If You Could ...

[mr. synellinden]

Okay, by popular demand, this is a spinoff from the One Thing to Cross of My List Thread.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND WITNESS ONE SPORTING EVENT IN PERSON, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Having attended the Duke-Kentucky game in 1992, my vote would be for the US - USSR 1980 Lake Placid hockey game. If I hadn't attended the Laettner game, this would be an extremely tough call.

[4decadedukie]

2001 Duke - Arizona NCAA Championship victory (Shane and Duke at their finest)

[hc5duke]

Game 3, 1989 World Series

If the question is asking specifically about the actual sporting event taking place, I'd go with the boring (but correct :D) answer of 92 Duke-Kentucky

Though if my safety was guaranteed, I wouldn't mind going to the Maryland games in 2001 at College Park... It's like that dark Jordan commercial with the road team taking a victory away from the home team and everyone is crying. [evil grin]

[mr. synellinden]

2001 Duke - Arizona NCAA Championship victory (Shane and Duke at their finest)

I attended that game as well. The best part was at the end of the game, down at court level, watching the team watch One Shining Moment on the big scoreboard - great memory.

Was there ever another Duke player you wanted to see win a chamionship more than Shane? Perhaps Dawkins. I am sure there are plenty of Duke fans out there who still feel emotionally scarred at the 1986 loss to Louisville - that championship seemed more deserved/earned than any other.

[hurleyfor3]

Any of the following six baseball games:

Cubs @ Giants, 23 September 1908
Game Three, 1932 World Series
Pirates @ Braves, 26 May 1959
Game Seven, 1960 World Series
Game Six, 1975 World Series
Game One, 1988 World Series

Among those I'm pretty indifferent. The assumption is, of course, that I know the outcome ahead of time and know exactly what to look for when watching.

[EarlJam]

I think I'd go back to watch an Army game coached by Bobby Knight with Coach K playing. With the knowledge of what would lay ahead for them, that would be a cool event to see.

-EarlJam

[mapei]

Totally agree about Shane, my favorite basketball player of all time.

[Bostondevil]

Baseball

2004 ALCS Game 4 (2nd choice 1975 World Series Game 6)

Basketball

1991 Final Four Duke - UNLV (2nd choice Laettner on Senior Day)

Hockey

1980 Lake Placid Olympics USA - USSR (2nd choice Bobby Orr's Flying Goal, wasn't that the only goal he ever scored ;-) )

Football

2002 Super Bowl Pats - Rams (2nd choice 2002 Playoff game Pats - Raiders, Vinatieri in the snow, that would be first choice except for the cold. Foxborough Stadium in the snow? No thank you. I probably would have had to start drinking.)

[EarlJam]

Duke/UNLV - Excellent choice!

For baseball, I'd go back to October, 1979. Early in the day. I'd track down Willie Stargell and Kent Tekulve (sp) and whack them in the chins with a bat. Dauer hits a home run to put the O's up. O's win World Series 4-3.

-EarlJam

[TillyGalore]

The last game of the World Series in 1983 - I think it was game six.

Would have love to have personally seen Cal and the O's win that game and series.

[TillyGalore]

I'd track down Willie Stargell and Kent Tekulve (sp) and whack them in the chins with a bat. Dauer hits a home run to put the O's up. O's win World Series 4-3.

-EarlJam

I'll help!!!

[Chicago 1995]

If it's Duke, either Vegas in '91 or Kentucky in '92.

If it's not Duke, it would be Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

[Windsor]

Duke Kentucky '92 would be at the top of my list...but its a looonnng list :)

[JasonEvans]

Duke-Kentucky 1992- I'd be in front-row seats so close I could touch the players.

Wait... I did that already ;)

I think the UNLV game in 1991 is a really good choice too. The sheer shock at winning that game would be magical to experience. I would not want to know how it turned out though.

Non-Duke... hmmmm. Much tougher. If I could have really great seats and a great view on the action, I think it would be amazing to be at the 1936 Olympics to see Jessie Owens punk Hitler. I need to think a lot more about this one.

-Jason

[hurleyfor3]

Duke/UNLV - Excellent choice!

For baseball, I'd go back to October, 1979. Early in the day. I'd track down Willie Stargell and Kent Tekulve (sp) and whack them in the chins with a bat. Dauer hits a home run to put the O's up. O's win World Series 4-3.

-EarlJam

You *do* know they honked a 3-1 lead, right? It wasn't just Game Seven.

Heck, why not just take care of Ed Ott before Game Two? You coulda had a sweep.

