While watching Michigan State dispatch Georgia last weekend in the “second round” of the NCAA Tournament, I thought back to a few years ago when I went to the Round of 32 on a whim with my roommate. It was held at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, a 45-minute drive from where we lived in San Marcos.
We tried to go the previous year when Austin’s Frank Erwin Center played host, but tickets were hard to come by. My roommate was (and probably still is) a huge Florida fan and the Gators ended winning two games in Texas (beating Northwestern State and Minnesota) en route to the Elite Eight.
Fast forward a bit. My favorite college team (North Carolina) squeaked by Providence in the “second round” and were playing on Sunday, which just so happened to be my day off. We woke up that morning, said “Why not go,” and made the short drive. While the result of the game wasn’t exactly what the Tar Heels wanted, we saw an amazing game and then watched Baylor drill Creighton.
When you’re a beat writer for a while, sometimes you forget how to be a fan. I guess that’s a good thing, since you’re supposed to be impartial on a beat (for good reason) — but when you pull yourself out of that realm, it’s fun to let loose and enjoy a game just like all of the other people in the arena.
Here’s a look at some of the best events I’ve seen as a fan, in no particular order.
The aforementioned NCAA Tournament game.
Look up for the story on that if you forgot it already.
A postseason bowl game
I went to the 2014 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between TCU and Ole Miss with my girlfriend. Had a great time tailgating with college football fans before the game and while the game was a wash (TCU rolled 42-3), it provided great entertainment value on a day off.
Two no-hitters
Yes, I’ve seen two. The first was in 2003 when my buddy Nick and I went to Veterans Stadium on a whim to see the Phillies play the Giants. We sat in the 700 level and watched Kevin Millwood handcuff Barry Bonds and the rest of a potent San Francisco lineup. Ricky Ledee provided all the offense with a solo home run in the first inning. I framed the box score and ticket. The second happened last year at Turner Field when a bunch of misfits known as the Phillies made quick work of the Braves. Four pitchers combined on the feat.
An NFC Championship Game win for the Philadelphia Eagles
This is a rare one. From 2001 until 2004, the Eagles reached that game each year and the first three years ended in heartbreak. Then Philadelphia welcomed Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons to Lincoln Financial Field on a bitterly cold day and my cousin and I were in attendance, but not without much ado. We went on a whim (notice a trend here), bought tickets from a guy on Craigslist and saw a car do a 720 in the only clear lane of I-95 on our way up from Newark, Delaware. As far as the game was concerned, the Eagles jumped ahead early and won comfortably.
A World Series win for the Philadelphia Phillies
This happened back in 2008 when the Phillies were good. During the National League Championship Series I called my cousin and told him if the Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, I’d fly up from Texas if he got tickets. As fate would have it, Philadelphia won the series 4-1 and a few weeks later we battled a monsoon at Game 3 of the World Series. Rain flew at us sideways during the tailgate and first pitch was delayed three hours. Once we got in Citizens Bank Park, the whole thing was a blur and a crazy day ended in euphoria once Carlos Ruiz drove in the winning run.
A historic loss for the Philadelphia Phillies
Back in 2007, I had partial season tickets to the Phillies. It was the year before their back-to-back run to the World Series and they were closing in on a dubious milestone. They could become the first professional sports franchise to lose 10,000 games. I really wanted to see history made, so I went to a pair of games over the weekend when the Phillies were teetering on the mark. The Phillies staved off history the first time, but weren’t as lucky the next. Albert Pujols and the Cardinals belted six home runs in a 10-2 rout. Near the end of the game, my dad and I unfurled a sheet I spray painted in anticipation of the loss and it made it on ESPN’s broadcast in the last inning.
“The Showcase of the Immortals”
Ah, yes. Wrestlemania. Like many of those other excursions, I went on a whim. Read my post about it for a closer look at the trip, but seeing that picture brings back great memories. It’s hard to believe that WrestleMania 31 is just six days away. While the card isn’t as promising as it was last year, I’m sure anybody who goes will have a blast even though it’s not in a great city like New Orleans.
I’m probably forgetting a bunch more and I’ll update as I remember.
Stay tuned next time as I rank these from 1-10 or however I see fit.
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