Jared: I can safely say that the best sports game I ever went to was a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres on April 3, 2015. My family and I traversed all the way to dreary Western New York to see our favorite NHL team from the Windy City.
The majority of the game was mostly hum-drum: the Hawks scored the game’s first two goals in the first period until the Sabres later fired back with two of their own. It was all tied up with the minutes just ticking away late in the final period. That was until the Sabres tucked one past Chicago’s Scott Darling to give the home team a one goal advantage with seven minutes left.
It’s important to know that at the time, Buffalo were the basement dwellers of the league. They were literally dead last, while Chicago had already clinched the playoffs. This should’ve been an easy win for the Hawks. Yet the Sabres tried all they could not to be Chicago’s doormat.
With less than two minutes to go, Hawks captain Jonathan Toews found the puck in a mess of players in front of Buffalo’s Linus Ullmark’s net and tipped the vulcanized rubber circle into the net. The game was tied, sending those dressed in red (including me) to their feet in jubilant celebration.
Our festivities of the tied game were barely underway when Toews scored yet another goal less than 60 seconds later. It was 4-3 Chicago. My dad and I stood up and seemingly subconsciously bear-hugged one another while jumping up and down, yelling in excitement. Chicago somehow pulled it off. They won the game.
We left the arena on a high, surrounded by disgruntled Sabres fans while my family had permanent grins plastered on our faces. I rode that high for ages afterward and to this day, it remains one of my all-time favorite moments I shared with my father.
Emily: On Oct. 4, 2019 I went to my first ever MLB postseason game.
I practically sprinted out of my last class of the day at 3:15 p.m. I had to catch a 3:45 train in Poughkeepsie or I wouldn’t make the beginning of the game in time. After a very nerve wracking Uber ride (we got caught in Main Street traffic), I followed the swarm of people wearing Yankee apparel to get on that train at 3:44 p.m. It was going to take me right into Yankee Stadium where I would be meeting my aunt and her fiancé.
It was game one of the American League Division Series. The New York Yankees vs. the Minnesota Twins. Whatever happened here would set the tone of the series.
My aunt and I had nosebleed seats, but it didn’t matter. Yankee Stadium was absolutely electric in all her glory, I had never seen anything like it. It was completely packed with adoring fans shouting all kinds of chants. I felt right at home.
The game kicked off with an early Twins lead, but it didn’t last long with the Yankees getting the lead in the third and keeping it for the rest of the game. That’s not what made this game so memorable, though.
A fan behind me had stolen a gigantic bag of popcorn from concession and was showering us with popcorn anytime the Yankees did something remotely good. I mean showering us — I had it all inside my jersey and stuck in my hair.
Wherever I was hungry, I just passed my hat up to the man and he filled it all up with popcorn.
As the Yankees clinched game one 10-4 and “New York, New York” began playing, I looked around me to see the entire rows were a complete popcorn mess. I feel bad for whoever had to clean it, but it sure made my first postseason game one for the books.
Jaime: The greatest sports gamer I ever watched in my life took place on June 19, 2016. I of course am referring to the historic 2016 NBA Finals Game Seven.
So much history was made that year, from the late Kobe Bryant wrapping up his historic 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers to the Golden State Warriors making regular season history by setting a new season record for most wins.
The Golden State Warriors were led by back to back MVP Stephen Curry with a cast of all stars like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green looking to repeat as champions, everyone had them as the clear favorites.
In the Eastern Conference Finals making their way back to the NBA finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James looked to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy for themselves.
As the series coursed its way through the first two games, the Cavs found themselves down (2-0) by Golden State. Both losses were by double digits, and the Cavs secured a crucial game three win.
Now going into the fourth game of the finals, the Warriors came out victorious, now up (3-1) in the series. Needing only one more win, the Warriors were looking to repeat as NBA champions and finish off their season in spectacular fashion.
As NBA history has shown, teams that have been up (3-1) in the finals have never lost; that is until this series. As the Cavaliers came back with extraordinary displays of offense and defense they found themselves in a game seven situation.
With all the momentum in the Cavaliers’ favor, they faced Golden State at their home court in Oakland, California. This game seven was a back and forth contest, defense was the real pinnacle for both teams in this game as neither even broke 100 points at the conclusion of the contest.
With 1:55 left in the game seven, the score was tied even at 89 a piece. Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers looked to attack the rim but fell short and missed.
As Andre Iguodala grabs the rebound he then pushes it out to half court and gives the ball back to Stephen Curry, Curry then makes a precision bounce pass between the defending player that is J.R. Smith and gives Iguodala the chance to get a go ahead basket and be up in the final minute.
Out of nowhere comes LeBron James running speeds of inhumane fashion and leaping from the free throw line to reject Iguodala’s shot attempt.
As the announcer yells “Blocked by James,” I look to my friends who were watching the game on television with me and utter, “wow.”
At 1:09 remaining still a tie game, both teams looking to capitalize as everyone watching knew it was still anyone’s game to win.
Kyrie Irving goes for an isolation move on Curry as he sidesteps on the right wing and nails a clutch 3-pointer to have the Cavaliers up with just 53 seconds remaining in the game.
With the lockdown defense from Kevin Love on Stephen Curry’s three point attempt he prevents the tie.
With 11 seconds left Kyrie finds an open LeBron James, as he passes to him for a dunk LeBron is then fouled. Missing the first attempt, LeBron lockis in to knock down the second attempt and makes the game a two possession lead.
With no shot going in, the Cavaliers win the NBA championship (93-89) coming back from a (3-1) deficit to the fan favorite and previous NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Winning the Finals MVP and leading both teams in every statistical category, yes, literally every statistical category LeBron was the dominant figure in during the series, and has done something never done before in the history of the NBA.
James overcome with emotion and excitement yells “Cleveland this is for you,” during his interview.
To me, this is the greatest NBA finals of all time; never before have we seen the most regular season dominant team with the first ever unanimous regular season MVP, who was Stephen Curry play a team up (3-1), and have arguably the greatest player of all time on the other team, LeBron James, dominate every aspect of the game to bring his team to a game seven and make history.
This game had all the right narratives behind it, the momentum slowly shifting while keeping fans on the edge of their seats, this game seven of the 2016 NBA finals was my personal favorite game to ever witness.