[mapei]

The last game of the World Series in 1983 - I think it was game six.

Would have love to have personally seen Cal and the O's win that game and series.


In fact, I had tickets to game 7 of that one. But game 7 never came to be. I did see game 1, maybe the only one they lost. Can't remember if they won it in five or six. I do remember that Rick Dempsey, whom I know now as a distant in-law relative, was the series MVP.

[EarlJam]

You *do* know they honked a 3-1 lead, right? It wasn't just Game Seven.

Heck, why not just take care of Ed Ott before Game Two? You coulda had a sweep.

Oh I remember! Up 3-1 and ready to celebrate. Of course, I was only ten years old then. I cried when they lost game seven. It's my first sports "crying" memory. I just remember watching in horror as some lanky big-glasses-wearing sidearmer named Kent kept striking out Oriole after Oriole after Oriole. He was untouchable. I cried.


-EarlJam

[ivduke]

I too was at Duke-Kentucky in that fine spectacle of a building known as the Spectrum. There couldn't have been a better event to be at....

[JBDuke]

Lots of great mentions so far. I was at the 2001 Championship game, and every time Evans brings up his "I had to lean to the right to see around Grant as he threw the pass" story, I get green with envy. UNLV in '91 would be very sweet, too. But putting aside Duke games, I would love to have been in the gym to see Wilt Chamberlin score 100 points in a game. IIRC, it was in a small gym in Hershey (?) that seated something like 6000, so there just aren't that many folks that witnessed it. Here are some other possibilities:

- JJ Redick's senior year Virginia HS Championship game. I think he score 43 on a bad ankle.

- Someone's already mentioned it, but Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, with Gibson's game winning homer - "I don't believe what I just saw!!!"

- Magic Johnson's amazing performance filling in at center for Kareem in the 1980 Finals, Game 6. 42 points, 15 boards, 7 assists

- Cal Ripken's game in 1995 when he broke Gehrig's record. 2131, baby!

- Dec 23, 1982 - Chaminade's upset over #1 UVA in a small gym on Maui. Even though I was a UVA fan, this is just too amazing to miss.

- Jack Nicklaus's 1986 Masters win. I'll take a seat near the 18th green on Sunday, please.

That's a pretty good list for now. I may add more later...

[Dukerati]

I can not express how jealous I am of the privileged few who got to experience Duke-Kentucky 92. I still get goosebumps EVERY TIME I see the last few minutes.. I am pretty sure if I had been there, I would have just collapsed in the stands and started sobbing at the end of the game.

[hurleyfor3]

I can not express how jealous I am of the privileged few who got to experience Duke-Kentucky 92. I still get goosebumps EVERY TIME I see the last few minutes.. I am pretty sure if I had been there, I would have just collapsed in the stands and started sobbing at the end of the game.

you and Thomas Hill

[JasonEvans]

I can not express how jealous I am of the privileged few who got to experience Duke-Kentucky 92. I still get goosebumps EVERY TIME I see the last few minutes.. I am pretty sure if I had been there, I would have just collapsed in the stands and started sobbing at the end of the game.

Sobbing wass not possible. That requires taking a breath and I was breathless. I think sobbing also requires some degree of vocal chords and mine were 100% shot when the game ended.

-Jason "mad props to JB for calling Nicklaus at the Masters... but what hole would you be at? Was 18 better than 17?!?" Evans

[Cavlaw]

The "Rumble in the Jungle".

[Tom B.]

Man, I wish I'd seen this thread earlier, because several that sprang immediately to mind have been mentioned by others.

(1) U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. ice hockey game at the 1980 Olympics -- So many people forget it was only the semifinals, and the U.S. still had to go out and win another game.

(2) Final round of the 1986 Masters -- Being on the 17th or 18th hole would be great, but don't overlook 15 and 16. Jack was four strokes behind Seve Ballesteros and two behind Tom Kite when he came to 15. He hit a big drive and a sweet four-iron, then nailed the 12-foot putt for an eagle that cut Seve's lead in half. Then he went to 16 and just missed a hole-in-one by about a foot. The roar for Jack's near-ace went up just as Seve was about to hit his second shot on 15. Seve promptly dunked his approach in the water and bogeyed the hole. In those two holes, Jack went from four down to a three-way tie for the lead, and never looked back.

(3) Game 1 of the 1988 World Series -- I wanna know if Gibson's swing looked as weak and awkward in person as it did on TV. To this day I still don't know how he generated enough power to get the ball over the fence.

