My Top Dozen Sports Moments
12. A “Fiesta” in Boise- Before the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, all I knew about the Boise St. Broncos was that they were from Idaho and had a blue turf football field. This little known college was up against Adrianne Peterson and the rest of the powerful and explosive Oklahoma Sooners. I remember practicing the “Statue of Liberty” play when the quarterback fakes a pass and then places the ball near his rear end for the running back to swing by and take it. It was merely a playground trick that could only fool novice first graders at recess. But Coach Chris Peterson strongly disagreed as he called the play for the winning touchdown in overtime, becoming the only undefeated team in NCAA Division I football that year.
11. The Blizzard, the Kick, the Win-It was January 19, 2002, with blizzard conditions in Foxboro Stadium as the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots battled for the AFC division championship. I was watching the game thinking how lucky I am to be sitting in a warm house, but yet would have given anything to be a fan biting their fingernails or covering their eyes during the last play of the game. One of the most controversial calls in playoff history occurred when quarterback Tom Brady was sacked and apparently fumbled. I am sure the call was seen differently by both Oakland and Patriots fans. It was a close play and either way the refs called it, it would have been questionable. Even though the Raiders recovered the ball the referees ruled the pass an incompletion, which allowed Adam Vinatieri to kick the game-winning field goal, and the Patriots would soon have another ring to wear around their fingers.
10. Eagle Flies Through the Hurricane- The hopes of the Boston College Eagles, and the chance of beating the defending national champions, the Miami Hurricanes, rested on quarterback Doug Flutie. Flutie took his steps back as his receivers streaked down the field, and when he threw the ball straight into the air nobody seemed to be open. But there was just enough space for the ball to land in the arms of Gerard Phelan, and for the Eagles to beat Miami. Flutie ran down the field with his arms above his head, showing the joy that can still be felt which makes it such a great moment in sports.
9. Half Man, Half Fish, Complete Victory-This year’s Olympics were memorable for the USA. I am not much of a fan of swimming, but the enthusiasm and heart of swimmer Michael Phelps brought inspiration to many viewers. In Beijing he won eight gold medals, five of which were individual awards. He holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics, and made America proud as he showed wide smiles while receiving each of his gold medals.
8. Tiger Woods Shocks the World-I have so much respect for Tiger Woods, not only because he could beat me blindfolded in a round of golf, but because of his poise and confidence. In 1977, at the age of 21, he was a contestant in the most prestigious golf tournament, The Masters. April 13th 1997 was the year Tiger Woods won an event that did not even invite a black golfer until the year of his birth. He is the Barack Obama of the golfing world, and is considered to be the best golfer to this day.
7. Cowboy Up- The curse is reversed! On October 27, 2004, I was standing in my living room, hands over my head in disbelief while Keith Foulke fielded a ground ball and tossed it to first base for the final out. Take that Yankees fans! I am sure tears of joy streamed down the cheeks of the faithful Boston fans as The Curse of the Great Bambino was broken, and the Red Sox were crowned World Champions.
6. The Best to Ever Play the Game- Like many teenage basketball fans/players, I am a fan of Michael Jordan. Air Jordan, MJ, Jumpman, are all nicknames given to the legendary basketball player. Jordan was drafted by the Bulls in 1983, but to this day all of his merchandise and highlight videos are more present than ever. A new version of basketball was born with his high flying, tongue out of the mouth, and cocky style of play.
5. Perfection- Rocky Marciano just might be the most unknown and underrated athlete ever. As an athlete, one wishes to obtain perfection and that’s just what Marciano did. 49-0 was his boxing record while he knocked opponent after opponent out of the ring. I know I would not want to step in a ring with this man, and can feel the fear of his opponents. From 1952- 1956 Rocky ruled the boxing ring.
4. The Greatest Game Ever Played -“The Greatest Game Ever Played” was a match up between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. It was the beginning of America’s craving for televised football. Seventeen individuals who were involved in this game are members of the Football Hall of Fame. I love playing and watching football, and watching this battle between these two teams in the early years of football shows the heart and determination football can bring to the fans and players. Even though the players were not necessarily as skilled as the players today, they had just has much heart.
3. Civil Rights Plays Baseball- If you look into the rafters of all baseball parks today the blue numbers 42 hang over the field. I can only imagine the bravery of Jackie Robinson, the man who desegregated American baseball. He was also the first four-sport letter winner at UCLA, an All American in football, and a long jump NCAA champion in 1940. His accomplishments continued when he became a Brooklyn Dodger and will be remembered forever for breaking down the color barrier in baseball.
2. And the Band is on the Field- Every decent all-time football highlight video seems to include a Golden Bear, a Cardinal, and a saxophone. The University of California was playing Stanford University, and who went home happy would be decided on the last kickoff. Every time I see the kickoff unfold, it seems it is inevitable that a Cal player will be tackled. However, after toss after toss, one of the Cal players breaks free. It’s one of the moments the fan is saying “go, go, go” thinking there might be a break in the defense. As the player is running towards the end zone the band is marching onto the field. It is an obstacle course and things turn out pretty ugly for one of the band members as the Cal player demolishes anything in his path for the winning touchdown.
1. A Miracle with Missing Teeth- One of the greatest underdog stories that has ever occurred, happened on frozen water. The USA Olympic hockey team, a team of young teenagers who have been playing together for months, took on the Soviet Union. Visions of David and Goliath came to mind as the United States took the ice. A Cold War tension and rivalry existed between the teams. Although I was not born yet, watching the movie Miracle and seeing clips of the game brings chills of excitement and disbelief. The 1980 USA Hockey team defeated the Soviets and shocked the world!
