Greatest/worst experiences as a fan.

[Radio Zero]

I stole this idea from another team's football forum, but thought it might help to fill up some of the off-season slack around here. What is your greatest and worst experience as a sports fan? Could be any team, and for any reason.

Here's mine.

GREATEST
1. 1987 IU NCAA championship: I was just a freshman in high school, and remember telling a friend as we walked home from school that I was going to be watching the game that night (lived in the Detroit suburbs). When Keith Smart hit the Shot, my dad, sister, and I were jumping up and down, screaming and shouting, right in the front of the television. The second is quite close, but this has to take priority simply because it was IU.
2. 2016 Cubs World Series: Simply never thought I'd even see them in the WS, much less win it in such an incredible fashion.

WORST
1. 1987 IU/MSU football: I was now 15 and a sophomore in high school, and this was the game to decide the Big Ten's Rose Bowl team. George "Mushmouth" Perles' Lorenzo White trampled us. I was so bitter that I rooted for USC to win the bowl. Didn't even get that wish.
2. 2003 Cubs' loss in NLCS: The "Steve Bartman" series. The poor guy was treated like absolute trash for doing what anybody might have, a kind of unthinking reaction for a souvenir you'd treasure your entire life. Nonetheless, it still seemed I felt everything shift in that series from that point. Incredibly disappointing result.

Let's hear what you've got.

 

[HawkeyeInCentralIowa]

As a Hawkeye fan:

Best:
The 12-0 start in 2015. Before that season started, I thought it was going to be the final season of the Kirk Ferentz tenure. They had been terrible the year before, and I wasn’t excited like I normally am at the start of the season. The following 12 games were the wildest rollercoaster I’ve ever been on as a fan. Waking up every Saturday excited and nervous to see if we would continue to win. Easily the greatest season of Hawkeye football I ever watched.

Worst:
2015 B1G Championship. **** LJ Scott, **** Mark Dantonio, and **** Meatchicken State.

 

[GeddyHoosier]

I'll limit mine to events I attended in person:

GREATEST: 2002 World Cup (soccer) qualifying match between US and Mexico on a frigid February night in Columbus, OH. Incredible atmosphere (US won 2-0).

WORST: 2013 IU basketball at home vs. Ohio State. I slug through a snow storm to watch the guys win the Big Ten title and they lay an egg. Didn't stop Crean from cutting the nets down though. 2 hour drive home the next morning and the snow had gotten even worse.

 

[Charlesroast]

‘66 Bucket game, hung over, bad seats in endzone, bitter cold, Bob Griese’s last game at Ross Ade, 51-6 and we left just before the 6.

’67 Bucket game, BIG, slimmed down Terry Cole with long runs, Ken Kaczmarek hit that forced Perry Williams fumble, set up trip to Rose Bowl.

 

[CC Mac]

Best
67 bucket game,I was 10’years old. Got a piece of turf and got to go into the locker room after the game.

87 Michigan game in the driving rain.
Me and my buddy snuck in beer and rushed the field afterwards.
I had a red liner in my coat which was drenched of course. When we got to the car I took my coat off and red liner bleed through and turned all my clothes pink lol

Worst experience is every football game involving Ohio State.
Worst was in our stadium,all the season ticket holders around us decided to sell their tickets to Bucknuts.
Obnoxious,over bearing,cocky, and foul mouthed.No respect for anyone,even yelled obscenities at young kids and the ushers did nothing.
Wife refuses to go to another Ohio State game.

 

[Radio Zero]

Best
67 bucket game,I was 10’years old. Got a piece of turf and got to go into the locker room after the game.

87 Michigan game in the driving rain.
Me and my buddy snuck in beer and rushed the field afterwards.
I had a red liner in my coat which was drenched of course. When we got to the car I took my coat off and red liner bleed through and turned all my clothes pink lol

Worst experience is every football game involving Ohio State.
Worst was in our stadium,all the season ticket holders around us decided to sell their tickets to Bucknuts.
Obnoxious,over bearing,cocky, and foul mouthed.No respect for anyone,even yelled obscenities at young kids and the ushers did nothing.
Wife refuses to go to another Ohio State game.

That ‘67 Bucket experience sounds amazing. LUCKY kid!

 

[mushroomgod_1]

I stole this idea from another team's football forum, but thought it might help to fill up some of the off-season slack around here. What is your greatest and worst experience as a sports fan? Could be any team, and for any reason.

