THE QUESTIONS
1-If I saw it on ESPN Classic, would I automatically put everything to the side and watch?
2-How does it separate itself from other classic games?
3-What did the game mean, both for the team and for me personally?
4-How much would I pay to go back and be at the game live in the worst possible seat?
THE LIST
10---Bears 27 Cleveland Browns 21, Overtime
November 4, 2001
1-I wouldn’t drop everything to watch, but if I saw it on Classic, it would certainly have my attention. The ending of regulation, with the two Bears touchdown passes in the final 28 seconds sandwiched around an onside kick, was incredible. Then in overtime safety Mike Brown picks off a pass and takes it back for a score, a great walk off to put the Bears at 6-1.
2-The ending, which was one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen. I certainly didn’t expect the Bears to recover an onside kick and then complete a Hail Mary tip pass to James Allen as the clock ran out.
3-For me, this game meant a lot, because it showed me that the 2001 Bears were for real. For the squad, it meant something, but it definitely wasn’t the biggest game of the season.
4-I’d say maybe $160, because of that spectacular ending. But this game was on the same day as game seven of the 2001 World Series (Diamondbacks over Yankees), so I would have to be home in time to see that.
9---Cubs 2 Houston Astros 0
May 6, 1998
1-This game is on so often that I wouldn’t necessarily cancel all other plans to watch it. But if I were flipping channels and I saw it was on this is a game I would keep on the screen. 2-Kerry Wood and his twenty strikeouts is the reason why this game is on the list. Watching K-Wood masterfully mix in his fastball with his killer breaking ball was one of the most spectacular sporting performances I’ve ever seen.
3-It meant a lot to the North Siders because they ended up winning the Wild Card in a one game playoff, so every win during the season was key. It also impacted Wood a bunch, because it gave him a bunch of confidence for the rest of ’98.
4-My max would be $185, because it was a record setting game. But the game was played in May on a cold, wet day at Wrigley Field, which isn’t the greatest of big game atmospheres.
8---Fighting Illini 91 Wake Forest 73
December 1, 2004
1-The first half of this game would definitely be a must-see, because the Illini played so beautifully in the first twenty minutes. The second half I wouldn’t pay great attention to.
2-This game is different from many other Illinois games because first of all, they were playing the nations top ranked teams at Assembly Hall. Second is because this was the first time in the ’04-05 season that Bruce Webber’s squad showed that they were legitimate national title contenders.
3-I’m sure this game meant a bunch to the team, because it proved that the I-Double-L not only had the nations best backcourt, but also the best team in the country. For me, it was a very satisfying game because it showed they could beat top-of-the-line teams, especially from the ACC.
4-My maximum price for this one would be $220. I’m sure the atmosphere was absolutely crazy in Assembly Hall that night, and I would have loved to be a part of that.
7---Bears 24 Arizona Cardinals 23
October 16,2006
1-The first half of this game was ugly, horrible, and any other adjective along those lines. And so was the first 14 minutes and 45 seconds of the third quarter. But if I flipped on Classic and I saw the end of the third or the fourth quarter, I would have to watch.
2-This game was unique compared to other games for many reasons. The obvious was that the Bears made up a 23-3 deficit without using any offense. Two defensive scores and a punt return TD by Devin ‘The Windy City Flyer’ Hester gave the Bears the victory. And plus it was on a Monday night, an unusual occurrence in both the Bears and Cardinals world.
3-This was a special game for me, because it was amazing to see a comeback like that happen so quickly. They were behind all game long, survived through six Rex Grossman turnovers and then they even had to dodge a potential game winning field goal after the Cardinals drove down the field with less then a minute left. For the Bears, the game improved them to 6-0 and was one of the only real dogfights they were in all regular season.
4-I actually think more so then any game on this list, this would have been the best to watch on TV. But since I have to put a price, I’m going to go with about $300.
6---Bulls 99 Phoenix Suns 98
June 20, 1993
1-No doubt I would watch every second of this game on Classic. I mean you had Jordan, Chuck Barkley, and Scottie Pippen, which are three of the 15 greatest players in NBA history. And don’t forget about John Paxson.
2-Let’s see, how is this different from the normal Bulls game? Well it is the clinching game in the NBA Finals that was ended with a go-ahead thee pointer and a clutch block. It featured three future Hall of Fame players and one coach. And it was the last game that Michael Jordan’s father ever got to see him play.
3-This is a very special moment for me, because it is the first athletic event that I clearly remember. I was less then one month away from turning six and I can still see my brother, my dad and I watching TV and seeing Paxson drain his three pointer to give the Bulls the lead while we all went crazy. The game was obviously also very big for the team, because it gave them their third straight NBA title.
4-Wow, to be at a Bulls title live. Little did we know that his was the end of MJ’s first run as a Bull. $330 seems like a good price for this game
5---Cubs 3 Atlanta Braves 1
October 3, 2003
1-Considering I never got to watch it while it was actually on (More on that later), there is no doubt that if this game showed up on classic, I would be glued to the tube for all nine innings.
2-The normal Cubs game is played in the sun during the summer with the other team winning. This game featured none of that. It was held in a heavenly rainfall in the playoffs, and featured an amazing pitchers duel between the teacher (Greg Maddux) and the student (Mark Prior).
3-This was huge for the Cubs, considering it was a playoff game being played at Wrigley Field. For me it was also special, because it was the first playoff game I had ever been to live. Seeing the all the Cubs fans taunt the Braves by doing the tomahawk chop in the rain was an amazing sight.
