Most amped up / nervous you've been leading up to a Brewer game

[NYChez]

With the off-the-charts NFC championship game being played this weekend, I was thinking about situations where the Brewers have put me in a similar frame of mind.

#1 for me is game 162 against the Cubs in 2008. That may have been the most nervous I've ever been about a sporting event. In baseball, with the payroll discrepancy and fewer teams making the playoffs, you never know when your shot for a playoff berth may be your last for a long time. It would have been crushing to the Brewers to lose that game - and making it against the Cubs' B squad would have made it that much worse. When the score was 1-0 Cubs for so long I was close to losing my mind. Instead, Braun and Sabathia turned it into the most exciting moments in 25 years for the franchise.

With the Packers / Bears, I have a feeling even if the Packers lose, that they'll have similar opportunities in upcoming years. Even with so much at stake, there doesn't seem to be quite as much at stake as the Brewers had in October 2008.

Another aspect is imagine a game 7 NLCS between the Brewers and Cubs. I thought of this and realized that I have much more hatred for Cubs fans than I do Bears fans. I think Bears fans respect the game more (even their outliers are fairly reasonable), whereas Cubs fans typically know little about the game and have outliers who are flat-out punks.

[MNBrew]

Game 5, 1982 ALCS, all the way up 'til Coop's hit fell in.

 

'08 game #162, too.

[brewtank34]

Every year on Opening Day, I feel this jacked. It's a fresh year and we're all in first place. The feeling that this could be a good season all is pretty big to me. Placing that importance on the first game of the year I understand is foolish, but it still gets me almost as jacked up as I am right now with the Pack! Go PACK!

[davego]

Game #7 of '82 World Series.

[MillerParkSouth]

I was in physical pain I was so stressed out during the last game of the '08 season. I expect tomorrow to be a fairly similar experience, with hopefully a similar result, haha.

[TCSM]

08' #162 for me as well. I actually have Braun's homerun during that game bookmarked just so I can re-watch it over and over haha.

 

Here's a link for anyone interested (also has his game winning grand slam on the same page)... Braun Homerun(s)

[hawing]

In the life of the brewerfan.net forum, Game 162 in 2008 would surely be the winner to date. This linked thread is one of my all time favorites on this site.

 

1982 was my first year following the Brewers, and for some reason I don't remember being nervous before the games. Of course, I also remember watching footage of the 1982 post-Series parade with 100% confidence that the Brewers would win in 1983. (The naivete of youth - catch it!)

 

For me, it was 9/28/2008 as well, and I'd been semi-dreading it for months in advance, pretty much since the 2008 schedule was released and it was apparent that the last home game opponent would be the Cubs. Before that one swing in the bottom of the 8th, I didn't enjoy the game a whole lot.

[Funketown]

1) Game 162. Need I say more?

2) Every home game I've attended against the Cubs.

[BrewCrewForever]

Game 162 in 2008, I was just born in 1982 so I can't claim to remember game 7 of the World Series. Game 162 in 2008 will always be special to me and I will never forget that game or day. I was pretty amped and nervous for game 1 and game 3 of the NLDS in 2008 as well. The whole town was buzzing there was something special in the air, especially before game 3 at home, it was amazing and Dave Bush will forever be in my heart for his pitching performance in that game.

[AJAY]

Like many of you, game #162 of 2008 was the most nerve-racking sports experience of my life. I was terrified the Brewers were going to lose that day, and I was completely dreading a long miserable winter of tears and disappointment. I guess when you are a Brewers fan, you kind of get accustomed to failure and maybe you expect it.

 

I remember waking up that morning and I had to remind myself over and over that there was no relationship between all of the misery of the last 26 years and today's game. I must have stood in front of a mirror and reminded myself that many times. That helped me get over the losing mindset a little bit. I was feeling a little better.

 

I remember going to the ballpark early and seeing the Brewers warming up on the field. I remember staring at each player and wondering what was going to happen that day. I remember yelling out "Get the Job Done . . . Get the Job Done". I remember pacing around in the concourse like a nervous wreck.

 

I remember the Brewers trailing until the 7th inning. I was feeling sick. When Corey Hart struck out on a horrible pitch with the bases loaded, I went ballistic. 26 years of angst was coming out. When Counsell finally walked to force in the tying run, there was this incredible sense of relief. But what was going to happen next?

 

Both the Brewers and Mets were tied heading into the 8th inning of their respective games. It was a scary feeling knowing that after 161 games and 7 innings, the entire fate of the whole era was going to come down to the last two innings. All those hours following the team for so many years, and now it was coming down to this.

 

Never felt more nervousness when it comes to sports in all my life.

