As I approach my 30th anniversary at this newspaper - I'll reach that milestone Aug. 16, to be exact - I've been reflecting on some unforgettable moments during all these years. Here are just a few of my most lingering memories:

MOST ELECTRIFYING SIGHT: We've all seen some unforgettable images with the Green Bay Packers, but my favorite pre-dates the Ron Wolf-orchestrated resurgence that began in late 1991. I can still sense the rush of anticipation from the Lambeau Field crowd when James Lofton would use his world-class speed to sprint under one of Lynn Dickey's deep balls.

MOST ELECTRIFYING EXPERIENCE: The Marques Johnson-Sidney Moncrief Milwaukee Bucks rocking the old Milwaukee Arena during the playoffs in the early 1980s.

MY TOP 10 IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Tony Romo (Burlington '98), Brent Moss (Park '90), Johnny Clay (Park '05), Kevin Barry (Park '97), Steve Morris (Horlick '09), Deon McLain (Park '09), Eddie Morelli (St. Catherine's '08), Kevin Thurman (Park '82), Tony Stauss (Horlick '00) and Randy Borgardt (Park '99)

MY TOP 10 IN HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: Caron Butler (Park '98), Robert Berryhill (Horlick '86), Robert Barnes (Horlick '84), Marcus West (St. Catherine's '93), Tim Naegeli (Racine Lutheran '83), Alex Scales (Racine Lutheran '96), Jim McIlvaine (St. Catherine's '90), Taron Barker (Case '99), Dave Mueller (St. Catherine's '85) and Jeff Smith (Prairie '80)

MY TOP 10 IN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Sonja Henning (Horlick '87), LaTonya Sims (Park '97), Arneda Yarbrough (Horlick '91), Keisha Anderson (Park '92), Krystal Ellis (St. Catherine's '05), Abby Garchek (St. Catherine's '94), Beth Greil (Waterford '85), Rae Lin D'Alie (Waterford '06), Brittany Holterman (Prairie '04) and Katrina Samuelsen (Case '93)

MOST DISAPPOINTING ATHLETE: Brett Favre could have retired as the biggest sports icon athlete in this state's history. Bigger than Bart Starr, Hank Aaron, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Nitschke, Robin Yount or Paul Molitor. Instead, he has worked overtime during the last year to destroy his reputation.

MOST UNFORGETTABLE ASSIGNMENT: Covering the Green Bay Packers' game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a blizzard at Lambeau Field Dec. 1, 1985. Throughout the game, sportswriters took up a collection to pay fans outside the press box window to wipe away the condensation so we could see the game. And afterward, my colleague Gery Woelfel and I drove at about 20 miles per hour all the way back to Racine.

MOST UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE: Far and away the most feedback I ever received for anything I wrote came starting the morning of April 28, 2004, when I wrote a column about the death of Pat Tillman/ The column took strong issue with President Bush and the United States' involvement in Iraq. Letters, e-mails and phone calls, most of them nasty beyond belief, poured in for the next week.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: When I wrote a column proclaiming that I would walk back to Racine from San Diego if the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII in January 1998. Well, I never did make that walk home, but I did have my photo taken walking barefoot on a January day by the old fire station across the street from The Journal Times.

MOST EXCITING TOURNAMENT: I'll still go with the Racine Lutheran boys basketball team pulling off two consecutive miracle finishes en route to winning the 1998 private schools Division 2 state championship.

MY BIGGEST REGRET: Never tracking down all-time NFL great Don Hutson (still my candidate for the greatest Packer of all time) for an interview while he was still operating his car dealership on Racine's lakefront.

LASTING IMAGES: Having reached my 50th birthday earlier this week, I feel young again when I see Racine Raiders quarterback Charlie Bliss throwing for more than 50 touchdown passes during the glorious summer of 1983 … when I see Berryhill or Barnes breaking for a dunk during the 1983-84 season … when I see Moss breaking into the open field in 1988 or '89 … when I see Barry knocking a defensive lineman into next week in 1996 … and when I see a young and apprehensive Bob Letsch taking the torch from John McGuire as coach of the St. Catherine's boys basketball team in the fall of 1979, my first year here.

Peter Jackel is a reporter for The Journal Times. You can reach him by calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 323 or by e-mailing him at: peter.jackel@lee.net