Here's mine.

GREATEST
1. 1987 IU NCAA championship: I was just a freshman in high school, and remember telling a friend as we walked home from school that I was going to be watching the game that night (lived in the Detroit suburbs). When Keith Smart hit the Shot, my dad, sister, and I were jumping up and down, screaming and shouting, right in the front of the television. The second is quite close, but this has to take priority simply because it was IU.
2. 2016 Cubs World Series: Simply never thought I'd even see them in the WS, much less win it in such an incredible fashion.

WORST
1. 1987 IU/MSU football: I was now 15 and a sophomore in high school, and this was the game to decide the Big Ten's Rose Bowl team. George "Mushmouth" Perles' Lorenzo White trampled us. I was so bitter that I rooted for USC to win the bowl. Didn't even get that wish.
2. 2003 Cubs' loss in NLCS: The "Steve Bartman" series. The poor guy was treated like absolute trash for doing what anybody might have, a kind of unthinking reaction for a souvenir you'd treasure your entire life. Nonetheless, it still seemed I felt everything shift in that series from that point. Incredibly disappointing result.

Let's hear what you've got.

That Cubs loss was one of my favorite sports memories. But I did feel bad for Bartman. There was an ESPN documentary many years later that is a must watch is you ever get the chance.

 

[jbriegel]

Best - 1987 national championship game: Was in the super dome lower section. Smart hit the shot and the Syracuse let time run off the clock before they inbounded the ball. Was going nuts at that point cause they really did have enough time to win it

Worst - the 52-51 Rutgers loss. What an embarrassment. That’s when I knew WIlson had to go.
Neutral - watching Mich St beat us in Assembly Hall in 1979. Sort of a low scoring game but we had no shot. Magic was magic.

 

[Radio Zero]

Best - 1987 national championship game: Was in the super dome lower section. Smart hit the shot and the Syracuse let time run off the clock before they inbounded the ball. Was going nuts at that point cause they really did have enough time to win it

Worst - the 52-51 Rutgers loss. What an embarrassment. That’s when I knew WIlson had to go.
Neutral - watching Mich St beat us in Assembly Hall in 1979. Sort of a low scoring game but we had no shot. Magic was magic.

Yep, I still remember Syracuse screwing around after Smart hit his shot, like it happened yesterday.

I'm jealous of you, getting to be there for it!

 

[Radio Zero]

That Cubs loss was one of my favorite sports memories. But I did feel bad for Bartman. There was an ESPN documentary many years later that is a must watch is you ever get the chance.

Sox fan? Marlins?

 

[TMFT]

Best: Sitting in the nosebleeds at Conseco and watching Luke Zeller drain a half-court shot at the buzzer to beat Plymouth in OT at the State Finals 2005.

Honorable Mention for Best: was watching the Cubs win Game 7 at Fat Dan's Chicago Deli in South Broad Ripple. For such a crappy night (weather wise), the place was absolutely electric. And I'm not even remotely a Cubs fan.

Worst: Probably my first game at Memorial Stadium. Michigan @ IU, 1999. IU offense couldn't do ANYTHING in the first half. Upon further review, they scored 10 points at the end of the first half, but it was so ugly early that I think the biggest offensive play up until the touchdown was Drew Hagen bobbling the snap on a punt and ending up taking it for a first down. At any rate, IU stiffens up in the 2nd half, ends up scoring 21 in the 4th and taking a lead, losing it, then tying it up again with a bomb to Jerry Dorsey at the end of the 4th. For some reason, we left before that play (I was with my girlfriend & her dad), but heard the crowd roar for the tying TD. Got in the car and heard the play-by-play where some talentless son-of-a-gun led Michigan down for a game winning FG with 18 seconds left. Worst experience because it was the perfect mix of everything that has made IU consistently give me football blue balls for the better part of my life.

Box score for reference: https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/stats/1999/indiana/boxscore/2686

 

[76-1]

Best
67 bucket game,I was 10’years old. Got a piece of turf and got to go into the locker room after the game.

87 Michigan game in the driving rain.
Me and my buddy snuck in beer and rushed the field afterwards.
I had a red liner in my coat which was drenched of course. When we got to the car I took my coat off and red liner bleed through and turned all my clothes pink lol

Worst experience is every football game involving Ohio State.
Worst was in our stadium,all the season ticket holders around us decided to sell their tickets to Bucknuts.
Obnoxious,over bearing,cocky, and foul mouthed.No respect for anyone,even yelled obscenities at young kids and the ushers did nothing.
Wife refuses to go to another Ohio State game.

