Your favorite memories in sports

When New Zealand beat Australia in the opening match of the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

 

1.The 1994 and 1995 semi-finals of Euroleague final-four (it was called differently back then, something like European Basketball Champion's cup), where we kicked the ass of our eternal enemy.

2. Dellas' goal in 2004 EC semi-final against Czech Republic.

3. The 2009 Greek cup final against AEK. Being 2-0 down after the first half, we managed to equalize , AEK scored a 3rd goal at the 90' and Mat Derbyshire scored the equalizer at 95' leading the game to the extra time. We scored again with Galleti but he was sent out with a second yellow card and few minutes later our central defender was sent out with red card and AEK manages to equalize at 117' sending the final to penalty kicks, where after 32 penalties (iirc), we won the cup

 

That's easy - it's also my first strong sports memory. 1980, Lake Placid, USA 4, USSR 3. I was 6 years old.

 

Hagler vs. Hearns, the ref was going to stop the fight, as Hagler had a nasty cut above his eye. Hagler's training talked the ref into one more round and Hagler came out and knocked him out. Simply awesome.

 

The New England Patriots kicking a field goal with time expiring to win their first Superbowl.

 

My small town team who were pretty much part-timers reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1997. That's part of the wonder of that competition that it allows such a thing to happen. We should have won too, but were robbed by a terrible refereeing decision. For such a small side to go so far in a national competition with all the big boys was unprecedented and hasn't happened before, or since.

See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/football-league-blog/2010/aug/10/chesterfield-middlesbrough-1997-fa-cup

 

715.

 

That was 38 years ago. You must be older than I thought to remember that.

 

1992 when Denmark won the European Football Championship. It's one of my earliest memories. I still remember sitting in the living room with my brother and sister singing "Deutschland, Deutschland alles ist vorbei" .

 

April 8th, 1974. I was just shy of 6 months old. T2 = Greybeard.

 

I was 12 -- it was my first year of really following baseball. During spring training that year I met Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Bobby Bonds, Gene Tenace, Reggie Jackson and who knows how many others.

I also saw a very ugly side of the home run race.

I don't have a beard.

 

I thought Hank finished with 755. Or are you saying the "moment" was when he broke Babe's record of 714.

You know, it's strange, but with baseball - much more than any other sport - being such a numbers game, fans remember all the signifcant ones. I think that's the part about Bonds' record that is most damning. I don't - nor do I know anyone who does - remember how many home runs Bonds finished with.

 

The thread is about favorite memories -- I doubt anyone remembers Hank's last home run that wasn't in the ball park. There was a seven month build up to 715; there were songs, documentaries, rallies (both supportive and ugly), and it was talked about nearly every day.

Through it all Henry Aaron was dignified and a real gentleman -- that was deeply impressive -- so much ugliness was sent his way (racist comments, death threats, etc.) and he pressed on with integrity.

 

You see, that's the difference of being old enough to remember it. Technically, I was born at the time Aaron broke Ruth's record, but I was less than a year old, so I have no memory of the event. So while I can appreciate the accomplishment, I cannot know of all the buildup that led up to it, although I can imagine the intensity. Not only was baseball the most popular US sport at the time, but he was breaking the record of a Pantheon-like figure in Ruth.

 

Hehe... Turning 50 are we?

That's awesome stuff there T2. At that time, Baseball was ending it's streak of greatness, you're lucky to have met those stars. That group was a west coast game. Did you see Vida Blue and Catfish as well? I would of loved to have met a Mays/Mantle/Aaron iconic-type. You never forget those moments.

 

I'm certain I saw others but those are the clear memories (The A's were facing the Cubs in Mesa, so I'm sure I saw Santo and Banks as well).

Another good memory was the first home run I ever saw: AAA Phoenix Giants in 1971 when a big 1st baseman hit a line shot over the right field fence -- the ball might have gotten 25' off the ground; as they say "it got out of there in a hurry." Dave Kingman was called up to San Francisco a month later.

Looking back it must have been 1972 that I saw Mays and company.

 

First Finnish ice hockey championship in 1994. Nothing else really comes even close. Finland won it again this year and it was amazing and all but the first time is always the one you'll remember the longest.

 

What is a 715, and how the hell does everybody here know what it actually refers to?

 

Henry Aaron hitting his 715th home run (breaking Babe Ruth's career home run mark of 714) was simply the biggest moment in sports in United States history. Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak would probably be next on the list, followed by Roger Maris hitting 61 home runs in a season. The home run race of Sosa/MacGuire doesn't even rank in the top ten.

Some more modern events (Miracle on Ice, Women's Gold in Soccer, Thrilla and Manilla, etc.) would be below those three baseball moments.