"I got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good good night."
-BEP
Every once in awhile the stars align, details click into place and magic happens. ESPN Classic was invented purely to replay events such as these. Clark's The Catch. Schilling's Bloody Sock Game. Magic's sky hook on the '87 Lakers. The Rumble in the Jungle. The Night Tupac Got Shot. All Big Nights in the history books of our lives. Add one more to that list. The 18 Point Night.
Two things you should know as you plunge head first into this recollection of what transpired that night. One: most of what you are about to read is absolutely true (minus the shit I'm about to exaggerate in order to make us look exponentially cooler than we actually are) and Two: history books are written by the victors so you I'll give you one guess as to where I'm sitting as I write this.
I wish I was in Boston in 2004. Just to have experienced one of those memorable games against the Yankees would have made my sports life. I could have died a happy fan knowing that I witnessed one of the greatest comebacks of all time (not to mention one of the greatest choke jobs by one of my most hated teams). Looking back that's what we does as sports fans when we recognize a truly great event in sports history. We replay it. We brag if we saw it, mourn if we missed it. But we don't forget it and it lives on in infamy. Madam Bingawoman's back 9 on the last 18 holes of a 36 hole game was one of those nights.
If Sportscenter led with a mini golf story this would be that story. Going into hole 13 Bing was in the lead by two strokes over Jantz and Z$. Up to this point in the tourney it had been a close race. After 18 Bing was tied with Jantz for the lead with a one under par 45. Z$ was back one stroke shooting par with Ant four back at 49. Rudy trailed at 51, the closest he would be of the leader board before crumbling on the back 18 and falling into dead last. After 9 on the back 18 Ant had started a run, keeping pace with Bing and charging up to shave two strokes off the lead. With Rudy faltering and Jantz starting to sputter, Bing saw his window to jump ahead and leapt through it. With quite possibly the most awe inspiring display of mini golf skills over the span of three holes, Bingaman holed not one but TWO holes in one. Back to back holes in one? Jordan nailing the jumper to beat the Jazz said "Damn Bing that was impressive" He then followed that performance up with a birdie on the very next hole thus completing his 5 stroke jump into first place which he never gave back. Hitting a hole in one is like successfully dropping the line "Nice shoes. Want to f@#$?" at a bar and waking up the next morning in a hot blondes bed. When it hits you're like shit did that really just happen? Doing it twice in a row? Unheard of. I wasn't in Boston when Sox clinched the World Series but I was a Pelly's when Bing dropped two holies in a row and for me that is good enough.
Jantz faltered at the end and almost Yankee'd second place away but after I four putted on the volcano hole 17 and had to drop a miracle hole in one on the last hole to force a playoff (which I missed), he securely locked up second place. The Darkhorse's close but no cigar comeback was cut short when he five putted on the third to last hole and reminescent of his frisbee golf collapse, came in 4th. Rudy shot an amazing 13 over par and came in one place better than Peter.
In the end Bing earned a 6 spot, Jantz 5, Z$ 4, Ant 3, Rudy 2 and Peter a 0. And technically Jantz was the favorite to win the challenge (given that he was the better golfer), but Bing did proclaim his prowess when you put MINI before golf prior to the event and he backed up his talk with a strong walk, soooooo I think it's a wash when it comes to the Vince Carter Theory. One thing we do know. Mexicans are good at soccer, lawncare and dishwashing but they are terrible at mini golf. Sorry Rudy....it was too easy to pass up.
BING 87...3 UNDER PAR
JANTZ 92...PAR
ZACH 94...2 OVER PAR
ANT 97...5 OVER PAR
RUDY 103...11 OVER PAR
PETER 0....92 OVER PAR
to be continued.....
part 2 of The 18 Point Night coming up
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