1996
Top 5 sporting events from 1996
5.  September 1st, 1996 -- Buffalo Bills 23, NY Giants 20 (OT):  The upstart Giants jumped out to a 17-0 lead but
couldn't hold it.  Steve Christie kicked three field goals, including a 34-yarder 10 minutes into overtime.  Thurman
Thomas ran 32 times for 97 yards and a touchdown in the comeback victory.
4.  December 7th, 1996 -- New York Knicks 89, Los Angeles Clippers 80:  The Knicks held a 23-point lead,
couldn't hold it, but at least they still won.  The Clippers scored an all-time opposition low with just eight first quarter
points, but finished the third quarter on a 21-0 run.  The Knicks countered at the end by scoring 17 of the game's last 19
points.  Patrick Ewing led the Knicks in scoring with 28 points.
3.   October 26th, 1996 -- Rutgers Scarlet Knights 28, Temple Owls 17:  "This team is jinxed!"  That's what
everybody in the Temple radio booth was saying when this game ended.  The Owls did everything they could do to
lose at the end, and succeeded.  Late in the fourth quarter with the Owls trailing 21-17, they had the ball deep in Rutgers
territory.  They appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown as Ramod Lee crossed over the goal line for a scoring carry
(one replay showed he did cross the plain).  But the officials ruled he was stopped short of the goal line, and Lee lost a
fumble on the next play.  Rutgers took over deep in its own territory with 2:36 left and when facing a 3rd-and-5, Chad
Bosch ran 90 yards to the Temple four-yard line.  Rutgers would put up the final points of the game on Steven Harper's
three-yard reverse.
2.  July 15th, 1996 -- New York Mets 7, Philadelphia Phillies 5:  I had always wanted to see what the Shea Stadium
press box looked like and with this series, I finally got my chance.  This was the first Major League Baseball game I
worked at that wasn't at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.  However, I got more than what I bargained for.  Phillies
Manager Jim Fregosi at his post-game press conference insisted I ask all the questions, then leave the room when I was
done.  At least he answered the questions honestly.  I dealt with this the entire series.  Oh, by the way, I was very
unimpressed with the Shea Stadium press box.
1.   July 17th, 1996 -- New York Mets 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2:  "What can I do personally?  Get better players."
The Jim Fregosi saga continued as the Phillies gave away a game to the Mets and were swept of this three-game series.
The Mets trailed 2-1 but scored unearned runs in the seventh and ninth innings to win.  The key play was J.R. Phillips
dropping a soft line drive in right field by Jose Vizcaino in the 9th.  That led to Butch Huskey's game-winning sacrifice
fly.  A lump was in my throat as I walked towards the Phillies clubhouse knowing Fregosi was not going to be happy
and he really wouldn't want to talk to me.  My first question:  "Is there a worse way you can lose a game."  His answer:
"We gave away three games in this series....all three of them."  My third question, regarding what he can do personally to
improve the situation, led to his knock of Phillies GM Lee Thomas in his reference to getting better players.  Before I could
ask another question, Fregosi said, "Look I don't want to talk anymore, get the (bleep) out of here."  I was quite relieved to
leave and quite relieved the series was over.  This exchange was covered in the Philadelphia Daily News the next day --
unfortunately, the writer didn't know my name.
Strange facts from 1996
1.  The Toronto Raptors - NY Knicks game from November 14th was the first NBA game I worked at that the
Philadelphia 76ers did not play in.
2.  The College baseball doubleheader from April 27th was my first baseball game not played at Veterans Stadium in
Philadelphia.
3.  1996 is the only year between 1992 and 1999 that I attended a sporting event in the month of July.
4.  The September 22nd, 1996 game between the New York Giants and New York Jets represents the first time I've
seen two New York area professional teams play each other.
