"..... to be Remembered Forever"

….. will be Remembered FOREVER.

“It” is not likely to happen to 99% of us other than within our own micro-universes…. But “it” could. “It” being to be the central figure in an event within a moment that …. will be Remembered Forever.

NOTE: This essay will stay well under the historical radar of Leonidas as his 300 Spartans at Thermopylae …. D-Day…. or Armstrong’s “one small step for Man….”.

Last night Cardinals’ play-by-play announcer Dan McLaughlin used that line for the umpteenth replay of David Freese’s 2011 walk-off HR in Game 6 of The WorldSeries. Freese is now with the Pirates who are visiting St Louis.

Befitting the reputation of St Louis Cardinal fans…. regardless of what uniform he wears, David Freese will ALWAYS be a Favorite Son. He was born/raised in St Louis and was the central figure in a mega-dramatic moment that….. will be Remembered FOREVER.

As soon as I heard that phrase I started thinking of other Frozen Moments primarily in sports that at least to a fan base if not to fans everywhere who can see and appreciate beyond the tip of their blindly partisan noses…. will be remembered FOREVER.

Here’s my list compiled in about 30 minutes using Google only to confirm dates. I’m not good at remembering exact years. I’ve lived too many of them.

Yes, I appreciate that “your list is better because…. it is your list”. But this is The Official Partial List of BobLeeSays because…. this is my website.

My criteria is “A Moment…. A Play” not The Greatest Game…. not The Career of…. The central figure could be a star or an unknown and there had to be high drama surrounding The Moment.

I am also requiring that “it” have significance beyond simply another game between two rival teams that meant little or nothing to the world beyond.

For Example: Connor Barth’s final play 42 yd FG in 2004 to beat Miami on an October night in Kenan Stadium was certainly memorably dramatic to those in attendance but resonated noticeably less so to “the larger world beyond”. Yes, UNCers, there is one.

Here goes in no particular order…. Keep in mind I came up with this list in 30 minutes which, IMO, is darn impressive.

OK, I am putting two Wolfpack moments first to get those out of the way. Kinda like when you would get a new phone book (what’s “a phone book”?) and the first thing you do is look up your own name…. it’s all you really care about.

Lorenzo Charles’ Game-Winner vs Phi Slamma Jamma in 1983 in Albuquerque.

David Thompson’s Fall in Reynolds vs Pitt in 1974.

Bill Mazeroski’s Walk-Off HR in Game Seven of 1960 World Series vs Yankees

Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary to beat Miami in The Orange Bowl in 1984.

Mary Lou Retton Hitting “A Perfect Ten” on her vault to win Olympic Gold in 1984.

Christian Laettner’s turn-around from top of the key versus Kentucky in 1992

Bill Buckner’s Error in Game Six vs Mets in 1986

Francisco Cabrera’s single in the 9th to drive in Sid Bream to beat Barry Bonds’ Pirates and send Atlanta to their first World Series in 1992.

Auburn defeats Alabama on the 108 yard Missed FG in 2013. The Auburn player was Chris Davis but no one outside the state of Alabama remembers his name.

Whit Merrifield’s 11the inning single gives South Carolina it’s first College World Series Championship in 2010.

Carlton Fisk’s “Wave it Fair” HR in Fenway versus Cincinnati in Game Six in 1975.

Kurt Gibson’s HR vs Oakland in 1988 WS.

NOTE: Buckner’s Error, Fisk’s HR, and Freese’s HR share a quite odd commonality. None of the three “won the World Series” but rather extended the series to a 7th game. You can win a bar bet with that fact.

Going waaaay back…. Enos “Country” Slaughter “scores from first on a single” to win Game 7 of the 1946 World Series.

Michael Jordan’s jumper vs Georgetown in 1982 is remembered because it secured Dean Smith’s first NC and introduced the basketball world to Jordan. It was NOT “a Walk-off Hail Mary” of course.

Debatably…. Do we include Marcus Paige’s dramatic 3 pointer vs Villanova that “almost” sent the NCAA Finals into OT? Or does only Villanova’s “buzzer beater” make the list? Are the two shots forever linked?

UNC’s Walter Davis’ shot vs Duke in “8 points down with 17 seconds to play” in 1974 was certainly a BFD “amid the pines” but less so elsewhere.

Likewise “Gio’s Punt Return” and “T.A.’s Knee” were certainly dramatic moments but lack significance beyond the competing teams. Yes, there actually IS a world beyond Triangle-area Rivalries.

Dale Earnhardt’s Final Lap Fatal Crash at Daytona in 2001

Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas in Nov 1963. I include Ruby shooting Oswald rather than Oswald shooting JFK because we all saw that LIVE.

For Golf, I choose Larry Mize’s chip in on #11 @ Augusta to defeat Greg Norman in a sudden-death playoff in 1987. I chose that over Nicklaus’ win a year earlier because Mize’s was “a moment…. A singular play”.

I almost included Willis Reed’s dramatic arrival on the MSG court in Game Seven in 1970 versus The Lakers which was “a goosebump moment” in NBA History.

Sure, one can argue every “Walk-off” …. “Hail Mary” …. “Buzzer-beater” in any sports event merits being on the list and to rabid partisans they all do. Whoever “did it” earned a permanent place in the memory of those who saw it…. and cared about it.