Unknowingly Meeting Jessie Armstead
Any true sports fan has a defining moment that made their passion concrete. For me, it was my first ever time at Giants Stadium. I had just signed up for the Long Island Sound Sharks pee-wee football league at around seven or eight years old. Practices were a state of disarray and confusion. The coaches were explaining the game to me, but I couldn't quite grasp the concept. Hearing about the fact that I had signed up for football, my grandfather, a true-blue Giants fan, told my Dad it was time for me to attend a Giants game. Naturally, he took care of everything; The tickets, the food, and all the surprises. Prior to the game, I remember him asking me to tell him my favorite Giant. As a clueless newbie of a fan, I asked my grandpa who the Giants middle linebacker was, on account of I remembered that was my position for the Sharks. He told me it was Jessie Armstead, so naturally I told him he was my favorite. Little did I know that the man was a pro-bowler tackling stud that had overcome serious adversity after being drafted in the 8th round of the 1993 NFL draft. Armstead was an underdog that earned his starting role and never looked back. A beloved Giant that I coincidentally grew a liking for. I remember enjoying the game, but I cannot tell you the major details of it. It was a controlling victory against the New Orleans Saints on a fairly warm day, and if I had to guess this would be the game. The real pivotal moment however, came after the game when my grandpa took me and my dad to "the bubble." The bubble was domed facility where the Giants practiced, this was long before the "Timex Performance Center." But after games, it was a place where fans could eat dinner with players and get autographs. With the yearbook my grandpa got me, I walked around getting autographs that my Dad gestured too. I met Luke Pettigout, Tiki Barber, and Cary Blanchard. A few others, but I would have to look through my old stuff to reassure. But as I was frantically running around getting autographs, I bumped into a tall, strong, dark skinned man. I distinctively remember looking straight up to try and see him. With a pen and yearbook in my hand he looked down and smiled. Not a word was said. He signed the cover in cursive that was illegible for a young kid. I walked over to my father and grandfather. They read the name to me. It was Jessie Armstead. My fan identity was clear: The New York Football Giants...and I owe it all to family.
Winning for Wellington
In sports, there are often owners that look as a sports franchise as an investment. People that happen to have a lot of money, often inherited not earned, buy controlling interests in teams that may or may not doom the franchise. But when it comes to the Giants, Tim Mara purchased the New York Football Giants for $500 in 1925. Within a season the Giants had won the championship, and along the way Tim's son Wellington was the ball boy for the team. Many years later, Wellington Mara took over rights to the team and no one could question his professionalism, class, and loyalty to anything and everything Giants football. Wellington has promoted ideas such as revenue sharing, where the NFL's financial benefits are shared among all franchises so that the league can grow instead of be controlled by select franchises. The Mara's, are fans first, owners second. Which is very uncharacteristic of owners in general. Fans hung on Wellington's every word, so his death in 2005 naturally effected any true Giants fan. Prior to a divisional game against the Washington Redskins soon after Wellington's death, his granddaughter Kate Mara sang the National Anthem in front of a very emotional crowd. At the conclusion of the song, Jeremy Shockey went on to the field and gave Kate a hug and a kiss. The game was already over. The Giants were going to play their hearts out for the legacy of this great man. The Giants controlled all aspects of the game, winning a dominant 36-0. Tiki Barber rushed for over 200 yards, and the defense held the Redskins to just 125 yards of offense and had four takeaways. You could feel the presence of Wellington in this controlling win. Sports have a remarkable way of bringing people together.
