Sports Your Favorite Sports Memories

phoopes

I did it again
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...because what's better than sitting back and reminiscing about the good old days, am I right? I'll start off with an unconventional one because I've wanted to share this story and there's no better place to put it so I made a new thread lol.

Back when I was a junior in high school, one fine Saturday morning I went to take the SATs. It was a pretty boring/miserable experience except for one funny thing that happened. One of my really good friends at the time was sitting next to me. We obviously didn't interact too much until after the test because we didn't want to get accused of cheating or whatever, but afterwards we naturally talked about how it went. When the conversation turned to the writing section, we figured out that we wrote about the exact same thing. I forget what the prompt was exactly, but in our responses we both talked about Kwame Brown of all people lol. Since this was so specific and we were seated right next to each other we were SURE that we were going to get accused of cheating by whoever (to this day I still don't know how that works so idk if this was a rational fear to have), but once we were "in the clear" we were able to have a good laugh about "the Kwame Brown SAT Incident."

I'll probably share some more stories eventually (like when the Eagles won the Super Bowl) but that was the first one that came to mind. Let's hear yours!
 
Favorite memory: Picking last season's NFL playoff bracket 9-3 against the spread
Least favorite memory: Picking last season's NFL playoff bracket 9-3 against the spread.

Depending on if I'm looking at the glass half full or half empty here... this will determine what I think of the city of San Francisco. See my post in the new NFL thread for more details.
 
If we prioritize an event we saw in real life over the others, for me it's definitely the 2nd leg between France and Ukraine for the World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

France had lost the 1st leg 2-0 in Ukraine after a disastrous match where the attitude of some players was really bad (most notably Samir Nasri that never played again for the national team after this)
Public Opinion on the national team was still bad at the time because Knysna events from 2010 were still fairly recent and Euro 2012 didn't go great neither so pretty much nobody believed in that team anymore, some people were even happy about that failure

This was to the point that the 2nd leg's tickets didn't sell very well and my dad randomly took tickets for us 2 days before the match because there were still tickets left, it wasn't that expensive and we live quite close to the stadium. And hey, what could happen, at worst it's a match at the stadium for not too much money, at best we'll live an historical moment, right?

On match day, I watched some football talk show on TV before leaving to the Stadium and it was just so pessimistic and p much only saying there's no hope left in this team, especially since it was known that Benzema was kept as a starter for 2nd leg despite being very criticized at the time, our coach clearly showing he was ready to "die alongside his ideas" as we say here by doing that

Stade de France usually has quite a shit atmosphere, not much noise or singing or anything, but tonight was smth different, we arrived quite late at the stadium so it was mostly filled in already and as soon as we entered I knew smth was about to happen cuz the atmosphere was so insane compared to what it usually is here, and grandstands ended being full actually so my guess is that a lot of people took tickets last minute as we did, and also that p much the 80 000 people in the stadium were the very last 80 000 in the country still believing in this team

And yeah then something did indeed happened, France quickly dominated and ended up winning 3-0 with 1 goal of Benzema who kept the coach's trust despite the critics and 2 from Sakho who scored his 2 only goals ever for the national team, the celebrations after this went completely crazy the stadium stayed full for quite a long time after that and it's definitely my highlight when it comes to sport witnessed irl, sadly I don't have any picture from there anymore

For those who never heard about that match, here's a highlights video:
 
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I’ve never experienced elation quite like when Origi scored our fourth against Barcelona on that night at Anfield.
Special mentions to us then winning the Champions League that year on my 21st birthday and the trophy parade the day after as well as Alisson’s goal in 2021 to ensure we qualified for the Champions League that year.

My dad remembers the 2005 Champions League final better than me but he says I was also going ballistic then so I suppose that one’s up there too LOL
 
Watching Ezekiel Elliott run 85 yards through the heart of the South to effectively clinch a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff.

Honorable Mention to the Kick Six tho.
 