Ditto on the last two paragraphs...

😀 Vs MI
It was great (made even sweeter by Bo whining about "crowd noise" after the game 😎🇺🇸

😡😖🙈
sitting near "the" o$u fans... They're worse than p u fans; and that's an extremely low standard to get below...

 

[Radio Zero]

Ditto on the last two paragraphs...

😀 Vs MI It was great (made even sweeter by Bo whining about "crowd noise" after the game just made it that much sweeter 😎🇺🇸

😡😖🙈 sitting near "the" o$u fans... They're worse than p u fans; and that's an extremely low standard to get below...

Oh, yeah ... the deafening roar of open-end Memorial Stadium.

Bo was a damn baby.

 

[Walt542]

I have a few:

IU vs. UM in 1987 in the rain. All my in-laws are big UM fans so I bought them all tickets and had a great time with them.

IU vs. PU in 1967. I was a soph in HS and my Dad bought me a single ticket. Best live experience I’ve ever had.

But the best though was watching the USA vs. Russia hockey game in the 1980 Olympics. Even on TV it was unbelievable.

Then there was the IU vs. PU football game in 1989 when AT gave us a kickoff run-back to set up a FG to win and the kids misses it.

I guess the worst though was IU vs. Rutgers blowing a 25 point lead.

Good question!

 

[4IUSox2]

I will also keep these to IU only and ones I attended in person (or else, will be here all day).

BEST: ‘87 Michigan win in a horizontal rain. Great time on the field afterward.

‘87 in the Superdome for both games vs UNLV and Syracuse.

‘86 and ‘87 home games vs PU and Illinois. 4 of the closest, well played games by both teams in each of the games. Pretty sure none of the 4 had a double digit lead.

‘88 home game vs PU. They came in #2. IU limps in at 2-4 in league. IU loses a huge lead, Dean Garrett dominates, win by 1 or 2.

‘01 IU beats #2 ranked Illini at BTT. Undoubtedly, IU’s high point in their miserable BTT history.

WORST: ‘87 at MSU in BT championship game to go to Rose Bowl.

‘92 FF Metrodome vs Duke. NFM.

 

[Sonap]

Best 1987 Michigan Game, tearing down the goal posts in the rain, Bo was pissed. One of the greatest days ever.

and this

Worst

This I was in the balcony for this and it still hurts watching it.

 

[IUXC68]

For my favorite IU win I join the previous posts about the 1967 IU-PU football game. I was sitting on the east side toward the south end zone and well remember the hit Ken Kaczmarek put on the PU ball carrier. When the ball popped up it was as if the whole IU fan population sucked in its breath, and then when we recovered the fumble the place erupted in cheers.

 

[Chriselli]

Best - There have been some awesome upset wins I've seen like at Oregon, at Missouri, vs. Michigan this year, and even IU basketball beating Duke in Lexington. With all that being said, beating Purdue in 2007 to Play 13 for Coach Hep is my favorite and most meaningful sporting event I have ever attended.

Worst - This is almost impossible, but maybe home vs. Ball State in 2012? We were down a ton, the fans left, we came back furiously to take the lead. Then there was a controversial catch for BSU, followed by a 50ish yard field goal. Gifting a game to a lesser opponent in the most painstaking way possible probably best encapsulates our plight as Hoosier fans. Honorable mention: NC State 2000, at Bowling Green 2014, vs. Rutgers 2015, vs. Minnesota 2014, at Northwestern 2009, Ball State 2011, and vs. Southern Illinois 2006. To be fair, there are at least a dozen more in contention.

 

[Bligedy]

I stole this idea from another team's football forum, but thought it might help to fill up some of the off-season slack around here. What is your greatest and worst experience as a sports fan? Could be any team, and for any reason.

Here's mine.

GREATEST
1. 1987 IU NCAA championship: I was just a freshman in high school, and remember telling a friend as we walked home from school that I was going to be watching the game that night (lived in the Detroit suburbs). When Keith Smart hit the Shot, my dad, sister, and I were jumping up and down, screaming and shouting, right in the front of the television. The second is quite close, but this has to take priority simply because it was IU.
2. 2016 Cubs World Series: Simply never thought I'd even see them in the WS, much less win it in such an incredible fashion.

