10 impactful sports moments.
It’s time to celebrate the great sporting events of the past, since there’s none to celebrate now. Oh wait, did I mention marble racing?
The COVID-19 quarantine has tested us as Americans like never before, and if you’ve learned anything about yourself, you’ve probably learned that there’s a lot of things you can get used to in this world. I really don’t have much to complain about when push comes to shove. My wife and I are still gainfully employed, and while teaching from home is not ideal, there are many who have seen their livelihoods shattered so we count ourselves among the lucky. In addition, we have cable, and most of the premium channels, as well as most of the streaming services, and that does help pass the time at night. However, if you’re like me, you’re feeling the pain of not having sports to watch. In fact it’s more than about being able to watch it. It’s the whole magilla. Sports has become the “un-cola.” You can’t talk about it, or feel the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. You can’t sit around and analyze it, ruminate over the stats, wish terrible things upon those you rightfully despise such as Tom Brady or the Philadelphia Phillies, and let’s not forget, you can’t gamble on it either. It’s a void, and nothing seems to really be able to take its place.
As Americans, when it comes to sports we’ll watch almost anything. I have a friend who told me recently he was watching marble racing. Yes you heard me correctly. He was watching marbles go around a track. (By the way, don’t tell me who won, I DVR’d it, and I’m saving it for a special occasion, so don’t ruin it for me.) People are so desperate for athletic competition, that the top story for weeks in the world of sports has been the NFL’s free agency, and the NFL draft. ESPN.com was probably lucky it didn’t crash on those days due to the over exuberance that football enthusiasts showed over finally having something sports related to discuss. Oh woe is us, the bored, the restless, we who yearn to cheer and boo.
There’s no reason not to allow tractor pulls, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Look, there’s plenty of social distancing, oodles of drama and suspense, faux patriotism, and burly men. You had me at “oodles.” (Getty *Images)
I used to live for the newspaper so I could look at the boxscores, especially the boxscores for baseball, but now I’m more of a tablet in hand kind of guy, and my place to turn for the previous night’s results is now ESPN.com. How desperate has the “total sports network” become thanks to the pandemic? For weeks, the top story on ESPN.com was an NBA2k20 tournament between NBA players. I don’t want to say that’s an inane waste of time, but does anybody know what channel the marble racing is on?
Lately, in order for many to satisfy their sports cravings, a mini-series chronicling Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls where he, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and their cerebral, and very successful coach Phil Jackson made one more successful run at their second “three-peat,” or 3rd in a row NBA Championship back in 1998. This mini-series has captured some sports fans’ fancy. (Spoiler alert, they won, and Jordan never traveled or fouled anybody, but was constantly “fouled” by anybody and everybody who had the audacity to try and guard him.)
What LeBron does at his size is truly remarkable, but when it comes to force of will, the idea that “nobody is beating me in this game,” no athlete that I’m aware of could touch Michael Jordan. However I was a Knicks fan so all I saw was a tongue-wagging man suffering from male-pattern baldness. (Getty Images)
I suppose nobody should ever doubt the popularity of Michael Jordan even after all of these years since there seems to be quite a buzz regarding this program. On the other hand, it may simply highlight the fact that we as Americans are completely desperate for anything that reminds us of normalcy, and if you’re a sports fan, then you understand the desire we are all suffering from to watch our favorite teams. This is baseball season, as well as playoff season for the NBA and NHL. (I won’t even mention the fact that the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because it’s so damn depressing.) There’s nothing more relaxing than turning on the television around 7:30, turning to SNY and watching my New York Mets. Yes, I know they’re probably going to lose, and typically one of their better players will most likely be injured in a way that seems harmless, but forces them to miss the entire season, but it beats the alternative, watching the 1998 Bulls win another championship.
People have been asking me if I’m watching The Last Dance, the mini series about Jordan’s last championship.
My response has been a curt “no!” Actually what I tell people is that I lived through it, why do I need to relive it?
