Anybody that knows me, knows I’m a die-hard Cardinal baseball fan. I remember having a small transistor radio as a very young boy and listening to Harry Carey call the Redbird games.

You’re right. I’m old. I don’t deny that. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning, but I can remember watching the 1964 World Series when the Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games. Go figure….

I remember Ken Boyer’s grand slam in Game 4, Tim McCarver’s go-ahead homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 and Bob Gibson’s pitching to clinch the World Series title in Game 7.

That was a long, long time before cable. We used this thing called an antenna back then. Teachers hooked up a TV at Assumption Grade School and we got to watch the games. In 1964, the World Series games were all played in the afternoon.

I remember being in the garage with my dad in August 1971 listening to Gibson record the final three outs of his no-hitter against the Pirates; Roger Freed’s ninth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam to beat the Astros in May 1979; and, yes, I heard the call when Glen Brummer stole home in the 12th inning to beat the Giants in 1982.

Lou Brock is my favorite player, so I was watching when he got his 3,000th hit – against the Cubs, which made it even better -- and I heard Jack Buck call his record-setting stolen base in San Diego.

And what Cardinal fan will ever forget Ozzie Smith’s “Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!” home run to beat the Dodgers in the 1985 NLCS and David Freeze’s “We’ll see you tomorrow night” heroics in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series?

Unfortunately, I was also watching when umpire Don Denkinger blew the call at first base in the 1985 Series. If we could have sent a review to New York then, that call would have been reversed and the Cards would have another banner hanging at Busch Stadium.

I’m also a huge Illini fan. I actually have memories of when Jerry Colangelo, Tal Brody and Dave Downey wore the orange and blue in the 1960s. I also remember the Illinois football team, led by Dick Butkus and Jim Grabowski, beating Washington 17-7 in the 1964 Rose Bowl.

And then there were the two Final Four teams – the Nick Anderson/Kenny Battle/Kendall Gill Flying Illini in 1989 and the Deron Williams/Dee Brown squad from 2005.

I was actually a season ticket holder that year. My favorite game was the night Illinois beat Wake Forest to become the No. 1 team in the nation. That was also the first “Paint the Hall Orange” game and I don’t believe I’ve ever been in a louder venue than the Assembly Hall was that night.

Sadly, I also remember the 68-67 loss Illinois suffered to Austin Peay in the opening round of the 1987 NCAA Tourney.

There are also games that changed the course of sports history. Two of those were NCAA basketball games and I watched them both.

How many remember seeing the Lew Alcindor/John Wooden-led UCLA Bruins play Elvin Hayes and the Houston Cougars in the Astrodome? That was a legitimate “Game of the Century” way back in January 1968. The Cougars prevailed 71-69 in a game I believe increased the popularity of NCAA basketball immensely.

And as far as the NCAA Tournament, it had to be when Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans played Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores for the title in 1979. In my opinion, that was the game that paved the way for the tournament to be the spectacle it is today.

Remember Boston’s Carlton Fisk standing at home plate waving his hands, trying to keep his drive down the line fair at Fenway Park in 1975? How about injured Kirk Gibson’s home run off Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Dodgers a Game 1 win in the 1988 World Series? And remember Jack Buck’s call – “I don’t believe what I just saw?”

I sat down and started writing my list of memories and was a little surprised what all popped into my head. Like my dad and grandpa were one-time fans of pro wrestling. Believe it or not, long before Hulk Hogan ruled the ring, there was Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, Gorilla Monsoon and Wahoo McDaniel. How in the world can I remember those guys?

I also used to watch the PBA on Saturday afternoon and can remember Dick Weber, Don Carter and Earl Anthony when they were the top bowlers in the country.

I also love to watch golf, even though my son believes it’s the perfect medication if you want to take a nap. I have two favorite memories. Almost every golf fan will recall when Jack Nicklaus made his Sunday charge to win the 1986 Masters.

And for whatever reason, I remember the final round of a tournament that Jerry Pate ultimately won. I don’t remember the tournament or anything else about it other than a shot Pate made that cleared a water obstacle and set up a late birdie. But I remember the English broadcaster Peter Allis saying in a perfect British accent – “what courage it took to make that shot.”

For some reason, playing golf and being courageous don’t seem to go together. But that’s what Allis said and I have never forgotten it. And as my family can attest, if a golfer makes a key shot late in the final round, I have been known to repeat those words often through the years – in a not-so-perfect British accent.

I am not a hockey fan. Never have been – except after hearing that the USA upset Russia in the semifinals of the 1980 Olympics. I heard the replay of Al Michaels’ famous “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” And then I watched every second of the USA’s 4-2 victory over Finland to win the gold medal. That’s the only hockey match I’ve ever watched from start to finish.

I’ve never been a huge NBA fan either. I remember following the New York Knicks when Walt “Clyde” Frazier was playing for them, largely because he was a Southern Illinois Saluki; and I did watch some during the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls glory days.

I’m sure you’re wondering about my football memories. How could I leave out the NFL?

I do remember watching the 1967 Ice Bowl when Bart Starr scored on a one-inch quarterback sneak to give the Green Packers a 21-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL championship game and give them a berth in the first-ever Super Bowl.

I remember Super Bowl III when Joe Namath fulfilled his guarantee that the Jets would beat the seemingly invincible Baltimore Colts. And then there was the Terry Bradshaw-to-Franco Harris “Immaculate Reception.” I had just finished Christmas shopping in Decatur and was listening to that on the radio in my car.

But, believe it or not, as a young boy my favorite football was played by the old American Football League. At that time in the NFL, it was a “run first, run often” offensive approach. But I much preferred the more wide open play of the AFL. It was fun and it was entertaining.

I was a George Blanda-Billy Cannon-Houston Oilers fan. But I can still recall some of the stars that played in the AFL during the 1960s. Who remembers former U.S. Senator Jack Kemp being quarterback of the Buffalo Bills and his hard-running fullback Cookie Gilchrist? And how about quarterback Jon Hadl and speedy receiver Lance Alworth with the San Diego Chargers? And then there was Babe Parilli, quarterback of the old Boston Patriots many, many years before anybody heard of Tom Brady.

In addition to all this, I also have a couple memories that involve Effingham basketball teams.

I was sitting in the Assembly Hall in 1970 when St. Anthony took on the mighty LaGrange Lions in an opening-round game of the IHSA State Tournament. And like the majority of the people there that afternoon, by the fourth quarter I was cheering like I had been a Bulldogs fan my entire life.

And in 1980, I was covering the state tournament for the Canton Daily Ledger. I was either sitting with fellow journalists court-side or sprawled out on the Assembly Hall floor taking photos. I vividly remember Uwe Blab and Mitch Arnold and cheering for the Hearts in the championship game against Russell Cross and Chicago Manley.

Little did I know then that I’d be covering and cheering for these same teams all these years later.

If all this proves nothing else, it proves I’ve probably spent too much of life watching, listening, reading or covering sports. But I wouldn’t trade any of these memories. They have all helped to shape my love of sports, of competing and the many life lessons that can be learned from sports.

I hope you’ve enjoyed all this. And I hope you will send me your favorite sports memories. Again, go to our Facebook, where you will also find this article, and reply; or email me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

I look forward to hearing from you.

And I look forward to the return of sports.