What is the best individual sports performance you have witnessed in person?
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
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I don’t know the year but Mark Prior was coming up through the minors and was being compared to Nolan Ryan. A friend and I went to watch his Iowa Cubs debut in Des Moines. The stadium sold out and they even sold standing room only tickets. Mark struck out 10 over 5 innings and he hit a grand slam on top of it. The place was absolutely electric.
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Recency bias but probably the Timbers goal at the death to send the 2021 MLS Cup Final to extra time (they'd go on to lose pretty badly on penalties). Honestly don't remember who scored it since I was there at the time and it was on the other side of the pitch and frankly I stopped really watching the Timbers pretty much after that match.
Maybe the "double post" shootout against SKC that sent Timbers to the 2015 Cup Final, or some of the goals that built up in that run, including a fantastic goal by Dairon Asprilla who seems to make that a regular occurence. But again not really an individual thing I guess.
The year I went to high school in New Hampshire, the day before going to school I was in Boston and got tickets to the Sox game. Roger Clemens was pitching and took a no-hitter into the 8th. He was my favorite player at that moment in time and that was pretty special. I don't like Roger much anymore.
It's one of those. On an individual level probably Clemens. He was coming off a 5 game losing streak and this was the first one-hitter of his career. Plus it was my first game at Fenway. Pretty special all around.
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/...s-fires-1-hitter-as-red-sox-beat-indians.html
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198809100.shtml
Maybe the "double post" shootout against SKC that sent Timbers to the 2015 Cup Final, or some of the goals that built up in that run, including a fantastic goal by Dairon Asprilla who seems to make that a regular occurence. But again not really an individual thing I guess.
The year I went to high school in New Hampshire, the day before going to school I was in Boston and got tickets to the Sox game. Roger Clemens was pitching and took a no-hitter into the 8th. He was my favorite player at that moment in time and that was pretty special. I don't like Roger much anymore.
It's one of those. On an individual level probably Clemens. He was coming off a 5 game losing streak and this was the first one-hitter of his career. Plus it was my first game at Fenway. Pretty special all around.
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/...s-fires-1-hitter-as-red-sox-beat-indians.html
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198809100.shtml
Right off the top of my head, two come to mind:
1. Tony Delk scoring 53 against the Kings (very shortly after his stint with the Kings - I think it was the very next season)
2. Panda going deep three times in game 1 of the 2012 World Series (and almost doing it a 4th - he was probably about 1/10 of an inch off - it was that close) against the Tigers.
1. Tony Delk scoring 53 against the Kings (very shortly after his stint with the Kings - I think it was the very next season)
2. Panda going deep three times in game 1 of the 2012 World Series (and almost doing it a 4th - he was probably about 1/10 of an inch off - it was that close) against the Tigers.
I would say the most impressive individual sports performance that I've witnessed in real-time was Dallas Braden pitching a perfect game for the A's on Mother's Day in 2010 with a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon pinned to his jersey and his grandmother in the stands (who helped raise him after his mom died of cancer while he was still in high school). The circumstances were so unique with the significance of the day and Dallas being the last guy you would expect to throw a perfect game. He was a soft-tossing lefty who only ever had one full season in the majors. Now he's the A's full-time color commentator.
I wasn't at that game though, I just watched it live on MLB.TV. It sortof counts for me anyway because getting to watch a perfect game from the first pitch to the last is pretty rare. But in the spirit of the thread, the best performance I witnessed in-person from the stands was Demarcus' Cousins 55 point game in a win against Portland at G1C in December 2016. He was just unstoppable from anywhere on the court and the score was close right up until the last minute when Cousins was ejected for spitting his mouthpiece at the Portland bench and then miraculously summoned from the locker room and un-ejected so he could finish the job.
I wasn't at that game though, I just watched it live on MLB.TV. It sortof counts for me anyway because getting to watch a perfect game from the first pitch to the last is pretty rare. But in the spirit of the thread, the best performance I witnessed in-person from the stands was Demarcus' Cousins 55 point game in a win against Portland at G1C in December 2016. He was just unstoppable from anywhere on the court and the score was close right up until the last minute when Cousins was ejected for spitting his mouthpiece at the Portland bench and then miraculously summoned from the locker room and un-ejected so he could finish the job.
The most memorable events that I saw in person are:
1) Tyreke Evans' 3/4 court game winner (the Donté Greene shot)
and
2) Jeremy Giambi Didn't Slide (honestly, I was out in the box seats below Mount Davis and I thought he scored...I was very confused about the whole thing)
But probably the most *impressive* event I saw in person was Carl Lewis winning gold in the long jump AND easily winning a qualifying heat and a quarterfinal heat in the 200m on his way to a total of 4 golds in Los Angeles. I was also in the L.A. Coliseum a few days later for gold #4 in the 4x100m relay. I mean, in retrospect...I was in the house for a decent part of Carl Lewis' 4 golds in 1984. Then we headed out and drove cross-country to see Washington D.C., Williamsburg VA, the Liberty Bell, and Yellowstone among other sights (saw Iowa from I-80 as well but don't remember anything but corn and red-winged blackbirds). Damn. Best summer of my life. Damn shame to waste it on a 10-year old.
