Crying Game: All Time ESPN Tearjerkers

It’s happened to all of us.  You walk into the living room of your apartment and see your roommate, all 6 foot 3 inches, 240 pounds of him in front of the TV with bloodshot eyes.  Instantly, you think:

• Did his girlfriend just dump him for her history professor?
• Was he watching Beaches again on DVD (he swears it’s his sisters copy)?
• Did he skip class and go day drinking without me (son of a…)

Nope, the answer is none of the above.  Your roommate was watching sports.  Once again more thoughts come to mind.  Was it a buzzer beater against his favorite basketball team?  Did his top fantasy running back retire in mid-season to concentrate on a rap album?  Wrong again. 

This is another one of those Sports Center feature stories.  You’ve seen them a thousand times.  Some are heart wrenching, some are uplifting, but all of them send you running to the bathroom to blow your nose and splash water on your face. 

Damn Bob Ley to hell!!! Here are my top five ESPN tearjerkers of all time (feel free to look them up if you are sure you’re alone):

5. Courage + Believe= Life: John Challis is 17 years old and is living with terminal cancer.  It’s a simple little story about a tough young kid with one last goal. Not only does he accomplish that goal but he inspires his friends, family, classmates and everybody watching. 

4. South Carolina Firefighter Basketball Miracle: A South Carolina fire fighter lost his life fighting a vicious fire.  What came next was made for Hollywood.  The basketball team that he coached (and predicted would win a state championship) goes onto dedicate their season to him. 

Not only do they make the state championship game, but the ending includes a miracle shot for the ages.  I don’t want to spoil anymore because the story is too good.  You should go watch it yourself.

3. The Jason Ray Story: A terrible accident took the life of the North Carolina mascot right  after the No. 1 seeded Tar Heels played a 2007 Sweet 16 game.  The story that followed is so heartwarming you’ll be smiling through your tears. 

The young and healthy Ray was able save nearly 50 lives through his organ donations. Hearing from his family and the recipients of his incredible gift will make you get up and hug your loved ones.

2. The Jason McElwain Story: A loveable autistic high school senior get’s a chance to play in the final basketball game of the season and catches fire, scoring 20 points in four minutes.  The miracle performance is followed by a meeting with the president, his own bobblehead doll, and an ESPY. 

This is Rudy for the 21st Century.  The story has it all.  The risk taking coach, the loving parents, the electric crowd and the underdog of underdogs .  Rooting against this kid would be like cheering for the Russians against the U.S. in 1980.   

1. The Jimmy V Speech: A championship winning coach stricken with cancer gives a magical speech days before he dies. I realize this isn’t really a feature, but it’s what the sports tearjerker is all about. It’s intense, it’s sad, and it is also the most  inspirational 10 minutes in ESPN history.

You can’t call yourself a sports fan if you haven’t shed a few tears watching Jimmy V in this all time great moment.