Was it the hype of the loud crowd or the bright stadium lights? Maybe it was the mascots or the obnoxious fans that made an impact. Or, could it be the foot-long hot dogs and Cracker Jacks, or vendors shouting "Peanuts" that rings a bell? What do you remember about the first professional sports game you went to as a youngster?

For me it's the bus ride and the big stadium that brings back memories.

In the "good ole days" when players played for the thrill of the game, and money didn't control everything about their lives, there was an annual College All-Stars football game against that year's NFL World Champions. It wasn't in the stone ages as my son might suggest, but in the 1960's. I just put the game program up on ebay. It's amazing what "old" sports memorbilia is worth.

I lived in a suburb outside Chicago, and it was the middle of the summer. My dad was a member of the Jaycees and they took an annual trek by motorcoach to Soldier Field for the big game. This year it was the All-Stars against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was 1970 and I was seven years old.

Back then the college stand-outs all played in the game, and weren't paranoid about getting hurt before their mega-million-dollar contracts were signed. They played for the pride of getting their butts kicked by the NFL's best.

I don't remember the game, or the players - only the bus ride. I remember the big silver tank in the back that pumped out yellow foamy liquid for the parents. It's funny how a seven-year-old remembers beer the most from his first trip to a big game. The bus seats were cool too. I rode my bike to school and hadn't even been on a bus before. I also remember the stadium lights and night, and being told to stay with the adults because the dark streets were not safe.

So who took you to your first big professional sports game, and where was it? What memories do you have from that day?