(4) Kentucky vs. Duke in the 1992 NCAA Tournament -- No more needs to be said.

(5) Game 6 of the 1975 World Series -- Forget Fisk's homer for a minute. Without Bernie Carbo's two-strike, two-out, three-run pinch hit homer to dead center in the bottom of the 8th, Fisk's memorable dinger never happens.

(6) 1984 Boston College vs. Miami -- The two teams combined for 92 points and over 1200 yards of offense. The two starting quarterbacks combined for over 900 yards passing. And I hear it had a pretty memorable ending.

(7) Duke vs. UNLV in the 1991 Final four -- Oh, wait.... I was there. Never mind. :)

[JBDuke]

...

-Jason "mad props to JB for calling Nicklaus at the Masters... but what hole would you be at? Was 18 better than 17?!?" Evans


As another poster has noted, any of those last four holes would have been amazing. But, I'll take 18. Nothing beats that climb up the hill to the green.

[hurleyfor3]

-Jason "mad props to JB for calling Nicklaus at the Masters... but what hole would you be at? Was 18 better than 17?!?" Evans

Fifteen. Nicklaus eagles... Seve hits it into the water and everyone cheers. Also from 15 you can watch Jack stick it to 1½ feet on 16. Eighteen was anticlimactic; Jack parred and Tom Kite bogeyed several groups later.

[Channing]

For me, as huge a Duke fan as I am, it is not even a question - 1980 Lake Placid. I watched the HBO special and it was amazing.

Other than that, either (as Jason said) Owens sticking it to Hitler in '36 or Lewis sticking it to Hitler in '38 by knocking out Schmelling. Either of those would do, I suppose.

[Bostondevil]

I thought of a couple more that are probably not going to be mentioned by anyone else.

Figure Skating

1992 Olympics Men's Free Skate - Paul Wylie wins the silver medal, the only International medal of his amateur career and my all time favorite skater.

2nd choice 1984 Olympics Ice Dancing Free Skate - Torvill and Dean skate Bolero

Track and Field

1996 Men's 200m Final - Michael Johnson pulls a Secratariat.

2nd choice 1984 Women's 100m Final - Evelyn Ashford, my childhood track hero, wins the gold

[Tom B.]

Eighteen was anticlimactic; Jack parred and Tom Kite bogeyed several groups later.

Kite was actually in the group right behind Jack, with Ballesteros. He birdied 15 and was in a three-way tie for the lead with Jack and Seve after that hole, but then Jack birdied 17 to take the lead. Kite made par on 16 and 17, so he needed a birdie on 18 to tie Jack. He hit a good approach and had about a 12-foot putt for birdie, but missed it.

I believe you're thinking of Greg Norman, not Kite. Norman led the tournament after three rounds and was in the last group of the day. He lost the lead during the final round, but then rallied on the back nine. He birdied 15, 16 and 17, the last of which put him in a tie with Nicklaus. He needed a par on 18 to force a playoff, and a birdie to win. He hit a decent drive, but sliced his approach shot and missed the green. He chipped on, but missed the long putt for par, and that was it.

[hurleyfor3]

OK, I remember someone being back right of the green on 18, and thought it was Kite.

I'll still take a seat on 15 with a view of 16.

[killerleft]

I watched this on TV. I was 17.

From Wikipedia:

On March 2, 1968 No. 10 Duke defeated No. 3 North Carolina 87-86 in triple overtime at Duke Indoor Stadium when seldom used Duke junior Fred Lind erupted for 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks after having only scored 21 points total in his entire career. When Duke All-American center Mike Lewis picked up his third foul in the first half (and Warren Chapman, his backup, had a knee injury), Duke coach Vic Bubas called on Lind to fill the void against Carolina greats Rusty Clark and Bill Bunting. Lewis returned in the second half, but fouled out (four Blue Devils and one Tar Heel fouled out of the game) with about five minutes left in regulation when Duke was down by 5, and Lind again returned to the court. Lind went on to carry the Blue Devils in the three overtimes, blocking Carolina's shot attempt at the end of regulation, making two free throws at the end of the first overtime, and knocking down a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer to send it into a third overtime. At the conclusion to the game, Lind was carried to Duke's main quad by the students.


The 47-40 win at Duke when Duke led 7-0 at half against Deano's four corners "offense" would also rank up there with UNLV and KY games. The emotion was palpable, almost unbearable, when it became apparent we might skunk 'em for a half. It was kinda like looking at a possible no-hitter.