Date                Visiting Team                 Home team                Sport
1/6/96          Loyola Greyhounds 48        St. Peter’s 55                WCBB
1/7/96          Niagara 53                          St. Peter’s 50                CBB
1/13/96        St. Peter’s Peacocks 52      Manhattan 71                CBB
1/17/96        Temple Owls 69                  Fordham Rams 48        CBB
1/19/96        Canisius 64                          St. Peter’s 68               CBB
1/21/96        Iona Gaels 57                      St. Peter’s 73                WCBB
1/23/96        Loyola Greyhounds 64         St. Peter’s 63                CBB
1/25/96        St. Peter’s Peacocks 60       Iona Gaels 65                CBB
1/27/96        St. Peter’s Peahens 77         Siena Saints 68              WCBB
1/27/96        St. Peter’s Peacocks 68       Siena Saints 51              CBB
1/31/96        St. Francis (PA) 54              St. Peter’s 86                CBB
2/3/96          Temple Owls 47                  George Wash. 64          CBB
2/4/96          St. Peter’s Peacocks 60        Loyola, Md. 70            CBB
2/4/96          St. Peter’s Peahens 52          Loyola, Md. 64            WCBB
2/7/96          Siena Saints 58                     St. Peter’s 79               WCBB
2/9/96          Niagara 67                           St. Peter’s 78               WCBB
2/10/96        Siena Saints 74                     St. Peter’s 88               CBB
2/11/96        Fairfield 71                           St. Peter’s 83               WCBB
2/13/96        Iona Gaels 57                       St. Peter’s 86               CBB
2/16/96        St. Peter’s Peacocks 65       Fairfield Stags 74          CBB
2/18/96        Manhattan Jaspers 68           St. Peter’s 50               CBB
2/21/96        Manhattan 67                       St. Peter’s 69               WCBB
2/25/96        Canisius 63                           St. Peter’s 84               WCBB
3/1/96           Iona 47                               St. Peter’s 66 &           WCBB
3/1/96           Siena 76                             Manhattan 93 &           WCBB
3/2/96           St. Peter’s 54                     Fairfield 66 &                WCBB
3/2/96           Siena Saints 59                   Iona 71 M@&               CBB
3/2/96           Canisius 74                         Loyola, Md. 67 &          CBB
3/2/96            Loyola, Md. 56                 Manhattan 63 &            WCBB
3/2/96            St. Peter’s Peacocks 62     Fairfield 67    &            CBB
3/2/96            Niagara 62                        Manhattan 60 &            CBB
      4/27/96          Iona Gaels 3                      St. Peter’s 4                  College Baseball
      4/27/96          Iona Gaels 7                      St. Peter’s 1                  College Baseball
7/15/96          Philadelphia Phillies 5         NY Mets 7                   MLB
7/16/96          Philadelphia Phillies 3         NY Mets 6                   MLB
7/17/96          Philadelphia Phillies 2         NY Mets 3                   MLB
7/24/96 – 7/28/96                          Empire State Games in Buffalo, NY
8/23/96          Carolina Panthers 34         NY Giants 7!                 NFL
9/1/96             Buffalo Bills 23                 NY Giants 20 OT          NFL
9/8/96             Indianapolis Colts 21        NY Jets 7                      NFL
9/22/96           New York Giants 13        NY Jets 6                      NFL
9/29/96           Minnesota Vikings 10       NY Giants 15                NFL
10/13/96         Philadelphia Eagles 19      NY Giants 10                NFL
10/18/96         Ottawa Senators 2           NJ Devils 2                   NHL
10/19/96         West Virginia 30               Temple Owls 10           CFB
10/20/96         Buffalo Bills 25                 NY Jets 22                   NFL
10/26/96         Temple Owls 17               Rutgers 28                    CFB
11/2/96           Miami Hurricanes 57         Temple Owls 26           CFB
11/3/96           Arizona Cardinals 8          NY Giants 16                NFL
11/9/96           Portugal 0                         St. Peter’s 2 !#             CBB
11/9/96           Ted’s Elite 71                   St. Peter’s 83 !             WCBB
11/10/96         New England Patriots 31  NY Jets 27                   NFL
11/11/96         Colorado Avalanche 6      NY Islanders 2             NHL
11/12/96         Washington Capitals 2      NJ Devils 3 OT            NHL
11/14/96         Toronto Raptors 96          NY Knicks 99              NBA
11/23/96         UMES 56                         St. Peter’s 101             WCBB
11/24/96         Dallas Cowboys 6             NY Giants 20               NFL
11/26/96         Loyola, Chicago 71           St. Peter’s 50               CBB
11/27/96         St. John’s 66                     St. Peter’s 60 OT        WCBB
11/30/96         Florida International 66      St. Peter’s 60*               CBB
11/30/96         Wagner 79                        Dartmouth 82*               CBB
12/1/96           Florida International 71      Wagner 84*                  CBB
12/1/96           Dartmouth 60                    St. Peter’s 62*              CBB
12/3/96           Miami Heat 99                  NY Knicks 75              NBA
12/4/96           Rider Broncs 62                St. Peter’s 74               WCBB
12/7/96           Los Angeles Clippers 80   NY Knicks 89              NBA
12/10/96         Washington Bullets 73       NY Knicks 85              NBA
12/11/96         Monmouth Hawks 50        St. Peter’s 74              WCBB
12/14/96         Philadelphia Eagles 21       NY Jets 20                   NFL
12/14/96         Denver Nuggets 82           NY Knicks 89              NBA
12/15/96         New Orleans Saints 17     NY Giants 3                 NFL
12/17/96         Los Angeles Kings 3         NY Islanders 4             NHL
12/21/96         Fordham 61                      St. Peter’s 83               WCBB
12/21/96         Dallas Stars 3                    NY Islanders 2             NHL
12/22/96         Miami Dolphins 31            NY Jets 28                   NFL
12/23/96         Atlanta Hawks 76             NY Knicks 82              NBA
12/29/96         Howard 70                       Yale 63 $                    WCBB
12/29/96         Furman 76                        St. Peter’s 87 $           WCBB
12/30/96         Yale 63                            Furman 79 Y $+          WCBB
12/30/96         Howard 84                       St. Peter’s 80 $            WCBB

&   MAAC Tournament at Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY.
!     Exhibition game
+    Joined in progress
$    St. Peter's Holiday Classic, Yanitelli Center, Jersey City, NJ
*    Summit Bank Classic, Yanitelli Center, Jersey City, NJ
#    Referees ruled the game a Portugal forfeit and St. Peter's was given a 2-0 victory.

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