5 Best sporting events you've ever seen

Triathlon Forum
1

  1. Boston College - Miami (1984) Flutie to Phelan

  2. Michigan State - Iowa State NCAA Final 8 (2001)

  3. Floyd’s solo ride

  4. Seton Hall - Michigan (1989 NCAA Final)

  5. 1998 Michigan State upsets #1 Ohio State

2

Well, I’m not a big team sports fan since I was always the last to be picked in gym class. My list is more toward the endurance sports end of things- where athletic mongrels like me tend to gravitate. So, here we go…

  1. Final time trial of 1989 Tour de France.

  2. “Ironwars” battle between Mark Allen and Dave Scott at Ironman Hawaii.

  3. 1996 Marathon des Sables where Lassen Ahansel won with haunting ease and slept in a rolled up rug with living on dates and figs. He ran 154 miles in the Sahara at a pace I couldn’t run a marathon at- in 100 degree plus heat- and sand.

  4. 2006 Tour de France stage 17 solo breakaway by Floyd Landis.

  5. Pretty much any telecast of the Discovery Channel Eco-Challenge.

3

A college sports fan, I assume?

Off the top of my head:

Kerri Strug’s vault on a broken ankle ranks pretty high on the list.

Carl Lewis’s 8th Gold.

Every game the Dream Team played (the real dream team w/ Jordan and Bird).

Jimmy Connor’s final match at the US Open where he somehow managed to make it to the semi final round.

Lance’s prologue in '06.

4

Live? I’ve got 3.

Greg Louganis, 1984 Olympics, springboard diving. He was so much better than the field that he had the gold locked up before his final dive. He could have done a cannonball and still won.

UCLA beat Ohio State and 2 time Heisman winner Archie Griffin in the Rose Bowl, 1976 (of course I’m a Bruin)

Tiger Woods run away from the field at the 2000 US Open winning by 15.

5

1 - 2002 - Ohio State over Miami Fiesta Bowl

2 - 2005 OSU over Michigan State Football - 35 - 24

3 - 2004 - OSU over MSU fb - 32 - 19

4 - 2003 - OSU over MSU fb - 33 - 23

5 - 2000 - OSU over MSU fb - 27 - 13
.

6

I guess I’d have to define “best” as “most memorable”? I don’t know if I could only have 5 though. So far I’ve come up with the first 10 things that pop into mind:

  1. Miracle on Ice - US Hockey team upset of the USSR

  2. Ali knockout of Foreman in Zaire. I was a kid, but I still remember it

  3. Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s record. I had just gotten home from little league practice myself :wink:

  4. Da Bears winning the Super Bowl

  5. Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson (had a huge party at my house - because when you’re in your 20’s, just bought your first townhouse with 50" big screen, even if you think Tyson is going to knock him out in 30 seconds, it is reason enough to have folks over and have a few cold ones :slight_smile:

  6. Michael Jordan’s shot vs. Cleveland to advance them in the playoffs. This could be rivalved by his shot vs. Utah to win the NBA Championship.

  7. Mark Spitz and his domination

  8. Kerri Strug

  9. Bo Jackson’s first swing after coming back from hip surgery (another movie moment)

  10. My H.S. basketball team going to the Sweet 16 in IL tournament

Again, some that may not be the “best”, but definitely in the “memorable” category would include:

  1. Munich games fiasco. I still remember the shock of people sitting around the TV in shock

  2. Julie Moss and her (in)famous crawl.

7

  1. Woods’ 2000 US Open at Pebble.

  2. Landis yesterday.

  3. US Olympic (college) hockey v. Russian team at LP winter olympics.

4 & 5. still waiting to fill in the blanks.

8
  1. Jesse Owens winning 3 gold medals in about an hour
  2. Nadia Comaneci getting a perfect 10 (Strug’s vault wasn’t even needed for the gold)
  3. Wilt for 100 points (or possibly Kobe for 81)
  4. Pistons beat the Nuggets, 186-184 in Triple OT
  5. Bobby Jones wins Grand Slam

Probably way out of whack, but just off the top of my head.