The Bartolo Colon home run in 2016 vs the Padres was cool, especially because i was at that game and I think that made me love baseball.
Aside from that, the LA Galaxy Dynasty between '11 and '14. That was so cool.
 
Favorite memory: Picking last season's NFL playoff bracket 9-3 against the spread
Least favorite memory: Picking last season's NFL playoff bracket 9-3 against the spread.

Depending on if I'm looking at the glass half full or half empty here... this will determine what I think of the city of San Francisco. See my post in the new NFL thread for more details.
I still stand by this being a pretty stand-out memory, but something happened this NFL season that I unfortunately have no way of proving I actually did. You’ll just have to believe me. I still like to pick sports games every now and then, and it quickly became apparent that my NFL picks for the NFC East division were scarily accurate for most of the season. Starting out the first… what was it, 10 weeks of the regular season with over 30 NFC East game picks won was already incredible, most of those winning against the spread too. One by one, I’d start to lose the occasional pick for the Giants, the Commanders, and the Eagles.

And then… this happened.

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I’ll never be the kind of guy who puts money on this sort of thing. I just like to pick games for fun. But this… I don’t know how I managed to pull this off. A perfect 19-0 game pick record for a team I’ve already had an interest in watching more with some friends of mine who are also big Dallas Cowboys fans. The final game against San Francisco was only possible to pick due to a playoff seeding error I had with my original bracket which allowed me to make a last-second switch to the 49ers winning that game.

The Dallas Cowboys season ended with me picking every single game correctly, going an impressive 15-4 against the point spread while maintaining winning records for the rest of the NFC East division, including the Super Bowl bound Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe a bit of a spoiler alert, but I’ve got Kansas City winning the Super Bowl against either the 49ers or the Eagles (again, thanks to that seeding error I mentioned earlier).
 
Big Olympics lover, but also some other notable memories thrown in. watched everything here live except one event. All on TV except one since this is mostly olympics moments, but I'm sure i could come up with more that I witnessed in person if I tried!

Gymnastics
Epke Zonderland High Bar at 2012 Olympics
Aly Raisman 2016 Olympics Floor Exercise
McKayla Maroney THE Vault at 2012 Olympics
Nastia Liukin Beam 2008 Olympics

Figure Skating
Jason Brown Riverdance at 2014 US Championships
Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot pairs at 2018 Olympics
Yuna Kim James Bond Medley at 2010 Olympics

Swimming
Jason Lezak saving Michael Phelps' Gold Medal Record at 2008 Olympics

Track & Field
Recent but Karsten Warholm breaking a 29 year(!) world record, thought to be untouchable
Recent but Karsten Warholm breaking his own WR to win Olympic Gold

Soccer
Wayne Rooney picking on Orlando
Wayne Rooney from his own half against Orlando again (lol) I was actually at this game and seated behind the DC United goal and was screaming my head off to take the shot but still can't believe Rooney saw it and executed it
Tim Howard 16 saves vs Belgium
1999 Womens World Cup Final

Baseball
Rafael Furcal Unassisted Play and Troy Tulowitzki Unassisted Triple Play - this is the rarest feat in baseball, and I watched live 2 of the 15 to ever happen in the MLB.

Football
The Immaculate Interception
Boise State 2007 Fiesta Bowl
 
Last day of the 2006/07 Eredivisie (Dutch league) season. AZ, PSV, and Ajax were all tied at 72 points but AZ had the superior goal difference (AZ +53, Ajax +47, PSV +46). PSV basically needed AZ to drop points and win with a goal difference of at least 2 higher than Ajax. So, that's exactly what happened. AZ struggled the entire matched after an early red card and ended up losing to relegation candidate Excelsior. Ajax won 2-0, which meant that PSV had to win with at least a 4 goal difference. They won 5-1. These matches were all played simultaneously so even when PSV scored the 5-1, everyone knew it would be over if Ajax managed to score the 3-0.

