Sporting Events I Wish I Was Alive To See

There’s one thing I regret about living in this time and era in human history. No time travel. What if 200 years from now time travel is possible? Then this list would not exist. Alas, that’s not the case and I am only left with ‘what ifs’ and dreams.

There are events in history where people can claim ‘I was there’ and that firsthand account told and retold is something that cannot be taken away no matter how much time has passed. ‘I was there’. We’ve all always wanted to be ‘there’ because seeing something after the final whistle has blown or after the champion has been crowned is not as exciting. Whether it was seeing Sinead O’Connor burn a photo of the Pope or watching Jason Lezak outswim Alain Bernard to win the 4x100m at the Olympics, you want to be ‘there’ or at least see it live. Here is my list of sporting events I wish I was alive to witness in person.

1. ‘The Miracle on Ice’ – No doubt, #1 on my list. The inspiration for this list came when I was digging through a storage box and I came across a mug from the Lake Placid Olympics and I thought to myself: ‘Damn, I wish I was alive to see that.’ The drama, the joy, the sheer beauty of it all , and Al Michaels all culminate in one of the finest moments in American sports history. I get goose bumps every time I hear the ‘do you believe in miracles?!’ line and to see in person would’ve been icing on the cake.
2. Cassius Clay KO’s Sonny Liston – Do I particularly like boxing? Not really. I’m not into fighting sports in general but I can admire and appreciate the way Muhammad Ali boxed/danced/talked his way through a ring because watching him do his thing is beautiful and is something that cannot be duplicated. Oh yeah, and this photo, pretty much displays how much of a bad ass Ali was while he was in his prime.
3. ‘4-Minute Mile’ – As a long-distance runner this feat is something that marvel at because I am aware at how hard it is to sustain a fast yet manageable pace over a long distance and this time shows pure guts and heart, because to run that fast is insane.
4. Björn Borg v John McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon – Growing up, I always watched Wimbledon in the summer, and in particular the gentlemen’s final on Sunday. I remember watching Sampras, Agassi, Ivanišević, Hewitt and then Federer and Nadal (who together played the greatest tennis match I have seen) but this is the match that is was compared to and it is something I wish I could’ve seen live and been caught up in the drama of it all. Especially in that seemingly never-ending tie-break. I love tennis and to watch these two icons play in their prime would’ve been a dream.
5. ‘The Play’ – The game was over right? No chance, right? Someone forgot to tell the Stanford band that there was still the business of the kickoff to end the game. A few laterals and a flattened tuba player later and Cal wins a game that has the wildest finish on the college gridiron.
6. Super Bowl III – Broadway Joe guaranteeing a victory over the heavily favored Colts? I can only imagine what people were talking about by the water coolers ‘This Joe Namath guy guy is saying he’s going to win. I gotta see this dude fail.’ Uh, whoops, looks like he was right. To see a guarantee of that magnitude backed up is sporting legend.
7. 1975 World Series – Seeing archive footage of Pete Rose running the bases and Carlton Fisk flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to will the ball fair just doesn’t do it justice. Seeing this series would’ve been joy and heartbreak for me. Wanting The Curse to end, but failing to see it happen, and watching The Big Red Machine chug along in all its glory on the way to the World Series title.
8. 1974 World Cup Final – To see Johan Cruijff and Franz Beckenbauer face off against each other on the biggest stage in the sport, yes please. The Dutch playing their ‘Total Football’ is the stuff of legend and impressive to watch, even in YouTube form. To see it live up against powerful, and eventual champion, West Germany would’ve been something special.
9. Berlin 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens – I highly doubt I would’ve been there in person and I know I could not have seen it live unless I was in Europe but nevertheless to see Jesse Owens dismantle the Aryan belief of Hitler, although he wouldn’t admit it, would’ve been supremely satisfying.
10. Nadia Comaneci’s Perfect 10 – Never been done before and to do it six (yes 6) more times throughout the 1976 Olympics is something to awe over as it forever changed the judging of the sport and the way perfection is viewed.