As I watched the hundreds of thousands gather in Grant Park in Chicago to watch President-elect Barack Obama give his acceptance speech, I got goosebumps. Being a part of such event (granted, from a different state) has been something that I will never forget.
But politics are a sticky game, and this is a sports column. The real reason I brought up my reaction to watching an historic event such as the election of a new president is because it was similar to ones I’ve had at other times in my life related to sporting events. Granted nothing compares to the outpouring I witnessed last night, but I decided to look back on a few moments in my short sporting life that have moved me.
? Ken Griffey Jr.’s slide into home to help the Mariners beat the Yankees in the 1995 American League Divisional Series. I was only 7 years old, but I vividly remember Joey Cora and Griffey scoring on the double of Edgar Martinez.
I was in eastern Washington at my grandparents’ house for the week, and when Griffey slid just under the tag of Jim Leyritz, it was a special moment.
My grandpa jumped out of his chair and threw his short arms above his head, yelling like I’ve never heard him before. My 5-year-old brother and I jumped up and down and pretty much went crazy for the next 24 hours.
? The year 2001. Few years have been as special to me as 2001. The Mariners won a record 116 games, Ichiro Suzuki was the MVP and the Rookie of the Year, and although they lost to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, the memory of watching Seattle absolutely demolish teams was awesome.
? Then there was Barry Bonds. Yes, that Barry Bonds. He broke the home run mark set by Mark McGwire only a few years earlier, and he was by far the most feared hitter in the game.
I don’t care if he wasn’t liked. I don’t care if people think he was a jerk. Any time Bonds stepped to the plate, everybody in the nation stopped what they were doing to see what would happen.
The last month of the season, I didn’t do any homework. Instead, I listened to ESPN radio and waited for word about when Bonds would be up to bat. Then I would rush to the TV and watch his at bat.
? Football and men’s basketball at the University of Oregon. Joey Harrington could have run for governor of Oregon after the Ducks’ 38-16 win over Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.
That whole season seemed like a dream, and except for that horrific 49-42 loss to Stanford, I’ve never felt as satisfied with a University of Oregon football season as that one. The same goes for that season’s basketball team with Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson and Freddy Jones. The three-pointers and dunks added up to an Elite Eight appearance, and even though the Ducks lost to the Kansas Jayhawks, that season made me want to go to school in Eugene.
? Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals – by far the most amazing sporting experience I have ever witnessed. Period. On the evening of Aug. 11, 2008, I was over at my friend’s apartment with my roommate and another friend.
The TV was in one of their rooms, and we sat in the cramped bedroom for three hours, awaiting Phelps’ race in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
We watched as he swam the first leg of the relay, and were disappointed when he came in second. Through the next two legs we were all on the edge of panic, as the Americans lost ground to the French. All hope of eight gold medals seemed lost after only one race, but by the time Jason Lezak entered the water we were stunned.
Then excitement bubbled up from deep in my stomach, and after Lezak completed his turn and headed for the home stretch, we knew it was going to be close. He slowly inched his way to the shoulder of the Frenchman Alain Bernard, and with just one stroke left, we held our collective breaths.
I was frozen in time, staring at the TV with a mix of dread and anticipation. And then the marker appeared on the Americans’ lane with a little “1” next to it and we freaked. I slapped my friend’s hand so hard it hurt until the next morning. We all yelled and screamed, and that moment of uninhibited joy and celebration is what every sports fan lives for.
For that one summer night, and the multitudes of others that I’ve spent attending sporting events or watching them, I felt completely in awe.
The ability for such events to transcend a certain game and become something bigger is the real reason everyone watches these historic occasions.
So whether it’s Michael Phelps, or even your high school winning a state championship, tune in because those moments will be with you forever.
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