Favorite Sports Memories

Child gave me an idea...

Two of mine (just off the top of my head):

1997 Super Bowl, Packers win the coin toss, opt to receive, loooong kickoff, Desmond Howard catches it on the one yard line, does his fancy Hesiman Trophy legwork, gets further, gets further, everyone's standing and screaming, he breaks out of the clump, and he is zooming straight for the end zone!!! TD, right off the bat. (I watched that game in an old house in Madison with three apartments, three Super Bowl parties, and the house was literally rocking.)

2000, early November, me hugely pregnant, E.G. telling me not to watch the game 'cause I'll get too hyper and start contractions early (), Packers vs. Vikings (grrrrrrrrrrrrrowl). Close close close game, score 20-20 in the 4th quarter.

Vikings get the ball to the Packers' 15 yard line with 8 seconds left in regulation, try for a game-winning field goal. (At the 15 yard line -- total gimme.) I'm pacing, nibbling fingernails, sending voodoo. The snap is muffed! Confusion! A pass! Intercepted... we're goin' to overtime.

I'm, like, doing my breathing, really trying to keep calm.

Packers win the toss, elect to receive. (Sudden-death.) Brett is ON, great passes, marching 'em down. Then on third down (3rd and 4) (yes, I finally looked it up for details, but I remembered most of 'em! Enough to find it!) on the 43 yard line, Brett heaves a pass to Free, my main man (after Brett of course) at the time. It's a decent but not great pass, the Vikes defender gets a piece of it, people are on the ground, the defender is celebrating, damn. 4th and 4.

But wait!!!

Freeman was on the ground when the Vikes defender tried to get the ball and missed. The ball bounced off of Freeman's back, he wheeled around, he caught it, (barely getting his hands under), everyone thinks the play is dead, nobody's touching him, he gets up and scoots into the end zone!!!!!

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm leaping around like a pregnant maniac at this point, but still need to find out what the instant replay says. Yup, it's a TD! The Packers win!!!!!!!

Then some Lambeau Leaping (there, not here), and some hyperventilating (here, not there -- though actually probably there too), and some more Lamaze (here), and sozlet held on a few more weeks.

What's yours?