The Sporting Life

Woke up this morning and, for reasons I can't explain, revisited some of the best and worst sports moments of my life. From Mattingly's home run in 1995 playoffs to the dreadful Hakeem swipe in the 1994 NBA Finals, here they are:

The Good - Top 5:

2001 World Series: Tino Martinez's Improbable 9th Inning Home Run
In the words of James Murphy, I was there. Down two games to one, and trailing 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tino delivers the unthinkable. We were in the right field bleachers and the moment the ball cleared the wall, it was absolute pandemonium. Whether at a concert, a sporting event, or any other moment of euphoria, nothing in my life has topped this in terms of downright jubilation. Post 9/11, this was bringing magic back to the city.

1999 NBA East Finals, Game 3: Larry Johnson's Four-Point Play 
Probably the loudest I've ever screamed. I was with a few friends at the Allendale Bar & Grill in Jersey, and the moment this shot landed, the bar just exploded.

1996 World Series: The Yankees Win the Championship
The only time I've ever been on hand to see my team win it all.



Super Bowl 43: The Catch



1995 ALDS: Mattingly Delivers
My favorite player of all-time finally gets hit shot at the playoffs, and he delivers.



Honorable Mentions: Aaron Boone's game 7 bomb in 2003, Louisville over Duke in the 1986 NCAA Championship, Boston College over Notre Dame in 1993, David Wells' perfect game, John Starks' dunk over Jordan in 1993

The Bad:

I'm not showing videos. Just can't do it.

1995 ALDS Game 5 Loss to the Mariners: Griffey
This remains the hardest to stomach to this day. I wanted Mattingly to get a shot at the World Series so badly. Across every sport, he remains my favorite athlete of all-time.

2001 World Series Game 7 Loss to the Arizona Diamonbacks

 2004 ALCS Losing Four Straight to Boston

 1994 NBA Finals: Hakeen Swipes Starks' Three








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