OT: Glad it was in my lifetime

[jayteeman]

Your top 5 selections which include an event or era in sports history, where you were fortunate to say it was "during your lifetime". Of course there are many to chose from in any sport, depending on your interest and fan base, and certainly some that will be common.
To start it off:
1) The Jim Calhoun era (1986-2012) - everything from the beginning to the end. The dominance of the Big East, swagger and all those banners.
2) The Brady/Belichick era (2000s) - Having lived through the Plunket, Grogan, and Bledsoe eras, who would have thought what was coming.
3) The 1996-2004 Yankees - memorable late ralleys and noise that ruffled the qhosts in Yankee stadium, a reliever and chosen shortstop along for the ride.
4) The Bird/Magic era (1980s) - saved the NBA. Guaranteed entertainment every memorial day weekend.
5) The Welterweight era (1980s) - Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hurns, Prior...and Cosell.....

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That is a good list, other than I don't care at all about the Patriots.

As someone with a basketball playing daughter, I will throw the Geno Auriemma era in there.

I am guardedly optimistic about the future, and think there will be some good eras in the future, especially with the New New Big East.

 

[AdamaNation]

I swap the 4 giants Super Bowls for #2(thanks for 1/2 of them) and place tiger above bird and magic which isn’t easy because the 80-90’s NBA was the best sports product EVER!! RIP mr stern

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I swap the 4 giants Super Bowls for #2(thanks for 1/2 of them) and place tiger above bird and magic which isn’t easy because the 80-90’s NBA was the best sports product EVER!! RIP mr stern

For NBA fans, we are living in the best era ever. The NBA is played at a higher level, with more top players and top teams, and the associated parity, than it ever has been before.

I think there is some nostalgia about the 80's NBA. If you ever see a Hawks game on classic sports, watch 5 minutes of it. Dominique Wilkins would literally walk back on defense. The Denver Nuggets were one of the best teams in the west in the early 80's. Fun to watch, but they didn't even think about defending.

The 90's swung too far in the other direction. Too much slow down, rock ball in the NBA. The Bulls never win 6 titles if not for the illegal defense rules. It was silly that someone had to stand next to Will Perdue in the corner while Jordan went 1 on 1 on the other side of the court.

 

[Dove]

The Miracle on Ice!!!

Amazing how that was a day game and no one knew who won until after the game at night.

 

[ucp990411]

The Miracle on Ice!!!

Amazing how that was a day game and no one knew who won until after the game at night.

Not true. I knew they won around 5:00 PM. I was at a home show at The Hartford Civic Center and they announced it on the intercom. The place went nuts.

 

[Devland]

The Miracle on Ice!!!

Amazing how that was a day game and no one knew who won until after the game at night.

I went to a bar with some co-workers to watch it. I don't think anyone there knew who won, Some guy walks in early in the game and announces that the US won the game. I was having my doubts whether he was telling the truth with the way the Soviets were dominating.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The 2004 ALCS.

3) The 1996-2004 Yankees - memorable late ralleys and noise that ruffled the qhosts in Yankee stadium, a reliever and chosen shortstop along for the ride.

 

[boog204]

It's tough to compare eras, but I'm unbelievably fortunate that the most meaningful period of sports fandom for me was at the peak of my two favorite teams, UConn and the Yankees, having unbelievable success. It's funny in retrospect hearing my dad speak in the mid-90s about how UConn frequently broke his heart in what was then the previous 40 years of him following the team. I never really experienced that. Sure, we had some tough losses in the 90s, but Jesus what an unreal twenty-year run I witnessed seemingly in-person.

Same with the Yankees. My first baseball memory was my brother telling me that the Yanks had just acquired the "coolest player in baseball" in Rickey Henderson. So I had a few cool years of Rickey, Winfield, and of course, Donnie Baseball, but not great success until 95 and then... Wow. I was quite lucky.

 

[jleves]

Tiger Woods for sure - he transformed golf and laid the groundwork for what a successful golfer has to be these days. I feel really fortunate it happened it my lifetime.

Same with the Bulls and Patriots. Not everyone gets to see the GOAT in their lifetime. You could probably throw in the 49ers as well.

Of course, both the Men's and Women's basketball teams are way up there too. Great runs over a long period of time.

I know there aren't many NASCAR fans here, but what Jimmy Johnson did over a decade is also phenomenal.

