Greatest U.S. Sports Moments In History (Video)

This thread is dedicated to the moments that we percieve as the greatest of all time. Below is a video with quite a few. I recommend giving it a viewing and then posting what you consider to be the greatest moment of all-time.



The Babe? MJ? Lou? Tiger? Gretzky? Aaron? Maris? Montana?

Who is it? What is it?

Let's hear 'em.

Many a great moments to list from that Chissler. I would have to say Joe Carter hitting the home run to end the 1993 World Series. "The Don" and the perfect season with the '72 Dolphins. That is one record that might not never be broken. Kirk Gibson busting a home run off of Dennis Eckersley to win Game 1 onf the 1988 World Series. I can't forget to mention these either.

Gretzky breaking Gordie Howe's record for poinst scored in a career. Dale Earnhardt winning the 1998 Daytona 500 in his twentieth try. Messier winning the 1994 Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers and breaking the 54 year drought that the Rangers had went through.

There were some moments that I didn't see on there however.

I did not see Dominique "The Human Highlight Reel" Wilkins vs. MJ in the Finals of the 1987 Slam Dunk Contest. Nor, did I see Cal Ripken Jr. hitting a home run in his last All-Star game back in 2001.

How about Babe calling his shot? That is something that Hollywood could not even write.

I'll think about this one and check in with a few of my personal favorites. With so many, it is tough to think.

The US Olympics mens hockey team, 1980 Lake Placid, New York.

The victory against the Russians was not only one of the biggest upsets ever, the whole nation was rivited tot he screen. It was much more than a hockey game and I can still recall sitting in our living room chanting USA USA USA and feeling that sence of pride when the game was won

This is a good story, because it is UNKNOWN and OBSCURE
and that makes its' GREATNESS even GREATER
like some UNKNOWN BAND from the 1980's only YOU
and you BEST FRIENDS knew about until ONE DAY
absolutely EVERYONE knew about them--- and to you
they were no longer cool--- but in objective reality-
they were still GREAT... perhaps even more so.

PERCEPTION is the NEW REALITY

+_+_+_+_+_+
=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Most people think the best sports moment would be found within the confines of the professional arena, involving a player or two whose name is known by millions and whose salary is divided by millions when counted on their kitchen table...

The players involved in this, my opinion of the greatest moment in sports history, are amateurs- like Olympians- their pay is zero and they are rarely any little kids' hero...

But ESPN picked up their story by accident- by a billion to one chance.. by a literal divine CONSPIRACY of fate working closely with the fickle freewill of football players mixed with the perfect timing and good luck and a thousand other intangibles which must improbably coordinate and align in the precise order of a cosmic college marching band.

In other words- the chance we, the public, wwould ever see this story was as unlikely and improbable as the universe allowing the sotry to evolve, unfold and finally occur as it did- a narrative that is and was perfect, without the need of a single change or edit... a collection of PERFECT MOMENTS.

So, while I saw it in person with a few hundred people, not millions nor thousands like the recent Super Bowl, there was also a camera there, making a little movie there with no crew and a maxed out credit card...

So while you missed it in person, you get to see a clip right here...


www.TheLastGame.com


Here you'll find a trailer from the 4 star film , as rated by USA TODAY, and if you wanted to see the whole story, then go to Amazon or BlockBuster and rent or buy the flick, since the LA TIMES called it "one of the BEST sports stories ever told"...

Bigger ain't always better...


THE LAST GAME
_____________


TPM

Originally posted by FredT
The US Olympics mens hockey team, 1980 Lake Placid, New York.

I would be lying if I said I disagreed Fred. If there was ever a sports movie that paid a fitting tribute, it was "Miracle". I still think Kurt Russel played a huge part in Herb Brooks' induction into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. The 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid should be on any sports fan's top 5.

How about the little guy?

Jim Morris
Vince Papale

These guys have a story that kids dream of. Certainly some of sports greatest moments. I don't know about you guys, but I tend to root for the underdog every time.

I'll rate the top moment IMO in each sport.