WORST
1. 1987 IU/MSU football: I was now 15 and a sophomore in high school, and this was the game to decide the Big Ten's Rose Bowl team. George "Mushmouth" Perles' Lorenzo White trampled us. I was so bitter that I rooted for USC to win the bowl. Didn't even get that wish.
2. 2003 Cubs' loss in NLCS: The "Steve Bartman" series. The poor guy was treated like absolute trash for doing what anybody might have, a kind of unthinking reaction for a souvenir you'd treasure your entire life. Nonetheless, it still seemed I felt everything shift in that series from that point. Incredibly disappointing result.

Let's hear what you've got.

Best was being in Rupp watching IU beat Duke in the sweet 16. I was about 10 rows up under the basket where IU shot in the 2nd half. Incredible experience.

Second best was the Peach Bowl. Just me and my dad. It was so much fun. Not the outcome we wanted but an amazing game that was just an experience that I'll never forget.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Waaaay too many positives to pick a best.

Worst? I am still not over the last five minutes of the Taxslayer Bowl and walking out of the stadium with those orange-clad rednecks screaming at the IU fans and pounding on their car windows in the backed up traffic. Just awful.

 

[Radio Zero]

Worst - This is almost impossible, but maybe home vs. Ball State in 2012? We were down a ton, the fans left, we came back furiously to take the lead. Then there was a controversial catch for BSU, followed by a 50ish yard field goal. Gifting a game to a lesser opponent in the most painstaking way possible probably best encapsulates our plight as Hoosier fans. Honorable mention: NC State 2000, at Bowling Green 2014, vs. Rutgers 2015, vs. Minnesota 2014, at Northwestern 2009, Ball State 2011, and vs. Southern Illinois 2006. To be fair, there are at least a dozen more in contention.

Funny you mention NC State in 2000. My dad and I came down for that game. We had just gotten to our seats when his chest start hurting him. Fortunately he was able to walk back down to the tunnel and I ran for an employee on a golf cart I spotted. He ended up in the hospital in Bloomington with a heart attack. He survived, and a pretty nurse just getting off her shift gave me a lift back to our car near Memorial Stadium.

Definitely the worst "game experience" I've ever had as a person.

 

[HoosierNative]

The Hoosiers definitely should have won. At least we know now they were cheating to do it.

They’re paying the price! Like most transgressions, the pain is back loaded. The next three to five years will be a steady diet of humble pie in Knoxville.

Waaaay too many positives to pick a best.

Worst? I am still not over the last five minutes of the Taxslayer Bowl and walking out of the stadium with those orange-clad rednecks screaming at the IU fans and pounding on their car windows in the backed up traffic. Just awful.

 

[Chriselli]

He survived, and a pretty nurse just getting off her shift gave me a lift back to our car near Memorial Stadium.

I was really hoping that you were going to say that you married the nurse! Glad to hear that your Dad did ok! What a terrible day! At least we knew that Phillip Rivers was a thing before anyone else did.

 

[Bligedy]

Funny you mention NC State in 2000. My dad and I came down for that game. We had just gotten to our seats when his chest start hurting him. Fortunately he was able to walk back down to the tunnel and I ran for an employee on a golf cart I spotted. He ended up in the hospital in Bloomington with a heart attack. He survived, and a pretty nurse just getting off her shift gave me a lift back to our car near Memorial Stadium.

Definitely the worst "game experience" I've ever had as a person.

My dad had a heart attack at a Colts game. Crazy, scary night.

 

[Bligedy]

I was really hoping that you were going to say that you married the nurse! Glad to hear that your Dad did ok! What a terrible day! At least we knew that Phillip Rivers was a thing before anyone else did.

Rivers' first game was against IU. Brady's first pro start was against the Colts. Both just absolutely dominated and the rest is history.

 

[RBB89]

Best: 07 Bucket Game. Almost got trampled trying to get to the field. Awesome.

Worst: that damn rutger game. I took a picture of the scoreboard in the 3rd qtr when we had 52 points and 590 yards of offense. And then...

 

[hookyIU1990]

Greatest would be 1987 as a freshman. I lost most of my hearing in my left ear when a firecracker landed on my shoulder while packed into a crowd at showalter fountain, but the party was never ending from when Smart's shot dropped until Wednesday morning.