[captmojo]

Both involving baseball
1) Cubs - Yankees series, did Babe Ruth really call that shot?
2) How far did Mickey Mantle's Homer in Griffith park really travel?

Inquiring minds want these answers.

[mapei]

I would have loved to have seen some of those epic Borg-McEnroe matches at Wimbledon; I think 1980 was the most classic of all. And to have seen Steffi's Grand-Slam-clinching win at the US Open. I still have a crush on her.

BC-Miami football would have been amazing, and thanks for mentioning it.

Steve Young's Super Bowl win with the 49ers.

Greg Lemond's TT victory in '89 to come from behind and win the Tour by 8 seconds.

[JDSBlueDevl]

My list might be a little long (all non-Duke games, b/c I could run off a number of Duke games):
Baseball:
Game 7, 1997 WS
Game 4, 2003 WS
Game 7, 1960 WS
Marlins' first ever opening day, 1993

Football:
The "Immaculate Reception", 1972
"The Drive", 1987 (just to remind people why Cleveland was, is, and will always be "The Mistake by the Lake")
December 25, 1971 (the longest NFL game ever, won by a Garo Yepremian kick in 2OT)
And if we're gonna include a Duke game here, v. Clemson, 1989 (for the big comeback to turn the season around)

Basketball:
Game 7, NBA Finals (two words: Willis Reed)

Hockey:
Mario's un-retirement, 12/27/2000 (hey, everyone else was saying the Miracle on Ice, I just wanted something more out there)

[Cavlaw]

Greg Lemond's TT victory in '89 to come from behind and win the Tour by 8 seconds.

Great call.

[JasonEvans]

Greg Lemond's TT victory in '89 to come from behind and win the Tour by 8 seconds.

Fignon collapsing to the ground after trying to desperately keep up with Lemond is one of the great moments in Tour history. Every year when they announce the Tour layout, I always hope we will see a final day ITT again. I know purists hate this and it will probably never happen, but I think it produced such amazing drama...

-Jason "of course, you need 2 close athletes to have a dramatic TT" Evans

[hurleyfor3]

Greg Lemond's TT victory in '89 to come from behind and win the Tour by 8 seconds.

How, and where, would you watch this live?

[dukemomLA]

I have to say I ACHE that I didn't get to see the DUKE 2001 Championship game in person. Oh, what a pleasure that would have been.

I have been blessed to have seen in person:
The '69 Amazing Mets baseball World Champs
The Us/USSR 1980 Hockey game in Lake Placid
Cal Ripken's 2131
the JETS -- Broadway Joe Namath Football victory
Most of the 1984 Olympics in L.A.

But...nothing would compare to having been there for Duke's 2001 Victory.

[dukemomLA]

I forgot -- and how could I???!!!

Tiger's AMAZING win in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Unbelievable.

[tommy]

Clay-Liston in 1964. The Athlete of the Century (or at least the 2nd half of the century) proclaims his dominance, and nobody's going to shout him down.

Or Ali-Frazier?
And I'm not even a boxing guy.

How about Jordan's electrifying 55 in his return to MSG?

State-Houston, Lorenzo Charles and Valvano with an upset for the ages in the Pit?

And did I read it wrong, or did somebody on this thread actually nominate something from ice dancing??? This thread is about (in addition to Duke hoops) Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kirk Gibson, Jack Nicklaus, etc. and you're giving me ice dancing? Wha???

[dukemomLA]

I've been blessed to have witnessed in person sooo many wonderful sports moments.

1969 Miracle Mets WS win.
NYJets/Joe Namath Super Bowl win.
1980 Lake Placid Olympic hockey victory US/USSR
Almost all of the 1984 Olympic games in L.A.
Tiger's AMAZING U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach

But I'd give my arms and legs to have been at the Duke/AZ game in 2001.

[mapei]

Someone asked how, and where, would one watch Greg Lemond's 1989 time trial victory (and, yes, as Jason pointed out, Fignon's collapse, beaten and completely spent physically and emotionally).

Answer: Paris, l'Avenue des Champs-Elysees, at the finish line.

It can be hard to watch a bike race (a road race, anyway; track events are different) in its entirety live because it's moving. But the big races compensate by having a huge video monitor (that basically gives you the TV image, being filmed from helicopters and motorcycles) in addition to the live action wherever on the course you happen to be. For a time trial if you're at the finish line you're basically watching riders finish one by one at 2-3 minute intervals. There's a grandstand. It's very cool and exciting if you're a fan. You can also walk around the course and watch from different roadside spots if you like.

