If I Could Get A Ticket...

Sports bless us on regular occasion. Buzzer beater threes for national titles, chase down blocks to seal a city's long-awaited title, walk off home runs to beat a rival -- we crave that kind of drama and heroism. Lately, sports has provided some instant classics, and as a viewer of many games each week, I've loved every second.

Still, for all the games and plays that have made me say wow and for all the moments I've relished the Twitter explosion, I wish I could go back in time. I wish I could have been there for the biggest of games because there is truly nothing better than witnessing it all. So, here's the deal: I've made a list of five games I wish I could have been present at. Some of these I watched on television while others took place long before I was even thought of on this Earth. But if I could go back in time and somehow get a ticket then here's where I would go...

Boston Braves 3 - Brooklyn Dodgers 5 - April 15, 1947
Just over 26,500 fans were in attendance at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 and if I could have been one of them I would certainly have taken the opportunity. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier that day, starting at first base and batting second. It was a monumental moment in history at the time, but it seems even bigger now as we look around sports today. African Americans have provided some of the finest play we've seen and Robinson blazed the trail for all of them, suiting up for the Dodgers on that April afternoon. Robinson was not particularly great in the opener, finishing 0-for-3 with a run scored, but there are some things that go beyond the box score and this certainly qualifies as one of them.

Villanova Wildcats 77 - North Carolina Tar Heels 74 - April 4, 2016
You really don't need a play-by-play for this one because certainly you remember. Even before Marcus Paige hit his acrobatic three-pointer to tie the game with six seconds left and before Kris Jenkins made the greatest shot maybe ever, this game was magical. Carolina took a five-point lead into the break, and Villanova led by five with three minutes to go. Paige's three may be forgotten as time passes, but it was one of the greatest clutch shots we've seen. The only problem: Jenkins topped it on the other end of the floor with a buzzer-beating three to give the 'Cats their second national title.

Texas Rangers 9 - St. Louis Cardinals 10 - October 27, 2011 (11 innings)
Texas and St. Louis gave baseball fans arguably the greatest World Series game ever in Game 6 of the 2011 Fall Classic. With Texas leading the series 3-2, the Cardinals were facing elimination in their own ballpark. Needing a win to force a Game 7, the Cards led 2-1 after the first inning in a game that featured at least one run in every inning but one. The Rangers chased Jaime Garcia after three innings and led 7-4 after seven innings. St. Louis got one back in the eighth and went to the ninth trailing by two. Down to their last strike in the ninth, David Freese unloaded a deep fly to right that Nelson Cruz couldn't handle. Freese wound up with a triple and drove in Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman to tie the game and force extra innings. Josh Hamilton homered in the 10th to give Texas the lead again, but Berkman singled on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at nine. In the bottom of the 11th, Freese played the role of hero again, launching the walk off home run to centerfield, forcing a Game 7 which the Cardinals would win for their 11th World Series.

Florida State Seminoles 34 - Auburn Tigers 31 - January 6th, 2014
One of the greatest BCS National Championship games in history featured a 21-point comeback and a game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds left on the clock. The Seminoles entered as the top-ranked team with Jameis Winston fresh off a Heisman trophy win, but Auburn looked impressive out of the gate, leading 21-3 late in the first half. FSU scored a touchdown right before the half to trim the lead to 11 and then connected on a field goal in the third quarter to make it 21-13. Then things got fun in the fourth. Winston threw a touchdown pass with 11 minutes to play to make it a one-point game, but Auburn pushed it to four with a field goal at the 4:42 mark. However, on the ensuing kickoff, Florida State ran it back 100 yards to take a 27-24 lead. The Tigers didn't give in though, scoring a touchdown with 1:19 to play to take a 31-27 lead. That set the stage for Winston's signature moment. The Heisman winner drove the Seminoles down the field and threw a two-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining to win the game.

