That Championship Season

I've been a sports fan forever, but I've always rooted for teams that didn't win shit. However:

1994 - I'm a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, and the basketball Hogs make it to the title game against Duke. The Hogs win in dramatic fashion, 76-72, and the town goes fucking nuts. The first 'major' NCAA title for the school, and we celebrated for a week. Insanity.

2004 - Being a Red Sox fan for 20 years at this point, I have high hopes for the Sox this year after getting so close to the World Series the year before (Aaron Boone, burn in hell). I start the year off with a spring training game in Winter Haven against the Indians, and I'm with 3 other friends. Dave McCarty, a Sox utility player, hits 2 home runs, and my friends catch them BOTH. It was a sign of things to come. That year, I saw the Sox play in Tampa, Boston, New York and St. Louis. Yes, I was at Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, the game the Sox clinched.

I will never have a better sports experience than my year with the 2004 Red Sox.

As a football (screw everyone that calls it soccer) nut one particular season comes to mind:

Bayern Munich 2000/2001: As always they were deemed a sure shot for the national league title. But this year somehow Schalke 04 suddenly gave them a run for their money. The season was surprisingly close and on the last day Munich needed a draw against Hamburg to seal the deal. While Schalke won their game it all came down to the events in Hamburg. In the nintieth and final minute Hamburg suddenly scored the 1-0 and effectively rendered Schalke champion. At this time the game in Schalke was over. The news reported there that Munich lost and people thought their team was champion after 50 years. All hell broke loose.

But the game in Hamburg was still on. With literally only seconds to play the ref gave a free kick for Munich in the penalty area for a forbidden back pass, the first time in history of the league. And this was shown live on the screen in Schalke as well. Only the celebrating people didn´t realize at first.

And what was bound to happen happened. Anderson scored with one of the most unlikely goals in history and Munich clawed away the believed secured title from Schalke. And tore out their hearts at the same time.

Words can not describe this though. It has to be seen to be believed. Hence Youtube for the interested. It can´t possibly ever happen a closer finishing with so many emotions like this one.

And as an icing on the cake Munich one the Champions League a week later against Valencia after 30 years. Kahns finest hour. It can´t possibly get any better than this. Especially after the traumatic loss against ManU 99 in the final seconds. Fuck Skolskjaer...

Sorry for the rant.

I was on the receiving end of that one y'know?

2005-06 Steelers. Really, just watching them capture the Super Bowl was unbelievable. I remember shouting "THIS IS BETTER THAN SEX!"

Didn't hurt the Cards won the World Series that year either.

I've been a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan since 1978. A year later they were one game away from the Super Bowl, and they made the playoffs two out of the three years after that. Things were looking good.

Then the castle burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp.

I suffered through Leeman Bennett and Jack Thompson and Ray Perkins. I watched Steve DeBerg and James Wilder struggle mightily for really bad teams. I remember hoping not that this year would be the year we made the playoffs, but that it would be the year we didn't lose double digit games. I had an emotional fling with Dan Marino's Miami Dolphins, and even that was unsatisfying. My team just sucked.

Then Sam Wyche came and things started looking hopeful. Dungy came, and the new uniforms and logo, and the new stadium, and then there was that glorious day when we stomped all over the 49ers, knocking Steve Young and Jerry Rice out of commission, and announcing to the league that the Bucs were for real.

That only added to the anguish, because now we had hope added to frustration. Dungy kept getting us so tantalizingly close. I remember being on the verge of tears when the officials ruled Bert Emmanuel didn't catch that ball against the Rams in the '99 NFC Championship Game. We hold the Greatest Show on Turf to 11 points (six of them scored on a miracle lob to Ricky Proehl), and one call kills our possible game-winning drive. Then came the double season-ending playoff lashings by the Eagles, and there went Dungy, and in came Gruden.

I remember seeing the Bucs lose to the Saints the first game of the 2002 season and thinking, "Here we go again." I remember the Eagles beating us again and thinking, "Hope we don't see them in the playoffs." I remember the Steelers beating us and thinking, "We're total frauds."

And then we finally won a cold-weather game in Chicago, and murdered the 49ers at home in the opening round of the playoffs, and I was praying we drew anybody but the Eagles for the Championship Game.

And then there were the Eagles scoring on two plays to start the game, and that was it, we were done.