 

Of course, you all know how it ended http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[brewers4eric]

The final game of the 1982 regular season against Baltimore. The losses before that game weren't televised in northeast Iowa, so the sick feeling in my stomach grew in severity right up until the point where the Brewers recorded the last out. Like many others, I get the same feeling whenever we face the Cubs, and can't even bear to watch the games.

[RockCoCougars]

The final game of the 1982 regular season against Baltimore. The losses before that game weren't televised in northeast Iowa, so the sick feeling in my stomach grew in severity right up until the point where the Brewers recorded the last out. Like many others, I get the same feeling whenever we face the Cubs, and can't even bear to watch the games.

I have to agree with this one. I was fairly confident that the Brewers had pulled one of the all time choke jobs, going from 3 up on Thursday to a must win on Sunday. Not only that, but you are playing on the road against Jim freaking Palmer and with the added mojo of Earl Weaver's impending retirement going against you.

[whizkid]

I agree with the last game of the season in '82. Not going to the playoffs at all with that team would have been worse than losing in the playoffs. Losing the WS was bad but not as bad as not going at all would have been.

[reillymcshane]

I can put my finger on two games.

 

The last game of the '82 season - watched it on TV and remember being so pumped up. I got to go to the fifth game of the world series that year as well, and while that was amazing, it wasn't do or die. I barely remember game 6 of the series, and remember game 7 as a letdown. Perhaps since I was 18 at the time I saw a bunch of playoff appearances in our future (little did I know). But of all those games, that last game of the year was the one that sticks out most.

 

That leads to the last game of 2008. Friends of ours (Cub fans) gave us tickets - saying 'it meant more to you guys than us'. I took my 10 year old son. I have to say this was electric. I was so nervous. I had sat through 26 years of crap, and we finally had a chance. I think that made this game so crazy - before, during and after. Being able to experience it with my son made it all the more special.

[owbc]

For me, it was the playoff win over the Phillies in 2008. I had to work during game #162 and didn't get a chance to show any emotion after they won. I had been waiting my whole life to go to a playoff game at Miller Park and it was such a thrill to be there. It exceeded all of my expectations, even though they didn't clinch anything.

 

Another memory that comes to mind is from the 1997 season. For many, this was in the middle of the down years, but I was 11 years old and I loved the Brewers more than anything. At the end of July, the Brewers had managed to rattle off a 9-game winning streak to get back in the playoff hunt, including 4 wins in 2 days over the Toronto Blue Jays. Steve Woodard's 8 IP, 1 hit defeat of Roger Clemens occurred during that streak. For the potential 10th win in a row, Steve Woodard was back on the mound and a huge crowd (for those days) of almost 45,000 (about half of them were walk-ups) caused the game to be delayed for 20 minutes so they could reach their seats. Woodard lasted 2 innings and the Brewers fell down 13-0 before losing 14-4.

 

I also have to mention the last game at County Stadium. I was looking forward to that one for a long time, especially after the crane accident and the heavy rain that caused about 1,000 people to show up out of an announced attendance of 55,992 for the final game of the season. It is hard to believe that a new generation of Brewers fans is now growing up that doesn't remember County Stadium or all the excitement leading up to that final game and then the opening of Miller Park.

[RockCoCougars]

I also have to mention the last game at County Stadium. I was looking forward to that one for a long time, especially after the crane accident and the heavy rain that caused about 1,000 people to show up out of an announced attendance of 55,992 for the final game of the season. It is hard to believe that a new generation of Brewers fans is now growing up that doesn't remember County Stadium or all the excitement leading up to that final game and then the opening of Miller Park.

I was there for whatever reason- I think that I was under the false impression that you had to show up to get a certificate for a County Stadium brick or something.... it was brutal. I remember how cold and miserable it was, and I endured about two hours before I left. They had to get the game in because of Cincinnati playoff implications, and after I left I drove the hour and a half home, and the game was just getting underway. It was supposed to be the last game but the crane accident delayed it a year. The actual last game was much more entertaining (not the game, but the 'pageant' afterward).

[owbc]

I was there for whatever reason- I think that I was under the false

impression that you had to show up to get a certificate for a County

Stadium brick or something.... it was brutal. I remember how cold and

miserable it was, and I endured about two hours before I left.

I think it was supposed to start at 3. We got there at 4 and stayed until about 5. We went to our assigned seats, which were 3/4 up in the last section of the upper deck. There were maybe 1,000 people in the whole stadium at the time. It was a very sad day, I consider it one of the low points of that era. The days after the crane collapse were terrible, but there was so much focus on what happened that we never really thought about the implications. It wasn't until I showed up that day and sat for an hour watching the rain that it sunk in--Miller Park wasn't opening in 2000 and there was absolutely nothing to look forward to for another year.

