Matt’s take: The Drive, Magic and an earthquake defined my childhood

To an 11-year-old kid, there was nothing more popular than the Chicago Bears in 1986. The Super Bowl shuffle, the annihilation of the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and, heck, William “Refrigerator” Perry had a G.I. Joe action figure that you could send away for.

Then, on Jan. 11, 1987, everything changed. John Elway hit Mark Jackson on a 5-yard touchdown in the AFC Championship Game and The Drive was born. Suddenly, the Broncos were the “it” team, making the cover of Sports Illustrated because of Elway.

I had to watch the games in my room by myself in an old wooden chair. You see, if I didn’t keep two of the legs of the chair off the ground — in my mind at least — Denver wouldn’t play well.

Luckily for my family the neurotic behavior wore off as I got older. I still remember where I was during other sports moments as a kid.

Oct. 17, 1989: I was eating dinner with my parents when I heard static sounds coming from the TV in the living room. I thought something was wrong with it. The pre-game show for the World Series was interrupted by an earthquake. I remember Al Michaels saying that he didn’t know if they were on the air or not. We were eating goulash.

Nov. 7, 1991: I was working on a keychain in a high school class. It was flat and silver with “Magic” in gold and “32” in purple. I was a huge fan of Magic Johnson and the Lakers. On this date Magic retired from the NBA because of HIV.

Chhun’s take: Sports shaped my upbringing

As a Thailand-born Cambodian immigrant, I learned early that sports helped me connect with people.

A few years after we moved to America, I remember feeling scared when my mom and I — all alone in our San Francisco apartment — heard police sirens while so many people were yelling and screaming outside. It turned out that the city was celebrating a 49ers Super Bowl victory.

Through the years, a bevy of sports moments have taken residence in my mind. I think about how they made me feel. And just like Matt, I remember where I was, what I was doing.

So, here are some of my favorite sports moments.

June 19, 2016: I’m a huge fan of LeBron James and Cavs during this season. So, I was pumped to grab a beer at my favorite brewery in downtown Colorado Springs. And this was on a day when I had hiked a 14er. I watched an incredible performance before happily walking home.

June 25, 2008: This was a nice treat. A colleague and I were having a post-work meal at a sports bar in Salt Lake City when I found myself, as a Fresno State grad, watching the Bulldogs win the NCAA baseball national title. I’m sure no one else in the bar cared.

January 26, 2020: This was painful. I never knew I’d feel that way about an athlete. I remember being with some friends at the same favorite brewery in downtown Springs. We all thought the early news reports were wrong. Sadly, it wasn’t.

John Elway against the Cleveland Browns in the 1987 AFC Championship game.

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