When did sports transport you ... or crush you?

Transport: 1988 Missouri 3A girls basketball championship game at Hearnes Center. Marshfield vs. St. Charles Duchesne, both teams undefeated. As I recall, neither team led by more than 4 or 6 the entire game. Ended on an N.C. State-like rebound of a missed shot, with Marshfield winning, I think, 59-58. I had a rooting interest in neither of the teams, particularly, but I rememeber thinking at the time, "You'll never see a better basketball game than this, regardless of gender or level of play." And I haven't.

 

Transport: 94 Rangers win the Stanley Cup. It was the first time I paid attention to hockey and what a time to pay attention. I loved the storyline for the Rangers and I followed them all year, even from balmy Florida. Runners-Up: Cowboys first SB of the 90s.

Crush: Well, I could go with anytime the Cowboys lost this year on last-second field goal/extra point attempts. Or anytime I've been to Texas Stadium (3 times) and seen the Cowboys lose. Or with the Mavs finally making the NBA Finals only to be screwed by the refs. Or with the Cubs (any year). But I think it'd have to be when the Cowboys lost to the Lions in the playoffs the year before they won their first SB of the 90s. They got smoked and it had a very bad affect on my 8th-grade self. I was decked out in Cowboys gear and I remember I was crying by halftime. They had just gotten over the 1-15 and 7-9 years and had just missed the playoffs the year before. Gosh that hurt at that time. And seeing the Redskins go on to win it was even more sickening.

 

You mean you weren't crushed when Mick Foley turned on you at a Raw show in Anaheim this year?

 

Ha! Foley is Good! I've met the man and no matter what he does, he'll never crush me. Although he did transport my ass to the arena to see him perform on more than one occasion

 

disappointing: Riding a 20-game winning streak, Auburn blows a 23-9 lead to a crappy Georgia team my senior year of high school and misses a medium-length field goal, kicking straight toward my seats in the end zone, at the horn to see its winning streak end.

crushing: playing a big game in little league when I was about 10 or 11. last inning, two outs, I'm on deck and walking up to bat. just as I get to the batter's box, my coach calls time and sends in a pinch hitter and I go back to the bench and cry my eyes out. I guess that's kind of melodramatic, but I think I lost most of my confidence as a hitter in those 30 seconds.