[RockCoCougars]

I was there for whatever reason- I think that I was under the false

impression that you had to show up to get a certificate for a County

Stadium brick or something.... it was brutal. I remember how cold and

miserable it was, and I endured about two hours before I left.

I think it was supposed to start at 3. We got there at 4 and stayed until about 5. We went to our assigned seats, which were 3/4 up in the last section of the upper deck. There were maybe 1,000 people in the whole stadium at the time. It was a very sad day, I consider it one of the low points of that era. The days after the crane collapse were terrible, but there was so much focus on what happened that we never really thought about the implications. It wasn't until I showed up that day and sat for an hour watching the rain that it sunk in--Miller Park wasn't opening in 2000 and there was absolutely nothing to look forward to for another year.

Could have been worse-I really feel bad for those that paid big bucks to ticket brokers for tickets to the 'last game at County Stadium' prior to the crane accident. I went to a lot of games in brutal weather at County, but that one may have been the worst. The day the actual final game was played was beautiful weather.

[mtrebs]

I also have to mention the last game at County Stadium. I was looking forward to that one for a long time, especially after the crane accident and the heavy rain that caused about 1,000 people to show up out of an announced attendance of 55,992 for the final game of the season. It is hard to believe that a new generation of Brewers fans is now growing up that doesn't remember County Stadium or all the excitement leading up to that final game and then the opening of Miller Park.

I was there for whatever reason- I think that I was under the false impression that you had to show up to get a certificate for a County Stadium brick or something.... it was brutal. I remember how cold and miserable it was, and I endured about two hours before I left. They had to get the game in because of Cincinnati playoff implications, and after I left I drove the hour and a half home, and the game was just getting underway. It was supposed to be the last game but the crane accident delayed it a year. The actual last game was much more entertaining (not the game, but the 'pageant' afterward).

I was at that game as well. I remember still trying to tailgate in the cold/rain using umbrellas to keep us and the grill as dry as possible. Our seats were in the upper deck outfield on the third base side and there was barely anyone around us. The biggest selling item for the vendors was hot chocolate because it was so cold and nasty out. They played footage from some of the other games going on around the country on County Stadium's horrible scoreboard...you could barely make out players and I remember trying to find the baseball on it when it was hit into play. We stayed for quite a while and then I made the 2.5 hour drive back up to the Stevens Point area and watched the end of the game on TV. As bad as the weather was, as bad as the team was, and as unfortunate as the entire situation was, this is still a very fond memory of mine. I do miss County Stadium...but I sure am glad that we have Miller Park now.

[JimH5]

I also remember that game and was there in the cold and bad weather. I always liked going to County Stadium when it was nearly empty, and that game was terrific. We were able to walk down to the Reds' on deck circle and sit a couple of rows from the field.

 

Add in the lack of waiting at the concession stands and in the bathrooms. . .that was a fun day for me.

[hawing]

Too bad there was no Brewerfan.net in 1999, as we could have had a member summit that day. We stuck around for about three hours of the rain delay, and had a great time wandering around the stadium and taking photos. An usher let us in the mezzanine for a little while, which was nice because that was where we'd sat for our first date in 1989. Aww.

 

For a while they were showing an NFL game on the 20th-century scoreboard. The photo I took of the S.O. in the mezzanine has NFL video in the background. I think I have a photo CD of the photos from that day somewhere...I'll have to look around.

 

I wasn't nervous at all for the NLDS games in Milwaukee. After that one Game 2 swing of the bat from horrible Shane Victorino, I had mostly accepted that the Brewers wouldn't advance. So that Game 3 in Milwaukee was possibly my most-enjoyed game ever, from start to finish. I'd waited over a quarter century to experience a playoff game in person and I still marvel that my wish was finally granted. It was wonderful to just enjoy it with no worries.

[Oldcity]

Number one is definitely No. 162 of '08. I was in La Crosse with some college buddies. We were out the night before, and I literally couldn't enjoy myself because I was so sick with nerves. My friends kept making fun of my repeated giant exhales.

A distant second would be Game 3 of the Phillies series, but that's because I had tickets to Game 4 and desperately wanted to go to a playoff game.

[Invader3K]

My first would obviously be the final game of the 2008 season. I wasn't able to get tickets, and was watching on TV at a bar. I'm not ashamed to admit I was almost in tears watching that game, I wanted the team to win so bad.

 

Distant honorable mention: The final coups games of 2005. My wife and I were up north at the in-laws, and they don't have cable/satellite. I was listening on the radio intently, really hoping they would somehow get that 82nd win and officially kill that streak that had been going since after 1992. I remember listening to game 162 on the radio in the car, on the way back home, and cursing when they were't able to close the deal.