Welcome to “The Big Three-Oh!” I’m turning 30 at the end of July and to celebrate, I am counting down my best/favorite sports moments in my lifetime. If you missed the kickoff post, check it out for the background for the series. #25 should have come out on Sunday but I ran out of time to write so I’m writing on Monday along with #24.
#25 — Dave Roberts Steal 2nd, Red Sox come back from 0-3 in the 2004 ALCS
A theme of the moments coming through the 20s are incredible moments in sports history but the teams these moments happened to are not my teams. We saw this with Lebron and the Cavs a couple of days ago, MadBum, and this one with the Red Sox. I mentioned in the blog I wrote around the first anniversary my dad’s passing but I “liked” the Red Sox for a few years after my parents got divorced as a way to annoy my dad. He was a massive Yankee and took me up to Yankee Stadium a number of times in my childhood. We never really talked shit to each about the rivalry, we both knew I actually loved the Phillies but I had a Red Sox hat I’d wear around my dad. Similar to the train scene in ‘Ocean’s 12’, but without the physical altercation, of course.
After the Aaron Boone walk-off the year prior, the sight of a Yankees/Red Sox ALCS rematch had a ton of hype surrounding it. It took away from a great NLCS between the Cardinals and Astros and that also went the full seven games. The Red Sox comeback, with the tide turning in their favor thanks to Roberts’ steal, became a defining moment in my young sports-watching life: Boston winning everything. Sure, the Patriots had won two Super Bowls and would win a third a few months later, but The Curse of the Bambino was the stuff of legends. Watching them break that curse game-by-game was astounding to see and, at the time, something I’d hope I would get to finally see for a Philadelphia team.
Ultimately, my “like” of the Red Sox dissipated pretty quick a year and a half later when I went to Berkshire and it had been waning anyway as I’d wear that hat around less and less. But this, one of the greatest comebacks in sports history had to make the list.
Today’s Instagram Athlete
Nine years ago to count down the days until my 21st birthday, I posted a picture of athletes wearing the cooresponding number of day left to Facebook. While I did not have an Instagram account back in 2011, I have one now so I’ll be revisiting this idea in conjuncture with Top 30 Sports Moments. FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM SO YOU DON’T MISS IT
Ben Simmons comes in as athlete the for 25 days left. He quickly became one of my favorite Sixers after finally making his debut in 2017. Keith Premieau orginially occupied this spot nine years ago, but Simmons had to take it over.
I’ll be back later today with #24!
Follow @geordo9
The THUNDERBLOG 