So I wanted to share with you my top 5 moments of the year in sports. Afterwards we will do the top 10 in the decade. So that’s 15 points!!!! Score!!!!!
5-Everyone and their mother picked the Patriots to walk into Landshark Stadium and destroy the Dolphins. Although this game didn’t have the spark and the introduction of the “wildcat” offense, to me it was still rewarding because of how Vontae Davis picked Brady in the end zone, and how the game ended. The Dolphins were down 14-0 at the end of the half, and Larry King was in the booth. They came and won, and all I heard the second half from the Patsies side, and they were so sad. Nevertheless, it was a huge victory and it’s a shame that the Phins couldn’t ride that into the playoffs.
4-Seeing the re-emergence of the Blackhawks makes me happy, but seeing them go out and get Marian Hossa and sign him to a 12 year deal (never heard of such a thing) made me giddy. Then when he made his debut in the “Shark-tank”, scoring two goals, one shorthanded, spectacular. Absolutely spectacular.
3-When the White Sox played the Cubs at Wrigley for a makeup in September, many called it a worthless game. However, I needed to see the Sox do something fun, and they did. They beat the Cubs 5-0 winning the series for the year. However, watching Soriano drop that routine pop, I could watch that over and over.
2-Two of my favorite Sox players, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko hit back to back home runs at Comerica Park. Yet, what made this so special? The fact that both home rums marked each said player’s 300th home run. That’s cool!
1-But nothing cooler happened this year than July 24, 2009. I took Jersey to see the doctor and when we got out, I got a call from my Dad. He told me Mark Buerhle had a perfect game going. I raced to the car to hear the last inning of the game, and couldn’t believe it. I listened to it and watched it again and again. It was magical, but as the case in 2007, Marky Mark took a dive for the rest of the season, and so did the Sox. However with the signings of Jake Peavy and Alex Rios, along with a few new faces this year in Juan Pierre, Mark Teahen, Andruw Jones, JJ Putz, and Omar Vizquel, I am confident the Sox will be in the post season this year.
And now for the decade…
10-I’m not a Bears fan, but in Super Bowl 41, Devin Hester running back that first kickoff was ridiculous, as Mr. Jeff Joniak put it during the season. Sure he did it quite a few times during the season, but to kick off the Super Bowl that way kicked ass.
9-All I had to listen to in 2007 was that division rivals, the New England Patriots were going to run the table and all that nonsense. However, come Super bowl 42, the Patriots would learn that karma is a whore. After getting caught videotaping plays from the Jets earlier in the year, everyone called the Patsies cheaters. I had the utmost respect for the ability of Marsha Brady and company, but not only for the sake of my Dolphins being the only undefeated team in the history of the NFL, my dislike for New England made me cheer for the Giants, as with a miracle catch by David Tyree, the Giants handed the Patriots their first defeat of the season, on the biggest stage of them all.
8-I got into an argument with my brother about this, and may not be so significant, but when Nick Saban said over and over again how he was going to stay with the Dolphins, and then stabbed them in the back to go coach the University of Alabama. The argument was Saban did the best thing for his family, but many of us Phin fans were crushed. I thought he was going to stick around. Saban was 15-17 with the Phins before Cam Cameron took over the team and sent them south, more on that later.
7-William Wirtz died, and his son Rocky took over the Blackhawks. Many things happened. One, I started watching them again along with everyone else in Chicago. Two, all the legends of the team kept getting honored in many pre game ceremonies, and three, Pat Foley was brought back to the booth. Foley one of my favorite announcers coming back was huge. Oh did I mention home games were being broadcast again, and channel 9 was picking up games. It was amazing!!!!
6-Back to the Bears, in 2005 during week 11, they were to play the Dolphins in Chicago. Someone told me they would have gotten tickets but failed. The Bears were destined to be “undefeated” again by many Bears fans. Most of who I worked with when I wore my Zack Thomas jersey proclaiming he was the real 54 in football, not Brian Urlacher. A Jason Taylor interception would prove to be the dagger as my Phins ended the undefeated streak of the Bears, and they won 31-13 and everyone in the bar I was in wanted to fight me afterwards.
5-2003 was a memorable year for baseball for me. The White Sox Esteban Loiaza may have gone down with injuries throughout the years, but in 2003, he won 21 games and led the league with strikeouts. I really thought the Sox would catch the Twins that year, but once again, fell short. Loiaza pitched the game sick, and got rocked, as it would be the beginning of a Twins sweep at Comiskey. In the meantime, on the other side of town, the Cubs won their division and were 6 outs away from the World Series, when all of a sudden, a foul ball that was hit to left field, about to be caught by Moises Alou, but NO. Steve Bartman catches the ball. The problem, Bartman was a fan. A few more plays later, the Cubs blow it, and the fans all cried again. After listening to them talk shit about how the Sox choked, it was poetry, and beautiful.
4-The Blackhawks series against Vancouver last year was very exciting, and I thought they would have enough in the tank to beat Detroit, but they didn’t. However in game 5, Cristobal Huet’s save with his knee pad blew my mind. The Wings ended up winning, but it was quite the series.
3-Although painful as it was, the 2007 season of the Dolphins would show you how true a fan I am. Witnessing a 1-15 team is not easy. However getting to see the last few plays of the game at Dolphin Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens, and watching Chet Lemon throw that screen pass that Greg Camarillo ran for a TD in OT was a magical moment. Wayne Huzienga was crying in the press box, and it was an emotional moment. I couldn’t believe it. And then later in the week, we find out that Bill Parcels is coming to Miami to fix the team. He shaped that team into an AFC East division winning team that moved the dash over one space to 11-5, and with Coach Tony Sparano leading the way and reenergized QB Chad Pennington, made some major history in my life.
2-Remember that perfect game by that Mark Buerhle guy I talked about. Well just two years before that in Texas, he threw a no hitter. Mark Buehrle is the man! Enough said.
1-And the number one sports event of the year, well. While the Chicago Cubs were 6 outs away from the World series and blew it, the White Sox got those 6 outs, with Jose Contreras throwing a complete game, and lets not forget the three pitchers before him threw complete games in a row, and the Sox did it, and swept the Houston Astros in the juice box to end an 88 year old drought. The White Sox winning the World Series, yeah that ruled.
And that’s it. Happy New Year. I will see you on Monday, and remember, I start taping Hi I’m Michael next week.
Ciao.
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