OT - Most Memorable Sporting Event that YOU PLAYED IN

Submitted by xtramelanin on

Mates,

Many of you will be home from work or in a nearly-dead office b/c of the storm so here's a topic to chew on if you're bored.  This board is undoubtedly populated with a vast majority of jocks, male and female, even if some of us don't play much in the way of sports anymore (read: fossils like me don't move very fast).   And while some of us might answer the question with something along the lines of 'I remember 3rd grade kickball, kicking the ball into the outfield once', I'm guessing there are some very good stories to share.

So the questions are:

1.  Give the who, what sport, when, and where of your most memorable sport moment that YOU played in.

2.  Tell us why or what made it so memorable.

Be safe in the snow and have fun.

XM

EDIT:  Some great responses, even the ones who relate grade-school stuff.  For those who read further down, you will find that Everybody Murders 'inadventently' revealed he is Charles Woodson.  Who knew?

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ScruffyTheJanitor

February 25th, 2016 at 8:18 AM ^

I was supposed to finnish in the top 2, and I totally crapped the bed and finnished fourth. I proceded to gain 50 lbs in the next year and was never the same runner.  MY LAST SHOT AT GLORY. 

 

Either that, or it was the first race of that year, when I was essentially jogging for the first mile and a half then dead sprinted the last half mile. My coach estimated that I passed 40 runners to finnish like 8th or something.

Suffice it to say, I wasn't much of an athlete after eighth grade, since I ran distance at or near 200 lbs. I should have played football. 

Joined: 02/03/2011

MGoPoints: 12197

mlGOBLUE

February 25th, 2016 at 8:21 AM ^

I had at least 10 catches and 3 touchdowns.  Shook off 2 concussions (curb as sideline marker seen in retrospect as unwise).  Eventually carted off the field with a broken collar bone, thanks to my big brother.

Joined: 01/21/2010

MGoPoints: 1345

Troutbumm

February 25th, 2016 at 8:25 AM ^

Fall of 1982, we (Ypsi Braves!) played CC on the field at Livonia Bentley.  Both teams were highly ranked, and we hadn't beaten them in 20 years.  Early in the game we drove down inside their 10 but the drive stalled.  Stevie Lawrence kicked a short FG to put us up 3 - 0.  The rest of the game was a back and forth slug fest that resulted in no points!  I'll never forget the feeling of that clock running down, and the celebration that ensued!!!

I also remember our only loss that season to Adrian, but I won't talk about that :)

Joined: 11/05/2011

MGoPoints: 34

OldDad67

February 25th, 2016 at 8:25 AM ^

Playing the top team in our conference. They got up 14-0 and their all-conference center said to his teammates "let's shut them out". We got ticked off. I scored 24 (double my average) and we beat them by 3.

Joined: 01/26/2015

MGoPoints: 3746

mgobaran

February 25th, 2016 at 8:25 AM ^

No big event here. But after playing on a roller hockey team for my friends dads team for 2 years, he didn't pick me back up. So of course we met in the championship game. I scored our teams only 2 goals that game (while playing defense) in a 3-2 losing effort. One of the few times I felt like the best player on the rink. So it was big for me I guess.

 

Joined: 09/12/2012

MGoPoints: 22810

cincygoblue

February 25th, 2016 at 8:26 AM ^

Kings v. Edgewood in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown my junior year. Neutral site season opener. Edgewood had beat us 3 years prior in the regional finals. We won 28-14, first game for me on varsity.



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Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 2795

Everyone Murders

February 25th, 2016 at 8:29 AM ^

Spartan QB Todd Schultz is getting serious pressure, so decides to dump the ball out toward the right sideline.  I'm covering the wideout in blanket coverage, and the WR gives up on the play.  Schultz tosses the ball way high toward the right sideline, hoping to minimize damage from a broken play.

I'm in great shape, sky up, and make a one-handed grab.  Ball must have been 12-14 feet in the air, but I somehow land in bounds.  It really broke MSU's will.

I had another INT that day, and the team had six total.  To be honest, we were going to win that day with or without my pick.  I'll always remember the sideline pick though.

Oh shit.  Did I just inadvertently out my real identity?

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

mgobluth

February 25th, 2016 at 8:27 AM ^

When I was a kid my dad was my coach for just about every sport , but most important and most fun to him was basketball. Unfortunately, he died when I was 11, so the first team I was on that he didn't coach was my basketball team in my town's intramural league. We were coached by one of my dad's good friends, so he took it upon himself to try to get us play our best for my dad.