College football: Cal/Stanford/band (shown).
Pro football: Immaculate reception.
Baseball: Through Buckner's legs.
Golf: Tiger Woods chip in on 16th hole at the 2005 Masters.
Pro basketball: Bird steal (shown)
College basketball: Laetner's shot (shown)
Pro hockey: I have no freakin' idea!
Boxing: Douglas knocking out Tyson
Olympics: U.S. hockey over Russia

Peace

[edit on 10-2-2007 by Dr Love]

[edit on 10-2-2007 by Dr Love]

Originally posted by chissler
How about Babe calling his shot? That is something that Hollywood could not even write.

It's still in doubt what he was pointing at. Some people who were actually there at the time said he was taunting the opposing team and not really calling his shot. He still mashed it though!

Peace

I am a Boston Celtics NUT
So The best sporting fete, Id say is the Celtics Run of Championships.

birds Steal is also up there, along with MANY of his game winning, buzzer beating shots.
Hell, even the opposing team on the benching were clapping and applauding!
And seeing bird during the 3pt shoot out.
On his final ball, to win the tournament, he let it fly... turn with his fist in the air before it even went in.
He knew that ball was in the second it left his hands.


Who could beat Ali's rumble in the jungle also.

But, even though I am not a Michael Jordan Fan,
Id say another best sporting moment, was during the finals in his last season ' or second last '

Where they were down by 1 maybe 2 points.... with seconds left.. while he was sick with a virus..

He told his opposing player that he was recieving the ball, for the game winning shot.
The opposing player said I know, ill be ready...

Jordan got the ball, faked it, dribbled, put up a turn around jump shot... and simply walked away holding his fist up in the air.... having just won a finals game.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Golf: Tiger Woods chip in on 16th hole at the 2005 Masters.

I still remember watching this. I had just started going out with my girlfriend at the time, and we were all set to go to this performance at the theatre. I was hoping the Masters would of been done by the time it started, but as usual, it didn't work out. So I unwillingly left to go to the performance. When we get there, they have the Masters on every television in the lobby. Tiger was making the charge and I looked at my girlfriend and said, "...I Have To Watch This! She agreed, and we spent half of the show in the lobby watching golf.

When Tiger made that shot, a few of us in the lobby went wild. Absolutely remarkable. And I said right then, we all just watched one of the greatest moments in sport's history. Tiger is already the greatest in history, maybe the greatest at his own sport in all of history, but that was honestly one of his defning moments. And that will be talked about for many, many years to come.

Originally posted by Dr Love
College football: Cal/Stanford/band (shown).

One of the best for sure. I'm leaning towards Doug Flutie's hail mary though.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Pro football: Immaculate reception.

Tough to argue that one.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Baseball: Through Buckner's legs.

I would disagree here. One of the most infamous moments in sports history is certainly Bill Buckner. But it is here and now I am going to stand up and defend the man. I watched that game, and the previous one probably three times each on ESPNC over the last year. Yeah Buckner booted that one, but he is hardly the sole reason they lost. Anyone who watched that full game, knows that Buckner is taking some heat that his teammates should. Coaching was horrendous. Just making ridiculous decisions. Hitting when they should of bunted, bunting with two outs, runners on the corner's and trying to pull off trick plays to sneak an out and it only costed them two bases and a run. Buckner topped it off, but the whole team simply imploded.

For baseball, I think of Willie Mays' catch in center field. Not everyone knows that when he threw the ball into second, he doubled off a runner. Or Maris & Aaron on passing Babe's records. Watching 61 really gave an idea to what Roger went through that year. The Babe, his records, and the New York Yankees are a sacred thing.

This one has been mentioned, and as a Canuck'er, I have to conclude with Joe Carter's home run off of Mitch Williams to repeat as champions. I was only young at the time, but I remember watching it live. Pretty exciting.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Pro basketball: Bird steal (shown)

Probably in the top 5 for me. I think MJ's final shot, (as a Bull), takes it for me. The man was brilliance. Clutch from the beginning of his career, to the final shot. The guy made two mistakes in his whole life. Baseball & the Wizards. Bull's won it 6 of 8 years, with two three-peats. The two years they didn't win, Houston won, and it was only because MJ wasn't in the line up. I think his career is probably the greatest moment in Basketball.