As a fan of the New York Knicks, there’s nothing romantic, or nostalgic about watching them lose to Jordan’s Bulls….again. Such is life during quarantine, everything old is new again. Well, if that’s that’s the way they want it, maybe it’s time to really start giving thought about the truly great sports memories during my time here on this Earth.
This was probably the last time I rooted for him. I wonder if he’ll leave his time as the Knicks GM off his resume? (Getty Images)
The idea regarding which sporting events were most impactful in my life was born out of something I saw on Facebook. As individuals fight their COVID-19 mandated quarantines, they are seeking any way to alleviate their boredom. One way apparently is to be challenged by somebody you know to list 10 albums that have influenced you in some way. As I considered this topic to see if it was “blog-worthy,” a good friend of mine nominated me to put up my list of albums that impacted me, so that particular blog will have to wait for the next pandemic. So instead I decided to turn to something most of us are missing terribly, and that of course is the world of sports. Because of this longing, many frustrated sports fans have turned to watching highlights of past athletic endeavors on sports oriented networks such as SNY, MSG, YES, and the endless array of ESPNs including Classic, and The Ocho.
The problem is that the various games, matches, and so-called marque events are, hmm, how do I put this? Lame! SNY for example which broadcasts the Mets will typically show past Met games, but not the 1973 World Series, or 1969, or 1986, or Tom Seaver’s “imperfect game,” or anything from 1999, 2000, or even their 2015 playoff run. Instead what we get is:
2013 — David Wright hits three doubles against the Padres, as the Mets lose
2018 — Noah Syndergaard pitches seven shutout innings in a September game against the Marlins. Mets win and are now only 18 games below .500.
2019 — Mickey Calloway leaves Seth Lugo in for 85 pitches in relief. Lugo’s arm falls off, but Calloway claims that they weren’t “high-stress” pitches and says he would do it again in a second in a scintilating post-game interview.
In other words, where are the great and impactful games that we can mark our lives by. I enjoyed Bartolo Colon’s home run a few years ago as much as anybody, was it so mind-blowing that it needs to be shown on SNY every two weeks?
(Sure, who wouldn’t enjoy this? You know what else I would enjoy? Any other Met game that had impact on the team’s overall success. Tenor)
As I pondered the idea of what the 10 most impactful events in sports were, I decided to only consider those events that have happened since 1971, the first year I actually have a conscious memory of sports. I was all of seven, but I already knew that the Mets, Yankees, Jets, and Giants lost a lot, and that my father’s Sunday headache seemed to be exasperated by these happenings. Obviously, this list is going to be “New York centric,” but I offer no apologies. Everything is bigger on the stage that is New York City, and therefore, so is its impact. In no particular order…
- April 8th 1974, Hank Aaron’s 715th Home Run — I was watching in my room playing my favorite baseball game, and watching the NBC Game of the Week, Dodgers vs. Braves. Aaron had walked his first time up, and Dodger’s pitcher Al Downing hadn’t even come close to the strike zone. On Aaron’s second trip to the plate, he hit the second offering from Downing. It was a patented Henry Aaron line drive to left-centerfield, and baseball’s greatest record was his. As soon as he hit it, everybody knew it was gone, and I yelled out to my parents, “He did it,” and they knew exactly what I meant. Babe Ruth always seemed to me to be a mythical figure from an ancient time, and here I was, bearing witness to a modern athlete taking down his most spectacular of baseball accomplishments.
- February 22nd, 1980, “The Miracle on Ice” — Some consider America’s victory against the mighty Soviet Union’s team in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in men’s hockey as the greatest moment in sports’ history. While that’s debatable, it certainly had all of the elements including tension, an unlikely underdog against a heavy favorite, patriotism, the Cold War as a backdrop, and college kids against professionals. I didn’t really follow the progress of the team until this night, and my friends and I were riveted, and when they won we went wild. There’s never been a moment in Olympic history since that comes close to matching all of the elements that came together that night to make this victory by Team USA so unforgettable.
