Barry Bonds
Ken Griffey Jr
Nolan Ryan
Randy Johnson
Ichiro
Football
Tom Brady,
Peyton Manning
Ray Lewis
Basketball
Jordan
Bird
Magic
Hockey
AO

Sport First Game / 1970 @ Fenway Sox Angels Tony C dropped a bomb

Baseball Hank Aaron/ Roberto Clemente/ Nolan Ryan/Mike Trout/ Griffey Jr.

Football Jack Lambert/Joe Greene/ Barry Sanders

Basketball Dr J/Larry Bird

Bull Fighting Manuel Benitez "El Cordobes"

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Mr. October/Ken Griffey Jr

Football Big Ben/Big Ben (only have seen one game IP)

Basketball Dr. J/Magic Johnson

Best I have seen
 

Baseball: my first MLB game was an exhibition game featuring Hank Aaron at the Albuquerque Dukes’ old park: 1976 Reds including Rose, Concepcion, Bench, etc. my grandparents took me to both games, great memories!

Football: Aikman, futbol is Messi, Di Maria, Sánchez, Vidal, Bravo in a Copa America game with my daughter.

Basketball: the Admiral played an exhibition game on the UT campus when I was a student. He was walking around campus before the game, he was HUGE.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Willie Mays (He was near the ent of his career) Lots of good players on the field that day...Rose, Bench, McCovey

Best player I have ever seen is most likely Trout.

Football Don't know...probably Bill Bergey Bengals vs. Jets...Namath wasn't playing.
Randy Moss

Mark Gastineau lighting up the Bills at 'Welcome Home, O.J., Night' in Buffalo in the 80's.

Dominique Wilkins making the Knicks look like they were a grade school church league team.

Pierre Turgeon on the ice. Holy crap could that man stick handle.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball __Joe DiMaggio____________ __Ted Williams______________

Football _Jim Brown_____________ _Tom Brady_______________

Basketball _Wilt Chamberlain_____________ Larry Bird________________

Hockey ______________ ________________

Baseball—Detroit’s Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell on a Sunday!
Basketball—Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Football—O.J. Simpson playing for USC
Hockey—A college game or two - but no memorable names

Baseball: Willie Mays, Willie Mays
Football: Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw
Basketball: Walt Frazier, Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Hockey: Eddie Giacomin, Wayne Gretzky
Boxing: Lennox Lewis, Lennox Lewis (I've only been to one fight, Lewis v. Klitschko)

Best I Have Seen
 

Have only been to MLB pro sports. 1959: Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox and Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Williw Mays. More recently: Frank Thomas

Jim

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Mickey Mantle (Bronx), Mickey Mantle (Bronx)

Football Scott Dierking (W. Lafayette), Joe Montana (W. Lafayette)

Basketball Bob Lanier (MSG), Magic Johnson (W. Lafayette)

Hockey Patrick Roy (Denver), Patrick Roy (Denver)

+1
 

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball -- Roberto Clemente; Willie Mays
Football -- Joe Namath; John Riggins
Basketball -- Walt Frazier; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Hockey -- Ed Giacomin; Alex Ovechkin

Baseball: Duke Snider ( Ebbets Field), Mickey Mantle (old Yankee Stadium)
Football: Frank Gifford (Polo Grounds). Peter Dawkins (West Point)
Basketball: Jerry West (Madison Square Garden) , Bod Cousy (Boston Garden)
Hockey: For me n/a

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Roberto Clemente / Roberto Clemente

Football Bill Fralic / Jerry Rice

Basketball Wilt Chamberlain / Chamberlain or Michael Jordan

Hockey Brett Hull / Brett Hull

Sport / First Game / Any Game
Baseball Rod Carew or Reggie Jackson / Rickey Henderson
Football Walter Payton / Dan Marino, Drew Brees, or Payton
Basketball Pete Maravich / Maravich or Julius Erving
Hockey Ron Francis / Mario Lemieux of Dominick Hasek

I saw games as a kid that I just don't remember, so I didn't count those. I saw Tony Dorsett at Pittsburgh when he came to play Tulane. I saw a bunch of Saints games from 1969-1973, but I honestly don't remember who we saw and who played. I saw the New Orleans Jazz numerous times. I remember Bob Love was amazing, and I remember being excited to see Dr. J. I don't remember too much of the rest. I've seen hundreds of NHL games, mostly in Carolina. Hard to say the best.

Just to mention basketball I think Kareem is still probably the best I've seen but the two that made the biggest impression, because they just seemed to be taking the game to a new level , were Magic as a sophomore in college and David Thompson as a freshman. I saw Johnson on what probably was an off-night but the sight of a 6 foot 9 kid playing point guard as skillfully as he did was a revelation, and Thompson not only was leaping out of the building but hitting jump shots from everywhere.

Seeing Erving live was really something too, his ability to defy gravity and make acrobatic moves had more of an impact in person than on TV.

Baseball: Pedro Martinez/ Ken Griffey Jr.
Basketball: Larry Bird/Magic Johnson
Football: Tom Brady/ Reggie White
Hockey: Cam Neely/Jaromir Jagr

Baseball - Brooks and Frank Robinson

Many others, but had the opportunity to see the O’s a lot when I was younger.

