Best games you've seen

[waltere]

Topic title is fairly self explanatory, what are the best games, in any sport, you've ever seen.

Baseball:

-2011 World Series Game 6. For the Cardinals to keep coming back in the way they did was amazing, and for the hometown hero David Freese to come through in the most clutch of situations twice in the same game was far beyond what dreams are made of.

-2001 World Series Game 7. With all the sideplots and stories involved, as well as the consistent quality, probably the best world series ever, culminating in a pitching duel of the highest order between two all time greats and then a walk off as, for seemingly the only time ever, Mariano Rivera failed in a big situation.

-1986 World Series Game 6. Obligatory pick as a Mets fan. I just wish I had been able to see it live so that I didn't know what was coming.

Football:

-Super Bowl XXXVIII. As a Panther fam, to have had that team come through a season like that, and come so close to upsetting the mighty Patriots was pretty heartbreaking. The drama of the game though was incredible, I just wish the outcome could have gone the other way.

-Super Bowl XLIII. Another game were big underdogs lost in heroic fashion, combined with one of the most dramatic last couple of minutes ever, culminating in the simply unbelievable catch from Santonio Holmes.

Soccer:

-2005 Champions League Final. As a Liverpool fan, to see them pull off a comeback like that was simply incredible. Also, having never had one of my Big 4 teams win a title this remains the 'pinnacle' of my fandom.

-2009 Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg. Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool. Liverpool may have gone out on away goals after it, but the tension, drama, quality and amount of plot twists in this game was simply amazing. I came out of watching it more tired than I have been from playing many a game.

Tennis:

-2008 Wimbledon Final. Nadal finally beat Federer on grass in five of the most epic sets ever. I remember feeling almost bittersweet at the end of it, happy to have watched it, but strangely sad knowing that the chances of ever seeing a match quite THAT good again were so low.

What about everyone else?

[Saintsfan]

Soccer

1987 FA Cup Final, no emotional connection but Coventry beat Spurs 3-2 in a thriller.

1999 Champions League Final- the last couple of minutes really but Man United score twice in injury time to steal the European Cup.

1989 League title decider, Arsenal 2 Liverpool 0. Arsenal score in the last minute of the last game of the season to snatch the title. (I am a sucker for last minute drama!!)

On a personal level virtually any Southampton vs Man United game at Southampton in the mid 90s.

American sports

The Patriots first Superbowl win. Firstly for a great gameplan from Bellichick, secondly for the Rams fighting back, thirdly for Brady's last drive to set up the final field goal.

The Red Sox run from 3-0 down in the ALCS against the Yankees. Pick a game any game.

[Magnus]

Any championship games where the team I was rooting against lost.

Superbowl 42, 45 and 46.

Game 7 of 2001 World Series.

2002 men's and women's Olympic hockey final

2010 same thing

2001 Stanley Cup Final

2008 Stanley Cup Final

2007 Grey Cup

2008 Grey Cup

2011 Grey Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup Final

2010 FIFA World Cup Semi-Final (ESP/DEU)

...I think you get the idea. The losers of those matchups, I was cheering against.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Is this games you've seen live? If not, should be. This is the first thing that came to mind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSagZu7tBOc

It was Kasey Keller's last regular season home game before retirement, and this series was amazing.

[cmm]

The best game I've seen in person was Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, the Endy Chavez catch game. Even though my team lost, it was a great game in a great atmosphere (you could literally feel Shea shaking when Endy made the catch) and the Mets had a great chance in the 9th to tie or win it. It was also the only playoff series clinching game I've ever been to in any sport.

[GO2HELL]

2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Vancouver vs Boston, Game 2

2011 Western Conference Finals Vancouver vs San Jose, Game 5

2011 Western Conference Semi Finals, San Jose vs Detroit Game 6 and 7

2011 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals, Montreal vs Boston

2011 Westen Conference Quarter Finals, Vancouver vs Chicago Game 6 and 7

2008 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals, Washington vs Philadelphia

2006 Western Conference Quarter Finals, Edmonton vs Detroit, Game 6

2004 Stanley Cup Finals, Tampa Bay vs Calgary, Game 7

[Don]

My favorite game ive ever seen in person was a Colorado Mammoth NLL game (dont remember the opponent) but we drove through a big freaking snowstorm to get to the Pepsi Center, the place had maybe 6K in there, but they came back from 6 or 7 goals down and the crowd was going absolutely wild the whole time they were coming back. Most fun ive ever had, 2nd to that, DC United season opener last year, Charlie Davies scores 2 goals in his return to pro soccer, crowd serenades him and he is in tears (as was our whole section), that was amazing.

[tBBP]

Ho' boy...this thread is going to become real homerific...real fast. (If it hasn't already.)

[Morgan33]

Canucks, Blackhawks Game 7. Still get chills watching the highlights.

[OnWis97]

In person: "Game 163" at the Metrodome. Twins vs. Tigers. Every pitch from the 7th inning on (12 in game) felt like it could decide the game. I never made a Twins World Series game...this provided what I imagine is that feel.

[infrared41]

Is this games you've seen live? If not, should be.

Agreed. Listing games we all probably watched on TV seems pretty pointless.

[FiddySicks]

Live games is what you want? I have a few.

2003 NFC Wild Card round Giants vs 49ers. Niners were down huge at the half, and proceeded to put up the second biggest comeback in NFL playoff history. The Giants botched the snap on what would've been the game winning field goal and the Niners won by one in dramatic fashion 39-38. This game taught me to NEVER leave early, which we debated two or three times before finally sticking it out. So glad we stayed.

