I have already told my small, yet significant viewing audience about the significant events I've viewed already. The natural sequal would be to show events that I must witness at some point in my life. Some maybe obvious and some not so obvious.
5) Wrestlemania-I know these entertainment spectacles are fake and rife with controversey as of late. Persistent drug abuse and violence out-of-the-ring doesn't make me feel better. At the end of the day though, I'm a fan of the moment. When 50,000-70,000 fans scream once every year to watch the "so-called" best in the business face the best in the business. Its become quite a spectacle.
4) The Beanpot tournament-Boston in general lies on my list of great sporting events that I must see. A game at Fenway (a rainout at summer camp in 1989 does not count), a Bruins game and a Patriots game at the Razor's edge could all be at the top of my list. However, watching four venerable intercity hockey programs go against each other just brings out the passion I continue to have for hockey.
3) World Cup Soccer-Doesn't matter where, when or how, but I will get there. I could care less which countries I am watching, what time zone I am in or even if I have my passport to get back into the country. I will have a pint of that host country's prized beer and roast the beautiful game. I had my best chance as a 18-year old just after my freshman year when the World Cup was in the USA. I've been kicking myself ever since for not getting tickets
2) Olympic track and field-I consider myself a weekend warrior these days, running 90 minutes every Saturday and generally trying to run for an hour the following day. Nothing would please me greater then to see the world's greatest athletes compete against each other
1) Sepak takraw-I realize I may have to transport myself to the Far East to see this game. But what a spectacle. A volleyball game, where you can't use your hands. It's all about using your legs. It's basically a combo of soccer and volleyball in way. But that spectacle, I'm sorry just topples it all
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Beginning
I feel like after watching Julie & Julia, that maybe I missed the social blogosphere by a good three years. But I decided that if ever there was a chance to put my creative writing skills to work. I might be with this blog. So I hope you take the time to read my introduction and contribute in my return. And then perhaps I'll get the true meaning of a social interactive community more then I would at other websites.
Its real simple. I'm a sports geek plain and simple. Anyone who knows me at this point, understands that is who I am. I grew up in a family chock full of jocks. My dad was a former pitcher for Seton Hall, my sister would excel in tennis, basketball and softball in high school and my six foot four (sorry Mike I think I'm off on that) cousin was a basketball junkey. What happened in my first 34 years has been sports participation, live sports viewing and lots of TV watching.
Some of the more ginormous moments I've witnessed have not necessarily been the ones people read about. Its the moments which I can remember that were spectacular, but never the legendary moments that people would remember over time--UNLESS they were afficionados of that sport or particular team. The moments that were about greatness one week, but people on to other important events the following week and all was forgotten.
To capture what I'm talking about let me give you my top 10 moments of the "the most spectacular sports moments nobody thinks about anymore." If you have memories like this, please share them. Please give this blog amongst milions a voice. Alot of these moments took place in the NJ/NY area based on my upbringing in Jersey 'burbs.
10) Derek Parra wins a silver medal in the 5000 meters and wins the gold medal in the 1,500 meters in Olympic speed skating-In a discipline in which the Scandinavian countries dominated and the US speed skating program seemed only capable of developing sprinters (aside from the phenoms such as Eric Heidien), this stands out as a guy who came out of left field and shocked the world right on opening day (5,000 meters).
9) 1993 Nets playoff run-Yes, ended in five games, but this will be the best you will ever have seen former Syracuse great Derrick Coleman. With the Nets top two centers out, DC was called to fill in the void and battle a still very mobile Brad Daugherty. The Nets ultimately lost in five games, but not without spoiling for a fight with the tragic last games of Drazen Petrovic and a still rising Kenny Anderson. The Nets highlights in their entire time in the swamp will be this playoff run and then off course the Jason Kidd-led runs to the finals in 2002 and 2003. That's all folks
8) The Yankees losing a no-hitter pitched by their own pitcher-I had to look this one up for the dates, but Andy Hawkins joined the pantheon of Yankees pitchers who pitched no-hitters such as Don Larsen, Doc Gooden, David Cone and others. Except he lost. In the midst of a miserable season in 1990, Andy Hawkins lost 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox but never gave up a hit. I was proved right. In the 8th inning, the Chisox loaded the bases on an error, and two walks. Then Jim Leyritz (in his rookie year and playing out of position in left field) booted a fly ball hit by Robin "Batman" Ventura and three runs scored.
7) USA Gold medal baseball win in 2000-Baseball had become a very international sport by then and the US amateur program was simply getting outclassed here. But 2000 came around and boy did Tommy Lasorda assemble a squad led by Ben Sheets, Roy Oswalt, future utility all star Doug Menticewicz and others.