1) Tyreke Evans' 3/4 court game winner (the Donté Greene shot)
and
2) Jeremy Giambi Didn't Slide (honestly, I was out in the box seats below Mount Davis and I thought he scored...I was very confused about the whole thing)
But probably the most *impressive* event I saw in person was Carl Lewis winning gold in the long jump AND easily winning a qualifying heat and a quarterfinal heat in the 200m on his way to a total of 4 golds in Los Angeles. I was also in the L.A. Coliseum a few days later for gold #4 in the 4x100m relay. I mean, in retrospect...I was in the house for a decent part of Carl Lewis' 4 golds in 1984. Then we headed out and drove cross-country to see Washington D.C., Williamsburg VA, the Liberty Bell, and Yellowstone among other sights (saw Iowa from I-80 as well but don't remember anything but corn and red-winged blackbirds). Damn. Best summer of my life. Damn shame to waste it on a 10-year old.
Hmm did you know Klay Thomas once scored 37 points in a quarter?
I think it was packers, or against the packers, but pretty sure it was Favre to ...Green(?) I forget his reicevers names. But it was a bumbled pass that bounced of the DB and WR a couple times, never hit the ground, the receiver grabbed while his back was on the ground.
In high school basketball three of our starters played every minute of a triple overtime game. It was also the 3 game of the day. I got 0 minutes that game, I was that good. Couldn't unleash me. I think our PF grabbed 27 rebounds that game.
I think it was packers, or against the packers, but pretty sure it was Favre to ...Green(?) I forget his reicevers names. But it was a bumbled pass that bounced of the DB and WR a couple times, never hit the ground, the receiver grabbed while his back was on the ground.
In high school basketball three of our starters played every minute of a triple overtime game. It was also the 3 game of the day. I got 0 minutes that game, I was that good. Couldn't unleash me. I think our PF grabbed 27 rebounds that game.
I don't really like being around people, so I don't actually go to a lot of live sporting events. The best individual sports performance that I witnessed in person was probably Angel McCoughtry going for 42 in a playoff game to win a series and lead the Atlanta Dream to its first WNBA Finals. Made more impressive by the fact that Cappie Pondexter of the Liberty went for 36 in the same game.
My top 10 I’ve had the good fortune of seeing in person:
#10: Rockets 133, Kings 93 - Dec 12th, 1995
Hakeem Olajuwon dominated with 31 points and 15 rebounds as Houston curb-stomped the Kings by 40. But Olajuwon was joined by pretty standout performances from Drexler, Horry, and Cassell in the onslaught, so it’s hard to spotlight just one guy from that miserable night at Arco.
#9: A’s 7, Blue Jays 3 - May 8th, 2012
Brandon Inge gave me an early birthday present with a walk-off grand slam over the Jays. Prior to this though he was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and hit into a double play, so really just the best single at-bat I’ve ever seen.
#8: Steelers 27, 49ers 6 - Nov 7th, 1999
Not one that shows up on the stat sheet, as Levon Kirkland finished this forgettable, mid-season mud bowl with a seemingly pedestrian 11 tackles and a pass deflection. But Kirkland flat-out punished the Niners’ offense, squashing any hope of a running game with extreme prejudice. Every one of his 11 vicious cracks audibly sliced through the silent and stunned crowd of 3Com.
#7: Kings 108, Heat 103 (OT) - Dec 27th, 2013
The Boogie Monster was at his peak this game as Demarcus Cousins posted 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists to take down Lebron James and the Heat in OT. Also the last Kings game I’ve gotten to see in person.
#6: Cardinals 4, Padres 0 - Sept 3rd, 2001
Due to how long I lived in San Diego, I’ve been to far more Padres games than A’s games, even if just as a casual observer. Wasn’t even paying attention to this one until about the eighth inning when whispers started building in the crowd that rookie Bud Smith was pitching a no hitter. Weirdly, Smith would never again pitch a complete game in his short 2 season career.
#5: 49ers 35, Buccaneers 7 - Dec 11th, 2022
I bought these tickets thinking only that it would be the last time I could ever catch Tom Brady in person. I was not ready for first time starter Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy to dominate from the onset. 16 for 21, 185 yards passing, 2 TDs, 0 ints, and a rushing TD seems decent, but not otherworldly. But this game was over by halftime, and Purdy absolutely rocked it for the first half turning the rest of the game into a sleepwalk.
