As a respite from the overload of hockey input and threads on the board, I invite all to post and discuss their favourite moments in sport. Please include any sport desired except, of course, hockey. God surely knows there is more to celebrate than that.
Super Bowl LI
This game had it all. Prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, most people viewed the Patriots as big favorites. But the Falcons came out strong, dominating the game on their way to a 28-3 lead. But Tom Brady had different plans, engineering the greatest comeback on the Super Bowl stage, winning the game 34–28 in overtime. It ended up as the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and also was the first SB to ever go to overtime. Brady ended up securing his fifth Super Bowl ring, becoming the first quarterback to achieve the feat.
“The Rumble in the Jungle”
Muhammad Ali was known for speaking his mind and talking up a storm. But he also typically backed up all the talk inside the ring. The “Rumble in the Jungle” refers to a fight between Ali and undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman, which took place on October 30, 1974. Ali, who was 32 years old at the time, proved his worth by way of an eighth round knockout victory, reclaiming the title from Foreman. This match received lots of attention globally, and had a full crowd of roughly 60,000 spectators in attendance.
Lebron James Brings NBA Title to Cleveland
James is one of the best athletes to ever play any sport. His greatness is still being unveiled to the world. A Cleveland native in his childhood, James has always vowed to bring a championship to his hometown during his career. But things don’t always go as smoothly as we would expect. In the summer of 2016, James and the Cavs faced the seemingly insurmountable task of a 3-1 series deficit. But behind several legendary performances by The King, the Cavs came back and “stole” the title in an incredible Game 7 for the ages, becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 hole in NBA Finals history. James
“The Shot Heard Round the World”
In October of 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants faced off in a three-game playoff to decide the National League (NL) pennant. In the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3, with the Giants down 4-2, Bobby Thomson was up to bat. Thomson was able to hit a three-run homerun, which won the game, series, and pennant for the Giants. It was also the first ever nationally televised game in baseball history. What a time to get the cameras rolling.
Jessie Owens in the 1936 Olympics
The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were historic for various reasons. And in the midst of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Jessie Owens had set out to disprove the latter’s theory of Aryan supremacy. Despite various obstacles that tried to prevent him from even participating in the games, Owens ultimately captured four gold medals that year – 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay. This was such a big moment, not only due to the amazing athletic accomplishment, but as a resounding slap in the face to Hitler’s ideology of the inferiority of minorities in the region.
The Hand of God
In the 1986 World Cup semi-finals, Argentina faced off against the England national team. This game would end up seeing Diego Maradona score two of the most famous goals in the history of the game. The first was dubbed the “Hand of God,” due to the fact that Maradona actually scored the goal with his hand, and the referee did not see the illegal play. The second goal symbolizes the greatness of Maradona, as he slalomed down the field past half of the England defenders, and then fooled the goalkeeper before kicking the ball into the net.
The Fight of the Century
Arguably the most iconic moment in boxing history, the “Fight of the Century” refers to the first meeting between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. The fight took place on March 7, 1971, at MSG in New York. After Ali had been banned from the sport for his refusal to join the military, Frazier became a rising force. When they met on this day, the two were both undefeated heavyweight champions, but something had to give. At the end of a grueling 15 rounds, Frazier won the fight with a unanimous decision. The fight between the two boxers was later replicated two more times, with Ali winning each of them.
Jackie Robinson’s first game in the Majors
This was a monumental moment both from a sports and a cultural perspective. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was called up to play his first game in the major leagues, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the process, he broke the unspoken color barrier that had previously existed in baseball, as he was the first African American to ever play in the majors. Robinson opened the door for other African American players to join him, and it was a major deal across the country.
Michael Phelps’ 8 Gold Medals
It is every athlete’s dream to win a gold medal at the Olympic games. In the 2008 summer games in Beijing, Phelps was able to win eight gold medals. The feat helped him break the record that had previously been held by American swimmer Mark Spitz, who had seven gold medals in a single Olympics. In the process, Phelps set seven world records, showing that he is the greatest swimmer in the history of the sport.
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game
With all of the many accolades that Chamberlain achieved during his career, this is likely his most famous. Wilt was known for scoring points in bundles, dominating the court seemingly every time he stepped on it. But he surpassed all expectations on March 2, 1962, scoring 100 points in a single game, a feat that to this day is simply hard to believe. While not for lack of trying by some of the greatest ever, many people believe that his record will never be broken.
“The Shot” – Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan hit many game winning shots over the course of his amazing career. But none were bigger than what has since been named “The Shot.” It was the deciding Game 5 of the opening round of the 1989 Eastern Conference, back when the first round was a best-of-5 series. With just three seconds left on the clock, Chicago was trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-99. What would happen next would ignite the birth of a legend. MJ took the inbound pass, split the defenders toward the free throw line, and hung in the air long enough for a third Cavalier to pass by. The shot went through the net as the buzzer went off, crushing the championship hopes of Cleveland fans.
Babe Ruth Calls his Shot
The 1932 World Series was the last of Babe Ruth’s career. In Game 3, he created one of the most iconic moments in all of sports. Ruth pointed at the stands located across center field, as if to gesture that’s where he would hit the ball. On the very next pitch, Ruth swung for the fences, and the rest is history. He called his own shot on the biggest stage in baseball, and he backed it up with a whopping home run that will remain entrenched as one of the greatest moments in the game’s glorious history.
