A couple of years ago, at one time the greatest network ever created, ESPN, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a film series highlighting the 30 greatest sports moments from its first three decades of existence.
Most of the “30 for 30” films were well done, and it was a great history lesson for those fans who wanted to jump in the time machine and look back in the past.
On the day before Thanksgiving, I will be turning 30 years old, and I felt I needed to take a look back to some of my favorite sports moments from my lifetime.
I admit some are ones that everyone remembers, others only hard-core fans will remember, and finally, some are very personal to my family and me.
Here are my 30 for 30:
1. Back in the early-1990s, I played in the Murfreesboro Optimist League for the
Indians. My father was also an assistant coach for the team.
2. Growing up, my younger brother, Adam, and I enjoyed playing baseball in the backyard. Of course, it helped that my father built us a backstop made out of post and chicken wire.
Around the All-Star break, we would get the American and National League rosters. Adam, who is now in the Coast Guard, and I would select a league and would pretend, when batting, we were each member of the team.
3. My grandparents have been a huge influence in my life. We all watched sports on television, including auto racing, the X Games, and all the way up to the LSU-Alabama game a couple of weeks ago.
4. Auto racing has been my favorite sport, and two of the drivers that got me hooked when I was younger each won a title in 1988. Bill Elliott won his only NASCAR Cup title that year, while sports car driver Geoff Brabham took his first of four consecutive titles in the IMSA GTP series in one of my favorite racecars of all-time, the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo.
5. Also that year, I watched my first Olympic, the Winter Games in Calgary in Canada. My two favorite athletes were American speed skaters, Dan Jansen and Bonnie Blair. Later on, at the local Skatecenter West, I tried to skate like them, including putting my hand behind my back like they did.
6. Speaking of 1994, I was on vacation at Disney World during soccer’s World Cup. Some of the games were played at the nearby Citrus Bowl, so I met some people from Holland during the trip. I also watched the USA-Brazil game in the theme park’s cafeteria with many other American fans.
7. The 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
8. A couple of years later, two of my favorite teams were going for a championship. In the NBA, the Utah Jazz led by Karl Malone and John Stockton, but they fell to the Chicago Bulls in two classic series.
9. Also that same time, the NHL Colorado Avalanche won a couple of Stanley Cups, but during the road to the title, they faced hated rivals the Detroit Red Wings on several occasions. Those series had everything great skill on the ice, nastiness between the teams that sometimes led to goalie fights that would make the UFC proud.
10. That year also marked the homerun race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
11. In 1998, my high school football team, the Oakland Patriots, had one of its greatest seasons in school history. During the playoffs, the Pats met up with hated city rivals Riverdale in front of more than 30,000 at MTSU. It had been awhile since Oakland beat the Warriors. That night we won and a couple of weeks later we were state champs.
12. Tennessee Volunteers’ first football National Championship in 1998.
13. Women’s Soccer World Cup USA-China finale in 1999.
14. Also in 1999, the X Games qualifying event at the Titans Stadium parking lot.
15. The Music City Miracle.
16. Working on my high school’s yearbook and newspaper as a sports writer.
17. My first Tennessee Titans game in 2000.
18. Covering sports for Sidelines, MTSU’s student-run newspaper.
19. In 2001, I started a wonderful relationship with the MTSU Athletics, which still continues today.
20. The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 – a few months later, one of the gold medalists, Jim Shea Jr. came to MTSU, and he passed around his gold medal for everyone to touch and see.
21. Also that same winter, the New England Patriots began their run of three Super Bowl titles in just four years.
22. During the summers while in college, I covered races at the recently closed Nashville Superspeedway.
23. While at the racetrack, I met two gentlemen that I looked up to in the field – long time broadcaster Bob Jenkins, as well as auto racing reporter and columnist Larry Woody.
24. In 2005, I got to spend a summer at The Daily News Journal as part of an internship. It was a great experience.
25. Covering the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Basketball tournament at the Murphy Center was awesome.
26. After spending some time in Georgia at a weekly newspaper, I moved back to Murfreesboro in 2007. However, I took some time off from journalism. At the same time, it gave me a chance to rediscover the passion I have for this business.
27. Since I was I little kid, I was a huge wrestling fan. Attending a WWE Raw show and an Impact Wrestling Pay-Per-View, I gave me a new look at the sport.
28. Covering local mixed martial arts events is always fun.
29. In 2009, I got back into journalism and joined The Murfreesboro Pulse. A few months later, I moved to The Murfreesboro Post, as a part-time reporter. It has been one of the best jobs I have ever had.
30. Finally, growing up, the Lady Vols were one of my favorite teams to watch. At the 2011 Women Basketball SEC Tournament, my uncle and I got to see them play.
Hopefully, there are many more sports moments to come. |
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