Here's hoping you had a great Fourth of July. It's a great day and a great way to remember how truly fortunate we are as Americans. So many have sacrificed so much to guarantee us the freedoms and opportunities we have. Thank you.
The Fourth of July in broad terms means patriotism and fireworks - and college football is right around the corner. (Don't look, but the SEC media days are two weeks from Wednesday, and from there it's a whirlwind sprint from the start of the season to the SEC title game.)
But there will be time - and a ton of Times Free Press ink - for the early talk of college football. Is it exciting? Of course. But we also know it's a long season, and you have to trust it - even if you can hardly wait for the start of it.
Still, on this day of love of America, here is a list of one guy's five best patriotic sports moments. (You know, those moments that made you want to stand up and chant "U-S-A! U-S-A!" Pretend Lee Greewood's "Proud to be an American" is playing in the background.)
5. Rocky drops Drago: Yes, this was a movie moment. But Rocky Balboa stopping the seemingly unstoppable Russian Ivan Drago came at the tail end of the cold war - and remember Drago had killed Apollo Creed and said, "If he dies, he dies." Seriously, we can remember being in the theater and the entire joint chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" as Rocky was chopping down the towering Drago.
4. Piazza goes deep: It's hard to believe that 9/11 was 10 years ago, you know? Wow, those memories are still as fresh as April. That said, the healing process for our country in general and New York City in particular was aided for many and even expedited for some by baseball. There was the seventh-inning singing of "God Bless America," and the Yankees and Mets wore "NYPD" and "NYFD" hats - by the way, typing that sentence generated more than a few goosebumps.
In the first game back in New York City on Sept. 21, Mets catcher Mike Piazza hit a game-winning homer in the eighth inning to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2. Here was what Piazza told The Associated Press after the game, which he played for free after donating his $68,000 paycheck to the relief effort: "I'm just so happy I gave the people something to cheer. There was a lot of emotion. It was just a surreal sort of energy out there. I'm just so proud to be a part of it tonight."
3. Mary Lou Retton sticks the landing: While most of the Soviet bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, gymnastics powerhouse Romania did compete. But Retton stole the show, sticking the landing on her vault that helped her become the first American woman to win a gold medal in the all-around.
2. Jesse Owens shows his speed: Can you think of a worse road game? Black sprinter Jesse Owens and the American Olympic team headed to Berlin for the 1936 Games. At that time Adolf Hitler was speeding toward his dictatorship and trying to control the world with a misguided plan of a supreme race. Owens, however, was the supreme competitor of every race he entered. Owens won gold in the 100, 200, the long jump and the 4x100 relay. Supremacy, indeed.
1. Do you believe in miracles? Yes. Of course you do. And you knew the 1980 U.S. hockey team's dream run to a gold medal was going to be No. 1.
And remember, college football is right around the corner - God Bless America, indeed.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273.