Most memorable or unexpected game watch/listen

[7KHorn 2744]

Seems like a good off-season topic that I haven't seen sussed out yet: 

A chronicle of fond or unexpected game-watching or listening memories. 

Like catching a game during a wedding, or maybe on vacation somewhere exotic and you miraculously get the game...watching a game while meeting your significant other, conceiving your first child, ha!, etc...  l'lI start.

March 23, 2006 (Texas-WVU Sweet 16) - I was floating the San Juan River from Sand Wash to Mexican Hat in Southeast Utah with friends including my brother and now wife (all of us UT grads).  It's about a 3 day float and no cell coverage or civilization, etc..Anyway, I knew we'd be missing the Sweet 16 games but oh well, that float is great.  Turns out my brother brought a portable radio so I decided to try and find the game on the AM dial.  Boom!  Not only did I get the game, I got Craig Way and the Longhorn broadcast on 1200 WOAI out of San Antonio - game was late in the first half by that point.

Listened to the entire second half of that glorious game via headphones as the group went to bed.  As I'm sure many of you know, getting AM after dark from a long way away from everything is dicey and sometimes aggravating. The signal oft diminishes or gets swallowed up by another feed. Not that night.

No better place to hear Kenton Paulino's buzzer beater game winner against WVU and Pitsnogle (who had just tied things up seconds before) than leaning against a sandstone outcrop along the banks of the San Juan with the moonlight and the stars.  Did the proverbial "it's goooood!" raising of the arms and danced around the camp.  Next morning we had a Hawaiian-themed breakfast with macadamia nut pancakes and pina coladas.  Good times.

[conVINCEd 21477]

I watched the Warriors (my second favorite team behind the Mavs) win their second title while sitting by the pool at a safari camp in South Africa at some ungodly hour of the morning.  Bartender put me on the honor system, because he wanted to go to bed.  Elephants were drinking out of the pool.  Pretty zen moment.

[Brian Fantana 6862]

I'd have to think about it (certainly Tech's final 4 run is up there for me) but it's probably Lebron and the Cavs comeback from being down 3-1 against a historically great Warriors team. Memorable for two reasons: One, because of how it went down. Absolutely incredible story that cemented Lebron's legacy forever (in my opinion) and just exemplifies how great sports can be to watch. Two, because that's how I got my dad into basketball and we were able to enjoy watching college basketball and the NBA playoffs together for the last few years of his life.

[7KHorn 2744]

Here's another bball one (would like to extend this topic to other sports at some point, including football):

Black Jersey game, #1 Duke vs. #2 Texas, 12/10/05

My brother and I walked into an Irish bar shortly after opening near downtown Santa Fe, about 10 am.  Hopes were high - #2 Horns vs. the #1 dookies; we ordered a pitcher of breakfast beer about 10:15 mountain time. PJ Tucker, LaMarcus Aldridge, et al.  Shortly thereafter the Duke fans start trickling in and we were soon outnumbered about 3 tables to 1. 

The Horns (feebly) tried to keep it close a bit in the first half, but the dookies and jj redick blew the doors off in the second.  I'll never forget that feeling from those pious Duke fans looking down on us while we sipped our early morning beer.  And they were pretty fucking gratuitous with their high-fiving well after the game was in control.  We felt like some lonely Longhorn fans that didn't belong in the big leagues.

This JJ Reddick interview of PJ Tucker added some laughs after the years.  And I was definitely in agreement about never using those black unis again!!

https://youtu.be/7iMqtTCz_SE

It's time for Beard to bring the Horns back into an arena like that with balls dragging.

[Guest]

For me it will always be Lorenzo Charles killing the Cougars and ( unbeknownst to me at the time) lifting up Valvano forever.

After The Catch at Candlestick, it's my second biggest heart breaker in sports.

 

[7KHorn 2744]

15 minutes ago, slorch said:

For me it will always be Lorenzo Charles killing the Cougars and ( unbeknownst to me at the time) lifting up Valvano forever.

After The Catch at Candlestick, it's my second biggest heart breaker in sports.

 

Ha!  That happened at the Pit in my hometown.  One of the most iconic moments in NCAA history.  Great memory though obviously painful for UH fans.  

As far as heartbreaks for me, Horns losing to UA in 2011 NCAA tournament on that bogus 3.8-second 5 second call about tops for me.  I seethed for days after that.

[ztejas 44223]

That shit ripped my heart out. Pretty sure I cried. 

What's especially fucked up it took 10 fucking years to have a good chance at making the SS again. 

[7KHorn 2744]

On 8/17/2022 at 6:39 PM, 7KHorn said:

Seems like a good off-season topic that I haven't seen sussed out yet: 

A chronicle of fond or unexpected game-watching or listening memories. 

Like catching a game during a wedding, or maybe on vacation somewhere exotic and you miraculously get the game...watching a game while meeting your significant other, conceiving your first child, ha!, etc...  l'lI start.