6) The 2004 Marathon--Perhaps more well-known then the rest of my moments, but the silver medal marathon winning runs of Meb Keflezighi and bronze for Deena Kastor was a really huge turning point for USA running that had been trying to turn the point since their running hedey in the 70s and 80s. In a vicious smog in August, both runners hung in their and continued to inspire me in my post-collegiate sport--road running
5) 1990 NJ High School Girls State Tennis Champions..Why? My sister was on that West Orange High squad as a freshman and rarely cracked the rotation (3 singles, two doubles), but to be a 11-year old kid and to travel to all these exciting matches..where championships were on the line. It was the most exciting thing ever for me and I still remember that the team triumphed over Red Bank Catholic and that the squad was captained by the Greenberg sisters....we may have won other championships (and in my four year reign, some wonderful individual honors in track and cross country), but this was a defining moment for a kid who was corn-fed sports since he was born.
4) A 2006 West Ham United home game ? Why you ask? It's the only time I witnessed a Premier League game live. The Hammers were in the midst of another hopelessly mediocre season and there was 35,000 screaming fans..They were singing, yelling and having an energized time in a game that the home team lost in the first two minutes of the game. There was one errant kick and the Hammers were down by 1-0; the final score. And yet not a soul had left the building by the time this match had ended. I had never seen so much passion, devotion and fervor for one team. And I imagine other weekend football games in England had that sam passion
3) August 9, 1991-Riddick Bowe vs. Bruce Seldon-Atlantic City-My dad finally gave in that summer and took his summer to a huge boxing fight on a big boxing weekend. In historic Boardwalk hall that weekend, Bowe knocked out Seldon in 90 seconds in the main event. But that wasn't the point of this. I had envied my dad for going to all those Mike Tyson fights in Atlantic City during the halycon days of heavyweight boxing when Tyson was the king of the world. During this weekend, there was a champions dinner held the night before at Trump Plaza and I saw Evander Holyfied in the escalator and we waived at each other. I saw George Foreman. And it was once again, this wonderful experience as a kid. I was in awe.
2) 2003 Stanley Cup finals-Again, a more well-known posting here, but I became a full time hockey fan in 1994 when I saw the Devils nearly upset the Rangers and get to the Stanley Cup. My full time devotion got rewarded in the intervening 9-years and climaxed with me watching the Devils play the Anaheim Ducks in game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. Hockey fans are knowledgable and much more passionate then anything I've seen in the US. It is truly the NorthAm equivalent of the premier league. I know its been considered a fourth league in the past beyond the NFL, MLB and the NBA. But hockey knows community, hockey knows passion and hockey knows passionate athletes. Its the way its always been for me.
1) NYC Marathon--I did tell you my memories were of watching and participating and in 2004 I achieved that apax of my ordinary athletic career. My attempts to participate in office basketball and softball leagues were at best horrendous. I atleast have this in my short "annals". I ran the NYC Marathon. It was the only marathon I trained for, practiced for and sacrificed for. And on a muggy November afternoon in 2004. I ran it in 5 hours and 8 minutes. The last ten miles, my sister thankfully jogged with me for 10 miles. I had reached my wall at mile 17 unfortunately..And the last nine miles, I spent this horrific last 90 minutes or so, running, walking, drinking as much as humanely possible. And when I finally entered the park, I took off again and mustered my energy for those last two miles. My triumph complete.
I look forward to hearing moments for you some day oh common fan.
Its real simple. I'm a sports geek plain and simple. Anyone who knows me at this point, understands that is who I am. I grew up in a family chock full of jocks. My dad was a former pitcher for Seton Hall, my sister would excel in tennis, basketball and softball in high school and my six foot four (sorry Mike I think I'm off on that) cousin was a basketball junkey. What happened in my first 34 years has been sports participation, live sports viewing and lots of TV watching.
Some of the more ginormous moments I've witnessed have not necessarily been the ones people read about. Its the moments which I can remember that were spectacular, but never the legendary moments that people would remember over time--UNLESS they were afficionados of that sport or particular team. The moments that were about greatness one week, but people on to other important events the following week and all was forgotten.
To capture what I'm talking about let me give you my top 10 moments of the "the most spectacular sports moments nobody thinks about anymore." If you have memories like this, please share them. Please give this blog amongst milions a voice. Alot of these moments took place in the NJ/NY area based on my upbringing in Jersey 'burbs.
10) Derek Parra wins a silver medal in the 5000 meters and wins the gold medal in the 1,500 meters in Olympic speed skating-In a discipline in which the Scandinavian countries dominated and the US speed skating program seemed only capable of developing sprinters (aside from the phenoms such as Eric Heidien), this stands out as a guy who came out of left field and shocked the world right on opening day (5,000 meters).
