As God is my witness, my goal is to turn this forum into the Tennis-Figure Skating Emporium!

[jumptheshadow]

55. Okay, Whippersnapper...

You can get all macho with the "Mom" stuff but I have seen more sports history than most of the G.I. Joes who pound their chests like apes in this group.

I listened to Mantle and Maris duke it out on radio and owned both of their baseball cards. My grandmother and I kept track of every pitch.

I stormed the field after the Bills won the AFL championship in 1964. Jack Kemp was the quarterback, Cookie Gilchrist was the runner, and the crowd roared when the linebacker Mike Stratton broke the runner Keith Lincoln's rib with a brutal hit. Who needs gladiators when you're at a championship game in Buffalo and the Bills are actually winning?

Ralph Wilson was youngish back then. His wife received a mink football as a gift. There's a colorful description of the day here:

http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/fbchampionships/AFL1964.html

My next great love was Mizzou football, which was mostly an exercise in frustration. There was that wonderful moment in 1972, however, when they came off a 62-0 loss to Nebraska to upset Notre Dame 30-26. The shocking victory silenced my snotty Notre Dame cousins for at least 10 years. (They are more humble people and we are friends now.)

I was at Dave Righetti's July 4th no-hitter and even have the Yankee hat they gave out that day.

I was one of a few hundred fans to attend the sequel to the infamous "Pine Tar" game described here:

When the Royals came to bat I shouted "Check the bat!" The folks in my section picked up the refrain and soon every Yankee fan in that stadium was hollering along.

As a reporter I covered the Billy Carter Tennis Tournament featuring Billy, Bobby Riggs and Chris Evert in Plains, Georgia. I even got to use Miss Lillian's bathroom -- and yes, I looked in her medicine cabinet.

I still like my football and my baseball ... and I was riveted to the screen during women's world cup soccer last year, which was one of the best-played events of 2011.

I bet the Bonzos in this group would never admit that it was. Heh.