Here's a video (with Dutch commentary) I found:
 
With baseball taking the spotlight right now (besides NBA free agency starting today lol) I wanted to share that last season's Phillies postseason run was super special and memorable to me. It brought a lot of people together rallying around a team that hadn't been good in years, and having "Dancing On My Own" be the team's song was super fun too. It was really improbable and even though it didn't end up in a championship it's a team I'll remember for a long time.
 

As a Dallas Mavs fan this is my favorite sports memory especially when I'm a Lebron hater.
 
When Jose Bautista hit a 3 run homer at the bottom of the 7th innings against Sam Dyson of the Texas rangers. Did the most iconic bat flip of all time.
 
I'm not the biggest fan of Australian sports to be honest. But my favourite by FAR is this.
Towards the end when Michael "The Menace" Ennis is taunting the raiders by mocking their viking clap. Still gets me to have a good laugh at this.
 
I'm not the biggest fan of Australian sports to be honest. But my favourite by FAR is this.
Towards the end when Michael "The Menace" Ennis is taunting the raiders by mocking their viking clap. Still gets me to have a good laugh at this.

As an Aussie, nice to see an NRL video here.

Back when I was a kid, I chose my favourite NRL team based on colours, and the Panthers were a sort of black/purple/blue aesthetic, lucky for me in the first year I majorly followed it they won the Grand Final with this happening:


6-6 game in the balance bigger (generally slower) man takes down the speedster running away for a try and his team wins the game. Amazing.

Of course BANG BANG Curry vs OKC got me into the NBA which I still follow religiously to this day.
 
Alright, let me set the scene.

It's the last week of 2013-2014 college football regular season, and Alabama has their eyes set on the national championship. The Alabama Crimson Tide are undefeated (11-0), ranked #1 in the country, and have their sights on their 3rd straight national championship and their 4th title in the last 5 years. They have crushed every single opponent that has stood in their way. Winning is just what they do, and they have been nigh unstoppable for the last several years. The only thing standing in their way this time is this last game of the season against their in-state rivals, Auburn.

Auburn, meanwhile, is having one of the biggest turnaround seasons we have ever seen. The year before, they were 3-9, including going 0-8 in SEC conference play. This year, though, they are playing hot, reaching an 11-1 record and #4 rank in the nation. The Auburn Tigers are also coming into this matchup against Alabama coming off of a miracle win the week before over Georgia. With 36 seconds left in the game and down 1 point on a 4th and 18, Auburn goes for a Hail Mary. The ball flies through the air, tips off of the Georgia defense's hands, and is caught by an Auburn receiver who can barely even see the ball. He sprints into the endzone, scoring the game-winning touchdown to secure the win.


Luck is already on Auburns side it seems. Though, they will need more than just luck to beat this Alabama team.

This Alabama vs. Auburn game has big implications. Not only does the winner advance to the SEC title game, but also likely the national championship as well. And of course, being in-state rivals, winning this game means even more than just a shot at the title.

So, let's talk about this game. Or more specifically, how it ended.

Now, the game was back and forth, with both teams showing their absolute best. Near the end of the 4th quarter, Auburn scores a touchdown with only 38 seconds left, tying the game at 28-28. Alabama, on their last drive of the 4th quarter, proceed to run to Auburns 38-yard line as time expires. However, Alabama coach Nick Saban argues that their running back stepped out of bounds with 1 second left, which the referees confirm after a review. With one second on the clock, Alabama can just take a knee to go to Overtime. However, Nick Saban elects to attempt a 57-yard field goal to win the game even though the Alabama kicker had missed 3 field goals within 45 yard this game.

Before the snap, Auburn puts a receiver in the endzone just in case the kick is short. I mean, he probably won't get the opportunity to catch it, but who knows. Anything can happen.

So, with 1 second left on the clock, Alabama attempts a 57-yard field goal. And the rest, well, is history.


The receiver in the endzone catches the ball and returns it 109 yards for a touchdown, winning the game and sending Auburn to the SEC title.

This unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime play will go down in history as the Kick Six, a moment enshrined as one of the craziest, most exciting moments in college football history.