The Emotional Roller Coaster of the 2006 NLCS and Endy Chavez
As a kid, I established myself as a Mets fan due to my father's loyalty. My mothers side of the family is full of Yankee fans with high expectations every season, so as a young Mets fan, I definitively decided to separate myself from that. I was a huge Mike Piazza fan, but the 2000 World Series against the New York Yankees truly broke my heart. It wasn't until 2006 that I absolutely fell in love with the Mets. In a season where the Mets led the MLB in walk off victories, the speed of Reyes, the clutch play of Delgado and the classiness of Wright made the Mets a lovable team from top to bottom. Following my JV football practices I would watch the Mets before bed on a regular basis. After a 97-65 regular season the Mets swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divisional Series and had home field advantage against the St. Louis Cardinals in a series that would determine the National League Champion. The series went to seven games, and the anticipated starter Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez had a sudden hamstring injury and the Mets were desperate for a starter. The inexperienced Oliver Perez got the call, and ironically so did I. My dad had scored tickets to game seven from a friend of his, and we were actually going to Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. This was the one time in my life I deliberately missed football practice, and due to the severity of the game, my coach simply told me to "have fun," when I told him I would not be at practice. The game was a roller coaster, it was a stalemate of a 1-1 tie early on. Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan was playing great, but somehow Ollie Perez was matching him pitch for pitch. Ollie's time was dwindling though, and it was evident in a jam in the top of the sixth inning. With two men on base and one out, Scott Rolen cracked what was seemingly sure to be a 3 run home run over the left field wall. But with the deep fences of Shea Stadium, and the unbelievable athleticism of Endy Chavez, somehow someway the ball ended up in Endy's glove. After just arriving to the fence and leaping three feet over the fence in hope of catching the ball, Endy snow coned the ball in his glove and shocked all of Shea Stadium. That included Jim Edmonds too, who got thrown out at first, making Endy's heroics a then game saving double play. I had never heard a stadium louder, and I had never been more excited to be rooting for the orange and blue. We were sitting in the Mezzanine section, and the Upper Deck above us actually moved up and down. Dust fell down from the ceiling. Shea Stadium was filled with life. This game however, ended devastatingly for Mets fans. Fans remember the bottom of the ninth when Beltran struck out with runners in scoring position, but Cliff Floyd and Jose Valentin had strike outs with just as much significance. A bitter loss for Mets fans. Endy will live forever in heroics, but Aaron Heilman's two run home run to Yadier Molina proved to be the deciding factor in that October classic. Adam Wainwright's ninth inning shut down of the Mets set him up to become one of the MLB's finest pitchers in the game. That 0-2 pitch to Carlos Beltran remains the best pitch I have ever seen.
The 2007-08 Super Bowl Season
The New York Giants Super Bowl XLII victory is really tough to beat. And what may make it even more special for me is the path that occurred before it. In the final week of the regular season, the undefeated New England Patriots were coming to Giants Stadium to play for a 16-0 record. Tom Brady was a few touchdowns away from clinching the NFL single season passing touchdown record (it was broken by Peyton last week), and Moss was close to his 23rd receiving touchdown that would surpass Jerry Rice. The Patriots had a lot to play for, but for the Giants, it was a meaningless game as far as their playoff standings. The Giants were locked in at the five seed. Nonetheless, Coach Coughlin announced that the Giants would not rest their starters. The Giants shocked the Patriots early on and went into halftime with a 28-16 lead. Roars of the crowd echoed throughout the stadium as the Giants went into the locker room. The second half however, was a different story. The Patriots held the Giants to just one touchdown in the second half, and on offense, Brady and Moss both got their records on the same play. The Giants were disappointed in the loss, but their playoff run was sparked after competing with the best of the best. Following the loss, my dad, uncles and I were on the shuttle bus to get back to our car and it was filled with disappointed fans. Suddenly, a fan of an older generation who may have been in his sixties or seventies, hopped onto the bus. With a sincere regional New York accent, he said "Don't look so glum Giants fans. We're going to see them in the Super Bowl." As a five seed with inconsistencies, this was quite the claim. But he brought up the spirits of the shuttle bus, and I can still picture his face as clear as day. And as he predicted, the Giants came together and played their best football of the entire season. As a wildcard team gelling at the perfect time, they beat the Bucs, Cowboys, and Packers all on the road for a trip to Glendale Arizona where the Giants defense held the mighty Patriots to fourteen points, and with 2:35 remaining Eli Manning put together an 83 yard drive that showed the purest heroics any quarterback can provide for a football team. The David Tyree helmet catch will live in Giants folklore forever, and I could not have been happier watching it surrounded by family. When Plaxico Burress stood in the corner of the end zone as open as ever, I could feel the anticipation of celebration by my entire family in my Uncle's living room. Following that score by Burress and that win, I thought of the old man I saw on the shuttle bus. There is no question that he endured the Giants 18-year playoff drought from 1963 to 1981 and despite those horrors, he still believed. That's the type of attitude you need to have in sports. The best way to show loyalty as a fan is to believe that anything can happen. That positivism reminded me of my grandfather and my first ever Giants game. Fast forward a few days following the victory, I skipped school to watch the ticker tape parade in the canyon of heroes. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Justin Tuck and other members of the defensive line jumped off their floats and high-fived as many fans as they could. Michael Strahan, Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin stood on the same float hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air for all to gaze upon it's glory. At this point in my life, the 2007 Giants are the most memorable team I have ever witnessed play a sport.
