Best Live Sporting Event You Have Been To

[Greggulator]

Here is my list:

1) La Salle vs. Butler, 2013. Butler was ranked 9th in the country and just came off an epic win against Gonzaga (the year they were a 1 seed) a few days earlier. The game was at La Salle. It was a great back-and-forth struggle. Butler went up one with a few seconds left. Ramon Galloway made an awesome layup with a second left to get the Explorers their biggest win in decades, propelling them to a NCAA berth and Sweet 16 appearance. There not one but two court stormings because ahead Brad Stevens believed there to be a clock issue. I was not alone in weeping a bit on the way out.

2) Nets vs. Pacers, 2002. Double OT thriller in a playoff elimination game. Reggie Miller DUNKED to put the game into the second OT. The only time in their history anyone have a shut about the Nets.

3) Phillies/Dodgers playoffs, 2008. Phils win going away en route to the title. Absolutely crazy crowd.

4) Mets/Braves, 2001. First game in NYC after 9/11. I shook Rudy Giuliani's hand. Liza Minelli brings the house down. Piazza goes yard in the 8th.

5) Phils vs. I forget but we killed Osama Bin Laden. I am not a fan of overt patriotism and it was super strange when they announced Osama's death over the loudspeaker. So crazy. Just a weird scene I am proud to have attended.

6) Sixers/Golden State, Friday. Sixers almost stage an insane comeback but lose in the final second in vain attempt to score the biggest regular season upset arguably ever.

7) Harvard/Yale, Play-in game, 2015. The Ivy League has a weird rule where a tie in the regular season standing results in a play-in game at an off-campus gym. It was at The Palestra in Philly, the best indoor venue in America. Sold out crowd of angry rich people from rivals schools. Harvard pulled it out in the final seconds to deny Yale a NCAA appearance.

8) Mets/Pirates 1999, last game of the regular season. Mets win on a wild pitch to go to the playoffs. Man behind me tried to crowd surf and causes me to strain my quadracep muscle.

9) Phillies vs. Mets, 2009. 13-inning thriller where Phils staged epic comeback off of Pedro. Kanye, many fights.

10) LaSalle/St. Joe's, 2008. Explorers beat cross-town rivals for the first time in years at a sold out and insane Palestra.

I have been to some really random games in person. Mid-major college basketball is sort of the best because the games mean so much.

[odessasteps]

1. IU V Michigan. 1989, freshman year. Jay Edwards hit some kind of long shot to win, i think. (I think, its been a while)

2. Hopkins vs Syracuse, national title game at UD stadium in Newark. First lacrosse game live and its the national title.

3. Cowboys vs SD. Chargers win in first year of Jerryworld. What a spectacle.

4. Orioles vs KC. It wasnt that game, but Bo Jackson made a couple crazy plays in the outfield.

[Tabe]

1) Spokane Indians vs opponent - it was grand slam giveaway night. If an Indians guy hits a grand slam before extra innings, a fan wins a pickup. Tie game, bottom of the 9th, full count, 2 outs, bases loaded. Literally the last possible chance for a winner. Ruben Sierra Jr hits a grand slam to end the game and the stadium goes bonkers. What a moment!

2) Michigan vs Alabama, Cowboys Classic 2012. The game was terrible but the environment, the friend I was with, and the whole trip in general made this really special.

3) Moffat County vs Palisade, high school baseball playoff, 1997 - With future major leaguer Junior Herndon on the mound for us (Moffat), thanks to a blown call at the plate, we fall behind 2-1 in extra innings. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and a guy on first, our hitter strikes out -but it's a wild pitch and he reaches first. Next guy up, who hasn't made contact all day, triples into the corner to win the game. I was an assistant coach for this one.

[Gonzo]

1) Game 7, 1991 World Series - It was, quite honestly, probably the best game of what might have been the greatest World Series of all time. Will be hard to top this one.

 

2) Bills at Vikings, 2010 - Largely because I got to watch it from the press box with a press credential, but it did end up being the final game of Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak and the last game before the roof of the Metrodome caved in.

 

Been to a bunch of random Twins games and some other events, but those are the two big ones.

[glfpunk]

Random Orioles/Mariners game when I was like 12yrs old.  Was my first MLB game.  Got to see it with my step dad and uncle.  Got to see Griffey take batting practice from over the right field wall and just watching that dude take the smoothest swings and stroke the ball effortlessly over the fence was pretty awesome. 