9

gold medal USA hockey team

1983 NC State national championship game

Kirk Gibson home run

Michigan vs Notre Dame football game, at Michigan in 1990

1982, Greensboro Grimsley High School vs North Mecklenburg High School state football playoffs in NC. A true war, fights, a referee died on the field, just an unreal game, great players, some who would become NFL players, just unreal

10

  1. floyds ride

  2. 89 time trial

  3. Gibsons Homerun in the 88 World Series

  4. 89 Ironman Mark V Dave

  5. 86 AFC Championship Game The Drive

11

A college sports fan, I assume?
Lance’s prologue in '06.

I thought his '05 was much better, what with passing Jan and all

12

EVENTS I’VE SEEN LIVE:

  1. Villanova vs. Georgetown, 1985 NCAA final ('Nova grad)

  2. Lance’s break on Sestriere in 1999 TDF or TT in Metz to take jersey, come to think of it, the whole damn race was cool

  3. Women’s XC 10k pursuit, SLC Olympics, where my friends won bronze, (then sliver, then eventually gold due to Russian dopers)

TV, like where do you begin…

Vince Young (Rose Bowl)

Eric Heiden

USA women’s soccer

13

Ones that immediately come to mind.

  1. US beating USSR, 1980 Olympics (I was too young to see this live, but it has to go on the top of any list of great sporting events, IMHO)

  2. Duke v. Kentucky, 1992 NCAA semi-finals (Laettner’s buzzer-beater)

  3. Tiger Woods winning 3rd US Amateur

  4. Floyd’s Stage 17 win in '06 TdF

  5. USC v. UT, '06 Rose Bowl

I’m sure there are others if I thought about it for a while…but immediately popped into my head.

14

1 - 2002 - Ohio State over Miami Fiesta Bowl

2 - 2005 OSU over Michigan State Football - 35 - 24

3 - 2004 - OSU over MSU fb - 32 - 19

4 - 2003 - OSU over MSU fb - 33 - 23

5 - 2000 - OSU over MSU fb - 27 - 13
What about the '72, '74, '79 amd '84 Rose Bowls?

15

I’ve got to say that while it was a great ride it pales in comparison to some of the things mentioned. It’s just not in the same league as a medal or championship winning battle.

16

Dan vs Dave in the olympic decathlon

Oh, wait a minute…

17

Ha! Right. I forgot, THIS is '06. Yeah, I meant '05.

18

Not in any specific order: 1980 NHL all-star game : Gretzky and Howe on the ice - passed the torch to a new generation ( I sat next to Jean Beliveau.)

1980 US Vs. USSR (They showed it tape delayed in Detroit and cut out in the middle of the third period and announced the winner - Most exciting hockey game I’ve ever seen to this day)

1995 Rugby World Cup Final (The all powerful New Zealand All Blacks and Jonah Lomu Vs. the returning to the world scene South African Springboks, lead by Francois Pinaar and Joost Van Der Westhuisen - AMAZING FINISH!!!)

Tommy Hearns Vs Marvin Hagler - Greatest fight I’ve ever seen even though it was only three rounds (great Pizza Hut commercial after with Hagler saying “I wonder what what’s-his-name is eating for dinner tonight? Probably soup.”)

Colorado Vs Nebraska when Chris Brown single-handedly dismantled the Nebraska defense in the 66-23 victory. (best single performance I’ve ever seen in a football game - better than the 2006 National Championship game). It helps that I am a CU alum.

Jason

19

To add a little Canadian content,

Simon Whitfield’s surge at the end of the race to take gold in 2000,

Canada vs USA hockey 2002 Olympics, Ok well maybe that was awesome as i was in a bar in Cancun and literally one of 5 Canadians there.

As a kid I loved watching the Scott/Allen duals

Yesterday marks the first time that a sports figure left me awe struck tho, was a great watch!

20

I would have to say no order, these are ALL amazing

  • Bekele closing the 10k at Athens in a 53.02 to take Gold
  • Spitz, Thorpe, Phelps or Hackett (72, 2000, 2004 and 2000 respectivly) in any of their respective events (200 IM, 400 fr, 400 IM, 1500 fr)
  • Ironwars 1989
  • Floyd, and the 89 TT, are both up there - but I think Rassmusin should get abit more credit for his solo win in Stage 9, 2005
  • Both Male and Female Canadian Hockey Teams winning Gold in 2002
    .