Most amateur and domestic-pro bike races in the US are criteriums, consisting of multiple laps over a relatively short course so it's pretty easy to follow the action. And some pro races (notably the world championships and the big US races in Philly and San Francisco) are on a longer circuit, but with multiple laps. I was at the World's in Hamilton ON in 2003 and I think they did about 8 laps of a 17-mile course for the road race, 2 laps of the same course for the time trial.

More than anyone wanted to know, I'm sure . . .

A few years after he retired I saw Fignon on French television. Counter to his image as a sourpuss when he was racing, he came across as a really good guy, with self-deprecating humor, very personable.

[throatybeard]

Final rounds of 1995 Masters, 1999 US Open, 1953 US Open; Sunday of 1999 Ryder Cup

1984 Olympics Ice Dance long program (Torvill & Dean -- Bolero) -- what BostonDevil said

1983 NCAA MBB Final

[jimsumner]

1958 Colts-Giants NFL title game

1954 Roger Bannister, first sub four-minute mile

1956 Don Larsen perfect game in World Series

[mr. synellinden]

1958 Colts-Giants NFL title game

1954 Roger Bannister, first sub four-minute mile

1956 Don Larsen perfect game in World Series

I've been waiting to see if and when this would show up. I'm surprised it took this long for someone to mention Larsen's perfect game.

For me, after the 1980 Olympic Hockey game, my next in order would be:

1. Larsen's perfect game;
2. Reggie's Three Home Runs;
3. 1986 Masters
4. Bobby Thomson's Home Run
5. Babe Ruth's called shot
6. Lou Gehrig's farewell speech
7. The Yankees - Red Sox double header the last day of the 1941 season
8. The Bucky Dent game
9. Any game where I could have seen Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig play
10. Roger Maris's 61st Home Run

[hurleyfor3]

7. The Yankees - Red Sox double header the last day of the 1941 season


The Red Sox played a doubleheader against Philly (the Athletics), not the Yankees, the last day of the '41 season.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1941_sched.shtml

[mr. synellinden]

The Red Sox played a doubleheader against Philly (the Athletics), not the Yankees, the last day of the '41 season.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1941_sched.shtml

My bad - I meant 1949.

[hurleyfor3]

My bad - I meant 1949.

Although if you had chosen '41 you still would have seen Ted Williams end up at .406 :)

[Spencer's Daddy]

1992 - Cabrera knocks in Sid Bream at a rockin' Fulton County Stadium.
In reality, I watched it with a Braves fan and a Pirates fan, and I was neutral.

Cubs-Phillies(?) game at Wrigley in the late 70's--23-22 in 16 innings(?)

Nadia Comaneci and her perfect 10s in 1976 in Montreal.

Duke baseball coming back from a 9-run deficit in the 9th inning against UNC, winning it 16-15(?) on a grand-slam by David Hawkins--'88 or '89 at Historic Jack Coombs Field.

Bob Beamon in Mexico City breaking the world record by 2 feet!

[Spencer's Daddy]

Danny Ferry's 58 points vs Miami in December of '88. It wasn't even on TV, although I recall the bookstore selling a bootleg of it.

[JasonEvans]

Danny Ferry's 58 points vs Miami in December of '88. It wasn't even on TV, although I recall the bookstore selling a bootleg of it.

It WAS on TV!! It was on Sportschannel Florida or some other local network and was not shown on cable or otherwise in the Durham area. I went to a local bar to watch it on satellite. It was amazing to see!! I am surprised you were not there with me, Spencer's Daddy (he and I were at Duke and hung out at a lot of Duke games). I must have gone and seen it with Jim Lowy and Jon Seymour.

-Jason "good to see you posting here, SD!" Evans

[tecumseh]

Years ago my Dad come home from the office and announced he had scored a few tickets to the playoff game between the Raiders and the Steelers he only had three tickets and I had two older brothers. We drew straws I suspect to this day my oldest brother rigged it (he did become an attorney which is proof enough). Anyway I lost and they say the Franco Immaculate Reception arguably the greatest play in NFL history.

But this play is surpassed by the lateral play Cal vs Stanford...Elway's last game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k0sNGY1EpA
What many people don't realize is the great comeback Elway and Stanford did to "win" the game.

[captmojo]

Last years Boise State comeback against Oklahoma was drama enough for me and I had absolutely no dog in the fight.

[sportsgirl4]

Ha! I found the thread. Now all I have to do is come up with my list, which will prove to be much more difficult than finding this thread....