Cool Sporting Events I've Attended

(so I feel like a somewhat brainless post...that I've been working on for a couple weeks...)

I love sports, and over the years, I've been blessed to be able to attend some cool events. So, just because, I feel like listing (by sport) as may of them as I can remember...here goes...

PRO FOOTBALL
NFL
Dallas Cowboys: I've been to (I believe) two regular season games and one preseason one. The most memorable game was in Dec. 2000 when they played the Giants on a FRIGID night. Why so memorable? a) It was Missy and my second date, and Granny got to go...and she was the first one to tell me, "She's a keeper!" about Missy... :-)
Houston Texans: I have been to two Texans games, both in 2003. One was with Missy (a birthday present from my folks) and another was with my dad. Both wins, I think.
Houston Oilers: I went to two or three Oilers games. One memorable one was when I got to see Joe Montana...nice...

USFL (yes, that's right...)
Houston Gamblers: I did get to see Jim Kelly and the Gamblers take on Steve Young and the LA Express...was my first pro football game in...1984? 1985?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TCU:
I went to TCU, so I obviously saw a ton of games. But, here are some highlights:
1994 Independence Bowl vs. Virginia. Yes, we lost, but not badly (20-10) against a ranked Virginia with Tiki Barber. It was my freshman year, and TCU had not been to a bowl in some time...so it was fun. Too bad it was cold, wet, and muddy...I think I was sick for a week after.
TCU at A&M, 1995. My only Aggie game...I am by no means an Aggie (and yes, they get obnoxious) but you can't deny the spirit...we hung with them for most of the game before losing.
1998 Sun bowl vs. USC. We were the biggest underdogs of the bowl season that year, playing a top 20 USC team featuring a little QB named Carson Palmer. Tons of fired up TCU fans (like, 20,000? In El Paso!) and we dominated.
2001(?) Galleryfurniture.com Bowl vs. A&M. We lost (28-9), but it is always fun to play an old SWC foe. And (as often is the case with travelling TCU fans...now, if we could only "ramp it up" at home better...), the TCU fan was in full voice. I feel we held our own with the Aggie fan...
TCU vs. Texas Tech, 2006. Tech was top-15, it was a rare sellout at Amon Carter Stadium (even if it was like 1/3 Tech fans...), but we allowed ZERO TD's (a big deal against Tech) and won! Crowd was awesome...I may never have been rowdier (I tend to just watch the game...)

TEXAS: I've been to a couple UT games, but I remember a fun one in the late-90s against Texas Tech where my best childhood bud Aaron called the day before, "Wanna come to Austin for a game". Heck yeah! I learned some nice "unofficial" words to some "official" cheers I'll leave to your imagination...
1984 Bluebonnet Bowl against Air Force. That's not a typo...I was 10. My first bowl game. Air Force won...but it was fun in that I was deemed "old enough" to ride the bus to downtown Houston to meet dad for the game...

RICE: Rice, you say? Well, nothing to report much (they tend to be awful), but as a young teen, my family had season tickets and it was fun seeing lots of SWC foes, and of course, one of my favorite bands, The MOB.

BASEBALL:
HOUSTON ASTROS: Too many games to count...but a couple highlights...
1986 NLCS Game vs. the Mets: I can't remember if we won...but I was in the Astrodome for at least one game (my mom saw the famous 16 inning affair where the Mets clinched...)
2005 World Series vs. Chicago White Sox, Game 3: Wow, the pageantry...media everywhere, Baseball tonight setup in the outfield, you name it. We lost (well, we were swept...but it was the closest sweep ever...all games either extra innings or 1-run decisions...), but it was just so cool to say I was at the World Series...

TEXAS RANGERS: Several games, none too memorable, except two at old Arlington Stadium. One, in the late 70s/early 80s, my Granny had a heart attack in the bathroom and the team doctor had to treat her...stinks she had it, but she lived another 25+ years and I got a ball signed by the whole team!. And in 1985(?), my dad caught an Oddibe McDowell fly ball (his first game, actually) and I got it signed by him.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES: Not sure, I just know I went to at least one game at old Three Rivers Stadium in the late 70s...when the Pirates were actually winning World Series'....

COLLEGE: TCU:
2008 vs. Cal. State-Fullerton: My first official trip to TCU's fairly new stadium. Nice college park...and it was fun to go to Jax's first "I can comprehend what is going on" baseball game (technically he's been to a couple Ft. Worth Cats games...but he was a baby). The Titans are a perennial power, so it made for a festive crowd.

Mid-90s, various games. I only used a ticket once...I usually just sat on a blanket on the right field hill at the old (CRUDDY) stadium.

RICE: I saw the 2004(?) game at Reckling Park where Rice clinched a spot in the College World Series. VERY fun...great place to watch a game.

BASKETBALL:
NBA:
Houston Rockets:I went to a handful of games in the 80s and 90s, often sitting courtside due to Enron having tickets there. I do remember going to the deciding game of a playoff series vs. the Lakers...we lost, and I had to hold dad back from giving the refs a piece of his mind as they exited the tunnel...haha.

NBA All-Star Game, 1989: It was at the Astrodome, and oh, the star power...Kareem. Jordan. Bird. Magic. Hakeem. Barkley. Malone. Stockton. Worthy. Dominique. Dang.