- 1986 World Series, Game Six, Mets vs. Red Sox — I’m not going to lie, when the Red Sox went up by two runs in the top of the 10th inning, I gave up. We were in a bar near my parent’s house, and we sulked out. We got home just in time to see the Mets win. I’m ashamed that I gave up on my team, but they won, and it’s one of the wildest finishes in baseball history. 1986 provided myself and many Met fans with their only moment of pure joy, a world championship, or as Yankee fans call it, one of 27.
- June 14th, 1994 — The New York Rangers Win the Stanley Cup — This wasn’t an easy time for the Hoffman’s of Clifton Park. My mother-in-law had only days to live, I was about to be fired from my very brief sojourn into the world of insurance, and we were adjusting to our new digs in upstate, New York. However, all was not lost. The New York Rangers and New York Knicks were both on the cusp of winning championships, something that happens literally never. However, the Rangers came through…barely, and all of those dreaded Islanders fans who relished yelling “1940” as a reminder to Ranger fans as well as their players and organization just how long it had been since the Rangers had won anything, could now go choke on a hockey puck. Keep in mind, the Rangers couldn’t even win a Stanley Cup when the NHL consisted of only six teams! However, on this night, being a Rangers fan meant you were a winner. For just once, you got to be a winner.
- October 20th, 2004 — Game Seven, ALCS, Yankees vs. Red Sox — The mighty “curse of the Bambino,” the mystical and magical power that kept the Red Sox from ever overtaking the New York Yankees came crashing down in such spectacular fashion, that it really couldn’t have been any other way. The Yankees were up three games to none, and were seemingly dusting aside the Red Sox as they had done for decades. However, this time they were stopped in their tracks, and overwhelmed by something that seemed almost otherworldly. The Boston Red Sox would go on to easily win the World Series, ending their incredible dry run of 86 years without a title, and forever cementing them as just another team. That’s right, everything that made the Red Sox special and charming ended that year, and now they’re just another team.
- November 2nd, 2016 — Game Seven, World Series, Cubs vs. Indians — This was the battle of the losers. The Cleveland Indians hadn’t won since 1948 and the Cubs hadn’t won since 1908. They hadn’t even been to a World Series since 1945, a fluke since the war had just ended, and most players were still in the service. Like the Red Sox win over the Yankees, it was an epic scene, as the team, its fans, and the city of Chicago revealed in their triumph. Of course now, they’re just another franchise and have also lost their charm. Also, Joe Madden might be the most overrated manager in sports seeing that the Cubs should have lost, and if it were not for Aroldis Chapman’s incredible pitching performance, they would have. Remember, Madden was outmanaged by the Mets’ Terry Collins in the playoffs in 2015. Enough said there.
- February 1st, 2015 — Super Bowl XLIX, Patriots vs. Seahawks — I’ve watched the Patriots win a lot of Super Bowls, and usually they tend to just squeak by. This game was no exception. In fact, this one was one of the most painful of all. Not so much because I care about the Seahawks, as much as my disdain for the Patriots, a team so foul, they rival the 1970s version of the Dallas Cowboys, and the 1974–75 “Broad Street Bullies” (Philadelphia Flyers) for utter hatability. In fact, the way it all went down was enough to discourage most good hearted people. The Seahawks led most of the game, but the Patriots came storming back to take the lead. The Seahawks came right back though, and drove down field against the vaunted New England defense. There was even an all-time catch made by Jermaine Kearse which would seem to indicate that Seattle was destined to win, and the Patriots would suffer the indignity of another Super Bowl loss. Except with the ball at the goal line, and time running out, and Seattle with numerous great options for scoring including giving the ball to the great Marshawn Lynch, or having the lightning fast Russell Wilson roll out, they had Wilson throw a dangerous pass over the middle which was of course intercepted, and the Patriots were once again celebrated for being great. It’s enough to deflate one’s ball.
