Our favorite local sports memories

Thursday, June 10, 2010 | midnight

FOUL! I attended a Las Vegas 51s game back in 2004 (when the affiliate was the Dodgers, my favorite team) as part of a company outing, and I was nestled on the third-base side along with my co-workers. Most games I bring my glove, just in case a foul pop-up gets hit my way. For some reason, I chose not to do that on this particular night. Figures.

Up comes the batter, and he hits a foul laser straight at our group. One of my friends was completely unaware anything was coming her way, and I truly thought an ER visit lay ahead. But as fate would dictate, it grazed her hair and continued on its merry way—right into my hip. I was a bit miffed at my shitty reflexes, but better it land in my fleshy, marshmallow-like midriff than on a fellow co-worker’s melon. I took one for the team, and it felt … ow. –Ken Miller

THE RIGHT MOVE In the summer of ’98, watching an AAU basketball game in a sweaty local high-school gym, I witnessed a move I wouldn’t believe possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Finding his path along the right sideline cut off by a defender, future Florida Gators point guard Brett Nelson pushed the ball downcourt with his right hand, zagged to his left and, yes, met up with the ball, in stride, behind the helpless defender. Oh yeah, and then Nelson tossed up a half-court alley-oop pass to future NBA star Carlos Boozer for the dunk. A scouting Mike Krzezewski was there to see it. So was Roy Williams. And thankfully, so was I. –Spencer Patterson

SOMETHING IN THE AIR My favorite memory is actually from just a few weeks ago. My parents came out from Chicago for one of their two yearly visits to the desert, and for my dad’s 59th birthday, I bought us two tickets to the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. My father had never seen a prize fight, and it was one sporting event he truly wanted to take in.

The fight was relatively ho-hum—as most Mayweather fights are—but just the buzz of being there that night, with all of the electricity in not just the arena, but throughout the entire hotel and casino, was well worth it. It’s a true Vegas-style sports experience that everyone needs to take in at least once. And, no, I’d rather not share how much I had to drop for those tickets. –Ryan Greene

BARF! When I showed up to the gym to interview UFC fighter Frank Mir before UFC 100, I didn’t really know what to expect. I figured I would see him practice takedowns, pummel his striking coaches and work on his ground game. The only bodily fluid I anticipated was sweat. Lots of sweat.

Mir’s training partner, Forrest Griffin, had been sparring with him in the cage for a few minutes when one of Griffin’s chest kicks accidentally caught Mir in the throat, activating the old gag reflex. Mir insta-puked right in the cage before catching his breath and getting right back to his training. –Allison Duck