I suppose that my all-time favorite sporting event to witness (on TV) would have to be the 1969 "shootout" between #1 Texas (9-0) and #2 Arkansas (9-0).

Before the season began, ABC asked the two schools to move their annual mid-season game to the end of the season, so that the game could be televised to a national audience with no other contests interfering on any of the other networks. Who woulda thunk that the two teams would wind up undefeated and ranked 1 and 2?

Being a South Louisiana boy (LSU fan) living in El Dorado, Arkansas, at the time, I had to endure the jeers and sneers of all my father's relations (who were big time pig fans), so for me a lot was on the line in this game. Even though I was a fan of neither school, Texas simply had to win so that I could get some peace.

President Richard Nixon graced the festivities with his presence and was kind enough to predict that Texas would make a comeback and win the game, during his halftime interview with Texas trailing 0 to 14.

The fourth quarter started with the same score as at halftime, and by then I was about ready to concede death. But the Longhorns managed to stage that fourth quarter comeback as predicted by the president, and when the final horn sounded had managed to squeeze out a 15 to 14 victory.

For me that was definitely the most exciting sporting event I ever witnessed.

...

What about you?

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"And God said, you are responsible for the fish of the sea,
and the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Speak evil of no man; don't be a brawler, but be gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Two come to my mind.

First is the Miracle On Ice game between the US and USSR in hockey. My parents did not have a TV but my grandparents were visiting and had a little portable one set up in the bedroom. My parents let me watch the game because it was an Olympic contest. When we won the upset, even though I am not a big hockey fan, I couldn't help but talk about it for days.

The second is the playoff game in 1982 (I think) between Dan Fout's San Diego Chargers and Dan Marino's Miami Dolphins. It was back and forth and though my Phins came off on the losing side, the game was thrilling to watch. The most memorable play to me was the hook-and-ladder touchdown by the Dolphins to end the first half.

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~ Dan

Real Christianity should be identified by its production of spiritual fruit*, not religious nuts.

*love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Mine wasn't one of those games which are in the balance right to the end.

In early 1970 Everton were top of the league, playing great football with a largely locally-grown team. The main rivals were the universally-hated Leeds United. With about ten games to go both Everton and Leeds were going through relative bad patches, and another young, attractive team, Chelsea, of London, were having a good spell and had risen to third. They won the FA Cup that year.

Everton played Chelsea at home, at the end of March. This was a crucial game, and the back page of paper that morning ran the headline "They all fear Chelsea".

There was nothing to fear, though, as Everton were one up after fourteen seconds, and got another three minutes later. The match was totally one-sided and notable for the fluency and finesse of all the Everton team. We went 5-0 up early in the second and then took the foot off the pedal and allowed Chelsea to get a couple but it was way too late.

I was 13. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

If I can think of a game in which I didn't have a stake it would be the World Cup Final of 1974. Rinus Michels' Holland squad remain to this day the best team I ever seen and how they contrived to lose that game is one of life's great mysteries.

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The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali

As an addendum to my OP I would like to add the following story, which I may have already shared in another thread.

Around about the year 2000 I was a computer programming instructor at a technical college in Memphis, Tennessee. In one particular class I called roll and recognized a name. The name was Cliff Powell. There had been a linebacker on that 1969 Razorback squad of 1969, of which I earlier spoke, and his name too was Cliff Powell. Cliff had been an All-American, and had been drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Cliff had over 20 tackles in the aforementioned game of 1969 -- a phenomenal feat, no less.

But there was this student in my class who had the same name, and I could not help but point out this seeming coincidence. I knew that the Cliff Powell in my class could not be the same Cliff Powell of Arkansas Razorback fame -- no, the Cliff Powell in my class was a middle-aged man who was surely in his late 50's, if not 60's.

Then it occurred to me that the gentleman could have been of about the same age. Well, to make a long story short, it turned out that the Cliff Powell in my class was indeed one and the same Cliff Powell, All-American linebacker. Needless to say, Cliff and I became friends -- especially since I was to make such a big deal of the game, being so familiar with the particulars thereof. Cliff had retired from whatever business in which he had been engaged since leaving the NFL, and had returned to the classroom for further education.

At that time I still harbored a severe hatred of and positive loathing for the Arkansas Razorbacks -- anything Arkansas, for that matter. But Cliff was able to help me get over it.

Today I can actually watch and root for the Razorbacks (sometimes) -- expect when they play my LSU Tigers, of course. I rooted hard and loud on this past Saturday, and almost the Razorbacks took down #1 Florida, falling on a field goal 23 to 20, that was kicked with 9 seconds left on the clock.

Sorry about that, Cliff.

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"And God said, you are responsible for the fish of the sea,
and the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Speak evil of no man; don't be a brawler, but be gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

The 1983 NCAA Basketball Championship with the NC State Cardiac Pack under Jim Valvano shocking the Phi Slama Jama Houston Cougars. Unbelievable run from the ACC tournament on. Cinderella will likely never appear like that again.

I will waver from the OP a little.

One my favorite sports memories is of my all-time favorite baseball player PETE ROSE. Sometime in the early 80s Pete came to bat in June with zero homeruns. The announcer ragged on him and said he couldn't believe that stat and said it was just awful. My dad ribbed me about it because he knew Pete was the Man. Pete went on to hit THREE solo shots in that game. The announcer and my dad both hushed.

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The views expressed in this post are my opinion. However, my opinion is worthy of adoption by the masses.

The 1992 NCAA tournament game between the dookies and my beloved Wildcats. While UK was a ranked team, Duke was the overall #1 and expected to win the game handily. When the two teams met in the East Regional Finals, one of the most famous college basketball games of all time was played. The dookies won by one point on a lucky last second shot in overtime by Christian Laettner. Laettner went on to the NBA, where as a journeyman he bounced around to seven different teams, never becoming the superstar he was expected to be.
A few years later this loss was avenged by the Wildcats when they stomped Duke's guts out by erasing a 17 point deficit to beat the dookies on the way to becoming the 1998 tournament champions.

My dad was a big Duke fan, and I became one too after watching that game with him. (Or maybe I became a big fan of Christian Laettner since I thought he was cute and a good basketball player.) I was not born yet during some of the other events mentioned, or too young to know about them.

For the record, Laettner was an outstanding hoopster, but other than that a colossal jerk. At least that is one Tar Heel's not so humble opinion.

My favorite was sitting on the bed with my son watching the 2006 World Cup. Just stunned when Zidane headbutted Materazzi.

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My favorite Veteran!