4-I’d say my price for this would be a solid $410, because it’s a playoff game at Wrigley Field, and you never know when that will happen again. Or I can just sell Pepsi again and get into the Friendly Confines for free.
4---Bulls 90 Utah Jazz 88
June 11, 1997
1-Considering I own this game on DVD, I probably wouldn’t watch every second of this if it came on TV (FYI: If you consider yourself a Bulls fan and you don’t have the Ultimate Jordan collection, you should get your stuff together.) But if Classic decided to either show game’s one or six of this series, which aren’t on the DVD, I would certainly pay attention. 2-In most games, the healthy players play and the injured players sit. But in this game, Michael Jordan was as sick as an ER patient. Taken over by the stomach flu, MJ didn’t even get out of bed until two hours before the game. But he still was the game’s hero, draining a go-ahead three pointer with only 20 seconds left and finishing the contest with 37 points.
3-This game was huge for me, because it showed me that my hero’s could be mortal and real. Michael Jordan was like a God for me, and seeing him perform in this game with the stomach flu was truly something special. I will never forget what happened when he made that three and then fell into Scottie Pippen’s arms, looking so tired and exhausted.
4-This game is the first on the list that will go above the $200 mark, because it was more then just a basketball game. It showed that every contest is a beautiful struggle, and Jordan proved how hard it is to be great. So my price is $500.
3---Gators 41 Ohio State Buckeyes 14
See blog post below for why that game would have been amazing to been at. And my price would have been about $675.
2---Bulls 87 Utah Jazz 86
June 14, 1998
1-Like the other Bulls-Jazz game on this list, this game is on the Ultimate Jordan DVD package (I’m going to say it one more time, go get this collection). So if it were on Classic, I would probably pass…Oh who the hell am I kidding? Of course I would watch this one.
2-This game separates itself from almost every other one in the history of sports because in my eyes this was the final game of Michael Jordan’s career. And that enough is special enough to be on this list. But then you have to add in the fact that the Bulls won their sixth and final title of the Jordan/Pippen/Jackson era on a perfect steal and jumper from the Greatest.
3-For me, it was the most spectacular ending to a career that I had ever seen (Or have seen since). For the Bulls, it was the end of an amazing eight-year run that saw six titles come to the Windy City.
4-I got to see MJ live three times. First in a regular season game in 1995 when the Bulls stomped the then Vancouver Grizzlies. Then in an exhibition game in 1997 where he only played like 20 minutes. And then I was at the UC when he came in as a coughWashington Wizzardcough. But the chance to see him play in his final game in the black and red, especially in the NBA Finals where he hits the game winner would have been incredible. I would say my price would be a good $850.
1---Fighting Illini 90 Arizona Wildcats 89, Overtime
March 26, 2005
1-This game actually was on Classic about a week after it was played, and I taped it, because I knew how legendary it was. And I’ve watched that tape from start to finish about six times since then. And if the game were on Classic again, I would most certainly cancel all my other plans and watch it one more time. 2-Six words explain why this game is different from any other I have ever seen: Fifteen point comeback in four minutes.
3-Well it put the Fighting Illini in the Final Four for the first time since 1989, so I guess that was a big deal for both the team and I. It also was the greatest comeback I have ever seen, a perfect combination of great teamwork and spectacular individual play. Watching clips of the game on YouTube still give me the chills, especially the game tying Deron Williams three-pointer with 40 tics left.
4-I would seriously have given every penny in my savings account (I won’t revel how much that is, but it’s four digits before the first decimal point) to have been at the Allstate Arena for that game. The fact that the Orange Krush came back from a 75-60 deficit with under four minutes left still has my face looking like Dusty Baker when his pitcher is getting rocked.
So where would have Sunday’s Bears game have been placed on this list? I would say at spot number five, pushing everything else back and Bears/Browns into the ‘Honorable Mention’ list along with a bunch of other Michael Jordan games. Some reasons for this placement: 1) It was a playoff game, and anybody who knows the history of the Bears knows that these are few and far between. 2) They actually won the game, which is even rarer. 3)
The dramatic ending to the game, which included an amazing defensive play by a guy who was in jail a few weeks ago (Tank Johnson), an amazing defensive play by the teams starting running back (Thomas Jones), a huge pass completion to a player who was in the Arena League a year and a half ago (Rashid Davis) and a game winning field goal by a man whose job before becoming a Chicago Bear was beating down nails as a Pittsburgh area construction worker (Robbie Gould). Add in Rex Grossman playing a pretty much mistake free football game and some clutch tackles by linebacker Lance Briggs, and the Bears are playing in their first NFC Title game since 1988. Now the Bears have to face the feel good story of the year also known as the New Orleans Saints. This will be a tough game, even tougher then Seattle was, but I think the Bears are going to play better then they have since the week eight pounding of the San Francisco 49ers. They will have motivation, since they are playing for a Super Bowl berth. They will be mentally prepared, because Lovie Smith wouldn’t let them get distracted by all of the media and buzz surrounding a game of this magnitude. They will be physically prepared, since most of the starters rested part of the week 16 Detroit game, half of the Green Bay finale and then had a bye week. The home crowd at Soldier Field will be going crazy starting two hours before the game. It looks like Mother Nature will provide the warm weathered, dome protected Saints with a game played at 23 degrees with a 35 percent chance of snow. It should be a great game. But will it be great enough to crack my list? We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find that out.
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