Well, this is where I would stop if this story if the story was actually about the Kick Six. But it's not. While it may be one of my favorite sports memories, personally, it takes a #2 spot to this next one.



So, after this game, Alabama is pissed. Not only did they lose in humiliating fashion, not ONLY do they get to watch Auburn beat Missouri for the SEC title and a ticket to national championship, NOT ONLY are they ranked #3 in the country...they have to play in the Sugar Bowl against #11 Oklahoma.

Really? Oklahoma? I know they won the Big 12, but seriously? They're 12-2, and not nearly on the same level as Alabama. To them, this is an insult. They're supposed to be national title contenders after all.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is ecstatic. Not only did they finish 12-2 with a win over their in-state rival, Oklahoma State, for the Big 12 title, but they get to prove themselves on the big stage against the most dominant college football team in recent memory. They are 17.5 point underdogs, which, ouch, that's kinda rude for a ranked conference winner. But, at least they've got nothing to lose - it's Alabama, after all. No one will bat an eye if Oklahoma get just absolutely crushed by Alabama. Winning is just what they do.

So let's talk about this game. Or, more specifically, me.

See, I grew up an Oklahoma Sooners fan. Every Saturday, the family would gather around to cheer our favorite team on. In fact, most of my extended family - uncles, cousins, grandparents - are all Oklahoma Sooners fans too.

It's New Years 2014, and the entire family is in town to celebrate. New Years is fun and all, but there is another day circled on the calendar for all of us - January 2nd, the day of the Sugar Bowl.

Come time for the game, we are all crammed into the living room, ready to cheer our #11 Oklahoma Sooners against the high and mighty #3 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Alright, let's talk about the game.

Throughout a back and forth game, Oklahoma has surprisingly kept up with the juggernaut Crimson Tide, even leading 31-17 going into halftime. However, Alabama is Alabama, and you can't keep them on the back foot for too long. They start to bring it back, making it a 7 point game in the 3rd quarter. Oklahoma scores early in the 4th to bring the lead to 14 again, but Alabama is relentless, scoring with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter to make it a one score game again (38-31).

Oklahoma has a slow drive, attempting to run out the clock. However, they are forced to punt it back to Alabama, who now has 56 seconds left to tie the game.

My family is huddled together around the TV, and we are all on pins and needles. Are we really about to do this? Alabama is still Alabama, and they have plenty of time left to make something happen. It's Alabama, after all.

My mom, coming in from the kitchen, stands under the doorframe as we all sit in tense silence.

Alabama has the ball. 1st and 10.

Then, this happens.


We jump out of our seats. "YES!" "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" "WE'VE SEALED THE GAME!" "WE'RE GONNA BEAT BAMA!!!!"

Amidst the chaos, my mom jumps for joy in the air, raising her arms above her head in celebration...and hitting her hand HARD on the doorframe.

She breaks her thumb. Though, we didn't realize this until she went to the doctor the next day.

After some celebration, we retake our seats, and the game continues, 45-31, though the outcome is already determined. To seal the deal, Oklahoma kicks an onside kick and recovers it before taking a knee to run out the clock.

They've done it. They actually beat Bama.

They beat a 17.5 favorite, two-time champion Alabama.

It didn't matter that it wasn't the national title. It didn't matter that this was just the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma had proven themselves on the national stage, and they had embarrassed one of the best teams in the country.

It was glorious.

Oh, and Alabama? They later got to see their in-state rival Auburn win the National Championship. It just doesn't get any better for them, huh.





Anyway, that was my favorite sports memory. Not just because of Oklahoma winning that game, not just because of how Alabama' season had ended. Because I got to share that special memory with my family.

Oh, and because my mom broke her thumb cheering during that play. Kinda hard to forget about the play when something like that happens.

Hope you all enjoyed my little (not little) writeup of this wonderful moment. Props to any of you who read all the way through. Oh, and apologies to any Alabama fans who had to relive the trauma of this season.

Boomer Sooner!
 
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