Football - Mike “Mad Dog” Curtis, Lawrence Taylor, Alan Page

- saw Unitas at the end of career, but he was my dads favorite along with Raymond Berry

Basketball- Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, Dr. J

- saw some other big names as well like Wilt and Jabbar...there up there as well

Hockey - Bobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers

Soccer - Pele, Franz Beckenbauer

Great Thread!

Baseball- First: George Brett. Best: George Brett/Nolan Ryan/Trout/Bonds/Griffey/Jeter

Football- First: Marcus Allen. Best: Joe Montana/Tom Brady/Patrick Mahomes 😀

Basketball (only college): First: Mitch Richmond. Best: Kevin Durant

Never been to a hockey game.

Baseball: Yaz, Brett, and Ripken.
Basketball: Paul Pierce
Football: Nobody of note on either team.

I was at the 1981 All star game in Cleveland. So that covers a lot. We got there and watched batting practice. Reggie Jackson was shagging balls in the outfield. The Cleveland fans were giving him grief. Then he caught one, and the fans were begging him for the ball. He walks over to the stands and points at a fan, acts like he’s going to give it to him, then shakes his head no and throws it back to the infield with a big smile on his face. Funniest thing I ever saw. Then he really heard it from the fans.

Best player Pujols

Best pitcher Greg Maddux

Great thread, Frank!!
 

Sport --- First Game --- Any Game

Baseball : Fred Lynn, Pedro Martinez

Football : Steve Largent, Tom Brady

Basketball : Larry Bird, Michael Jordan

Hockey : Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball: Stan Musial Enos Slaugther Pee Wee Reese Pete Reiser

Baseball Cliff Johnson, Dave Kingman

Football Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell

Basketball Moses Malone, James Harden

Hockey Gordie Howe, Gordie Howe

Soccer Kyle Rote Jr., Brian Ching

Boxing Ron "Tequila" Collins

Golf Greg Norman, Tiger Woods

Auto Racing Niki Lauda, Geoff Brabham

I'm sure I think of some more sports, later.

Baseball: Bake McBride (he signed my ball before the game and had a couple hits)/Mark Grace (best? maybe not. Favorite)

Football: Walter Payton/Walter Payton

Basketball: Lebron James/Lebron James

Hockey: Jari Kurri (Kings)/Patrick Kane

On second thought, Grace was the best. You couldn't ask for a more perfect baseball player or teammate.

Cheers,
Geno

First Best
Baseball
Ron Santo/Jenkins Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas or Barry Bonds*
Football
Dick Butkus/Gale Sayers Walter Payton & Joe Montana
Basketball:
Chamberlain/West Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Lebron James
Hockey :
I don't really remember, once mid-70's Blackhawks: Tony Esposito maybe Stan Mikita was there, against the Canadians maybe Guy Lafluer. ..... Haven't been there much since....no one as good as those guys when I do go -- I missed Mario and Gretzky.
Soccer -- the Chicago Sting weren't very good and I don't remember who they played when I went ...It wasn't Cosmos who were loaded with big names.
I did see Tennis: McEnroe play Connors and Lendl also Serena and Venus

Great thread idea!


Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Kenny Lofton Ken Griffey, Jr.

Football Lynn Swann Drew Brees

Basketball Mark Price Glenn Robinson

Hockey Marty St. Louis Sidney Crosby

Live
 

See Above i actually did it right the first time lol

Baseball: Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux
Football: Herschel Walker

Best Player
 

Here are mine. The Baseball and Basketball games were the first games I ever went to. I have never been to an NHL game.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Jim Bunning - First Game 1962

Football Ken Stabler - Oakland vs Detroit

Basketball Bill Russell - First Game vs. Detroit 1967

Hockey Marc St. Louis - Indianapolis

Russell was unreal. He only scored 3 points but, had 17 rebounds and 11 assists and at LEAST 10 blocked shots. (They didn't keep that stat) He ate Joe Strawder alive. Bunning gave up 12 hits in 7 2/3 and won 5-2. Stabler torched the Lions.

first game any game
 

Sport First Game / Any Game

Baseball: Roberto Clemente / Willie Mays (Trout?)

Football: cannot recall

Basketball: Michael Jordan & Larry Bird / I've been to only one pro game

Hockey: Stan Mikita / Mario Lemieux

Baseball: Willie Mays

Basketball: Marvin Barnes

Football: David Means.

Baseball, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds
Football, Joe Montana, LaDanian Tomlinson
Basketball, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins
Hockey, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux

the next Babe Ruth
 

When I was a kid the first game I ever went to was on Patrol Day at old DC stadium.... Don Lock hit 2 home runs and I went home thinking the guy is the next Babe Ruth!!

Baseball Bob Gibson, Bob Gibson
Football Gayle Sayers (In high school), Payton Manning
Basketball Paul Silas, Bill Russell
Hockey Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky

Sport ...... First Game ....... Any Game

Baseball: Cal Ripken Jr, ...... July 1, 1996 with Clemens/Canseco vs Rivera/Boggs/Jeter

Football: Floyd Little, ...... Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady

Basketball: David Thompson, ...... Michael Jordan

Hockey: Lanny McDonald, ...... Jaromir Jagr