Top 5

What do you talk about when you have nothing to talk about? How about a list? It's simple, easy and fun. Good times are shared by all.

Since I am a little more sports-minded than even my mind would like to be, I figured why not start with the top five sports moments of your lifetime. For whatever reason, they are special to you. FYI, I was born in March of '86 so if you see me throwing in Buckner's error or the Miracle on Ice, you can totally call me on it.

5. Kentucky Chomps New #1 - The year was 2003 and Florida basketball was apparently building a tradition. Fresh off the heels of becoming the new top team in the country floppy-haired Matt Walsh, greasy-haired Billy Donovan and no-haired Anthony Roberson ventured to Rupp Arena to take on the Cats. It was a slaughter. At no point during the pre-game did I suspect that we'd be fortunate enough to defeat the Gators by ten points, much less put them packing for Gainsville before the start of the second half. It was the kind of game that a fan only dreams of- Your rival on your court being put to shame as millions watch on ESPN. It was unbelievable. And I got my first car that day too so that was cool for other reasons.

4. Baseball returns after 9/11 - This is not so much about sports as it was about making things in general seem normal. All of us that were fortunate enough not to have lost someone on the day of the attacks were affected in a different sort of way. Not that baseball is the mold of a society or that I would be so foolish as to say that, but frankly I was scared. I think we all were. The hours following would give us few details and the one's that we got were vague at best. But a week after the events, we dried the tears and came out of the shelter to see that life could go on. And waiting to help us escape (if only for 2 and half or 3 hours) was baseball. The games itself are nowhere near as memorable as the normalcy that came with turning on the television and being able to watch a game that night.

3. Giants win Super Bowl XLII - What's with all the somewhat recent stuff, right? Well, this is one of the biggest shockers that I've ever seen and can only now (three months later) accept what happened. As a Jets fan, any time that the Patriots are beaten is a good day. However, after the amount of hype that went into the 2007 Patriots season, it was only fitting that the game itself crumble below them. The Giants front four was amazing all night, but with that late Moss touchdown I thought they were going to be able to squeak out another one. But, amongst other things, "The Catch" was able to rebound the Giants and allow Peyton's little brother to hoist the trophy.

2. Baseball Strikes Out - The last labor stoppage that I've ever cared about happened in '94. If you've been laid off or out of work since then, I'm sorry. When baseball not only announced the end of its season, World Series and even tossed around the idea of replacement players (Yuck) my eight year old world was crushed. Baseball is the sport that I loved since I was an infant. There is another memorable moment in my life that took place two years earlier at old Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati when I was constantly yelling at Andre Dawson from our right field seats during a Cubs visit. I digress. At the time I probably did not even realize what the strike was concerning, but I did understand that no World Series would be played or games would be watched.

1. Laettner Kills My Six Year Old Soul - If I would have known the word, "Fuck," or that it was an adequate word to use in that situation, I would have screamed it. Luckily, I was too young to understand the passion that would evolve from a general love for Kentucky basketball. Having an older brother makes you understanding when it comes to sports, but I think even he (all of ten) was at a loss. Looking back at the game now, I still watch it every time it comes on ESPN Classic. Laettner played an amazing game and our guys battled every last second. There is still some bitterness that comes with it, but most of that is washed away when I hear other people talk about what a truly great basketball exposition that was the game. BTW, Pitino should have guarded Hill on the baseline. I'm pretty sure I remember Clyde saying that amidst the disappointment.