I watch sports for the purity of the games. I'm constantly hoping for that rare moment that allows you to see all that is good in competition. The moment that makes you forget about the imperfections of this life. That is why you won't read about steroids, retirement speculation, affairs, personal failures, and free agency on this blog. I realize that all of those things are a very real part of our current sports world, but I feel like they receive too much attention from the media as it is. I hope to make this a place where you can escape the everyday negativity of sports reporting and read about all the positive in the world of sports.
I thought I would start this first entry with three of my first sports memories of "the moment" happening:
Francisco Cabrera's RBI single to win the NLCS (the Sid Bream play). I was supposed to be in bed since I had school the next day, but I remember somehow making my way back into the living room for this moment. Bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, game seven; I had no clue at the time, but this was a moment that you can watch a thousand baseball games and never see. Cabrera hits a line drive to left field and the rest unfolds in slow motion. Barry Bonds charges the ball and his throw is too late to get Sid Bream who looks like a man trying to run without knees. I was also a Braves fan by this point of the season. Two reasons: 1) I was born in Sumter, South Carolina and some of my first live sports games were watching the Sumter Braves play (Ryan Klesko once hit a baseball to the moon at a Sumter Braves game in 1990). 2) We were Cubs fans. I grew up cheering for Ryne Sandberg, Mark Grace, Andre Dawson, and Greg Maddux. Anyway, since we were Cubs fans we understood that it was necessary to adopt a team each postseason to follow since our beloved Cubbies were always long gone. The Braves were a natural fit. A team in the southeast who consistently made it to the postseason. My Braves fandom made this moment extra sweet. **Free Francisco Cabrera business fact at the bottom of the page**
Derek Redmond's 400 meter race at the 1992 Olympics. Who would have thought that the slowest 400 meter finish in Olympic history would be a moment? If you watched it live or have seen one of the commercials about Derek Redmond finishing the race with the help of his father, you know it was a moment. The official records state that Derek "did not finish" the race, but that couldn't be further from the truth. This was a "Field of Dreams" moment for Track & Field on an Olympic stage.
Joe Carter's walk-off home run to win the World Series. This one has a special place in my memory. When I was in elementary school I went through a phase where I was constantly having nightmares. I would wake up crying, sweating, and terrified. I remember my dad telling me one night that I needed to think of something that made me happy as I was trying to fall asleep. My go to memory was Joe Carter's home run off Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams to win the 93' World Series. I can still close my eyes and picture Joe Carter flailing his arms as he ran down the first base line. You could see the joy on his face; what a moment.
Be looking for some entries regarding the NBA playoffs in the next few days. Thanks for stopping by!
**I've always had a passion for sports and a mind for business. Before I knew how to buy stock, I thought that baseball cards were the best investment in the world. After Cabrera's game winning hit, I decided to take his rookie card to school to see what I could get for it. I found a Braves fan caught in the moment and ended up getting a Greg Maddux and Ryne Sandberg for the Cabrera. Buy low and sell high, right?
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