Originally posted by Dr Love
College basketball: Laetner's shot (shown)

I can not stand Laetner. Never did like 'em. But I give him credit on this one, as it probably was the greatest moment in college hoops.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Pro hockey: I have no freakin' idea!

Originally posted by Dr Love
Boxing: Douglas knocking out Tyson

I'll go with Ali taking down Liston. It was the beginning of something that trancsended the sport.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Olympics: U.S. hockey over Russia

Right next to Owens winning all of those gold medals in front of Adolph Hitler.



[edit on 11-2-2007 by chissler]

I'm 53 years old and have been a sports fan for virtually my entire life. I've been a rabid baseball fan since age 5 (no misprint), so I've seen a lot of great moments, especially in baseball, and I've read a ton of baseball history. I don't believe Ruth called his shot--even though I'm a huge Ruth fan--but even if he did, I can't see it as baseball's greatest "moment."

Let me add that I understand this question to refer to a "great" moment, not a "weird" one, for which I would pick The Play between Cal and Stanford. Also, I understand it to refer to a "moment," not a complete event, or I'd pick Secretariat's wipeout of the field in the 1973 Belmont, The Miracle on Ice, the mindboggling Boise State win over Oklahoma (I guess I could make a case for that Statue of Liberty play), Miami's upset of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl, or maybe another event.

But for a greatest "moment"...?

For me, based on what I've seen and read, the greatest moment in sports history has to come down to one of three things:

(1) Bill Mazeroski's home run in the bottom of the 9th inning of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series, to win the game 10-9. I was 7 then, and none of us kids could believe it. It was what all of us pretended to do when we played in the street. Nobody else has ever done it. Bobby Thomson's and Aaron Boone's HR's were in league playoff series (like Francsico Cabrera's two-out single), and Carter's one-out HR was in Game 6 of the World Series. Mays' catch in 1954 was like Gibson's HR in 1988--it came in Game 1 of a World Series where his team was a huge underdog, and totally swung the momentum of the series--but it still can't compare to what Maz did in the 9th inning of Game 7;

(2) Enos Slaugher's "mad dash" in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 7 of the 1946 World Series. Either you know this story or you don't. In a nutshell, he was on first base with two outs and the score tied at 3. The batter hit a flare into shallow left-center. Slaughter ran like hell on contact and, believing the fielder would lob the ball to relay man Johnny Pesky without looking to see what Slaughter was doing, Slaughter simply ran right through the flabbergasted third base coach's stop sign, without slowing down or less looking back, and flew for home. By the time Pesky got the lazy throw and knew what was happening, he "would have needed a cannon to nail Slaughter," as he has spent the rest of his life saying. End of Series.

And

(3) Charlotte Smith's do-or-die jump shot. Yeah, yeah, laugh at me for picking a woman's basketball moment, but no man has ever done anything like this. Christian Laettner did it in the regional finals against Kentucky, and we'll never see the end of that great replay. But Smith's was for ALL the marbles--the national championship hung in the air when she took her jump shot, not just the regional final. And, as with Laettner's shot, the clock hit 00.0 while her shot was in the air, and for an excruciating second or two, everyone in the arena froze, knowing the outcome of the shot would determine who won it all.

Like Laettner's shot, Smith's shot hit nothing but the bottom of the net. If you saw it live, like me, you will never forget the spontaneous frenzy that erupted all over the court with the orgasmic North Carolina fans, just like the Pirate fans at Forbes Field did with Maz. And the look on Smith's coach's face... which she classily tried to wipe off, but naturally couldn't, as she went over to shake the crestfallen La Tech coach's hand.

That shot did for women's college basketball what Babe Ruth did for major league baseball in the years 1918-1921. And there is a great story about its immediate aftermath. The next day, Charlotte Smith got a napkin or piece of paper with four words on it, from a North Carolina alumnus. It read: "Nice shot. Michael Jordan"

Baseball History Nut