What's the Greatest Sporting Event You've Seen in Person?

[Donoghus]

BC vs. Florida State, 2007. This wasn't very fun, but it was important. Undefeated Boston College, led by Matt Ryan, was the heavy favorite to knock off FSU in this primetime Saturday night affair. With everyone else in Division I choking, BC looked to actually have a chance of making it to the National Championship, nevermind a BCS game. But FSU put a huge dent in BC's National Title hopes, defeating them with some help from bad interceptions by Ryan and poor place-kicking (as usual). BC went on the lose again versus Maryland, and to fall short of even playing in a BCS game when they lost to VT in the ACC Championship.

I was also at this game.

Elements-wise, this could very well be the worst weather conditions I've sat in at a sporting event. (The single digits temp and negative wind chill playoff game in Foxboro was easier to handle)  Windy and a driving rain.  It was cold and at night, also.

[Rondo_is_better]

opening night 2007-2008.

regular season game against the Spurs 2007-2008; we win it in the last minute

that game against the T-wolves where KG stripped Telfair and dove on the ball WITH his strained ab. The Garden went nuts.

game 7 against the hawks. Great intensity and just complete dominance.

game 7 against cleveland... Pierce had 41, LeBron had 45... we won because of PJ's clutch jumper, and Lebron missing that layup. Great game.

[Toine43]

BC vs. Florida State, 2007. This wasn't very fun, but it was important. Undefeated Boston College, led by Matt Ryan, was the heavy favorite to knock off FSU in this primetime Saturday night affair. With everyone else in Division I choking, BC looked to actually have a chance of making it to the National Championship, nevermind a BCS game. But FSU put a huge dent in BC's National Title hopes, defeating them with some help from bad interceptions by Ryan and poor place-kicking (as usual). BC went on the lose again versus Maryland, and to fall short of even playing in a BCS game when they lost to VT in the ACC Championship.

I was also at this game.

Elements-wise, this could very well be the worst weather conditions I've sat in at a sporting event. (The single digits temp and negative wind chill playoff game in Foxboro was easier to handle)  Windy and a driving rain.  It was cold and at night, also.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the weather. It was bad, but I believe the rain stopped in the middle of the game. I would have to say that the Pats Steelers game this year was worse in terms of the weather. It didn't stop raining throughout the game, and it was much colder than the BC FSU game was. I was soaked, and the long walk back to the car afterward was miserable. I'll take snow over freezing rain any day.

[D Dub]

Game 5 of the Finals against the Lakers last year. 

Even though we lost, it was pretty amazing to be there.  Pierce was unstoppable that night, and knowing the Larry OBrien trophy was waiting in the wings made it surreal.  Great event, despite the loss. 

[Tnerb02]

Red Sox: 2007 game against Yankees where the Red Sox hit 4 home runs in a row.

Celtics: Game 1 against Cleveland in 2008
2003 game 3 against Indiana
4/16/99 game against Heat where Antoine hit a game winning 3 at the end of regulation when we were losing the entire game up to that point.

[SShorefan 3.0]

Red Sox: 2007 game against Yankees where the Red Sox hit 4 home runs in a row.

Celtics: Game 1 against Cleveland in 2008

Was at both of them!

[footey]

1974 Class I NH State Boys Basketball Championship game between Goffstown High and Hanover High.  Saw the entire game on the court.

[Neurotic Guy]

Though I am not a baseball fan, I have to say that the greatest sporting event I have ever been to was the 6th game of the 1975 World Series.  I was 17 and had a high school friend who somehow had managed to get himself hired as an usher at Fenway for the series.  He arranged to 'sneak' me and a friend into the game somewhere around the second or third inning. We stood in 'standing room only' section, first base side.  Absolute craziness when Carbo hit his home run, and then of course the famous Fisk home run to win the game that some refer to as the greatest baseball game ever.

[Mean Gerald Green]

Clay Buchholz no hitter or Game 5 of the ALCS last year.

[Donoghus]

Though I am not a baseball fan, I have to say that the greatest sporting event I have ever been to was the 6th game of the 1975 World Series.  I was 17 and had a high school friend who somehow had managed to get himself hired as an usher at Fenway for the series.  He arranged to 'sneak' me and a friend into the game somewhere around the second or third inning. We stood in 'standing room only' section, first base side.  Absolute craziness when Carbo hit his home run, and then of course the famous Fisk home run to win the game that some refer to as the greatest baseball game ever.

Wow.  Now that is pretty awesome!

[trueceltic]

I'm 26 now and live in Texas so here are the 7 games I've ever gone to.

#1 - Game 6 Clincher...I don't think this will ever be topped. Out of my favorite teams, my brothers and I would always talk about which championship would be the best. It was always Celtics hands down. At that time though, it was a pipe dream. Anyway, we flew on a redeye from Seattle to Minneapolis and then to Boston and got there like at 11AM. We were one of the few at the bar near the Garden (name escapes me right now). Well we started walking around and decided to go "The Greatest Sports Bar". We stayed there until about 2 1/2 hours before gametime. The atmosphere in that place was ridiculous. THey had these old videos. It got us even more fired up. Everyone knows how it turned out but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and the ultimate of ultimate games. A championship this season would be awesome don't get me wrong, but the first one is always the best.

