Friday, January 2, 2004
E.K. Nation's Games of the Year
But here are the top five sporting events of 2003 that had the most impact on me as a sports fan:
5. The Steve Bartman Game (Chicago, Illinois, October 14):It was one of those rare games that had me feeling really sorry for a franchise. It's not like the Yankees or the Dodgers can lose a game like this and get sympathy from me. But for the Cubs, of all teams, to lose a game in this manner, well, that's just a big order of pathos supreme at the sports world drive-thru.
4. Niners Defeat Giants In Controversial Playoff (San Francisco, California, January 5):
Honestly, this one had me thinking, at least for a moment, that any Super Bowl win garnered by the 49ers this year would be a bit tainted because of how this one ended, an interesting no-call on what looked like a pass interference play. After all, that's how I felt about the Patriots' Super Bowl win after their benefitting from a horrible call against Oakland in the snow. But then I thought, screw that. Take it when you can get it. We all get burned.3. Avalanche Loses Twice In OT to Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 21 and Denver, Colorado, April 22):
The first loss wasn't so bad, a 3-2 overtime loss on a Richard Park goal that was necessary only because Colorado scored twice in the final few minutes to tie it at 2. Plus, there was the cushion of one game left: But in that Game 7, Andrew Brunette stunned me and all the other Avs fans with an overtime goal to end the series.
2. Giants Lose First-Round Series To Marlins (Miami, Florida, October 4, 2003):
The Giants fell behind early 5-1 and all seemed lost, but they managed to rally and tie it at 5-5. Even so, I knew they were going to lose the game, and they did, when Florida got a run-scoring single which wound up scoring a second run when the ball got away from catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and then finally when Ivan Rodriguez held onto the ball while tagging a barreling-home J.T. Snow. It was the first time ever in MLB history that a team lost a series when its potential tying run was thrown out at the plate. Even so, I felt okay about it, because they went down fighting and scrapping, and I had already suffered my worst loss ever as a sports fan the day before. I also managed to keep from throwing stuff when the last out was made. It was an exercise in self-restraint.
1. Giants Lose Heartbreaker To Marlins (Miami, Florida, October 3, 2003):
My worst loss ever as a sports fan. But it still is, by far, the Game of 2003. At one point I actually abandoned the game for a time to take a shower, while the Marlins were batting in extra innings. But I came back to watch the go-ahead run scoring in the 11th, and then suffered through Jose Cruz Jr.'s horrible misplay of a Jeff Conine fly ball in right. I still remember distinctly clapping my hands and shouting, "Yes!" when that fly ball was in flight, and then staring in wide-mouthed disbelief at the screen for a good two minutes. Then, we saw Tim Worrell make that amazing bare-handed grab of the screwball grounder to save the run and, for the moment, the game. Then we saw Worrell get two strikes on Ivan Rodriguez--"one strike away" is the dreaded phrase--and then, finally, the play that effectively ended the Giants' season, Rodriguez's line-drive single which scored two runs and a Game 3 victory for Florida. There has never been a game that riled me up, made me happy and angry and relieved and stunned all over a short span. It still hurts, but what can you do?