 

Last year Cowboys/Packers playoff game.  It was so quiet in the stadium while they were reviewing the Dez Bryant catch.  Crazy atmosphere and so many Cowboys fans in the stadium.  I've been to quite a few Cowboys/Packers games in Green Bay and Packers fans really are awesome.  Even though the Cowboys lost, they played really well and the attitude of the home fans made it a lot easier to swallow. 

 

Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers in Chicago.  The card was pretty stacked but it was memorable just because I got to see Fedor fight live.  Got to meet Dan Henderson and talk for a few also. 

 

2005 US Open at Pinehurst.  Michael Campbell won it and played amazing but I'm not a big Campbell fan, it was just awesome getting to see a lot of great golf and getting to follow Tiger Woods in his prime.  The golf course was set up perfectly and looked amazing.  The crowds were electric obviously for Woods but for Jason Gore also. 

 

1996 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill.  Not a big tournament by any means but me and a buddy managed to get our hands on some clubhouse passes and got to literally hang out in the clubhouse area with the golfers.  Got to meet a lot of golfers including Fred Couples and Payne Stewart. 

[Chaos]

2013 - Auburn vs. Georgia - The Immaculate Deflection. Need I say more?

 

2013 - Auburn vs. Alabama - There Goes Davis! Auburn is going to win the Football Game!

 

2004 - Troy vs. Missouri - Troy hosts a ranked Missouri on ESPN Thursday night Primetime back when the Gameday crew did the commentary for the Thursday night games. Unusually raucous crowd for Troy games, Troy wins that game and storms the field.

[Craig H]

October 12, 2015: Cardinals at Cubs, NLDS Game 3. My first ever post-season baseball game I was able to go to and the Cubs shelled the Cardinals. Nothing tops this.

[YouHaveUntil5]

I'm sure this list will increase as I think of more, but three right off the top of my head: 

 

1) July 31, 2015 - Mets vs. Nationals - This was the game with the Wilmer Flores walk-off after nearly being traded earlier that week and crying on the field. Also, Bryce Harper throws a temper tantrum after striking out in the 11th and gets thrown out of the game. 

2) 2004 - Bruins vs. Sabres - This was my first live NHL game. After getting lost trying to find someplace to park and missing the entire first period (which taught us to never drive in Boston again), the Bruins score with under 3 seconds in overtime to win the game. 

3) 2011 - Bruins vs. Devils - This wasn't a spectacular game by any means, but it's memorable because of the Nordique Nation - over 2000 people from Quebec that came by bus and went to games through the NY metro area over the weekend to show the league they wanted their Nordiques back. They had all sorts of wacky chants that went on throughout the game, and would cheer every time there was 16 minutes left in the period, since it had been 16 years since the Nordiques had moved to Colorado. 

[DouglasC]

1) 11-29-2009 - Roughriders vs. Alouettes - "Illegal substitution. Too many men on the field. Saskatchewan. That's a ten yard penalty. We'll repeat first down"

2) 7-29-2004 - Mets at Expos - An in-person baseball rarity as Eric Valent hits for the cycle. I'm a Mets fan, so this baseball rarity ranks above my #3, which was even rarer.

3) 5-7-2011 - Tigers at Blue Jays - Justin Verlander throws a no-hitter while facing the minimum 27. Only base runner was on a JP Arencibia (of all people) walk.

[Ryan]

I've been to a bunch of Brewers and Badger football games and a few Packers games. None of the Packer games stick out(unless losing to Carolina on a STEVE BEURLEIN run after a long drive is a good memory), the best Brewer game was a game one by a Paul Molitor homerun in the 9th inning a long time ago. Best Badger game was Melvin Gordon running for a million yards and having the all time single game record for about 2 weeks. I got to see Ron Dayne in his prime fucking destroying people too, those were good days.

[gatling]

1. Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts, September 23rd, 2001 - First week of NFL games after 9/11.  Such an emotional experience.  Everyone sang the national anthem and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house by the time the song ended.  I don't remember much about the game itself, I had to look up who won(the Colts did), but I will never forget the feeling of being there.

