4. (tie) The Winter Classic, Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres, Ralph Wilson Stadium -- January 1, 2008

If there's one thing Buffalo likes, it's tailgating and multiples -- multiple drinks, multiple friends, multiple vision. So, when the National Hockey League announced they were going to give the city an extra chance to do it on national television, the clamor for tickets was instant.

In what was probably the worst day for bandwidth and internet speed in the history of Western New York, Sabres fans jammed the ticket-buying sites on Sept. 17, 2007, to try and purchase some of the 73,000-plus tickets available for the contest which would later come to be known as the NHL Super Energy Drink Ice Hockey Contest of Greatness, Powered by Ninjas or something like that.

For my part, I was in the 20/20 Sportsbooth while the rest of The Howard Simon Show and our boss, Andy Roth, were at other computers trying to get through the online waiting room, which doesn't even have old magazines. I lucked out, and didn't hesitate to buy the maximum amount of tickets at the risk of my bank statement. Eight tickets. Thank God, I have a huge hockey-loving immediate family, or I would've had to host a Mortal Kombat-style fighting tournament including my friends.

While the NHL has upped the ante on outdoor games with contests in historic ballparks like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park (next week), don't let the novelty of the event taint your memories on what was one of the most exciting events in Buffalo sports history. The Sabres abandonned their maligned new uniforms for the old classic almost everyone wanted, and the Penguins went back to the days before everyone needed to wear black, donning gorgeous baby blue uniforms for the occasions.

They was grilling and Polish horseshoes, beer and banter, parkas and pucks. All seemingly without the threat of bloodshed in a parking lot. The city was still in the throes of iced hockey's glory, even with the team off to a sluggish start that wouldn't get any better. The explanation seemed too easy: "We're a heck of a town. Those are some really nice cameras. Let's show this country our best."

WGR's Brian Koziol and Corey Griswold will remember it as a moment for their city and its fans.

"As an organization, this was the pinnacle of the post-lockout run," Griswold writes. "The entire hockey world focused on Buffalo, and the city did not disappoint. An entire football stadium filled with hockey fans on a dreary, wet day to watch a great spectacle. It wasn't great hockey in a technical sense (hockey outside never is) and the Sabres ended up losing (and were never quite the same). Regardless, it was a banner day for local sports. Not only did the city belong in the big time of professional sports, it owned it. At least for a day."

"Best event of the decade to attend in person in WNY," Koziol added. "The snow, the fans, the uniforms, the stage of Crosby vs Miller -- It was almost perfect. Had the Sabres won, it would have been."

There 14,000 more people there than the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton, and you sure could tell, even after Colby Armstrong scored 21 seconds into the game. Conspiracy Theorists just getting to their seats probably figured, "Great! The NHL is spotting Crosby one."

Through all the memorable moments, from the national anthems to Sidney Crosby's game-winning shoot-out goal, one still gives me chills -- the sound of 73,000-plus screaming to high Heaven as Brian Campbell's second-period shot found netting to tie it at one. Maybe the ice wasn't great, and yes, the weather wasn't ideal, but as Lindy Ruff told reporters after the game, "The hell with the cynics." This was a brilliant day for Buffalo, and the choir of all that is holy in hockey here sang out, sang out for all to hear.

For my entire life, I've adored the game of hockey. It started with skating at Brighton Arena and loving the feel of the ice beneath me. It turned into lacing them up on Ellicott Creek, or at Ives Pond, and dreaming of the name "Mendola" atop the No. 9 or 12 of a white home Sabres jersey. It now lives in beer leagues, on the Erie Basin Marina and in my Uncle Larry's frozen backyard with cousins and friends, and that day -- it was celebrated in the best darn hockey town in America.

Email: nick@wgr550.com