March 23, 2006 (Texas-WVU Sweet 16) - I was floating the San Juan River from Sand Wash to Mexican Hat in Southeast Utah with friends including my brother and now wife (all of us UT grads).  It's about a 3 day float and no cell coverage or civilization, etc..Anyway, I knew we'd be missing the Sweet 16 games but oh well, that float is great.  Turns out my brother brought a portable radio so I decided to try and find the game on the AM dial.  Boom!  Not only did I get the game, I got Craig Way and the Longhorn broadcast on 1200 WOAI out of San Antonio - game was late in the first half by that point.

Listened to the entire second half of that glorious game via headphones as the group went to bed.  As I'm sure many of you know, getting AM after dark from a long way away from everything is dicey and sometimes aggravating. The signal oft diminishes or gets swallowed up by another feed. Not that night.

No better place to hear Kenton Paulino's buzzer beater game winner against WVU and Pitsnogle (who had just tied things up seconds before) than leaning against a sandstone outcrop along the banks of the San Juan with the moonlight and the stars.  Did the proverbial "it's goooood!" raising of the arms and danced around the camp.  Next morning we had a Hawaiian-themed breakfast with macadamia nut pancakes and pina coladas.  Good times.

https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/2020/03/23/watch-kenton-paulino-sends-texas-to-the-elite-eight-in-2006/

[Underdog 29162]

The '83 NSF between UH/UL was fun to watch, an entertaining dunkfest. 

[HookEm 2509]

I was at the Spurs vs Heat Finals game when the AC went out. That was an experience.

Also was at a high school state championship game at the Erwin Center when a kid threw in one from half court to win the game.  On his birthday.

[justhookit 4206]

Beating MSt in the elite 8 in San Antonio on the way to the final 4. It’s not even close. Such a great time. Alamo Dome was rockin’.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, HookEm said:

I was at the Spurs vs Heat Finals game when the AC went out. That was an experience.

Also was at a high school state championship game at the Erwin Center when a kid threw in one from half court to win the game.  On his birthday.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

1996 Lakers Bulls was the best regular season game I've ever seen, loaded with Goats but eventually was a showdown between Toni Kukoc and Nick Van Exel.  

 

[Fastbreak 4045]

When I was 11 or 12, my Mom’s friend had a job of listening to Spurs games and calling in the scores to a 800 number that then others could call and get updates. This was pre-internet and even ESPN. On occasion she would pay me to do the job. So I could make like $30 just for listening to games and doing like 8 calls during the game.

On the final night of the season, in a kind of meaningless game, I got the job.

I remember some of my calls were like “Midway through the 2nd quarter, the Iceman has 46 points and the Spurs lead X to Y.”

“At the half, Gervin has 53 on his way to beating Wilt”

He only ended up with 63 as he sat out the 4th, but still won the scoring title by a few points.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18962]

Spurs-Heat 2014 Finals game 4. I was in Costa Rica on vacation. I had playoff tickets that year in one of the courtside suites but had planned vacation at the same time. I went to game 1 (the A/C game) but then we left town. The series was 2-1 at that point, and it looked like it was going to be a long series. And fucking Joey Crawford was working game 4.

I was worried that I couldn't find the game on TV, but I found a tiny little pub in Tamarindo that had an outdoor bar with a TV right above it.  The inside of the place was crowded, but I sat outside mostly by myself getting drunk on Imperial while people were partying inside, and I watched the beautiful game unfold as the Spurs dismantled the Heat on their homecourt. They went on a ridiculous run in the second quarter that was capped off with a dunk by he who won't be named. All things considered, it was probably the best game the Spurs played in the history of the organization.

[shadow_operative 15932]

On 8/27/2022 at 7:37 PM, HookEm said:

I was at the Spurs vs Heat Finals game when the AC went out. That was an experience.

Also was at a high school state championship game at the Erwin Center when a kid threw in one from half court to win the game.  On his birthday.

 

 

 

[UpperWestside 6268]

On 8/27/2022 at 8:37 PM, HookEm said:

Also was at a high school state championship game at the Erwin Center when a kid threw in one from half court to win the game.  On his birthday.

I was at that game sitting in the 4th row opposite the benches. When Kimball missed the free throw and made minimal effort to get the rebound was the first wild part. The 2nd part was the look I had of the shot was such that when he released it I said to myself “This is going in!” because he shot it perfectly. A friend that was always on me about the money I spent to sit so close to the court every year tells me the next day that “I’ll never say another word about what you paid to sit there!”
 

I will also never see a moment of pure joy in an athletic contest like that ever again. If memory serves correct the grandmother of the center died before the playoffs started and he told his grandmother they would win a state title. That was a pretty bold declaration considering Jay finished 3rd in their district that year.

[Knoxtnhorn 6290]

One of my first Texas games at the Erwin Center was a game against Rick Majerus and Utah.  IIRC, Benford Williams caught a length-of-the-court pass and hit a fadeaway at the buzzer to put the game into overtime.  In overtime, same dude hit the same shot to win it.  

Sweet.  I was about to post something about how my memory probably exaggerated this game in my head, BUT I found the two shots.  Tremaine Winfield; not Benford Williams.  Hope this works...