11 Kids Who Remind Us of a Time When Sports Were Everything

A young fan cried when Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City. Another shrieked with joy when Peyton Manning sent him a signed jersey.

Kids are the best. Often in sports, they display the emotion adults are probably feeling but not showing. They remind older fans of what it was like to be young. 

These 11 kids are like that. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Whether it's happiness, shock, sadness or all of the above, they can't help but show their passion. And good for them. Sports evoke strong emotions, and surely any true fan can relate to at least a few of these kids.

Ready for some nostalgia? Let's do it.

Hockey Fan Gets a Puck

Think back to your childhood as a sports fan—wasn't acquiring a game-used souvenir at the top of your "that would be so awesome" list? It apparently was for one Montreal Canadiens fan. At a January game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, then-Habs right winger Dale Weise tossed this kid a puck, and his reaction was priceless:

Mickelson Makes Young Fan's Day

Phil Mickelson similarly made one kid's day at The Open Championship by giving him a ball:

"

Phil Mickelson just gave a young fan at #TheOpen a moment he will never forget pic.twitter.com/t1HUTbLscy

— Dr Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) July 16, 2016"

That's what pure joy looks like, folks.

Get that Big Mac

Of course, it doesn't always have to be about a ball or a puck. This Chicago Bulls fan was ultra-stoked about the free McDonald's that came along with two E'Twaun Moore free throws in March. And why shouldn't he have been? Free stuff is the jam. 

Surprise! It's Stephen Curry

Surprising kids is the best. Check out these youth campers getting the shock of their lives when NBA MVP Stephen Curry knocked on their doors:

"

Some lucky basketball campers got the surprise of a lifetime  pic.twitter.com/ttDIouqnyQ

— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) July 5, 2016"

He didn't actually have Girl Scout cookies, but it doesn't seem like the kids minded.

Kids Meet Team USA

Meeting your sports hero was probably also on your childhood sports bucket list, right? These young fans got a chance to meet the U.S. men's basketball team in New York City, and to say they were excited would be a severe understatement:

Seriously, when was the last time you were that excited about anything? Great stuff.

Kid Misses Meeting Kobe 

This young Los Angeles Lakers fan was on his way to meet Kobe Bryant but unfortunately missed him. He did not take it well:

Luckily, Bryant's wife Vanessa caught wind of the situation and set up a meeting. All the feels:

This Kid is all OKC Fans

Sports obviously inspire heartache sometimes, too, and young fans are no strangers to that. One Oklahoma City Thunder fan posted a video of his son learning the news about Durant's departure. There was sadness, and there was anger:

But you know what? Ultimately, there was respect. Good on you, OKC fans:

Manning Comes Through

Also, good on Manning. The retired Denver Broncos quarterback responded to a fan's request for a signed jersey:

According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, The Ellen DeGeneres Show captured young Jack's reaction to the gift, which was delightful. Really, good luck not feeling happy watching that.  

Cavs Fan Reacts to LeBron's Dominance

Of course, much of the passion all fans feel about sports comes from the game action itself. Check out this little Cleveland Cavaliers fan just loving a fast-break slam from LeBron James in January:

Can't blame the kid. That play was absurd:

Three Goals in Six Minutes, and Not in a Good Way

On the other hand, this tiny Manchester United fan was distressed to the point of tears when his team fell behind Tottenham, 3-0, in an April match. What made the heartache even more poignant was the fact that Spurs needed just six minutes to score those three goals in the second half. That is enough to make any United fan want to cry:

The Gauntlet

And, last but not least, a young Pittsburgh Pirates fan ran the gauntlet of sports emotion during his team's 18-inning victory over the Washington Nationals in mid-July:

Seriously, take a few minutes to watch the video. This kid is all of us.