Sports' Spine-Tingling Moments

Why do we watch sports?  Why do we root for teams?  Why do Cubs fans still root and pray for a World Series after more than 100 years?  Why do 1-15 football teams still sell tickets?  Part of it could be loyalty.  I would say that it is more the moments that make your spine tingle.

These aren't the moments like "The Immaculate Reception,"  "The Catch," "The Flip," or Michael Jordan's mid-air hand switch in the 1991 finals.  Those are moments in sports that we all enjoy, that we all treasure.  If we were watching sports simply for those moments, we would have no loyalty; we would simply live those moments.  The Spine-Tingling Moments I am writing about are fan and team specific.  The moment's I'm going to write about are moments that make me downright giddy.  They probably don't do so for others, but those people will have their own giddy sports moments.  I have been present for one of my moments, I have only seen the other on TV--and it will never be seen live again.

I will start with the spine-tingling moment that will never happen again--the one I only saw on TV.  You can watch it on YouTube right now.  In my high school and early college years, during the early summer months (May and June are summer for purposes of summer break) I would always, always, ALWAYS be glued to the TV set if Jordan's Bulls were in the finals.  In the 90's, this was more often than not.  The spine-tingling moment in these finals came at the beginning.  It was built into the anticipation of the event.  And it would build into a crescendo.

At the beginning of each Bulls' home game, they would do the starting lineups.

"Introducing the starting lineup for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns...Seattle Supersonics, Utah Jazz (twice)."  The five starters and head coach would be announced.  Then the arena would go dark.  The Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky would start playing.  And Tommy Edwards would start the crowd with a roaring "AAAAAND NOW THE STARTING LINEUP FOR YOUR WORLD CHAMPION CHICAGO BULLS!!  At forward, from Clemson, 6'10" Horace Grant!...A 6'7" forward, from Central Arkansas, Scottieeeeee Pippen!...The man...in the middle, from San Francisco, 7'1" Biiiill Cartwright!...A 6'2" guard from Iowa, B.J. Armstrong!...From North Carolina, at guard, 6'6" Michael JORDAN!"

Sometimes they lost.  More often, they won.  It was always a great game.  But they were all started off with the spine-tingling moment of the Bulls starting lineup introductions.  The anticipation to watch my all-time favorite basketball players, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, play started with these moments.  I still get shivers thanks to YouTube.  Unfortunately, that's just about the only place to re-live these moments.  Occasionally I'll catch a replay of the Bulls' Dynasty on ESPN Classic while I'm at the gym, but they are rare.

The other moment, the one I have experienced live is another introduction to a favorite player.  I had the opportunity to watch a Yankees game at The House That Ruth Built before the team moved to the new stadium.  This player's intro didn't come with everyone else's introduction and the starting lineups.  My favorite current Yankee isn't even a starter.  He doesn't even bat.

However, when the opening lines of Enter Sandman start playing at Yankee home games, there is an almost certainty the game is over.  Just as the intro of the song passes and the hard riff starts, the bullpen door opens and Mariano Rivera runs across the outfield to the mound.  As soon as that familiar line of guitar notes even starts, the crowd goes apeshit.  Total strangers start high-fiving each other.  Everyone is standing and screaming ourselves hoarse.

The one game at old Yankee Stadium I was able to attend was announced by "The Voice of God," Bob Sheppard in his ever calm delivery.  "Now pitching for the Yankees, number 42, Mariano Rivera, number 42."  Enter Sandman has always given me goosebumps.  Pairing it with my favorite player and a nearly certain victory in 3 or 4 outs is almost unfair.  I have goosebumps and shivers writing this.

These moments are why we watch sports.  These moments are better than the "Motor City Miracle" or "The Shot Heard Round the World."  These moments are full of hope and anticipation.  These moments come with every game of our favorite teams.  These moments endure losing seasons, steroids eras, drug busts, lockouts, and strikes.  These moments fill us with pride and make us scream our fool hearts out.