 

[Kathy]

Gotta add the 'Miracle Mets' in '69 and the '78 Yankees with Munson, Randolph, Nettles, Jackson, Pineila, Catfish, Guidry, Gossage and who could forget Dent - remember pissing off alot of Red Sox Fans at UConn - as a New Yorker that was great.

 

[baako1]

Fun topic.

1) Huskies 4 titles in 20 years.
2) Tiger Woods at his peak.
3) Roger Federer at his peak.
4) Colin Kaepernick

 

[ClifSpliffy]

1. UConn pantload of bball championships. more to come
2. Yankees pantload of championships. more to come
honorable mentions: tom brady, tiger woods, sean white, mj, usa women's soccer olympic teams, bode miller. that's an elephant's pantload of winning right there. lucky me, I got to see them.

 

[Madmannsucks]

In no particular order.
The Bill Russell Celtics.
The 1st UConn Title.
The Reg-gie Jackson Yanks. The 3 HR game on 3 pitches after the most chaotic season...
The MNF beginning.
The 69 Mets....simply AMAZIN!!!!!!!!

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Obviously all the UConn stuff
Pedro Martinez
David Ortiz
Lebron even though I don’t like him

 

[superjohn]

1.)Huskies championships
2.)Watching the Dream Team in person for their games at '92 Olympics
3.)Being at Yankee stadium for the '98 World Series

Jordan, Lawrence Taylor, and Mike Tyson. First sports memory Bird/Magic.

 

[Get a Job]

4 days in October

 

[Huskybass]

Being a student at UConn when JC and Geno arrived and watching them do the unthinkable;

Red Sox 2018 season, absolutely magical;

The Dream Team in 92. Jordan, Bird, Magic, Barkley, Drexler, Robinson, etc. all on the same team;

Tom Brady in his prime;

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

1) hayden Christiansen playing Anakin Skywalker
2) pumpkin spice everything
3) avocado toast
4)tomagachsis

 

[uconnfan68]

That is a good list, other than I don't care at all about the Patriots.

As someone with a basketball playing daughter, I will throw the Geno Auriemma era in there.

I am guardedly optimistic about the future, and think there will be some good eras in the future, especially with the New New Big East.

Geno isn’t finished...

 

[uconnfan68]

Being a student at UConn when JC and Geno arrived and watching them do the unthinkable;

Red Sox 2018 season, absolutely magical;

The Dream Team in 88. Jordan, Bird, Magic, Barkley, Drexler, Robinson, etc. all on the same team;

Tom Brady in his prime;

Dream Team was 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

 

[August_West]

The Miracle on Ice!!!

Amazing how that was a day game and no one knew who won until after the game at night.

Not true.

Jim McKay announced the win On ABC’s Olympic coverage before showing the tape delayed game. Even knowing it though it still didn’t seem real when watching it until it was over.

Amazing day. And sporting wise I’d say the best thing in this thread that I’m glad to have lived through.

 

[storrsroars]

Old guy reporting in:
- Muhammad Ali, most compelling and important sports figure in my lifetime
- Three NY champions in 17 months: Broadway Joe SB, Amazin' Mets, Knicks beat Lakers
- Dr. J and the ABA, pro hoops was boring as hell before the tri-colored ball
- Islanders dynasty
- 77-74 and those that followed

 

[Austin316]

This feels like a funeral

 

[HCCForever]

Your top 5 selections which include an event or era in sports history, where you were fortunate to say it was "during your lifetime". Of course there are many to chose from in any sport, depending on your interest and fan base, and certainly some that will be common.
To start it off:
1) The Jim Calhoun era (1986-2012) - everything from the beginning to the end. The dominance of the Big East, swagger and all those banners.
2) The Brady/Belichick era (2000s) - Having lived through the Plunket, Grogan, and Bledsoe eras, who would have thought what was coming.
3) The 1996-2004 Yankees - memorable late ralleys and noise that ruffled the qhosts in Yankee stadium, a reliever and chosen shortstop along for the ride.
4) The Bird/Magic era (1980s) - saved the NBA. Guaranteed entertainment every memorial day weekend.
5) The Welterweight era (1980s) - Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hurns, Prior...and Cosell.....

A good walk down memory lane. I remember watching the Celts and Lakers games from The National at Block Island on Memorial Day Weekend. Hard to believe the season got stretched out another 3 weeks or so.

Being a Sox fan, I would swap out #3 for 2004 and beyond. Nothing is as sweet as the first time, whether for the Sox in 2004 or UConn in 1999.