"A Trophy Carries Dust, Memories Last Forever"

Not too long ago I was sitting in Johnson Coliseum, watching the Kats play, and I had some what of a mushy moment. As I watched all the "new age" Kat Krazies carry on a tradition that I had helped to start, I began to think of all the great memories I've had in that place. From Boney Watson's bank shot three to win the game in the tourney, to seeing Eddy Fobbs swat balls 4 rows deep into the stands, all the way to "Hi, my name is; Bo Quinn," the memories run deep. Then I went deeper and realized how many great sports memories I've had in general. So here are my top 7 sports memories, I hope you enjoy and even share with me a few of your favorite moments as well.

#7- The Roof at Hollemon Field: Let's face it, Hollemon field wasn't the nicest place to watch a baseball game. It was hot, didn't have lights, and the Kats weren't always the greatest teams in the conference. But some of my best memories were up on the bathroom roof, talking trash to the opposing teams bullpen and watching Gunner Herrera climb everything in sight. When the Kats played their final game there it felt as if a piece of me was shutting down with it.

#6- The Dome: The first major league game I can ever remember going to was when i was 8 years old. It was Reds vs. Astros at the Astrodome. The feeling I got walking through the tunnel and seeing, the field, and the crowd, and the scoreboard could be compared to when Dorothy stepped out of her house and into Oz for the first time. The part of the game I remember most, was flipping the seat next to me, up and down, just being a typical little kid, and having Barry Larkin hit a frozen rope line drive off the seat two seats down from me. That's when i learned to always pay attention at baseball games.

#5- The Comeback: On August 6th 2001, I watched the greatest comeback in Major League Baseball history. The Seattle Mariners were playing the Cleveland Indians and had jumped out to a 14-2 lead. My dad came in frequently to tell me the game was over and I was an idiot. I kept faith and the Indians scored 3 runs in the 7th inning, 4 runs in the 8th inning and 5 runs in the 9th inning, the tying runs coming on an Omar Vizquel triple that scored Will Cordero, Einar Diaz, and Kenny Lofton. When Jolbert Cabrera singled to score Lofton in the 11th inning, it completed the greatest game I've ever seen.

#4- First Hit: When I was 4 years old I got my first baseball bat. A plastic bat and ball set my cousin had given me for my birthday. I took it out into the yard and had my dad toss me a few. After a couple swings and misses, I finally lined a screamer over my dad's head. As i rounded the imaginary bases and watch my dad chasing down the ball, I began falling in love with the game.

#3- The Shot: In 2003, the Sam Houston State Bearkats made the finals of the Southland Conference basketball tournament. My mom, (the most awesome mom in the world by the way) got a few friends and me out of school early so we could get to the game and get our seats, since the game was on ESPN. The game, which was against Sam's bitter rival Stephen F. Austin, was close for 44 minutes. That is until the legendary Donald Cole, drilled a three pointer in the closing seconds of overtime for a 69-66 victory. Thrill and excitement, poured over me as we stormed the court and celebrated my teams birth in the NCAA tournament.

#2- Going Yard: Anybody that knows my sports history, knows that I idolize Jim Thome. When I was 9, I got to see him in person for the first time ever, at The Ballpark in Arlington. Jim didn't disappoint. He crushed a towering upper deck home run to right field. The best part about it was that I was in the first deck. Seeing a ball that my idol hit, fly straight over my head, is one of the coolest things I've ever experienced in my life.

#1- Weekend Getaway: The last tournament of my senior year in baseball was in a town named Jasper, Texas. Our coach was from around the area, so we spent the weekend at his lake house there. I will leave it up to the imagination about the events that took place that weekend with 17 high school baseball players all under one roof. The guys who were there and who read this, I'm sure will smile at the memories they have of the weekend, but I will say, the bonds and memories we made that weekend will last the rest of my life.