- February 3rd, 2008 — Super Bowl XLII, Patriots vs. Giants — This was supposed to be the Patriots’ crowning achievement. They were 17–0, and on their way to being crowned the greatest team of all time. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were about to be jettisoned right into the NFL’s Hall of Fame at the conclusion of the game, which of course was going to be a foregone conclusion, an easy victory over the upstart New York Giants. However, a good pass rush, a catch for all time by David Tyree, and the cool head of Eli Manning proved to be just enough for the Giants to wreck everything the Patriots had worked for. Unlike most Jets fans, I’m not one of those “Giant haters,” and I’d probably root for Imperial Japan against the dreaded Patriots anyway, so all I have to say is that this one was sweet, and the fact that the Patriots had put all of their cards into this one magnificent season, only to have it ruined in a most excruciating way was something to be savored.
- June 2nd, 1993 — Eastern Conference Finals Game Five, Knicks vs. Bulls — Of all the teams that the Bulls tormented during their run of domination in the 1990s, no team suffered worse than the New York Knicks. Legendary coach, and Schenectady native Pat Reilly built the Knicks into a ferocious defensive team, anchored by Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. Unfortunately, the Knicks just couldn’t get past the Bulls and Michael Jordan. However, in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1993 it looked like the Knicks actually had a chance. They had home court advantage and led two games to none. The Bulls tied it up, and the two teams were battling in game five. The Knicks kept it close, but their very talented if soft power-forward Charles Smith, all 6 feet, 10 inches of him, just couldn’t put the ball in the hoop from underneath the basket or even draw a foul. The Knicks lost, and then got blown out in game six, a game they barely showed up for. Have I mentioned that Jordan sucked as a baseball player?
- November 22nd, 2012 — Butt Fumble Game, Jets vs. Patriots — Did it have to happen? Well, it’s fate, and fate cannot be controlled or reversed. However, did it have to happen to the Jets? Did it have to happen against the Patriots? It was Thanksgiving night, and the Jets were only three games behind the Patriots going into the contest. A lot of people thought this might be a pretty competitive contest. However, a 35 point eruption in the second quarter by the Patriots sealed the deal, and another season of Jets futility was cemented. While this may have been aggravating in and of itself, it barely scratched the surface of sheer humiliation compared to what occurred in that fateful second quarter. The key moment that established the Jets, quarterback Mark Sanchez, and their coach Rex Ryan as all-time buffoons came on a play where Mark Sanchez, under pressure from the Patriots defense , and befuddled by what was a broken play to begin with, attempted to meekly run the ball. He took a few precarious and indecisive steps forward and bumped into the ample buttocks of Jets guard Brandon Moore and fumbled the ball, hence, “butt-fumble.” Patriots safety Steve Gregory scooped up the loose ball and scampered into the Jets end zone untouched. The “butt-fumble” is generally considered the most humiliating play in NFL history, and it wouldn’t be possible without my beloved J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!
(Well in fairness it was a broken play. In other words, many Jets fans’ hearts were “broken” that day…again. You Tube)
(No, I won’t be watching the miniseries about the Bulls. I’ve loved and lost and I don’t need to be reminded of it. You Tube)
The longer we go on without professional sports, the more desperate we are likely to become. I did notice the other night on SNY that they replayed game one of the 1969 World Series between the Orioles and the Mets. The Mets lost the game, but at least the game was noteworthy. However, all is not lost. I have just heard that the Korean version of Major League Baseball has begun. There’s nothing like kicking back with a brimming bowl of Kimchi on “Chan Ho Park Appreciation Night,” and watching the Samsung Lions beat the bulgogi out of those horrible Hanwha Eagles. I hate those guys! They walk around like their Kim Jung-un or something. Yeah, I need things to get back to normal.