Top Sports Memories, 2000-2009

In something resembling chronological order.

2000 - European Soccer Championships, Italy v France, The referre, Anders Frisk grants an (to me) unbelievable four minutes of stoppage time. Sylvain Wiltord of Frances scores in the fourth minute and David Trezeguet scores in overtime to beat a disheartened Italy, 2-1.

2000 - US Open, I went to New York to do research in the fall of 2000 during the middle of the US Open. Watching the night matches, particularly a stunning Gustavo Kuerten v Max Miryni, the lithe Brazillian vs. the extra-large Belarussian. Oddly, I missed the final between Sampras and Safin, and remember reading the headlines the next morning in disbelief.

2001 -Wimbledon, Federer v Sampras, At the start of the match, the commentators mentioned the degree to which the young Federer idolized Sampras, so I really started to feel excited for Federer as he moved closer and closer to victory. Then, at the end, the tears streaming down his face at having beaten his idol. Even though he would lose in the first round of Wimbledon the following year, it was this win against Sampras, on grass, at Wimbledon, that started Federer's transformation into a champion.

2002, Winter Olympics, Ice Hockey Championships, Yes, the Canadian men winning gold was good, avenging their defeat in Nagano, but the outcome of the game never really seemed in doubt. Instead it's the women's match the next day that truly electrified the country and sticks out as my defining memory.

2002, World Cup, Italy v s. Korea. This match had it all. Fantastic underdogs in South Korea, an Italian team of clear superiority but struggling to score goals, a Uruaguyan referree making questionable calls throughout. I don't think I yelled more at the TV at any other point in my life. Then, the pivotal moment came with Totti getting sent off for a challenge that he clearly won. I was stunned. I watched every match of the World Cup, but honestly, I can barely remember anything that happened after this game. The Irish probably felt the same way I did at this point as they did with Theirry Henry's own "Hand of God goal" (and also why that moment isn't on my list).

2003, Wimbledon, Federer wins and it actually feels like a new era.

2004 Game 6, Stanley Cup Final, Calgary v. Tampa Bay, Martin Gelinas, having scored the series winning goal in every round of the playoffs, scores the Stanley cup winning goal. The goal judge rules that the puck hit the goalposts and the game continues without stopping. The Lightening score, and the game proceeds to Tampa Bay for Game Seven where a demoralized Calgary team loses handedly. Post game analysis reveals that the puck struck the inside of the goalpost after clearly crossing the line.

2004 Game 7, World Series Semi-Finals, Boston v. Yankees, Yes, they would go on to win the World Series for the first time in forever, but the series against the Cardinals was a sweep. This was the series, against the Yankees, that would have made the story book ending with Johnny Damon lifting the ball past the outfield wall.

2005, World Series, I cheered for The White Sox throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s when they were always losing out to the Oakland A's. My wife and her familier were huge baseball fans and through them I started watching again. Except, they liked the Cubs. This was a very solitary victory.

2006, World Cup, England v Portugal, England loses on penalty kicks and the TV catches former Calgarian Owen Hargreaves crying. Despite all the pre-Tournment press about Hargreaves not being English enough (born in Canada, played in Germany) and not being good enough (despite winning Bundesliga and Champions League titles with Bayern Munich), he is named Man of the Match. His eventual transfer to Manchester united is greeted with open arms by the British press. Really, I think this is perhaps my top sports related memory of the decade.

Oh yeah, Italy beat France in the final and Zenedine Zidane got sent off for head butting Matterazi and I have a picture of my daughter celebrating while David Trezeguet cries, and I'm a petty, petty man for savouring that photo, but really it's all about Hargreaves.

2006, US Open, Andre Agassi retires at the US Open and I think everyone in my house cried.

2007 Superbowl, My wife was also a football fan, and had been slowly introducing me to the sport since 2005. At that time, the only team I could muster any sort of emotional connection to was the NY Giants. Their victory over the Pats was perhaps the most improbable thing ever, even to me, but man I loved it.

2008 Wimbledon, Federer v Nadal, Nadal wins in the greatest match ever played and everyone wonders if it's the end of an era.

2009 Stanley Cup Final, Detroit v. Pittsburgh, a replay of last year. Throughout the playoffs TSN is playing a commerical with Sidney Crosby. It's a photo of last year's final, the dying moments of the final game, with Crosby standing by the boards, the finality of his loss written across his face. In a voice-over, he states "I never want to be in this picture again." His barely contained intensity in the commercial underscored everything he did on ice during the Final series againts Detroit, becoming the youngest team captain of any professional sports team to win a championship. It is the only record he could set that Gretzky hadn't set first.