COLLEGE:
1995 (?) NCAA Tourney Sweet Sixteen. It was in Reunion Arena, and it featured Arkansas, Michigan, Tulsa...and some team I cannot recall. But the Clinton's came...and they were BOOED, even with 10,000+ Razorback fans in attendance...wow.

Late-80s NCAA First Round. At the Erwin Center in Austin...with dad. Very fun all-day affair, and I remember at least one HUGE upset we saw...involving Princeton, maybe?

TCU: Mostly unmemorable games (for obvious reasons), but one time in 1997 I was invited on the court for a halftime shooting contest. I could choose among spots on the floor for things like books, gift certificates...or the 2 round-trip tickets anywhere in the USA from half court. I had one shot...and it clanked off the rim, off the backboard, and off the rim...the crowd got excited, crescendoed, then "AW!". Applause. from 5,000ish. Nice :-)

I also saw Utah come to TCU in 97, the year they made it to the final. We barely lost, and Coach Majerus proclaimed, "This was the hardest place we've played in all year." Way to go, TCU fan...even if only for one game...

HOCKEY:

I don't remember the year exactly (early 90s?), but my first ever game was an exhibition between Team USA and the "CIS" (aka, Russians) at The Summit in Houston with my dad.

In addition to many minor league games, usually either the Ft. Worth Fire or Brahmas, but one fun game with Andy Payne to see the Houston Aeros (sitting on the glass, that was cool), I have been to two Dallas Stars games, both while I was in college.

SOCCER: Yes, I am a weird American that LOVES soccer...even just watching it.

MLS:
FC Dallas/Dallas Burn: MANY games...here are a few highlights...
1996 Franchise Opener vs. San Jose Clash: A bunch of BUX guys and I (BUX= "Brothers Under Christ", the fraternity I was in during my TCU days) wore red and sat in the corner of the Cotton Bowl where the "crazies" sat, and it was awesome! I specifically remember US National teamer Eric Wynalda flipping us off as we all chanted "WAL-DO...WAL-DO!" (his nickname) as he prepped to take a corner kick. We all booed loudly...
1996 Cinco de Mayo vs. Columbus Crew: This game (to this day) stands as the franchise record for the largest crowd: 35,000+. Festive atmosphere...too bad the game was a clunker (0-0).

I attended over half of the home games the first year, including one with my cousin Derek (another futbol fan), as well as many more in the first few years of their existence. I should've had season tickets!

After the Burn "re-branded" as FC Dallas and moved to Pizza Hut Park, I attended 4 or 5 more games...I love the new stadium, but dang it, it is OUT THERE!

In 1998 (I think? maybe 99?), I went to Kansas City over the summer to visit the girl I was dating, and we went to Arrowhead stadium to watch the Kansas City Wizards vs. San Jose with about 8,000 others in an 80,000 seat stadium...felt like we were bb's in a barrel haha.

English Premier League:
Ok, one of my all-time highlights in life: While on vacation to England with my family in 1999, my dad and I somehow got tickets to the season opener for Chelsea FC, hosting Sunderland (Chelsea won 4-0...INCREDIBLE game). WOW. I had my Gianfranco Zola jersey on (that I bought the day before) and we sat in the Shed End, upper level. The passion and noise in that ground was unbelievable...we Americans have NOTHING on those fans over there (and I include college football crazies as well...). On the way to the stadium ("Stanford Bridge"), walking in a mass of fans from both sides from the Tube station, a few Sunderland fans (in their signature red/white striped shirts) start ripping on Chelsea and their team of "stupid foreigners", speaking louder as they passed me in my Zola shirt (he's Italian), looking down at me and smirking (the lead "talker" was about my age, but a foot taller). In my best American accent, I say back, "That's ok, I'm a stupid foreigner, too!" He smiled, went "blech", and moved on. My dad thought we were about to be victims of hooligan violence haha...

NATIONAL TEAMS:
1994 World Cup: Spain vs. South Korea, Cotton Bowl: This was the game that got my true "soccer fandom" started. The World Cup was an event I didn't want to miss, so I got two tickets and drove from Houston to Dallas to meet my aunt, "Aufu". We sat among a bunch of South Korean fans... The game ended 2-2 after a S. Korean rally (they were supposed to lose) and the place erupted. I especially liked the Spanish brass band that sat midfield opposite us and would start playing songs that the thousands of Spaniards would gleefully sing to. Awesome!

1996 Olympics:
Men's Semifinal, Brazil vs. Nigeria: My family (mom, dad, me, and Jill) and my "Georgia family" (Uncle Don, Derek, Doug, Leslie, and her husband Jud) all sat in Athens, GA's Samford Stadium among a ton of crazy (but fun) Brazilians. The game featured many future stars (Ronaldo, Kanu, etc.) and at first looked to be a Brazilian rout. But the Nigerians fought on...tied it and sent it to extra time, and I got to witness the first ever "Golden Goal" game (aka sudden death...first to score wins...world soccer has since gone back to playing full extra times regardless of who scores first), as Nigeria won! The small group of Nigerians across the stadium from us went BONKERS. I was so happy for them!

Women's Bronze and Gold Medal Games: The Bronze game I don't remember as much (except Norway won), but the highlight was the Gold Medal Game of USA vs. China. USA won, and it was so great to see them get their medals!

Well, that's all I can think of for now...but they are all such fun memories!