(My original post-ALCS write-up was written around 5 a.m. Friday morning
after the most emotional game of my life as a sports fan. Visits to five
bars — during which I downed 12 drinks plus three shots —
explains the
incoherence.)
Here's a
round-up of my favorite sports victories and the toughest defeats. Feel free
to
post a comment with your memories.
GREATEST VICTORIES
1.
Aaron Boone Plays Babe Ruth: The intensity during
Mariano Rivera's dramatic relief appearance in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS
finally cracked me. I thought of
how my dad would have laughed at me for caring so damn much, as I was grabbing my
heart like Fred Sanford half the series. Somehow I managed to laugh about it all. But the
guy in the Yankees jersey next to me tapped me on the shoulder
and reminded me that we needed to focus. He pointed at the screen and
ordered
me to regroup. After we won, I hugged him. I hugged everyone. I have yet to
talk to a Yankees or Red Sox fan who did not admit to being 100% drained
even before the series ended. We all couldn't wait for it to be over.
2. Giants Win Super Bowl XXV: I was 17, and Syracuse
University's
significant population of Western New Yorkers and students from cities that
hate anything NYC-related generated a lot of support for the Bills. I fought
back tears when Scott Norwood lined up his 47-yarder. Wide right. And the
plot for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was born.
3. Yanks Win Game 2 of 1995 ALDS:
Jim Leyritz's 15th-inning home run was hit in the early morning rain. I was
there. I've never seen a home crowd so juiced. Yankee fans back then were
not spoiled, just hungry. Before Game 1, which I also attended, the Stadium
was packed well before game time and Mattingly was given a standing ovation
during his pre-game stretch. His home run in Game 2 brought the house down.
Gary Thorne called it as such: "Hold onto the roof!"
4.
Syracuse Wins 2003 Basketball National Championship:
Never thought I'd see it. Still can't believe it. I'm sure I missed one
helluva party on Marshall Street.
TOUGHEST LOSSES
1. Yanks Lose 2001 World Series in Walkoff Fashion:
Really wanted
this one because the city had been through so much less than two months
earlier. All that talk about a new world, about things not being what they
seemed, it would have been nice to think at least we still have the world
champion Yankees. I understand the frivolity of sports, but the Yankees
are so much a part of New York history, not just sports history.
2. Syracuse
Falls Three Yards Short to Miami: I applied to a basketball school,
but by junior year it was the football team that was making most headlines.
The loudest I have ever heard a football stadium came on Nov. 21, 1992. No.
6 Syracuse hosting No. 1 Miami, the undefeated defending national champions,
for the Big East title. I bought air horns at a boating supply company the night before, but you could barely hear them in the Carrier Dome. On the game's final
play, with SU down 16-10, All-America tight end Chris Gedney caught a Marvin Graves pass over the middle and
was knocked down at the 3-yard line. Game over. I had never been so drained.
3. Mariners Beat Yanks in 1995 ALDS: What a heavyweight
match. I
feared Ken Griffey Jr. more than any batter before or since.
(Bonds has played just one series against the Yanks.) He hit five home runs
in the five-game series. Hard to believe the
Mariners have never been to World Series. Harder still to believe the fate
of Griffey the last three years. This was a guy who had at least 48
HRs, 134 RBIs and 120 runs in each of four straight seasons.
4. Charles Smith Fails to Put Back the Bulls, 1993: It
seemed like everyone in the Garden but the ball boy blocked Smith's putback
attempts in the finals seconds of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks had home-court advantage in the series and lost it right there.
They would never defeat Jordan in a playoff series.
Geez, my list consists of my teams being losers:
1) Temple Univ. basically losing to just about everyone. My alma mater's football team blows-and not in a good way. All we have is hoops, but never good enough to go all of the way.
2) Phillies-- Haven't won a world series since 1981. Gave away the '93 series because of Mitch "wild thing" Williams. That bastard was run out of town for awhile, and now he is back. Believe it or not, he is bartending at a bowling alley in South Jersey. What a fucking shame...
3) Eagles-- Hopeless. Got smoked in the Super Bowl in 1980 and haven't been able to pull it together since.
4) Flyers--My beloved Flyers, are another nightmare. We have had a revolving door of coaches and high paid All Stars, and still haven't been able to bring Lord Stanley home since 1975. I was 4 years old, and would like to see them win before I die.
The only non-hometown team that I love is the Cowboys. I loved them through the good times and the really bad times since I was a kid. Maybe the Tuna will make me a happy girl this year, and they will get to the Super Bowl. Otherwise, I will just enjoy staring at Derek Jeter's ass as the Yanks smoke the Marlins...
Posted by Cass at October 18, 2003 6:56 PM