Super Bowl LI
This game had it all. Prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, most people viewed the Patriots as big favorites. But the Falcons came out strong, dominating the game on their way to a 28-3 lead. But Tom Brady had different plans, engineering the greatest comeback on the Super Bowl stage, winning the game 34–28 in overtime. It ended up as the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and also was the first SB to ever go to overtime. Brady ended up securing his fifth Super Bowl ring, becoming the first quarterback to achieve the feat.
“The Rumble in the Jungle”
Muhammad Ali was known for speaking his mind and talking up a storm. But he also typically backed up all the talk inside the ring. The “Rumble in the Jungle” refers to a fight between Ali and undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman, which took place on October 30, 1974. Ali, who was 32 years old at the time, proved his worth by way of an eighth round knockout victory, reclaiming the title from Foreman. This match received lots of attention globally, and had a full crowd of roughly 60,000 spectators in attendance.
Lebron James Brings NBA Title to Cleveland
James is one of the best athletes to ever play any sport. His greatness is still being unveiled to the world. A Cleveland native in his childhood, James has always vowed to bring a championship to his hometown during his career. But things don’t always go as smoothly as we would expect. In the summer of 2016, James and the Cavs faced the seemingly insurmountable task of a 3-1 series deficit. But behind several legendary performances by The King, the Cavs came back and “stole” the title in an incredible Game 7 for the ages, becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 hole in NBA Finals history. James
“The Shot Heard Round the World”
In October of 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants faced off in a three-game playoff to decide the National League (NL) pennant. In the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3, with the Giants down 4-2, Bobby Thomson was up to bat. Thomson was able to hit a three-run homerun, which won the game, series, and pennant for the Giants. It was also the first ever nationally televised game in baseball history. What a time to get the cameras rolling.
Jessie Owens in the 1936 Olympics
The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were historic for various reasons. And in the midst of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Jessie Owens had set out to disprove the latter’s theory of Aryan supremacy. Despite various obstacles that tried to prevent him from even participating in the games, Owens ultimately captured four gold medals that year – 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay. This was such a big moment, not only due to the amazing athletic accomplishment, but as a resounding slap in the face to Hitler’s ideology of the inferiority of minorities in the region.
The Hand of God
In the 1986 World Cup semi-finals, Argentina faced off against the England national team. This game would end up seeing Diego Maradona score two of the most famous goals in the history of the game. The first was dubbed the “Hand of God,” due to the fact that Maradona actually scored the goal with his hand, and the referee did not see the illegal play. The second goal symbolizes the greatness of Maradona, as he slalomed down the field past half of the England defenders, and then fooled the goalkeeper before kicking the ball into the net.
The Fight of the Century
Arguably the most iconic moment in boxing history, the “Fight of the Century” refers to the first meeting between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. The fight took place on March 7, 1971, at MSG in New York. After Ali had been banned from the sport for his refusal to join the military, Frazier became a rising force. When they met on this day, the two were both undefeated heavyweight champions, but something had to give. At the end of a grueling 15 rounds, Frazier won the fight with a unanimous decision. The fight between the two boxers was later replicated two more times, with Ali winning each of them.
Jackie Robinson’s first game in the Majors
This was a monumental moment both from a sports and a cultural perspective. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was called up to play his first game in the major leagues, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the process, he broke the unspoken color barrier that had previously existed in baseball, as he was the first African American to ever play in the majors. Robinson opened the door for other African American players to join him, and it was a major deal across the country.
Michael Phelps’ 8 Gold Medals
It is every athlete’s dream to win a gold medal at the Olympic games. In the 2008 summer games in Beijing, Phelps was able to win eight gold medals. The feat helped him break the record that had previously been held by American swimmer Mark Spitz, who had seven gold medals in a single Olympics. In the process, Phelps set seven world records, showing that he is the greatest swimmer in the history of the sport.
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game
With all of the many accolades that Chamberlain achieved during his career, this is likely his most famous. Wilt was known for scoring points in bundles, dominating the court seemingly every time he stepped on it. But he surpassed all expectations on March 2, 1962, scoring 100 points in a single game, a feat that to this day is simply hard to believe. While not for lack of trying by some of the greatest ever, many people believe that his record will never be broken.
“The Shot” – Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan hit many game winning shots over the course of his amazing career. But none were bigger than what has since been named “The Shot.” It was the deciding Game 5 of the opening round of the 1989 Eastern Conference, back when the first round was a best-of-5 series. With just three seconds left on the clock, Chicago was trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-99. What would happen next would ignite the birth of a legend. MJ took the inbound pass, split the defenders toward the free throw line, and hung in the air long enough for a third Cavalier to pass by. The shot went through the net as the buzzer went off, crushing the championship hopes of Cleveland fans.
Babe Ruth Calls his Shot
The 1932 World Series was the last of Babe Ruth’s career. In Game 3, he created one of the most iconic moments in all of sports. Ruth pointed at the stands located across center field, as if to gesture that’s where he would hit the ball. On the very next pitch, Ruth swung for the fences, and the rest is history. He called his own shot on the biggest stage in baseball, and he backed it up with a whopping home run that will remain entrenched as one of the greatest moments in the game’s glorious history.
