re: What's your favorite sports phenomena that you actively followed?

I just took a look at the 98 home run chase wikipedia page and they have a log of every HR hit between Sosa and McGwire. I actually forgot that Sosa took the lead on McGwire at 66 to 65 before McGwire went on a tear to end the season. Both players had back to back days during the season where they hit 2 HRs each game. Crazy stuff. It's truly amazing how hot you have to be all year to hit that many homers.

Even more incredible is that Sosa only had 13 homers at the end of May. He finished June with 33

Anyone remember Dan Uggla's hitting streak? He broke the Braves record with a 33 game streak. He was batting in the .170s through June 2011 and then went on the tear. The streak included 15 or so homeruns so he wasn't on one of those slap-hitting type of streaks. This was really the only period of time with the Braves where he was any good. He was godawful otherwise.

Since the firing of Fulmer, watching UT unravel from a top-tier program to a national laughing stock has been pretty wild, especially in it all coming to a head last year during Schiano’s “hiring” and ensuing social media crucifixion.

Sports radio here has had some pretty colorful personalities over the years (Travis being one of them) which made the years-long lampooning of Kiffen, Dooley, Jones, & Co. all the more engaging.

Just last years debacle could make a 30 for 30, but that was just the third act from a long, bad movie for pissed off Vol fans.

i don't really see that as what im talking about. the saints super bowl season doesnt fit to me, either. im sure it was a great story, but there wasnt really anything catching the nation by storm or anything. locally it sounds like a fit, though

conference realignment isn't what i was thinking about either.

phelps is a great one! im sure the 1980 hockey team was one for folks that were around for that.

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I’m not a fight fan, but the way that Ronda Rousey looked like a kindergarten teacher by day and Mike Tyson by night was pretty cool to me.

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This is a good one. She was knocking bitches out within 15 seconds of the opening bell. I never watch fights, but made sure to find a way to watch UFC when she was on the card. Her drastic fall was pretty wild. Complete 180

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The only way to really explain ‘the feeling’ - remember in HS when you were on the football team and it was Friday and there was a pep rally at the end of the school day, then the big game that night.... there would be a buzz around the whole school all day Friday, sometimes even on Wednesday or Thursday.... you KNEW a big game was coming, you could feel it in the air

The whole city felt like that when the saints made their run.. and it went on for about 3 whole months.. it was nuts

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Perfect description

I was only 10, but San Antonio in 1999 was crazy memorable. We'd taken it on the chin from Utah on their way to the Finals the year before (to this day myself and a lot of Spurs fans despise the Jazz after Karl Malone swung his stupid elbow at at The Admiral's head and knocked him out cold), but everyone knew the team was good. When they started off the year 6-8, folks got fed up with the underachieving. To hear former players talk, Pop came within a game of getting his arse fired.

What was really going on was the team had added some key role pieces that hadn't gelled yet (1999 was a strike-shortened season. Only 50 regular season games). Once that happened, they ripped through the remaining schedule and really weren't touched in the playoffs (only lost two games in that run).

The belief hit a crescendo after the Memorial Day Miracle shot, though. That was the type of game that every good Spurs team in the past would come up short in. After that, it was on.

The biggest remaining vestige from 1999 is the "Go Spurs Go" slogan. The Spurs' marketing department used to come up with new catchphrases every year. Some were aight, most were lame. That year (to hear some former employees tell it) was kind of a throwaway year in terms of coming up with something new. But when the team made their run, fans latched onto it and you started seeing homemade "Go Spurs Go" signs/banners all over town. It was incredible--community had never come alive like that for the Spurs before.

Rally Possum
UConn Women's Win Streak
Red Wings Playooff Appearances

I guess I was thinking in larger terms. Like

HR Chase
Jordan retiring for baseball
NFL strike

Micheal Jordan's whole career
Barry sanders whole career


Both were amazing....

Gathers was a beast... unreal player who like Len Bias would been every year all stars in the NBA......