#2 Game 7 against the Cavs

This was our first time in Boston and I didn't think this one could be topped. Lebron and Pierce going back and forth was ridiculous. At that time, Ray Allen was in a major funk and PJ had not done anything for the most part. Two of the people sitting to the right of me were just killing PJ. I was more of a Ray critic but PJ had been a bust up until then and then it turned all around. PJ making that jumper and Pierce scrambling for the ball and calling timeout are the two moments I will most remember from that game.

#3 My Bears at home against the Saints NFC Championship

This was another first time visit to a city of my favorite team. Boston is a pretty nice city, but Chicago is on another level. We stayed at the Hyatt there so it was 90% Saints fans which sucked. I got so sick of that "Who Dat" chant. Anyway, it was a cold sob (living in AZ at the time) but once the game got going, I didn't even feel it. The crowd was awesome and then the snow started coming down. It felt like a dream. To be honest though, the Saints should've won that game. Sean Peyton is a big time idiot. He completely got away from the run and Deuce. Anyway, after they had won, we went down to the bars and caught the 2nd half of the Colts-Pats game. I personally was scared of the Colts but I can't stand the Pats so I pulled for Indy. It ended up being a great game but everyone was pretty much drained after that.

#4 Final Four this year in San Antonio

I'm a Tarheel fan so it was disappointing as hell. I sat by a bunch of Kansas fans (older folk who sat down all the time!) at first but decided to just go to the lower level and watch where the ushers typically are. That would've been the greatest comeback ever but Danny Green missing that in and out 3 was the back breaker. I wish Roy Williams could learn from Thibadeau on how to coach D. They p--- me off. Losing yesterday to BC was a joke. The best part about going was that I got to watch the game for $50! This wasn't a bad seat either. This was upper deck and literally center court about 5 rows up. An older lady had a ticket so I scalped it and went. After they lost, I drove right back home which is about 11 hrs away! Definitely not a fun trip back

#5 Carolina against Santa Clara at Pete Newell classic in Oakland.

This was the first Carolina game that I had gone to and they were ridiculous seats. First row behind the basket. This was the year that people including myself thought the Heels would return to champion contention (they ended up winning the whole thing). Anyway, it was a bust because they ended up losing to Santa Freakin Clara! What I'll remember most about that day was after the game was done, I started to exit the arena (didn't feel like staying for the 2nd game), I noticed a big breaking news flash on a bar tv. It was the Artest-Detroit fight. That was insane.

#6 Celtics at Dallas. I can't remember the year but this was the first Celtics game I had been to. This was back in the old arena. Anyway, Boston wasn't too good at the time but they were coming off a 4 game winning streak so there was something riding into that one. Anyway, Antoine put up one of his classic bad performances while Pierce carried them to a nailbiting victory.

#7 Bears at Seattle last year regular season. Bears sucked, game sucked and this was easily the worst game even though Seattle's crowd is the best crowd I've been to and that includes the Bears NFC championship game. The design of that stadium keeps all the noise there. It's pretty incredible.

Those are the only 7 games I've been to. The top 3 will be tough to beat but definitely 1 won't be.

[thirstyboots18]

The game MJ had 63 points (in the old Boston Garden). We were way up in the rafters even after upgrading our limited view seats LOL). The Celts won!  And the game the Minnesota Twins turned two triple plays at Fenway Park (in l991?).  The Sox won 1 - 0!  Pretty exciting.

[Big Ticket]

Game 5 of the 2002 AL Wild Card Playoffs, Twins @ A's.  AJ Pierzynski with an 8th inning 3 run HR off Billy Koch to put the Twins "comfortably" ahead... Mark Ellis ignited a 9th inning A's rally with a 2 run HR, but Twins held on.  This was the year Torii Hunter robbed Barry Bonds of the HR in the All Star game, prompting the nickname 'Spiderman'... I sat through half the game with a Spiderman mask and red Twins hat on.

A game in either 2000 or 2001.  One of Johan Santana's 1st career starts.  White Sox @ Twins.  Twins were down 3 or 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th and Denny Hocking hit a walk off triple off the baggie to win the game. 

Can't remember specifically, but I saw one of Nolan Ryan's last starts in a Texas @ Twins game.... back when Kirby Puckett, my childhood hero, was still playing.

Seeing the Twins stick it to the Red Sox in Fenway on back to back nights when I was out there a couple Septembers ago... sat through the rain to see them.   

Any of the 4 or 5 times I've seen KG play live.

[Brickowski]

Game 6 of the 1969 NBA playoffs.  Last home game for Bill Russell and Sam Jones.  Celtics won, leading up to the great victory in LA in game 7, when Jack Kent Cooke had the champagne on ice for the "inevitable" laker victory. I was in the second balcony at the old garden.

[Jaycelt]

#4 Final Four this year in San Antonio

I was there also but let's just say I enjoyed the experience much more than you did. 

That Championship game would be my #1.  What a comeback by KU.
#2 would be the 1988 NCAA Championship.
#3 would be 1974 Stanley Cup finals game 4.

Oh, and all those listing last years playoff games....I am sooooo jealous.