Worst is probably getting beat by Syracuse in the S16. It was such a kick in the teeth to have all that talent and then realize that we were so completely unprepared for the 2-3. Henderson going down and Teddy's hose job are both close seconds. The '87 MSU loss to miss the Rose Bowl would be next.

Sorry, I know it's the football board.

 

[Walt542]

Waaaay too many positives to pick a best.

Worst? I am still not over the last five minutes of the Taxslayer Bowl and walking out of the stadium with those orange-clad rednecks screaming at the IU fans and pounding on their car windows in the backed up traffic. Just awful.

Yes, that was a bad one but I did not have those issues with the UT fans. All that we ran into said that they were impressed with the game IU played and felt they were very lucky to get the win. I must have been on the other side of the stadium from you.

 

[Davehack]

1972 football game at Memorial stadium. 3 buddies and I took in a half keg of beer. Ushers thought it was pretty cool, just pointed to us and laughed. We sat right in the middle of the card section and had no idea what we were supposed to be doing. Took a stack of cups and hooked up the people sitting around us. We all had a great time. Dont remember who we played or if we won. It was just a great time.

 

[Chriselli]

1972 football game at Memorial stadium. 3 buddies and I took in a half keg of beer. Ushers thought it was pretty cool, just pointed to us and laughed. We sat right in the middle of the card section and had no idea what we were supposed to be doing. Took a stack of cups and hooked up the people sitting around us. We all had a great time. Dont remember who we played or if we won. It was just a great time.

I guess that's not surprising, kids were doing flips and shit down that hill. Your keg was probably the least dangerous thing going on in the stadium. I'd be surprised if someone didn't cut it open and use it as a sled over there.

 

[13thman]

Best: Dodgers winning it all in '88.
Worst:. Rick Fields and his 27 wrist bands shooting out of his ass to beat us in OT at the '80 regional in Frankfort.

 

[hookyIU1990]

Rick Fields and his 27 wrist bands shooting out of his ass to beat us in OT at the '80 regional in Frankfort.

Same Rick Fields that played at Indiana State?

 

[13thman]

Same Rick Fields that played at Indiana State?

The one and only

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Yes, that was a bad one but I did not have those issues with the UT fans. All that we ran into said that they were impressed with the game IU played and felt they were very lucky to get the win. I must have been on the other side of the stadium from you.

There were very few UT fans sitting near us...the poor behavior was on the way out and in the street outside the stadium. And yes, the Boomer age fans we experienced were not the problem it was the thirty somethings.

 

[Walt542]

There were very few UT fans sitting near us...the poor behavior was on the way out and in the street outside the stadium. And yes, the Boomer age fans we experienced were not the problem it was the thirty somethings.

yeah OK. I think all the UT fans in our side were more my age.

 

[HoosierVegas]

Worst: I‘ll never forget playing the O$U in ‘95 (?). They beat us to clinch a Rose Bowl birth. After winning, they stormed our field and tore down our goal post in the south end zone. To this day, I can’t stand them.

Best: ARE’s first game against Western Michigan. I saw something so special in him- electric really. A play he made where he looked like he was casually running out of bounds just to turn on the jets up the sideline. He was so freakishly talented.

 

[DANC]

Funny you mention NC State in 2000. My dad and I came down for that game. We had just gotten to our seats when his chest start hurting him. Fortunately he was able to walk back down to the tunnel and I ran for an employee on a golf cart I spotted. He ended up in the hospital in Bloomington with a heart attack. He survived, and a pretty nurse just getting off her shift gave me a lift back to our car near Memorial Stadium.

Definitely the worst "game experience" I've ever had as a person.

I hope you got the nurse's number.

 

[DANC]

Same Rick Fields that played at Indiana State?

Clinton Central? My cousin's boy was on that team. They had a great run that year.

I was at that game in Frankfort.

 

[hookyIU1990]

Clinton Central? My cousin's boy was on that team. They had a great run that year.

I was at that game in Frankfort.

Yep. A little older than me, but I remember him and that CC squad.

 

[RBB89]

Worst: I‘ll never forget playing the O$U in ‘95 (?). They beat us to clinch a Rose Bowl birth. After winning, they stormed our field and tore down our goal post in the south end zone. To this day, I can’t stand them.

Best: ARE’s first game against Western Michigan. I saw something so special in him- electric really. A play he made where he looked like he was casually running out of bounds just to turn on the jets up the sideline. He was so freakishly talented.

Those morons broke the damn SEZ fence too. Gotta beat them this year.