My Favorite Sports Memory

Two outs, bottom of the ninth. Crowd is going crazy and in steps.... Naw my favorite sports memory is going to be a little different. My favorite sports memories are the early ones, the ones that established my love for sports, the ones with my Dad. Let me start by saying my Dad was never the biggest sports fan in the world. He cared, but he didn't care. We were living in Northeast Ohio it was mid to late 80's. The Indians hadn't won anything since what seemed to be the silent film era. There was a movie being made to mock them! "Red Right 88", "The Drive", "The Fumble", and "The Shot". Who could really blame him. But this never stopped him from making sure I was a part of what I loved. I was three, I didn't care about "The Drive" or "The Fumble" or "The Shot". All I cared about watching any game and wanting to throw like Bernie and catch like Ozzie. I wanted to hit and catch fly balls like Cory Snyder. I didn't care that Cleveland was "cursed" and hadn't won in over two and half decades. If there was a game on tv I wanted to watch it. If there was a ball in the house I was trying throw it or have someone  my Dad throw it to me!

My earliest live sporting event that I remember is the day my Dad took me to Cleveland Municipal Stadium to see an Indians game. To be honest with you I cant remember if they won or lost, but it really didn't matter. I had my Indians hat and shirt on, glove on my left hand ( like I had any chance of catching a foul ball--- on second thought this was the old stadium, I could have walked to a foul ball) and most of all I was with my Dad. I got to take my picture in front of a screen that had Cory Snyder on it...I didnt care if it wasn't really him, to me it was awesome. This was the first of so many sports memories I have with my Dad. He took my brother and I to the final pre-season practice/scrimmage the Browns had prior to Art Modell moving the team to Baltimore (This was my first major sports heartache). Then came the Indians of the 90's. Talk about excitement in Cleveland! Five Central Division Titles, Two American League Championships and World Series Appearances! 455 straight sell-outs! At the time my Dad had just got a new job and started working midnights, he then got job on days, began working on a college degree all while still making every little league game he possibly could. This was a whole different sacrifice, be we wont get in to that. My dad had every reason sit back and let us watch games on tv since his life was so crazy. Nope not a chance it didn't matter about his schedule or financial situation. Him and my mom would get up early the morning Indians tickets went on sale and sit in line...FOR HOURS. I cant remember a season during the 90's that we didn't atleast have a handful of tickets for. When the playoffs came there wasn't a game my Dad, my brother or I missed. There we would be edge of our seat, sweaty palms---and then Mom would come running in doing- what I can only describe as a dance- because the Indians hit a home run or took the lead (Thanks Mom). We were in Atlanta one summer- 1997 Kenny Lofton played for the Braves- for training for my Dad's job, as soon as we get up to the hotel lobby desk the host asks if we were interested in going to a Braves game. Of course my brother and I wanted to go! So my parents bought the tickets and took us to the game, I'm sure it was high on their list of things to do in Atlanta. It was awesome we went to the game decked out in Cleveland Indians gear...just two years after getting beaten in the World Series by the Braves...fans took it easy on us! I can go on and on telling stories about sports and my dad; like the time we were in Florida for vacation and they were having Qualifying for the Firecracker 400, he pulled our station wagon into the infield of Daytona Speedway backed it up to the fence and in high 90's heat let us watch for hours. Or another one of my fondest memories, the time we were back in Daytona and we decided on a spur of the moment to go to the race.It was the first race there after Dale Earnhardt's death. It was a night race, but you had to get there 8-10 hours early to get a spot in the infield. We sat in the sun (seemed like hottest day in Florida history), two NASCAR novice-- no food, no cooler and we got fried! We stayed for the race which was AMAZING to see live at night, at Daytona. These stories are just the tip of the Ice burg.

There are so many more memories that I have of sports and my Dad, watching sports, playing sports, arguing about sports! But these are the few that I will never forget. My Dad always asks me, " Do you remember any of  the things we did when you were younger?" Dad, heck yea  I remember... It's why I'm me, its why I eat, breath, and sleep sports. It's why when the Indians are 65-97 I still watch every game, Its why when the Browns have two winning seasons in twelve years I still go, Its why when LeBron James leaves Cleveland I still care. I am me because of you.

It may be the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but I don't care who wins...as long as my Dad's there.


-ANDY-
 
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY MOM! It wasn't always my Dad! One of my best live sporting events was with her! She got tickets and took my brother and I to the Cleveland Browns Expansion Draft! She bought us shirts, made sure we met Bernie Kosar, and sat us front row at the draft! This is definitely a memory I will never forget. There she is in the middle of the Canton Civic Center surrounded by Dawg Pound Veterans with her nine and twelve year old! Thanks Mom!
 
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