9) 1993 Nets playoff run-Yes, ended in five games, but this will be the best you will ever have seen former Syracuse great Derrick Coleman. With the Nets top two centers out, DC was called to fill in the void and battle a still very mobile Brad Daugherty. The Nets ultimately lost in five games, but not without spoiling for a fight with the tragic last games of Drazen Petrovic and a still rising Kenny Anderson. The Nets highlights in their entire time in the swamp will be this playoff run and then off course the Jason Kidd-led runs to the finals in 2002 and 2003. That's all folks
8) The Yankees losing a no-hitter pitched by their own pitcher-I had to look this one up for the dates, but Andy Hawkins joined the pantheon of Yankees pitchers who pitched no-hitters such as Don Larsen, Doc Gooden, David Cone and others. Except he lost. In the midst of a miserable season in 1990, Andy Hawkins lost 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox but never gave up a hit. I was proved right. In the 8th inning, the Chisox loaded the bases on an error, and two walks. Then Jim Leyritz (in his rookie year and playing out of position in left field) booted a fly ball hit by Robin "Batman" Ventura and three runs scored.
7) USA Gold medal baseball win in 2000-Baseball had become a very international sport by then and the US amateur program was simply getting outclassed here. But 2000 came around and boy did Tommy Lasorda assemble a squad led by Ben Sheets, Roy Oswalt, future utility all star Doug Menticewicz and others.
6) The 2004 Marathon--Perhaps more well-known then the rest of my moments, but the silver medal marathon winning runs of Meb Keflezighi and bronze for Deena Kastor was a really huge turning point for USA running that had been trying to turn the point since their running hedey in the 70s and 80s. In a vicious smog in August, both runners hung in their and continued to inspire me in my post-collegiate sport--road running
5) 1990 NJ High School Girls State Tennis Champions..Why? My sister was on that West Orange High squad as a freshman and rarely cracked the rotation (3 singles, two doubles), but to be a 11-year old kid and to travel to all these exciting matches..where championships were on the line. It was the most exciting thing ever for me and I still remember that the team triumphed over Red Bank Catholic and that the squad was captained by the Greenberg sisters....we may have won other championships (and in my four year reign, some wonderful individual honors in track and cross country), but this was a defining moment for a kid who was corn-fed sports since he was born.
4) A 2006 West Ham United home game ? Why you ask? It's the only time I witnessed a Premier League game live. The Hammers were in the midst of another hopelessly mediocre season and there was 35,000 screaming fans..They were singing, yelling and having an energized time in a game that the home team lost in the first two minutes of the game. There was one errant kick and the Hammers were down by 1-0; the final score. And yet not a soul had left the building by the time this match had ended. I had never seen so much passion, devotion and fervor for one team. And I imagine other weekend football games in England had that sam passion
3) August 9, 1991-Riddick Bowe vs. Bruce Seldon-Atlantic City-My dad finally gave in that summer and took his summer to a huge boxing fight on a big boxing weekend. In historic Boardwalk hall that weekend, Bowe knocked out Seldon in 90 seconds in the main event. But that wasn't the point of this. I had envied my dad for going to all those Mike Tyson fights in Atlantic City during the halycon days of heavyweight boxing when Tyson was the king of the world. During this weekend, there was a champions dinner held the night before at Trump Plaza and I saw Evander Holyfied in the escalator and we waived at each other. I saw George Foreman. And it was once again, this wonderful experience as a kid. I was in awe.
2) 2003 Stanley Cup finals-Again, a more well-known posting here, but I became a full time hockey fan in 1994 when I saw the Devils nearly upset the Rangers and get to the Stanley Cup. My full time devotion got rewarded in the intervening 9-years and climaxed with me watching the Devils play the Anaheim Ducks in game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. Hockey fans are knowledgable and much more passionate then anything I've seen in the US. It is truly the NorthAm equivalent of the premier league. I know its been considered a fourth league in the past beyond the NFL, MLB and the NBA. But hockey knows community, hockey knows passion and hockey knows passionate athletes. Its the way its always been for me.
1) NYC Marathon--I did tell you my memories were of watching and participating and in 2004 I achieved that apax of my ordinary athletic career. My attempts to participate in office basketball and softball leagues were at best horrendous. I atleast have this in my short "annals". I ran the NYC Marathon. It was the only marathon I trained for, practiced for and sacrificed for. And on a muggy November afternoon in 2004. I ran it in 5 hours and 8 minutes. The last ten miles, my sister thankfully jogged with me for 10 miles. I had reached my wall at mile 17 unfortunately..And the last nine miles, I spent this horrific last 90 minutes or so, running, walking, drinking as much as humanely possible. And when I finally entered the park, I took off again and mustered my energy for those last two miles. My triumph complete.
I look forward to hearing moments for you some day oh common fan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)