I never saw the end of Ronde Barber's interception return that sealed our trip to the Super Bowl. As soon as he stepped in front of McNabb's pass and started running, us seven or eight other lonely Bucs fans in a sports bar full of Eagles fans started jumping, screaming, hugging, laughing, crying, and generally carrying on. We didn't need to see Ronder cross the goal line, we knew. We'd finally beaten the Eagles. We'd shut down the Vet. We were going to the Super Bowl.

I honestly had no doubt we'd beat the Raiders. Even when Oakland threatened to make it a close game, I knew the defense would pull through. I was in Tampa for the Super Bowl at a friend's house, and in the waning minutes of the game, you could hear fireworks and cheers in the distance, as the perennial joke was on the verge of being world champions.

It was one hell of a ride, and nothing has matched it yet.

I believe that's what they call being a Washington National.

2001 The Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson's spectacular year. He really put the entire team on his tiny shoulders and took them as far as he could. From the 10-0 start to winning game one in LA before falling to the unstoppable Lakers. I'll never forget game 1 of the finals that year and when Iverson dropped that three stepping over Tyron Lue.

2004 The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Terrell Owens in the off season and the fun began. We finally got to see what the Reid offense could do with an elite receiver going all the way to the Super Bowl. For me the personal highlight was being at the NFC title game beating the Atlanta Falcons in Philly. Of course it ended horribly with McNabb puking on the field in the Super Bowl but up until then it was just a great year.

2008 The most obvious answer for anyone in my generation from Philly. The Phillies winning the World Series was pretty much the greatest week of my life. For once a Philly team won the big one. Brad Lidge once famous for giving up a moon shot to Pujols had his redemption. The three day game five was a rough time but it turned out for the best in the end. And I got to drive home and go to an epic parade with 2 million of my closest friends. I've never seen the city I love that beautiful and happy. Ending with Chase Utley's proclamation World Fucking Champions.

1984 Cubs. Ended in a heart-breaking fashion (big surprise, I know) but at least we have the memory of the Sandberg game.

1992 Toronto Blue Jays. Ed Sprague's pinch-hit home run. Devon White's "triple play." Jimmy Key's huge game four win. Candy Maldonado. Joe Carter. Kelly Gruber. Jack Morris being absolutely worthless. Dave Winfield's clutch hit in game six. And Otis Nixon bunting for the final out. Priceless.

Even though I don't like Tim Tebow, after getting 2 degrees from UF, I'm very happy right now.

Seeing as how I’ve rooted for the Jets, Knicks and Mets for twenty-one years now, I still know not what you speak of.

How about the best seasons I can remember for each, I think I can pull that off:

The Jets
- The 1998 Jets season ended with Curtis “I never fumble” Martin and the supposedly sure-handed Keith Byers fumbling away the AFC Championship in the second half. Followed up by a year they were the clear favorites out of the AFC, for a good five minutes, as that was all it took for Vinny Testaverde to turn back into a pumpkin.

The Knicks
- Got good right about when that Jordan fellah hit his prime.

The Mets
- The 1988 Mets, who, after destroying the Dodgers all season, got to face a superhuman Orel Hershiser in the NLCS.
- The 1999 season ending with Kenny fucking Rogers walking in the winning run, in extra innings, against those godforsaken Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.
- The 2000 Mets, who, magically avoided a Braves team that would’ve cleaned their clocks had they gotten passed the Cardinals, watched their World Series hopes die the instant everyone realized Armando Benitez was their closer.
- The 2006 Mets, with a trip to the World Series on the line, after the greatest catch I have ever seen live, decided that Guillermo Mota was their go-to guy out of the pen.
...
- 2007-2008 simply never happened.

1988 Los Angeles Dodgers. I was 12, my parents went to Game 1, leaving me to run screaming in circles around the living room when Gibson changed everything. That entire season was magic, with the way Hershiser pitched, to the previous series against the Mets. Just an amazing, wonderful sports memory.

The first year I really started to follow the Giants, I mean like listening to all the games and knowing all the players, was 1987. That was an awesome year to keep tabs on from game to game. Will Clark came into his own, the big 4th of July trade that brought over Dave Dravecky and Kevin Mitchell, then another trade that brought Rick "Big Daddy" Reushel over. Fantastic to watch until they headed back to St. Louis for games 6 and 7 of the NLCS. That's when I learned the harsh reality of your beloved team taking a dump in your mouth.