USA Algeria Goal
In 2010 the USA Men's World Cup Soccer team had a chance to advance out of their group. To do so, they had to defeat Algeria. Watching the game with some of the biggest soccer fans I know, my dad and my uncle, I sensed the passion and importance before it. In fact, for a majority of my Dad's life, the USA soccer team wasn't even in the FIFA World Cup. From 1950-1990, the USA did not qualify for a single World Cup. More than anything, USA soccer fans crave the dream of going the distance for worldwide fame and glory. The mens national team has really improved over recent years, and in 2010 the team had a real chance to advance and go far. Beating Algeria in South Africa and advancing out of the group would be somewhat of a validation of those hopes. I watched a majority of the game with my Dad and Uncle, but I unfortunately had to go to a graduation rehearsal at my high school as I was going to graduate in a couple days. This rehearsal naturally turned out to be a completely pointless exercise, but there was one point when me and my classmates were all sitting in the auditorium watching what was supposed to be a slideshow of all our high school memories, but was in actuality a slideshow of the same five people over and over to Greenday's, Time of Your Life. But suddenly, cries of USA began to out match Greenday. I frantically checked my phone and had a text from my father that capture pure delirium: "gooooallllll Donovan USAAA." I do regret not being able to see it live, but seeing my classmates take the initiative to prioritize Donovan's goal over that slideshow made me proud to be from Miller Place. I came home to the excitement where my dad reenacted the drama. I watched the highlight immediately. With four minutes left, just as hope was beginning to fade, Landon Donovan punched in a loose rebound to give the USA a crucial 1-0 victory. With the African vuvuzelas echoing and a pile of rejuvenated USA team members celebrating, I got chills just watching the highlight on my laptop. In a post game interview, Donovan was moved to tears. A truly humbling moment in professional sports, and a reminder of the excitement that's coming in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In 2010 the Giants had a real shot to win the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles came to the Meadowlands in a divisional showdown that was sure to tell fans who's division it was really going to be. The Giants, who had been very good but struggled with turnovers all season, were being very disciplined with the ball and playing quite well. And with just over ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Eli Manning found tight end Kevin Boss in the end zone to give the Giants a comfortable 31-10 lead. Hope for Eagles fans had diminished. The miracle comeback season Mike Vick was providing was soon to be doomed. Giants fans started chanting "Eagles suck," more clearly than I had ever heard. My dad, my uncles, and myself sat beaming with pride, as it seemed the Gmen would get away with a controlling victory. With time on their side the Giants dropped into a deep zone coverage. After a big play form Jason Avant the Eagles went down the field and scored quickly making it 31-17. Then seemingly in the blink of an eye, the Eagles got the ball back after an onside kick and that's when Vick began to scramble. 31-24. Plenty of time left. Fear entered the hearts of every Giants fans. Even more so after Vick completed a touchdown to Jeremy Maclin tying the game at 31-31. After a horrid 3 and out that ended in a Manning sack, the Giants had fourteen seconds on the clock and had to send out what may have been the worst punter in the National Football League. Instead of listening to Tom Coughlin, Punter Matt Dodge punted a line drive directly at the dangerous Desean Jackson. Jackson muffed the punt, but the punt was so awful he was able to gather himself, pick up the loose ball and take it all the way to the house. Jackson danced on the goal line and sucked all the air out of the Meadowlands. Beer bottles flew, f-bombs flew even more, and Giants fans left the stadium with an enormous sense of disappointment and anger. A horrid but memorable game for sure.
