As a regular segment on ryanwelton.com, I plan to tip you off to cool things I find on YouTube. With the installation of my CreativeLabs audio card a couple weeks ago, I can again hear non-DirectSound sound.

That's geek talk for: I can watch me some YouTube, mofo!

Alas, a mention in my previous post about the St. Louis Cardinals 1985 team, which should have won the Series over my beloved Kansas City Royals (beloved at the time), made me wonder if YouTube had a certain controversial play (the Denkinger debacle).

It didn't, as far as I could tell. However, I decided to poke around for other sports clips I hold near and dear to my sports mem'ries for the purpose of pointing them out to you.

The biggest issue with YouTube is in knowing how to query. For example, one of the video clips I wanted to add to this list was the 1994 women's basketball championship shot-heard-around-the-world, when North Carolina's Charlotte Smith drained a trey to beat Louisiana Tech. It was a classic shot, an unbelievable finish and arguably the greatest buzzer beater in the history of college basketball when you consider that it was for a title.

For those of you who don't follow women's hoops, Smith drained a jump-shot from about 20 feet out to give the Lady Tar Heels a 60-59 win and a national title. She did it with :00.7 left on the clock, meaning by rule she only had time to touch the ball and shoot. No dribbling. No thinking. No nothing but a one-motion shot.

However, unless one knew the name of the person taking the shot, one would likely never find this clip on YouTube. Even then, I wasn't able to find it, and I'm absolutely convinced that this buzzer beater is out there, somewhere, on YouTube. The Denkinger play probably is, too.

But, I did find several awesome sports clips on there relative to sports moments I hold dear to me. Here are three of my favorites:

USC 34, Notre Dame 31 - Oct. 15, 2005

This was, in my estimation, the greatest regular-season college football game ever played -- at least since 1970 (my lifetime). It was brilliantly executed, dramatic, riveting.

Without reviewing the epic from kickoff to Matt Leinart's leaner, just know that when Notre Dame dons its green jerseys, it's a special game. It literally gives me goosebumps to see them wear the green -- and, the ND fans don't know in advance that the team plans to wear the green. They break it out maybe once every couple of years, tops.

These YouTube clips are great, but if you ever see this game pop up on ESPN Classic and you don't know much about college football and you're looking to waste a couple hours, maybe, you won't find a better, more exciting, meaningful game. It is video evidence as to why college football is so special.

Links: USC-ND or Trojans-Irish.

**************************

John Tyler 48, Plano East 44 - Texas 5A State Football Playoffs (1994)

In 1994, the greatest high school football game ever was played in -- where else -- Texas. Plano East and perennial powerhouse Tyler John Tyler squared off in a playoff battle in the house Tom built: Texas Stadium.

Down 41-17 with only 2:45 or so left in the game, Plano East mounted an unbelievable, unfathomable comeback only to see their efforts crushed when John Tyler returned a kickoff to win the game 48-44.

It is possibly the greatest football game ever. If it weren't merely high school football, I think the argument could be made. What makes it even more brilliant is that the game was being televised on some little public-access cable station. The call of the game made these fellows famous for their excitement and their parochialism.

I never get tired of watching this. It's exciting, emotional and cruel.

Link: John Tyler 48, Plano East 44

**************************

NY Mets 6, Boston 5 - Game 6, 1986 World Series

In 1986, I was pulling strongly for the Red Sox to beat the Mets. The New York Mets had beaten the Houston Astros, a team fairly close to home, in the NLCS, and I hated them for it.

Mind you, I wasn't THAT enthralled with the Red Sox because they beat out Gene Autry's California Angels, and I really wanted Autry to win something before he died. So, for me, the 1986 Series featured two teams I basically couldn't stand at the time.

Down three games to two and 5-3 with two outs in the 10th inning at Shea Stadium, the New York Mets pulled off a comeback so unbelievable, so exciting that I was basically an Amazin' Mets fan for life from that Saturday night forward.

Link: Watch the 9th inning.

Enjoy.