2008
-The New England Patriots finished an undefeated regular season. They were playing the New York Giants in the Super Bowl (a team they had beaten about a month earlier) in Glendale, Arizona. They were 12 point favorites and were poised to finish off the best season in NFL history. But the Giants played with tenacity and grit that the Patriots hadn't dealt with all season. They smacked Brady and the record-breaking offense around.
Despite this, the Patriots held the lead late in the fourth quarter as Eli Manning attempted to lead the Giants on a winning drive. With 2:39 left on their own 14, it looked unlikely to happen. On a 3rd and 5 from their 44 yard line, Manning got pressure that he somehow broke free of, he floated the ball in the air for what seemed like minutes. Leaping up about 30 yards down field was little-used WR David Tyree. He reached up and caught the ball with one hand and his helmet while Rodney Harrison committed everything short of rape on the receiver trying to get the ball away. He held on. Three plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress in the left corner of the endzone for the touchdown to win the game and end the Patriots dream. It most likely does not happen without a catch that could only be described as an act of God.
2. Michael Jordan's (Real) Last Shot
Date: June 14, 1998
-The most legendary athlete of my lifetime is without question Michael Jordan. Basketball was good, but he made it great. He made the big shots, won the big games, and had a competitiveness and will to win that no one has surpassed. A player is not considered great until he does what Jordan did. Make the clutch shots. Jordan did that better than anyone, and there's not one (during my lifetime) that stands out more than his final shot as a Chicago Bull.
Already having five championship rings, the Bulls were looking to win their third straight title and complete their second "three-peat" of the decade. In their way was the gritty Utah Jazz at the Delta Center. With the Bulls up 3-2 in the series the Jazz looked like they had the game wrapped up and were in good position to force a Game 7. With less than thirty seconds left, Karl Malone had the ball down low looking to ice the game away, when Jordan crashed down on the double team and stripped the Mailman of the ball. Michael dribbled up court. Took a look at the clock, ran it down and ran isolation against Byron Russell of Utah. Jordan drove right, crossed back over to his left and stopped on a dime...pulled up and buried the open jumper with five seconds left as he stood and hung his perfect follow-through.
1. "Redsox fans have longed to hear it..."
Date: Late October, 2004
-There was no team more tortured, no fan base more hurt than the Boston Redsox. They were cursed, they could never win another World Series because of the "Curse of the Bambino". Chants of "1918" would consistently ring out at Yankee Stadium...and after the epic collapse of 2003 in the playoffs...it seemed as though there might be some truth to the whole thing. Then 2004 happened. The curse was reversed.
The Redsox rallied from a three games to none deficit (the first team ever to do so) in the 2004 ALCS to conquer their rivals and "daddy" New York Yankees. It was a Game 4 stolen base by Dave Roberts and base hit by Bill Mueller to tie it. Then a David Ortiz home run into the bullpen to force a Game 5. Then it was Ortiz again with a key home run to tie the game and a jam-shot base hit to center field to send the series back to New York. It was the bloody sock in Game 6 by Curt Schilling that will long live as legend in Boston. Then it was the Game 7 shalacking in the House That Ruth Built by a bunch of "idiots" that completed the greatest comeback ever.
The actual World Series? Pretty anti-climatic. A sweep of the Cardinals.
"Back to Foulke...Redsox fans have longed to hear it...the Boston Redsox...are World Champions". Just typing those words give me chills to this day. I witnessed it. Something many of my family members who were Redsox fans never got to see. They did it. And there is almost definitely no moment that can happen in the world of sports that will EVER pass this. And most Redsox fans feel the same.
Cheers.
great work
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