#4: Kings 123, Mavericks 94 - Jan 15th, 2003
Mavs came into town with a 31-5 record and a lot of chatter about being the best in the NBA, only to have their clocks cleaned by a complete team effort on the Kings’ part with Chris Webber’s triple double of 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists as the fulcrum. Only time I’ve ever heard the rumblings of the college chant “Oh-Ver-Ra-Ted” reverberating through a pro arena.
#3: Bulls 111, Kings 93 - Jan 30th, 1997
Something of a double entry. Kings were clearly overmatched from the onset, even though they scrapped and clawed their way to a slim lead at the half. Became pretty clear by the start of the 4th the Bulls as a team were merely toying with the ragtag Sacramento squad as Chicago sleepwalked their way to an easy road win and eventually another 3-peat that year. But the microcosm game-within-a-game was fiercely competitive and entertaining from tip-off to final buzzer as our own Mitch “The Rock” Richmond squared up against Michael Jordan in a one-on-one duel that transcended an otherwise meaningless regular season game in late January. Richmond ended with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block while hounding the GOAT all night, who responded with a game high 32 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Jordan is on record citing Richmond as one of his toughest opponents, and it was clear the Rock brought his A game for this one. Truly a thrill to watch in person Sacramento’s “Welcome to Hell” era unsung Hall of Famer match stride with arguebaly the greatest to have played the game.
#2: Lakers 116, Kings 108 (OT) - Apr 14th, 2011
This was supposed to have been the final game of the Sacramento Kings franchise, and it had the feel of a game the Kings were destined to win in triumphant fashion as a heroic swan song. Of course, Kobe Bryant was a cold-hearted psychopath who cared nothing for sentimentality and thrived off the lamentations of opposing home crowds. In addition to posting 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, he also drilled the game tying 3 with 4 seconds left, and blocked Thornton’s game-winner attempt to force overtime.
#1: UNR 55, Weber St. 49 - Nov 2nd, 1991
The oldest game on the list and not likely to ever be supplanted from the number one spot. I was just a 9-year-old kid dragged to a D-II College football game because what else is there to do for a kid in Reno on a Saturday? UNR ranked #1 was down against Weber St. 49-14 into the 3rd quarter when backup QB Chris Vargas came in. Now the Wolfpack D deserves a ton of credit for shutting down the Wildcats the rest of the way, but Vargas became the super star. In less than one half, Vargas threw for 346 yards and 2 tds, ran for a third TD, and orchestrated the offense to set-up 3 more goal line plunges, leading what remains the largest comeback in college football history (Michigan State tied this record in 2006 with a comeback against Northwestern)
#10: Rockets 133, Kings 93 - Dec 12th, 1995
Hakeem Olajuwon dominated with 31 points and 15 rebounds as Houston curb-stomped the Kings by 40. But Olajuwon was joined by pretty standout performances from Drexler, Horry, and Cassell in the onslaught, so it’s hard to spotlight just one guy from that miserable night at Arco.
#9: A’s 7, Blue Jays 3 - May 8th, 2012
Brandon Inge gave me an early birthday present with a walk-off grand slam over the Jays. Prior to this though he was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and hit into a double play, so really just the best single at-bat I’ve ever seen.
#8: Steelers 27, 49ers 6 - Nov 7th, 1999
Not one that shows up on the stat sheet, as Levon Kirkland finished this forgettable, mid-season mud bowl with a seemingly pedestrian 11 tackles and a pass deflection. But Kirkland flat-out punished the Niners’ offense, squashing any hope of a running game with extreme prejudice. Every one of his 11 vicious cracks audibly sliced through the silent and stunned crowd of 3Com.
#7: Kings 108, Heat 103 (OT) - Dec 27th, 2013
The Boogie Monster was at his peak this game as Demarcus Cousins posted 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists to take down Lebron James and the Heat in OT. Also the last Kings game I’ve gotten to see in person.
#6: Cardinals 4, Padres 0 - Sept 3rd, 2001
Due to how long I lived in San Diego, I’ve been to far more Padres games than A’s games, even if just as a casual observer. Wasn’t even paying attention to this one until about the eighth inning when whispers started building in the crowd that rookie Bud Smith was pitching a no hitter. Weirdly, Smith would never again pitch a complete game in his short 2 season career.
#5: 49ers 35, Buccaneers 7 - Dec 11th, 2022
I bought these tickets thinking only that it would be the last time I could ever catch Tom Brady in person. I was not ready for first time starter Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy to dominate from the onset. 16 for 21, 185 yards passing, 2 TDs, 0 ints, and a rushing TD seems decent, but not otherworldly. But this game was over by halftime, and Purdy absolutely rocked it for the first half turning the rest of the game into a sleepwalk.
