These great moments in sports have made me a convert
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By Savvas Tzionis, 3 Feb 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
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Most of us have grown up having a limited list of sports to which we hold an allegiance. In my case, it was predominantly Australian Rules Football.
However, over a number of years, I have learned to admire or even love some of the other sports around the globe.
Often, this involved a pivotal moment (or set of moments) where I became fond of a particular code of sport.
In the case of Australian Touring Car Racing, it was the 1985 Bathurst race where the dominance of Holden was finally ended by, of all cars, a Jaguar!
Not just that, but there were a plethora of different vehicles that competed. A BMW came second and an Alfa Romeo eighth! Being a good old socialist, it was good to see the wealth spread around.
The following is a summary list of my pivotal moments in other sports:
* Formula One. The Albert Park race in late 90s where Schumacher tried to run Villeuneve off the track in order to win the title.
* Rugby Union. Circa 1994, the match of the Gregan tackle
* Rugby League. Probably the State of Origin victory by Queensland, under Wally Lewis’ coaching, with the try after the bell.
* Football. The 1986 World Cup where Brazil and Maradona made me realise what a great sport the World Game is.
* Golf. Probably Greg Norman’s loss to Fuzzy Zoeller in the 1984 US Major
* American Football. A slow burn really. Channel 2′s 90 minute telecast in the early 90s was a perfect way for someone to learn about the sport.
Cricket is the odd sport out for me.
I have always played it and have always watched it. But there has never been a pivotal match and, in fact, in the early days I only played it because it was the only option in Australia.
But I learned to love it to the point where I now consider it to be my favourite sport at the moment.
It would be interesting to know from other Roar readers when they were ‘converted’ to a particular sport.
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Luke W said | February 3rd 2009 @ 8:11am | Report comment
I have always been a cricket/league fan. For other sports:
Australia Football: The Swans brilliant run to the 2005 Grand Final win. You couldn’t help but get swept up in the euphoria and the AFL has held my attention ever since.
Football: Australia qualifying for the World Cup. I had always been a casual fan of football, but that moment solidified me as a fan and now it is easily my favourite sport. From there my interests have spread to the EPL, Serie A, A-League, UCL, ACL and so much more.
Motorsport: Still winning me over but I sat through my first whole Bathurst last year which was a good start. Thoroughly entertained.
NFL: Superbowl every year. Still amazes that a final to a domestic competition can be so big.
Golf and rugby union are sports I cannot watch. I can understand why others can find them appealing but personally they are boring to me.
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
As a sidelight, I could write a list of moments when I was turned OFF a particular sport. e.g. the day Jason Gillespie made a TEST double century against Bangladesh. Test cricket had reached such a nadir with that moment that I was put off the sport for about 2 years.
Redb said | February 3rd 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Good article.
Rugby union – 1991 World Cup, particularly the semi against NZ. Campese although much aligned brought a lot of people over from other sports. Rugby has never really gone back to those heady days in terms of attracting my attention. The once in a generation players in a code like Campese make a lot of difference. I think the Swans in Sydney found Tony Lockett had the same effect.
Rugby league – pre Super league. Balmain Tigers with blokes Paul Sironen, Kangaroo tours in the early to mid 1990s, players such as ET, Meninga, Daley, Stuart, Clyde.
Basketball – the LA Lakers teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabar (spelling?),etc.
soccer- 2005 WC qualifier, EPL games featuring Fernando Torres, 2007 GF with Melb Victory, all added some flavour.
velodrome cycling – various Olympics and Commonweath games going back 20 years.
Redb
Pippinu said | February 3rd 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
The early years of the Brumbies in the then Super 12s attracted non-rugby people such as myself to the game.
OldManEmu said | February 3rd 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Field Hockey inspired by the Sydney Olympics tournament. I attended two mens games and three womens games. What a spectacle. The mens game is so different to that played by the women it is as though it IS a different game being played, but both have their beauty. The skill, stamina, teamwork and courage on display is amazing. Nikki Hudson is my favourite player. I now play in a very very social twilight mixed competition and it is a great game to play.
True Tah said | February 3rd 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Rugby union – 1995 WC final – before this, the sports I had been restricted to were futbol and rugby league, and only being allowed to play futbol and I was also brought up with the view that anything to do with South Africa was evil – decided to pull on a set of boots the year after that and haven’t looked back, that includes having a South African partner and holidaying there several times. The match itself was hardly a classic, but the circumstances surrounding the game were exceptional. Im not alone here, I know Bryan Habana was in the same boat, albeit with more talent in his little toe than I had!
NFL – watching Barry Sanders play, he was not the biggest bloke in the NFL and possibly not the fastest, but jesus he would have to have been one of the most agile blokes to play any team sport and was unbelievably explosive, sadly he never tasted success on Superbowl Sunday with the Lions. As a kid watching, I thought it must be a movie, there is no way this guy could be so damn hard to stop.
AFL – the Swans beating West Coast in 1996 to make their first ever final against the Kangaroos – I can remember Tony Lockett taking a mark just before the buzzer and sticking it between the sticks to win the game – however Im not a Swans fan, Ive grown to appreicate the Bulldogs (they have a lot of similarities with the North Syd Bears), but that game did put AFL on the map in Sydney.
I pretty much grew up with futbol and rugby league, so it would be hard to nominate a moment when I became converts.
Millster said | February 3rd 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Savvas is right – this thread should be accompanied by another on sporting turn-offs. Aust V India cricket at Sydney last year was a big one for me. England V France Rugby World Cup semi 2003 was another, and I was there – to see a game which rewarded the side playing so negatively and just flicking the ball to one good kicker, rather than the only team to score a try on the night has really made me question that code ever since.
Back on the positives, countless football examples but I love the game so I’ll choose from other sports.
I’ll watch a lot more tennis after seeing Nadal-Verdasco the other night. Astounding game in terms of skills and passion; close to perfection in sport.
The 1997 NRL grand final between Newcastle and Manly even in the midst of the Super-League split year got me into League (I’d just come over from WA with basically no idea of the game) and while I am pessimistic about its future I have nevertheless liked it as a sport ever since.
Michael Jordan for making me watch so many hours in admiration at a game which normally is everything I don’t like in a code.
Kostya Tzu made me switch from being a ‘punter’ with a general knowledge of the heavyweights to someone who far more admires the skills and technique of the light and middle weight divisions in boxing. While there are others in the world who have probably been better in history, he is the guy who made me turn from just a casual fan of the heavyweight/knockout Mike Tyson type of boxing match to really enjoy the tense, technical, tactical fights in that sport even when they end on points.
Redb said | February 3rd 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Millster,
yeah big fan of Kostya, before that Jeff Fenech got me into boxing.
Redb
ohtani's jacket said | February 3rd 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
I’ve watched rugby, cricket and tennis since I was a child.
There was a Rugby League boom in NZ in the late 80s and early 90s and I would credit State of Origin for getting me into league. For some reason I was a Penrith fan, but I also liked the North Sydney Bears. Supported NSW from the start and hated Queensland. My interest in league died with the split, though my favourite league memory is Newcastle beating Manly in 1997, IIRC. I got back into it a bit with the Warriors, but I hardly watch it these days.
American sports I was exposed to through pay-TV. I grew up on Jordan and the Dallas Cowboys. I never liked baseball, but enjoyed ice hockey. The only American sport I follow daily is the NBA, but I don’t have a team as such.
II got into Sumo from a young age and now I can follow it properly living in Japan.
Redb said | February 3rd 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
TT,
It was the Swans beating Essendon to get into the 1996 GF, I remember it painfully it was by one point.
Redb