Chicago Bulls 87 - Utah Jazz 86 - June 14, 1998
After failing to close out the Jazz in Game 5 at the United Center, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had to go back to Utah for Game 6 to try and complete the franchise's second three-peat. The Jazz won the first three quarters and led by five heading into the fourth quarter. Jordan, playing in his last game as a Chicago Bull, poured in 45 points on 15-of-35 shooting, but saved his best for last. Down by one with under 10 seconds to play, Jordan drove left and pulled up for his final shot as a Bull. He sank it and sealed the win as only the greatest to ever play could do it. Six rings, six Finals MVPs and one lasting memory for Bulls fans.

These five games were something special that fans still talk about today. However, there are hundreds of others that could be talked about. What are yours? Leave a comment with games that you wished you could have attended...

Jordan vs. LeBron Needs to Be Laid to Rest

It's the argument that keeps NBA fans awake at night and fuels social media conversations. It's the debate that seems to never have a right answer because bias and pride will never concede. It's the question that continually swirls through the heads of not just Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls fans, but the basketball faithful across the world. That question, quite simply, is "Who's better: Jordan or LeBron?" To me, as a self-proclaimed educated NBA fan, it really shouldn't be an argument. The answer is Jordan and, quite frankly, I don't care who you bring up to combat MJ, there really is no argument.

Jordan's greatness will not be matched any time soon

Let's get the obvious statistics out of the way right off the bat. Michael Jordan went six for six in his Finals appearances while LeBron is now two for six. And for those that want to disregard this year's Finals loss on account of health issues for the Cavs, he would still be three rings behind Jordan and would still be .500 in his Finals appearances assuming Cleveland wins with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. And if you want to disregard this year's Finals entirely, he's two for five in the Finals, still three behind Jordan. For now, it's as simple as Jordan taking down Hall of Famer after Hall of Famer en route to a perfect six for six in the Finals.

Now let's get away from the team aspect and look at the individual stats. Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for his career. No one has ever averaged more points in a career than Jordan did, and LeBron currently sits at 27.3 points per game. Now, LeBron has the edge in rebounds (7.1) and assists (6.9), so there's no arguing there and we'll stay away from the "Well LeBron's much bigger than Jordan so he should have more rebounds" argument too. It is what is is.

Going beyond that, individual accolades is where Jordan absolutely dominates LeBron. Both players won Rookie of the Year, but LeBron currently trails Jordan in the MVP honors by one, as Jordan ended his career with five and LeBron has four to his name at this point in time. Jordan also trumps LeBron in Finals MVP trophies with six while LeBron has two. Continuing with the offensive-oriented accomplishments, MJ claimed TEN scoring titles in his career. LeBron? He currently has ONE.

James' career has been great, but not great enough to match MJ's

Moving towards a more defense-oriented argument, all of these accomplishments led to Jordan's nomination to the First Team All-NBA ten times. LeBron on the other hand, has currently been named First Team All-NBA nine times, but has a chance to pass Jordan in that column. However, Jordan was named First Team All-Defensive nine times while LeBron has only made the cut five times. Jordan also captured a Defensive Player of the Year trophy once while LeBron has never won the honor and has finished second in the voting twice. Despite only winning DPOY once, Jordan led the league in steals three times while LeBron has never even finished second in steals per game.

At the end of the day, it seems obvious. Jordan has five MVPs, LeBron has four. Jordan has six Finals MVPs, LeBron has two. Jordan has a Defensive Player of the Year award, LeBron doesn't. Jordan has ten scoring titles, LeBron has one. Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game for his career, LeBron's averaging 27.3. It's not bias, it's not favoritism, it's not the dislike of LeBron. It's common sense and it's facts. And if you want to reference Jordan's records that LeBron is breaking, or how he may pass him on the All-Time scoring list someday, just remember that LeBron just finished his 12th season while Jordan played 15, one of which he only played in 18 games before breaking his foot, and one in which he only played in 17 games because he returned from retirement. So in all, Jordan really played about 13.25 seasons and will STILL have LeBron in almost every category by the time they're both retired.

In no way am I saying LeBron will not go down as one of the greatest players ever. In terms of physical dominance he will go down as one of the best. And yes, he has a different build/style of play than Jordan, but there's no way LeBron will boast the accolades that Jordan did. It's not a debate, it's not an argument, it's not a discussion, Michael Jordan is the best and always will be.