We didn't have the most talented team in the league, but we definitely had the most heart. We gritted our way to the championship game, where we upset the overwhelming favorites (as heavy favorties as a bunch of 11-year-olds could be). It's the only championship I won playing a sport as a kid, and I still have the trophy in my room at my parents' house. That's one I will certainly never forget.

Joined: 11/23/2014

MGoPoints: 4470

victors2000

February 25th, 2016 at 5:23 PM ^

Every year there was a zone track meet between the elementary schools in Flint. It was a big thing at school and was the stuff of legend as we grew up: Our best 6th graders against other school's 6th graders. Schools we never even heard of, they might as well have been other nations. I remember even from like 3rd grade having that day mentally circled in my mind by the culture of our school: The build up to the day, of seeing our 6th graders board a bus to somewhere the day of the meet, and then later class would be stopped when they came back and we'd revel in their stories of greatness! 6th graders were so cool.

As I matriculated my way to 6th grade I was on the fast track to loserhood. I didn't win anything, I didn't expect to win anything and I'm fairly certain nobody else expected me to win anything either. Except Chess and reading. Stuff that didn't require you to physically exert yourself to the point that you felt tired. Sit me down and I could make things happen. Or apparently stand me up and let me jump forward, I could do that okay too.

Our gym teacher taught us to do the broadjump by bending the knees relatively deep, swinging your arms and then jumping out. I did this frenetic shaking: I barely moved my arms back and forth, barely dipped my legs. Just quivered, I guess. When it became my turn to jump - the whole gym class had to do it - he was ready to mark me at 50 or 60 inches. I jumped 76! Everyone was shocked! I was embarrassed! Only one other guy outjumped me but he was going to be running so I was going to be our representative in the broadjump.

Holy Shit!

That was suuuch a cool day. The rest of the school saw us off, we arrived at a Middle School along with a slew of other kids, found out where our event would be and then listened out for when it was to start. There were 6 jumpers, something like that, and I out jumped all but one. That dude jumped far and I was crushed because I thought he beat me but he only tied me. I think the fear of losing helped me out because I beat him in the tiebreaker. I won!

I got to revel in my victory as I cheered on my classmates in their events. Awards were handed out and I got this flimsy 'gold' plastic medal with a blue ribbon. Pitt gold and Kansas blue, I remember. The Medal of Honor.

In the end we won the meet. We cheered on the bus all the way back to Freeman and when we got back to school everyone came out to meet us. We revelled in our tales of glory and were celebrated as heroes. Conquering heroes, you might say.

It's been downhill ever since.

Joined: 03/21/2009

MGoPoints: 12778

Lampuki22

February 25th, 2016 at 11:20 AM ^

So tell me what you likeda bout it.  I have TWINs on different travel teams (they play on differnt teams  --don't ask me why)

So I probably get to go there TWICE next summer.  I am hoping one team does the regular Cooperstown Dream Parks and the other does the other thing (Village??).   

My older boys team voted to go to Ripken in SC when they were 12.  Only 1 out of 10 wanted Cooperstown (most who had been there said it was totally "boring" and expensive).  

So your enthusiasm is good news to me.  Thanks

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 7298

Braylon_Edward…

February 25th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^

Maybe it was more fun for me (and my team) because we had all been best friends. Started playing travel ball together at a young age, got our asses kicked a lot, and eventually became a damn good team sponsored by a top line baseball equipment provider. 

It was fun for us for many reasons. As I said we were a very close knit team, but it was also just a cool experience. Playing ball at a high level vs teams from all around the country. Us being from Florida we had never seen the hills and beauty of upstate NY. Food was good, structure of the tournment wasn't too strict, meeting other kids was cool, there were all kinds of baseball "mini games" such as homerun derby, a timed throw around, etc. 

And yeah, it was definitely expensive. But we did fundraising almost every weekend for half a year almost. Sold outside of Sam's, Publix, Dicks, etc. Everywhere we sold they matched our days earnings. 

Joined: 07/27/2014

MGoPoints: 2069

MGoManBall

February 25th, 2016 at 8:29 AM ^

Small division OH HS state semifinal football game. We went to halftime tied 7-7. I had something like 3 carries for 7 yards. 

So I told the coaches to just give me the ball. We won 42-7 and I had 7 carries for 225 and 3 TDs. I took all the lineman to that Pizza Hut buffet after film the next day. Thanks dudes.

Joined: 10/27/2012

MGoPoints: 13029

Wolverine In Iowa

February 25th, 2016 at 8:30 AM ^

Ahh yes, the glory days.