But it was great to see them finally get over the hump in 2002 and deliver their first World Series win since moving from NY to SF.

Penn State Nittany Lions. 1986. The undefeated Nits arrive in Arizona to face the U, coached by hair helmet maven, Jimmy Johnson, for a national championship in the Fiesta Bowl. The consensus undergods, Penn State's players arrived for the game dressed in business suits. Miami's thugs, led by Jerome Brown and Michael Irvin, arrived in army fatigues because this was war. When it was all over and the dust had cleared, Penn State's undefeated season was complete with a 14-10 victory, a national championship and Coach of the Year and SI's Sportsman of the Year for JoePa. Here's an amazing article about it: "The Night College Football Went to Hell".

I was only a little kid and already loved Penn State because my entire family essentially bleeds blue and white, but that game--that season--was electrifying. And that's why I'll always remember it as THAT season, more so, even, than the '95 Rose Bowl (which I was fortunate enough to attend).

So, where do you think they’re sending Chipper to in July? The Dodgers?

Back to back Rocket Championships. Both runs were really amazing, and there are still some records/milestones that they hold, and probably will for a very long time. I think if Jordan had stayed in the league the Rockets still would have won both trophies against the Bulls. Sorry, but give me Hakeem over Jordan any day of the week.

I remember OJ's fucking police chase interrupting one of the conference finals games. The city was so pissed about that. It was the Heidi moment for Rockets fans.

I have a few, but my favorites were the Hurricanes winning the National Championship in '01 and watching the Miami Wades in the 2006 NBA Finals. Also the 2003 World Series. The stadium was so loud my ears hurt when Alex Gonzalez hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning against the Yanks. I didn't get home until 4 in the morning and I had SATs at 7.

1996 Kentucky Wildcats. I was 16 and played basketball 4-5 hours a day on dirt courts. I ate, slept, and breathed hoops. This was the season Pitino finally lived up to his potential, with a roster ridiculously loaded with talent. I still say this was one of the 2-3 best college basketball teams ever.

2008 Boston Celtics.

Nobody cares but...

The 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

Coming off an already stellar 1997 season where Jeff Gordon had won the championship and 10 races (including the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600), Gordon won the 1998 championship, his third in six years. He did so by winning 13 races that year (tied the modern era record) including four in a row during the summer and winning his third Coca-Cola 600, second Brickyard 400 and his fourth (and four in a row) Southern 500 (all three races are considered 'crown jewel' races).

He only fell below seventh in the point standings once and that was when he finished 16th in the opening race. He led the point standings for 20 of the 33 races. In total he finished the 33 race season with 13 wins, 26 top 5 finishes, 28 top ten finishes and 7 pole positions (starting first in a race) including a 20 race consecutive streak where he finished no lower then 7th.

He wrapped up the championship hunt several races before the season ended.

This kind of dominance wasn't seen again until the 2006 - 2008 seasons when Jeff Gordon's protege and teammate, Jimmie Johnson, completely destroyed the competition.

In 2006, Johnson won the Cup Championship as well as 5 races including the opening Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. He finished the final 10 races of the season with: 5 top 5 finishes and 6 top 10 finishes including one win and 4 second place finishes (three of which were consecutively). He finished the 36 race season with: 5 wins, 13 top 5's, 24 top 10's. He never fell out of the top 9 all season long and he lead the point standings for 25 of the 36 races.

In 2007, Johnson won the Cup Championship again as well as 10 races (including four in a row in the final five races of the season). He finished the 36 race season with: 10 wins, 20 top 5's and 24 top 10's. He never fell out of the top 9 in the point standings for 34 of the 36 races. He was only out of the top 9 for the first two races of the season.

In 2008, Johnson made history by tieing the modern era record of consecutive championships. The last time a driver won three Cup Series championships in a row was Cale Yarborough from 1976-1978. While starting the season slow, Johnson came on strong in the summer and never let up. He won 7 races including his second Brickyard 400. In total he finished the 36 race season with: 7 wins, 15 top 5's and 22 top 10's. He never fell out of the top 10 in the standings for 32 of the 36 race season and he lead the standings for the final eight races.

Good to see more Jeff Gordon love around here. Guy is the shit.