My Mount Rushmore

The talks of who belongs on the NBA's "Mount Rushmore" have escalated recently with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James choosing to voice their opinions on who they believe belongs in the top four players to ever grace the hardwood. Bryant's Rushmore consisted of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell. LeBron on the other hand chose to place Oscar Robertson on his list instead of Bill Russell. With these stories littering the headlines lately it got me thinking of who I would put on my Mount Rushmore.

MJ's career was one big highlight reel

Michael Jordan: Isn't it obvious? The greatest to ever do it should be on everyone's Mount Rushmore without doubt or question. Six rings, ten scoring titles, five MVP awards, and was a first team All-Defensive member nine times. But awards aside, the performances and plays that Jordan had or made are those that will never be beat nor will they ever go away. The shot over Craig Ehlo, his final shot in a Bulls uniform, and the switch-hands layup against the Lakers are all images that are etched into NBA history. Not to mention His Airness averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season while averaging 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. His ability to be the most clutch player to play the game and his willingness to step up in big situations solidify him as the best ever. And while LeBron believes that he's going to knock someone off of the NBA's Mount Rushmore, there will never be a worry that MJ will be the one to lose his spot. He's the greatest of all time, and always will be.

At 6'10 Magic was as dynamic as anyone

Magic Johnson: It's hard to argue against Magic Johnson when it comes to the three empty spots on the Mount. Magic was a larger-than-life figure both on and off the court and to this day is still positively affecting the sports world. Throughout his career with the Los Angeles Lakers he averaged 19.5 points per game to coincide with 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds. Not bad for a guy who was listed as a point guard. However, even though he was listed as a point guard, the special thing about Magic Johnson is that at 6'10 he played all five positions and played them unbelievably well. Behind Magic's dynamic playing style the Los Angeles Lakers captured five NBA titles during his career, three of which Magic was named Finals MVP. He was also named to the first team All-NBA nine times and shot over 50% for his career. And while Magic has continually said that Kobe Bryant is now the greatest Laker of all time, the stats prove that Magic still reigns supreme when it comes to discussing who is the best to ever don the purple and gold despite missing four complete seasons due to his battle with the HIV virus.

The Big O's ability to rebound set him apart from other guards

Oscar Robertson: The Big O is arguably the best point guard ever with Magic Johnson being his closest competition. At 6'5 Oscar Robertson was over-sized for his position which, at the time he played, was a greater advantage than you will ever see in today's game. And while The Big O was a player unlike any other, his stats in a few of his seasons will most likely never be matched. In the 1961-1962 season Robertson averaged a triple double. Let me say that again: he AVERAGED a triple double. Nowadays ESPN blows up whenever a guy does it in one game while Oscar Robertson did it on a nightly basis for a whole season. Averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game in, Robertson played arguably the best season of any player ever. Though he only won one NBA title (Milwaukee 1971) he was a member of the first team All-NBA nine times in his 13 year career. While it may surprise people to see three guards on my Mount Rushmore, the stats and accolades cannot be disputed.

11 rings later, Russell remains the best center

Bill Russell: Not quite sure how Russell get left off of LeBron's top four. Russell will go down as the winningest athlete of all time, winning 15 championships between high school, college, and the NBA. He won 11 NBA titles throughout his 13 year career. That in itself is as impressive as anything you'll ever hear when it comes to sports. On top of that the Celtics center averaged 22.5 rebounds for his career as well as racking up 15.1 points per game. Russell's numbers also increased when it came to the playoffs as he averaged 24.9 rebounds per game and 16.2 points per game. Bill Russell earned himself MVP honors five times while appearing in the All-Star game twelve times. Though other centers may have better statistics, the individual awards that Bill Russell earned prove that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the NBA.

These four players are on my Mount Rushmore because of the way they helped reshape and revolutionize the game of basketball. Obviously players like Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are deserving as well and I'm in no way saying that those I left out are not good enough. I just believe that what these four did for the game while putting up unbelievable numbers and enjoying individual success as well as team success along the way is what earns them the top four spots. With this in mind, Zach and I would like to hear your Mount Rushmore! Comment your top four players below!