#4: Kings 123, Mavericks 94 - Jan 15th, 2003
Mavs came into town with a 31-5 record and a lot of chatter about being the best in the NBA, only to have their clocks cleaned by a complete team effort on the Kings’ part with Chris Webber’s triple double of 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists as the fulcrum. Only time I’ve ever heard the rumblings of the college chant “Oh-Ver-Ra-Ted” reverberating through a pro arena.
#3: Bulls 111, Kings 93 - Jan 30th, 1997
Something of a double entry. Kings were clearly overmatched from the onset, even though they scrapped and clawed their way to a slim lead at the half. Became pretty clear by the start of the 4th the Bulls as a team were merely toying with the ragtag Sacramento squad as Chicago sleepwalked their way to an easy road win and eventually another 3-peat that year. But the microcosm game-within-a-game was fiercely competitive and entertaining from tip-off to final buzzer as our own Mitch “The Rock” Richmond squared up against Michael Jordan in a one-on-one duel that transcended an otherwise meaningless regular season game in late January. Richmond ended with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block while hounding the GOAT all night, who responded with a game high 32 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Jordan is on record citing Richmond as one of his toughest opponents, and it was clear the Rock brought his A game for this one. Truly a thrill to watch in person Sacramento’s “Welcome to Hell” era unsung Hall of Famer match stride with arguebaly the greatest to have played the game.
#2: Lakers 116, Kings 108 (OT) - Apr 14th, 2011
This was supposed to have been the final game of the Sacramento Kings franchise, and it had the feel of a game the Kings were destined to win in triumphant fashion as a heroic swan song. Of course, Kobe Bryant was a cold-hearted psychopath who cared nothing for sentimentality and thrived off the lamentations of opposing home crowds. In addition to posting 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, he also drilled the game tying 3 with 4 seconds left, and blocked Thornton’s game-winner attempt to force overtime.
#1: UNR 55, Weber St. 49 - Nov 2nd, 1991
The oldest game on the list and not likely to ever be supplanted from the number one spot. I was just a 9-year-old kid dragged to a D-II College football game because what else is there to do for a kid in Reno on a Saturday? UNR ranked #1 was down against Weber St. 49-14 into the 3rd quarter when backup QB Chris Vargas came in. Now the Wolfpack D deserves a ton of credit for shutting down the Wildcats the rest of the way, but Vargas became the super star. In less than one half, Vargas threw for 346 yards and 2 tds, ran for a third TD, and orchestrated the offense to set-up 3 more goal line plunges, leading what remains the largest comeback in college football history (Michigan State tied this record in 2006 with a comeback against Northwestern)
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49ers vs Colts in 1998. Probably the best sports game I’ve been to live. Also, a lot of checkpoints. It was rookie Peyton Manning’s coming out party. His first big performance as a pro. Colts built up a 21 point lead. However, the big performance was Steve Young led a ferocious comeback in what would be the last game I saw him play in person.
Ricky Watters 5 touchdowns vs New York Giants in the playoffs 93.
Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle against the Giants. It was an awful game though and I didn’t even notice he had hit for the cycle until later.
I was also at that Tony Delk game
Ricky Watters 5 touchdowns vs New York Giants in the playoffs 93.
Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle against the Giants. It was an awful game though and I didn’t even notice he had hit for the cycle until later.
I was also at that Tony Delk game
I was fortunate enough to see a few world records fall at the 84 Olympics as well but the games began on my 10th birthday so while I was fully marveling the moment I have little recollection of every event that day or two other than it was track and field at the colliseum.
I was also fortunate enough to go to the winter games in Vancouver and saw quite a few amazing hockey games that week, including a late winner by Team USA vs. a pesky German team and Canada destroy the Russians - a few rows in front of Wayne Gretzky's box.
I was also present at Tiger Woods' second Masters win but that one felt pretty pedestrian, though it was part of the Tiger Slam, he was so dominant in this moment that many were rooting for Phil or Duvall. I think this was Arnie or Jack's final appearance at the Masters and so there was definitely a desire to see someone rise up and challenge Tiger the way those two had such a great rivalry. I was able to see Arnie, Jack and Gary tee off together - I think they opened the tournament as a foursome but I could be wrong. It was a huge bit of pomp and circumstance around this affair.
I was also fortunate enough to go to the winter games in Vancouver and saw quite a few amazing hockey games that week, including a late winner by Team USA vs. a pesky German team and Canada destroy the Russians - a few rows in front of Wayne Gretzky's box.
I was also present at Tiger Woods' second Masters win but that one felt pretty pedestrian, though it was part of the Tiger Slam, he was so dominant in this moment that many were rooting for Phil or Duvall. I think this was Arnie or Jack's final appearance at the Masters and so there was definitely a desire to see someone rise up and challenge Tiger the way those two had such a great rivalry. I was able to see Arnie, Jack and Gary tee off together - I think they opened the tournament as a foursome but I could be wrong. It was a huge bit of pomp and circumstance around this affair.