The Rise of Jeremy Lin
Every now and then, there is an individual sports story that raises the attention of an entire nation. With the play of point guard Jeremy Lin at Madison Square Garden, this was no exception. Early on in the 2011 Knicks season, the team was decimated and suffering some painful losses. The Knicks had many injuries including leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, and power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. In a desperate attempt to bring the Knicks back into a game against the New Jersey Nets, Lin was put in by Head Coach Mike D'Antoni to see what he could do. The boos of the Garden faithful turned to cheers, and Jeremy Lin left it all on the court in a hard-nosed victory. This victory sparked a fire rooted deeply in Jeremy Lin, a player that he was now waiting for his chance. A chance he feared would never come. In one month, Jeremy Lin had been on three different teams and throughout his tenure had been sent up and down from the D-League. This was his chance, and he was not going to look back. In front of New York City, in the worlds most famous arena, fans witnessed a kid live his dream and revive the Knicks season. Constantly being limited by expectations and stereotypes, Lin finally seized his chance that he had been craving. Lin's start to his NBA career was and remains the best start to a career of all time. He put up terrific scoring and passing numbers with players like Jared Jeffries, Landry Fields, and Steve Novak surrounding him. He outplayed Kobe Bryant in Madison Square Garden and scored 38 points on path to a Knicks victory. Lin became Linsanity. He was only 24. The New York crowd ate it up. His jersey sales were through the roof. All from a kid that just wanted to live his dream. The Knicks season was brought back into relevance, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Just as the excitement was slowing down, Jeremy Lin suffered from a torn MCL and was out for the remainder of the 2011-12 season. The Knicks fired D'Antoni and had to scrap there way into the playoffs. And after an embarrassing playoff series defeat against the Miami Heat, the questions surrounding Lin began to swarm. Would the Knicks resign Lin? He had some magical games but what is his true value as a player? Due to NBA free agent rules, Lin was allowed to determine his highest worth by seeing what other teams would offer him. The Houston Rockets, a team that had cut Lin many moons ago, provided Lin with the best price. After Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson said that they would match any offer Lin could get, the Knicks elected to let Lin go. Carmelo Anthony called Lin's contract of five million dollars a year "ridiculous." Anthony comes from a franchise where a decrepit Amar'e Stoudemire has his minutes limited whilst making 20 million dollars a year. The Knicks are in fact, the kings of overpaying players. But they elected to let Lin walk. Ironically, the Knicks currently struggle with point guard issues and are in the exact situation they were in before they put in Lin in February 2012. As a true fan of Lin's I was absolutely heartbroken, but my disappointment turned to shock when I learned that the rationale among Knicks fans was that Lin was over hyped and letting him walk was the right decision. This man remains the reason for the best Knicks basketball I have ever witnessed. Driving to the lane, ball continuity, gutsy defense, the Garden came to life and the excitement Lin provided for the city truly exemplified the purpose of the worlds most famous arena. And Knicks fans were actually ok with that going away? The rise of Linsanity was an inspiring basketball story that capture my heart and my love for players that overcome adversity. But the bitterness of the idiotic Knicks politics that followed made me realize that Lin's stint with the Knicks was brilliant but brief. Today I still wear my "Linsanity" t-shirts to remind fans that Jeremy Lin's rise to fame is in fact exactly why people idolize sports athletes: the ability to live out their childhood dreams. Jeremy Lin is a hero of mine and I will never forget the excitement surrounding him and the classiness he had the entire way.
Those are some distinct sports memories that standout to me in a whole plethora of games, players, and moments that made me stand on my feet. Watching sports has become a definitive characteristic of who I am, and I owe it all to the atmosphere people around me provided. My family and friends are the motivation behind my passion for sports, and they always will be.
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