Growing up in Massachusetts and going to school at the University of Alabama, being a sports fan hasn’t been hard for me. I haven’t been through the years of suffering that some fans in certain cities go through. Some may even call me spoiled. While that may be true, I call myself lucky.
Since 2001 I have seen my teams win four Super Bowls, three World Series, one NBA Title, one Stanley Cup and four college football National Championships (3 while I have attended school). Hell, even my high school won two state ice hockey titles. So to quote Drake, “I got some really big teams and they’ve got some really big rings.” Even so, throughout my life I have experienced some of the best and worst sports memories that one could have seen.
I remember the first time sports broke my heart. It was in 2002 and my beloved Boston Bruins were the number one seed in the playoffs. The team had a first round match-up against the arch rival, Montreal Canadians. The Bruins lost the series four games to two and I remember I couldn’t comprehend how that was even possible. I cried myself to sleep that night.
I also remember the hatred I felt in the fall of 2003. Red Sox, Yankees, game seven ALCS, bottom of the 10th and Aaron Boone. I remember as soon as he hit the ball I knew it was gone. That week was also the first time in my life that I refused to watch SportsCenter just so I wouldn’t have to see that highlight again.
Do I even have to mention the 2013 Iron Bowl kick six? I was at the game and was in literal shock when the play occurred. I kept looking for a flag, or for a referee to say Chris Davis stepped out of bounds. It never happened. Because of that I can say without a doubt that Nov. 30, 2013, was the worst day of my life. The only good thing to happen on that Saturday was that I think I unofficially set a state record. I allegedly made it from Auburn to Tuscaloosa in under 90 minutes.
When it comes to sports I have experienced some of the most heartbreaking defeats one could have. But I also have had some of the best moments in sports with my teams as well.
Malcom Butler’s interception against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl comes to mind. As well as Adam Vinatieri’s two game-winning kicks. Or how about the Celtics beating the Lakers in the finals in 2008, or the Bruins coming back against Vancouver to win the cup?
Do I even mention the two Alabama-LSU games in 2012 and 2014? Now I am not very religious, but the 2014 game was the first time I got on my knees and prayed for a miracle, and somehow Blake Sims delivered one.
How could I forget the 2004 ALCS? The Red Sox coming back from three games to none in the series against the Yankees and winning each game in dramatic fashion.
To quote comedian Lenny Clarke from the 30-for-30 documentary, "Four Days in October," “Beating the Yankees was bigger than winning the World Series, I can now take that to my grave."
While all of these memories are great, excellent even, they are not my favorite. No, my favorite sports memory came in May 2015, in Talladega, Alabama. The first sport I fell in love with wasn’t football, baseball or hockey, it was in fact, NASCAR. Yes NASCAR, kind of strange considering the closest track was nearly three hours away, but I couldn’t get enough of it.
I loved anything to do with cars growing up. My childhood was a bit odd because of that. While most kids would be watching Barney or Elmo on PBS, I would be watching the dealer training videos on anti-lock brakes that my father would be bringing home from work. I thought for sure I would become a race car driver when I was older, and my childhood hero growing up was none other than Jeff Gordon. Maybe it was the fact that he always won, or that his car had a rainbow on it and was easy to spot, but I was obsessed with Jeff Gordon. I have multiple models of his race car. When I was younger, every Sunday I had to watch the race in my replica Jeff Gordon Driving suit. I even wore a helmet to complete the outfit.
However, I never got to see him race in person. So when Gordon announced that 2015 would be his last year, I knew I had to go to a race. When the chance came to go to Talladega I was in without hesitation.
I have been to races in other forms of motorsports before, but I had never been to a cup race, let alone a race at Talladega. Jeff had qualified on the pole and led the field to the green flag. My view of that was awesome. Our seats were fifth row, by the entrance to pit row and I couldn’t have been happier. Because the track is so big I couldn’t see half of it, but I didn’t care. I was so excited that I finally got to see Jeff Gordon race in person. What was even better is when he led the field on the first lap. Nothing really prepares you for the rush of wind that 43 cars going 200 mph brings as they pass you, but wow. I wasn’t prepared for that, and I was hooked. I stood for all 200 laps and got more and more excited each time the field passed.
On that afternoon in May, it was 97 degrees. So by lap 50 many of my friends had passed out. It didn't phase me. I think I was the only one in my section that stood for all 200 laps. I didn’t mind that little specs of rubber from the tires were hitting my face and getting in my drink. I didn’t care that Jeff Gordon, my childhood hero, crashed on the last lap and finished in 31st place. I didn’t care about any of that.
I was so happy that I got to see Jeff Gordon race at least once in person for his final season. As a child, I thought I would go to a lot more of his races, but for one reason or another I didn’t. At least I got to see one. I never have seen a NASCAR race without Jeff Gordon, so it is going to be weird in 2016 watching without him.
Since I am graduating this spring, maybe it's symbolic that he is stepping away from the sport I love. In many respects a chapter of my life is ending and a new chapter is beginning. Jeff Gordon was such a big part of my life growing up, and with him retiring and stepping away from racing I believe it is life telling me that I am not a child anymore. I am about to graduate college and enter the "real world."
I have seen a lot of great things in my life when it comes to sports. But without question, going to that race was the most memorable.