 

2. Charlotte Knights @ Indianapolis Indians, 2002 or 2003 - I thought this game was in 2003 and on a Saturday afternoon, but the only ticket stub I can find is from a 2002 game vs. the Knights on a Thursday night.  Anyway, my friends and I were sitting front row behind the Knights dugout.  We started heckling one player, I think it was Ross Gload but I'm not sure.  Anyway, the guy we heckle goes 0-5 with 4 K's and strikeouts in each of his last 3 AB's.  On the last one he slams his helmet down in the dugout and then someone started throwing sunflower seeds  out of the dugout into the stands.  Some hit this drunk girl sitting a few seats over who yells out "Oh yeah?! Take this!" and proceeds to throw her cup of beer straight up in the air and all over herself.  Everyone, including the guy in the on deck circle just lost it.  The other thing I remember clearly was how Willie Harris was clearly the best player on the field for either team, just so far above everyone else.  He went like 4 for 5 or 5 for 6 with three or four runs, a couple of RBI and maybe a HR shy of a cycle.  We kept asking him why he wasn't in Chicago playing with the White Sox and telling him how great of a game he was playing.  I think he basically outscored the Indians with the runs he scored and drove in.

 

3. Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, October 6th, 2003 - Went to Tampa with three friends for a three day trip of golf and the game.  The brother of one of the guys gave us his mother in law's front row tickets at the 20(she owned a bar down there and had tickets since the Bucs were formed).  We caught a lot of shit all game for being decked out in Colts gear, including one guy a couple of rows behind us demanding an usher check our tickets, and it only got worse once the Bucs ran out to a 21-0 halftime lead.  We left late in the fourth quarter after a Ronde Barber pick six put the Colts down 35-14 and it looked like some of the Bucs fans might start a fight.  By the time we got to the car, it was 35-28 after of a 90 yard kickoff return set up a 4 play, 12 yard TD drive followed by a successful onsides kick and a 7 play, 58 yard TD drive with 2:38 to go in the game.  We listened to the rest of the 4th quarter on the radio on the way back to the hotel, including the 85 yard game tying TD drive and made it back to our rooms in time to watch overtime and the eventual Colts victory.  Would have ranked #2 if we stayed for the whole game, but it didn't seem like a safe bet when we were losing and would have probably been ugly with the way it turned out.

 

4. Houston Rockets @ Indiana Pacers, November 9th, 1994 - Rockets were coming off their first title and the Pacers looked like a team that could make it the Finals with Jordan still not playing(at least not yet).  I was a sophomore in high school and one of my friends got tickets to the game for his birthday, so there were four of us plus his aunt and her boyfriend that got him the tickets and took us to the game.  What I remember about the game is the horrible officiating, tons of fouls called overall but a lot against the Pacers.  It got bad enough that some fans started throwing trash on the court.  Play was stopped and Larry Brown had to get on the PA and tell everyone to stop or they would have to forfeit the game.  We were sitting pretty high up and could see the trash raining down, including some full Cokes getting tossed down onto guys in nice suits behind one of the baskets.  I looked up the game on basketball-reference.com, there were 69 total fouls called(this seems like a lot, not sure what there is in an average game, but this seems egregious) and 84 free throw attempts--50 by the Rockets.  Only Dale Davis fouled though Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Antonio Davis and Derrick McKey all had 5 fouls and Otis Thorpe, Carl Herrera, and Sam Cassell did as well.  I guess I shouldn't have been shocked when I scrolled to the bottom of the page and saw that Tim Donaghy was one of the officials.  The Rockets won by 5.  Is it possible to find betting lines from 22 years ago?  I'm curious if the Rockets covered or not.

 

5. Oakland Athletics @ Chicago White Sox, May 11th, 1997 - My first MLB game.  The tickets were an early graduation gift from my aunt, who got them from a State Farm agent she knew through work that had season tickets.  The A's lost, which they did a lot that year, but it was still fun none the less.  Most memorable moment was Ray Durham fouling a ball off and hitting a guy in the face two rows in front of us, a line drive shot just over the dugout at 3B.  The guy was fine other than his sunglasses getting busted at the nose and one side getting shoved into his forehead a bit.  The ball bounced off his face and landed in a lady's lap behind him.  She kept the ball.

[CrazyMax46]

UFC 52. Hands down from beginning to end my favorite sporting event ever.

[sabremike]

For Mets just this year was the Flores homer vs the Nats, Scherzer no no, Game 3 vs LA, Game 1 vs the Cubs and Game 4 of the WS.

For Metro the game in 2013 where we clinched the supporters shield vs Chicago, The playoff game in 2014 in DC where we finally beat the scum, and too many great Henry and Clint Mathis moments to mention.

For the USMNT the WCQ vs Mexico in 2009 in Columbus with the customary dos a cero scoreline.

But by far the greatest event I have EVER been at was what ended up being the final game ever at the Nassau Colosseum with the Isles beating the Caps 3-1 in game 6. This was seriously the most insane atmosphere I have ever been a part of at just about any event of any kind I've ever been to. When Clutterbuck scored the en goal to clinch it I thought the building was going to implode.

Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention two Danbury Trashers playoff games: game 6 in 2005 vs the hated Adirondack Crotchbite and game 7 vs Quad City in 2006. In that last one we were down 3-0 and stormed back to win it 7-4. From the end of the second period it was just bonkers at the DIA.

[Brian Fowler]

I wish I had a great game I've been to, but I really don't. Been to a handful, but living 2.5 hours north of Detroit makes going to a game a special event, and a rare one. And none I went to really stand out as some great game.

Leading a Michigan football game talking about how that random MAC team that Michigan handled had a decent quarterback that might play in the NFL was fun.

It was Ben Roethlisberger

[Death From Above]

I was in the building for some Stanley Cup games with the dynasty Gretzky Edmonton Oilers but I am honestly too young to have a lot of distinct memories.

 

The most memorable thing for me, ever, was during the late-90's Edmonton/Dallas rivalry. The 7-game series the Oilers ended up winning on the road in overtime where Curtis Joseph made what is the best save I ever saw in a game of hockey, then the next play Marchant scores on the breakaway. But before that game 7 was probably my best choice.

 

Dallas were heavy, heavy favourites in that series, it was supposed to be a forgone conclusion. One of the earlier games of that series Dallas was leading 3-0 with 2 minutes to go, the building was totally dead, we were being outplayed completely. It was sad because it really was the best Oilers team post-dynasty with guys like CuJo in net, Doug Weight and Jason Arnott leading the way up front, but we looked outmatched. People were really depressed because most of the fans then really did remember the glory years and it was all so far away now. Those Dallas teams were so strong, so nasty, so hate-able, and it sucked seeing them look like they were on the way to a series win. And then it happened. Oilers scored 3 goals in the last 2 minutes to tie the game, and won it in OT which sent it back to Dallas for that 7th. I can't even describe to you the noise in that building for the 3rd and 4th Oilers goals. People were going completely berserk, there were grown men crying, people hugging total strangers. It was the closest thing I've seen in sports to witnessing a legitimate miracle. That was the best 7 game series I ever saw and that crazy 4-3 win might be the most memorable. The first 58 minutes were depressing. The last 2 and the OT were as good as it can possibly get. And the game 7 is a classic.

 

I haven't been to a NHL game in person in like 15 years so I have to cite that. No in person memories of the 06 run that was all on TV.

 

 

 

1) 11-29-2009 - Roughriders vs. Alouettes - "Illegal substitution. Too many men on the field. Saskatchewan. That's a ten yard penalty. We'll repeat first down"

 

I was there for this, in the end zone seats, surrounded by 95% Saskatchewan fans. I'm an Edmonton fan with no particular love for them and even I was totally stunned by that finish. The most heartbreaking championship loss, ever.

 

My family have been lifelong CFL season ticket holders so I've had a ton of great memories there, including several Grey Cups. Still have a soft spot for the 1993 game in Calgary because it was my first ever road Grey Cup at 12, it was in the Heathen's stadium, we beat the Heathens in the west final, then won that. It was glorious.

 

I don't know if I'd want to cite a bunch of game memories, but Henry "Gizmo" Williams is the most entertaining and exciting kick returner of all time and I really miss getting to watch that guy. He was a phenom.

[ivpvideos]

Packers @ Eagles NFL Wildcard playoff game on the run that led to the Super Bowl title

UFC 101 when my favorite fighter Anderson Silva completely clowned Forrest Griffin

UFC 129 in Toronto in front of 60,000 fans. The energy when GSP came out was insane

Packers @ Lions this year that was the ridiculous Hail Mary finish.

I randomly went to the Orioles game where Cal Ripken Jr. decided to sit out and end his iron man streak.

Yankees @ Orioles playoff game a few years back that was rain delayed and the Orioles ended up winning a very close one. Playoff baseball is intense.

[Ryan]

I assume you threw a battery at Ripken for wimping out.

[Red is Dead]

London 2012. Three times.

 

Got to watch field hockey heats as a present to Mrs Red (argentina, china, korea and south africa)

 

Got to watch the men's volleyball semi finals as a present to Poppa Red as he used to play for scotland (the cold war and italy australia)

 

Got to watch the women's football final (USA Japan) as there were tickets.

 

Only other major sporting event was an old match from boxing day 1991. QPR vs liverpool from the fifth row in. a nil all draw. Fun day though.

 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

How did i forget about SW19 to see Djokovic play? Dude was imperious.