12. A “Fiesta” in Boise- Before the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, all I knew about the Boise St. Broncos was that they were from Idaho and had a blue turf football field. This little known college was up against Adrianne Peterson and the rest of the powerful and explosive Oklahoma Sooners. I remember practicing the “Statue of Liberty” play when the quarterback fakes a pass and then places the ball near his rear end for the running back to swing by and take it. It was merely a playground trick that could only fool novice first graders at recess. But Coach Chris Peterson strongly disagreed as he called the play for the winning touchdown in overtime, becoming the only undefeated team in NCAA Division I football that year.
11. The Blizzard, the Kick, the Win-It was January 19, 2002, with blizzard conditions in Foxboro Stadium as the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots battled for the AFC division championship. I was watching the game thinking how lucky I am to be sitting in a warm house, but yet would have given anything to be a fan biting their fingernails or covering their eyes during the last play of the game. One of the most controversial calls in playoff history occurred when quarterback Tom Brady was sacked and apparently fumbled. I am sure the call was seen differently by both Oakland and Patriots fans. It was a close play and either way the refs called it, it would have been questionable. Even though the Raiders recovered the ball the referees ruled the pass an incompletion, which allowed Adam Vinatieri to kick the game-winning field goal, and the Patriots would soon have another ring to wear around their fingers.
10. Eagle Flies Through the Hurricane- The hopes of the Boston College Eagles, and the chance of beating the defending national champions, the Miami Hurricanes, rested on quarterback Doug Flutie. Flutie took his steps back as his receivers streaked down the field, and when he threw the ball straight into the air nobody seemed to be open. But there was just enough space for the ball to land in the arms of Gerard Phelan, and for the Eagles to beat Miami. Flutie ran down the field with his arms above his head, showing the joy that can still be felt which makes it such a great moment in sports.
9. Half Man, Half Fish, Complete Victory-This year’s Olympics were memorable for the USA. I am not much of a fan of swimming, but the enthusiasm and heart of swimmer Michael Phelps brought inspiration to many viewers. In Beijing he won eight gold medals, five of which were individual awards. He holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics, and made America proud as he showed wide smiles while receiving each of his gold medals.
8. Tiger Woods Shocks the World-I have so much respect for Tiger Woods, not only because he could beat me blindfolded in a round of golf, but because of his poise and confidence. In 1977, at the age of 21, he was a contestant in the most prestigious golf tournament, The Masters. April 13th 1997 was the year Tiger Woods won an event that did not even invite a black golfer until the year of his birth. He is the Barack Obama of the golfing world, and is considered to be the best golfer to this day.
7. Cowboy Up- The curse is reversed! On October 27, 2004, I was standing in my living room, hands over my head in disbelief while Keith Foulke fielded a ground ball and tossed it to first base for the final out. Take that Yankees fans! I am sure tears of joy streamed down the cheeks of the faithful Boston fans as The Curse of the Great Bambino was broken, and the Red Sox were crowned World Champions.
6. The Best to Ever Play the Game- Like many teenage basketball fans/players, I am a fan of Michael Jordan. Air Jordan, MJ, Jumpman, are all nicknames given to the legendary basketball player. Jordan was drafted by the Bulls in 1983, but to this day all of his merchandise and highlight videos are more present than ever. A new version of basketball was born with his high flying, tongue out of the mouth, and cocky style of play.
5. Perfection- Rocky Marciano just might be the most unknown and underrated athlete ever. As an athlete, one wishes to obtain perfection and that’s just what Marciano did. 49-0 was his boxing record while he knocked opponent after opponent out of the ring. I know I would not want to step in a ring with this man, and can feel the fear of his opponents. From 1952- 1956 Rocky ruled the boxing ring.
4. The Greatest Game Ever Played -“The Greatest Game Ever Played” was a match up between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. It was the beginning of America’s craving for televised football. Seventeen individuals who were involved in this game are members of the Football Hall of Fame. I love playing and watching football, and watching this battle between these two teams in the early years of football shows the heart and determination football can bring to the fans and players. Even though the players were not necessarily as skilled as the players today, they had just has much heart.
3. Civil Rights Plays Baseball- If you look into the rafters of all baseball parks today the blue numbers 42 hang over the field. I can only imagine the bravery of Jackie Robinson, the man who desegregated American baseball. He was also the first four-sport letter winner at UCLA, an All American in football, and a long jump NCAA champion in 1940. His accomplishments continued when he became a Brooklyn Dodger and will be remembered forever for breaking down the color barrier in baseball.
2. And the Band is on the Field- Every decent all-time football highlight video seems to include a Golden Bear, a Cardinal, and a saxophone. The University of California was playing Stanford University, and who went home happy would be decided on the last kickoff. Every time I see the kickoff unfold, it seems it is inevitable that a Cal player will be tackled. However, after toss after toss, one of the Cal players breaks free. It’s one of the moments the fan is saying “go, go, go” thinking there might be a break in the defense. As the player is running towards the end zone the band is marching onto the field. It is an obstacle course and things turn out pretty ugly for one of the band members as the Cal player demolishes anything in his path for the winning touchdown.
1. A Miracle with Missing Teeth- One of the greatest underdog stories that has ever occurred, happened on frozen water. The USA Olympic hockey team, a team of young teenagers who have been playing together for months, took on the Soviet Union. Visions of David and Goliath came to mind as the United States took the ice. A Cold War tension and rivalry existed between the teams. Although I was not born yet, watching the movie Miracle and seeing clips of the game brings chills of excitement and disbelief. The 1980 USA Hockey team defeated the Soviets and shocked the world!
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