2011 San Francisco Giants home opener vs the Cardinals. The game was rocking as the Giants raised the World Series banner with Brian Wilson literally scaling the outfield wall and pulling it up the flagpole himself. He blew the save in the 9th, but Aaron Rowand got the walkoff hit in the 12th to win it for the Giants. I bought tickets to this game the day they came out and spent way more money than I should have because I really wanted to see them get their rings. Of course, the Giants decided to do something I've never heard of and bump the ring ceremony to the next night, where they won in even more dramatic fashion but oh we'll, they won

2006 A's vs Angels. Frank Thomas hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th. Great game.

2010 Boise State vs Nevada. I never expected Nevada to even keep it close, and they were thoroughly dominated in the first half. Colin Kapernick played out of his mind in the second half and Boise State's kicker blew one of the worst gimme chip shot kicks I've ever seen. He then did it again in overtime and Nevada won on a field goal. And to think I nearly left at halftime. I learned from the exciting 49ers playoff game years earlier that you NEVER EVER EVER leave a game early, because you never know what you're gonna miss. Thank God I didn't leave.

2008 Emerald Bowl Miami vs Cal. Great atmosphere as AT&T Park was loaded with Cal fans. Jhavid Best ran all over Miami's D and Jacorey Harris had an awesome game to keep Miami in it. Cal won in the end, but Miami put up one helluva fight and it was one of the most even games I've ever seen.

Canucks Ducks 2008 Haloween night. Game went into a shoot out and it ended up as one of the longest shoot out rounds in NHL history. Both goalies stood on their heads, but Luongo got one more save in the end and the Nucks won.

Not a top level professional game, but I've seen so many exciting finishes to Rivercats games it's hard to remember them all. I went to a game in 2005 between the Cats and the Salt Lake Stingers (now the Bee's) that made game 6 of last year's World Series seem tame. Sacramento came back from down ten in the 8th, which included them scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and a three run homer to tie it, then proceeded to give up runs in the top of the next inning FOUR times only to tie it again in the bottom half on some of the craziest/most minor league plays I've ever seen and eventually won on a walk off bases loaded walk in the 16th inning, in which they scored 4 runs in that inning alone. The final score was like 19-18. At the time it was the most combined runs scored in a PCL game since the 1930's.

I also saw Lou Merloni hit a walk off homer in the first game of a doubleheader with Cujo a few seasons ago

[scooter13]

Two always stick out in my mind, though I know there are others certainly worthy that I've seen.

1989 (77th) Grey Cup - Saskatchewan 43, Hamilton 40

Just a great football game.

1998 Game 2 Stanley Cup Finals - Detroit 5, Washington 4 OT (saw in person)

Had the Caps won this game, I think the series would have gone seven games.

[Saintsfan]

Ho' boy...this thread is going to become real homerific...real fast. (If it hasn't already.)

And? Most peoples fondest sporting moments are bound to be a bit homerific!

In person most of my most exciting sporting memories would be cricket, I don't suppose there is much of a Market for cricketing stories around here.

[Luigi]

2007

-Western Force first home Win

this stands out has being the craziest moment of my life, the noise was insane, never seen 30,000 people go off like that ever.

[Morgan33]

Game 1 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final: Calgary at Tampa Bay.

Huge road win for the Flames by a fair margin. Went up 4-0 but Tampa got one at the end. You really thought the Flames were going to win the Cup that year.

[TFoA]

I won't say that they're the best...just my favorites.

MLB: Sid slid. (Braves vs. Pirates 1992 NLCS) It's the first Braves game that I actually remember, mainly due to my Granddaddy going absolutely bonkers when Sid was called safe. Went back & watched it a couple of times and it really was a thrilling game.

NBA: Also easy. Jordan Flu Game from the '97 Finals.

College football: 2000 Independence Bowl, Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State aka The Snowdependence Bowl

NFL: Well this is easy. Super Bowl XXXIV. Rams-Titans.

Soccer: Easy as pie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cro0eecu51M

NHL: As boring as I found the pre-Lockout NHL to be, it's kind of weird that I consider this to still be the most exciting game I've watched, & probably my favorite Stanley Cup Final ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbLCQnv8Rg8

[Cujo]

I also saw Lou Merloni hit a walk off homer in the first game of a doubleheader with Cujo a few seasons ago

LOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

A PCL game, no less!

[See Red]

No competition. The best game I've ever watched was game six of the 2011 World Series. For a game in which I was completely indifferent who won for a pretty large chunk of it to leave me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing like that one did was awesome.

[AndrewPF]

I went to a Red Sox game against the Yankees once that was I believe the final home game of the 2010 season. I was supposed to go the night before with my dad, but the game got rained out. The next day, he had tickets to BC-Notre Dame and had promised to take my little sister, so he gave me his ticket and told me to find a friend to go the make-up game with. As per usual, this game will be the second half of a double-header,

I called up my buddy Dan and told him I have an extra Sox-Yankees ticket and it's all his if he wants. Of course he's all over it, so we headed over to Fenway that night. We got to Lansdowne street, and the first game is still going on. It was in extra innings. After hanging out around Fenway for probably two hours, the game finally ends after several extra frames.

When we could finally go in, it was probably 10:00 or later, and by the time the game started, I want to say it was between 10:45 and 11:15. The game was a shootout, with each team scoring runs back and forth, and keeping it close. Man, it was intense. Nine innings wasn't enough to decide this one either, so this game too would end up in extra innings. This game needed more extra innings than the last, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Red Sox walked off with the win to close out Fenway Park's 98th season. By the time the game had ended, it was 3:30 in the morning or so. The subway had stopped running, and we weren't willing to pay for a cab, so we walked back downtown.

My other 2 favorites are:

- the Bruins' 8-0 humiliation of the Panthers right before this past Christmas. It was a party-like atmosphere in the Garden that night, and I won't forget it.

- When I was on exchange in Switzerland my host brother and his friend took me to see FC Basel beat Lucerne 5-0.