1)  New England Prep School Swimming Championships - 400 free relay:  I was second to go, and we were behind by a fair amount.  On the last turn at the 75, I have forever imprinted in my mind blowing by the guy on the leading team, and then seeing one of my teammates cheering for me on the last length.  We had the lead after my leg, but we ended up finishing second by 4/100th's of a second.  We were All-Americans though (top 16 fastest high school 400 free relay in the country).

2)  I sucked at lacrosse, but scoring two goals and getting an assist in front of my parents at West Virginia University when I played on the club team at U-M.  On a ride, I smashed the goalkeeper, and my teammate got "man" while I got "ball," and I scored on an empty net, all the while hearing my teammate nervously laughing that I was going to choke.

3)  We were playing Notre Dame in club lacrosse.  The ND goalkeeper took the ball up field, and I again crushed him, whereupon my teammate scored on the empty net from about 40 yards out.  The ND keeper got yanked, and even though they were a varsity D1 team and we were hooligans, we kept it close until the fourth quarter.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 10767

abolden05

February 25th, 2016 at 8:31 AM ^

And conference champs. Our team was the smallest in the conference but we had speed. Had 4 cbs go man to man against the best offense in the state and we won 23-9. Our backup qb got the start and went 7-7 for over 200 yards and 2 tds.

Joined: 02/17/2012

MGoPoints: 327

bacon

February 25th, 2016 at 8:32 AM ^

I was a star fullback on the Polk High School football team, however, marriage and a broken leg prevented me from attending college on scholarship.  In the '66 championship game, I scored 4 touchdowns and won the game. They used to call me "touchdown bacon". 

Joined: 01/04/2009

MGoPoints: 18646

The Mad Hatter

February 25th, 2016 at 8:33 AM ^

I was so drunk that I could barely stand, and I've only played a handful of times. My opponent must have thought it would be easy money for him. I hit the bullseye with every single throw. It was some weird alcohol/jedi thing. I'm sure it would never happen again.

Joined: 02/17/2015

MGoPoints: 112109

azian6er

February 25th, 2016 at 8:34 AM ^

2001 Michigan mens soccer - played OSU in Columbus and I was starting in goal as a freshman due to red card of 1st stringer. I shut those bastards out and we won 1-0 which was UM soccer's first win over a ranked opponent. I earned Big Ten defensive player of the week honors for my effort. To make things even better - I am from Columbus.

Joined: 04/09/2012

MGoPoints: 3749

BlizzardOfOz

February 25th, 2016 at 10:22 AM ^

District championship game for High School baseball.  Back then schools were grouped by class A,B,C.  We were relatively small (~130 graduating class).  I can't remember if we were B or C.  We played against the top ranked team in the state for our class on their home field.  I believe we were ranked in the top 5.  We won that game and I layed down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze that ended up making the paper.  Interestingly, the school we beat was a private Catholic school that had multiple players that would have been on our team if they attended public school.

We made it to the state semi-final game and lost by a few runs.  We hit the ball well but could't buy a hit.  The team that we lost to went on to easily win the championship game.  If I remember correctly, they won by 10+ runs.

 

**Edit:  After a little research I've determined that my memory is off...  We lost 7-2 in the regional game to Pewamo-Westphalia who subsequently lost to Erie-Mason in the championship game.  We were class C.  http://www.mhsaa.com/Portals/0/Documents/BA/PDF-Archives/1991-BA-C.pdf

 

Joined: 02/25/2010

MGoPoints: 1330

ommeethatsees

February 25th, 2016 at 8:39 AM ^

I played in the Michigan Bantam division state championship game. We lost late in the third period by a fluke goal which went over our goalies head landed on the ice behind him and slid into the net.

Also, I was on the crew of the winning J44 (sailing) world championship held in Newport Rhode Island.

Joined: 08/08/2009

MGoPoints: 1877

BrokePhD

February 25th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^

Scored four touchdowns in a single game for Polk High in the 1966 city champtionship football game, including the game winner against my old nemisis "Spare Tire" Dixon

Joined: 07/15/2009

MGoPoints: 2420

JohnnyV123

February 25th, 2016 at 9:10 AM ^

That came up at trivia last week! "What actor who starred in one sitcom that ran for over 250 episodes and another that ran over 150 episodes was once drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers?"

As a bonus, when revealing the answer the trivia guy said he scored four touchdowns in a single game for Polk High

Joined: 04/08/2011

MGoPoints: 1007