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Streetcar Line
The Hall of Sports Transcendence
Great moments in memory’s eye.
Forgive, please, the escape into sports again. It’s just so much more fun to write about than politics in the age of Obama. Last September I wrote that the baseball and football halls of fame had unfairly excluded Andre Dawson and Rickey Jackson, respectively. Two weeks ago, Dawson was inducted at Cooperstown, and this weekend, Jackson will be inducted in Canton. I am still almost giddy that Jackson got in after never even being a semi-finalist before. Oh, all the weeks I watched from the Superdome’s upper deck as Jackson led the Saints; oh, all the weeks I watched as he talked straight after the game rather than giving some sort of namby-pamby spin. So there’s my excuse for my mind turning to sports this week: The best all-around linebacker I ever saw, one who happened to play for my beloved hometown team, is finally becoming an NFL immortal. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! He chortled in his joy.
It makes me want to celebrate all of sport, or at least all of its great moments. Sports images have a way of implanting themselves into one’s mind that few other events ever do. In no particular order I see Canton’s Dave Wottle flying through a finishing kick in the 800-meter run with his golf cap on; I see Brett Favre getting up laughing after being knocked on his butt by Warren Sapp and patting Sapp on the head in homage to the play; I see Willie Mays, crumpled on the ground after a vicious outfield collision with Bobby Bonds, slowly raising his glove in the air from his prone position to show he did make the catch. There is Ben Crenshaw weeping, head in hands and elbows on knees, after winning the Masters in honor of Harvey Penick. There is Paul Azinger finishing a eulogy for Payne Stewart by rolling up his pants leg to show off his argyle socks. Over there, the little-remembered defensive genius Gene Smith is eating Dicky Beal’s lunch again and again as Georgetown holds Kentucky scoreless for the first 9:58 of the second half in the Final Four semi-finals in Seattle in 1984 — and then hobbling off the court with a sprained ankle that would keep him out of the victorious championship game two days later, but with his warrior’s pride still intact.
Your snippets of flashbacks of course will be different. Perhaps it’s Walt Frazier epitomizing “cool” while scoring 36 points with 19 assists in Game Seven of the NBA Finals in 1970. Maybe it’s Hank Aaron warding off two fans as he took his 715th home run trot. Or maybe it’s Cowboys backup Clint Longley hitting Drew Pearson in the Thanksgiving Miracle victory over the Redskins.
Whatever those moments are for you, they are special in a way words can hardly capture. They are moments when you get carried away and allow sports to transcend ordinary existence, taking on far more importance than by rights they should. But nobody of any decency would or should deny another’s experience of the transcendent, even if those moments are poor substitute’s for the transcendence of our God.
In that spirit of celebrating the best of sport, herewith my nominees (completely from memory except for minor details edited in afterwards) for the greatest sports moments or events since, oh, about 1960, with judgments made based on a combination of momentousness, athletic spectacularity (to coin a word), and pure entertainment value of emotional resonance:
1) David Tyree’s ball-to-the-helmet catch of Eli Manning’s heave, after Manning seemingly miraculously avoided a sack, to set up the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII in 2008. Considering the circumstances — opponent New England was undefeated — and the almost unfathomable physics of the play, and the phenomenal excitement of the whole game, this might be the single greatest moment in modern sports history. (Tyree, by the way, retired last week.)
2) The U.S. Olympic Hockey Team’s gold medal in Lake Placid in 1980. Yes, Al Michaels, we do believe in miracles.
3) Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France wins after nearly dying from cancer. (This assumes that he didn’t cheat with steroids.) For sheer willpower, for the brute force of his attacks while on the steepest climbs, and for the way he used his own success to help a worthy cause, the significance of Armstrong’s achievements should never be underestimated. Yes, live strong.
4) The completion of the Tiger Slam in 2001. Yeah, I don’t like Tiger very much. And yeah, it wasn’t an absolutely pure, single-calendar-year Grand Slam. So what? Woods’ apparently effortless brilliance made people under-appreciate how almost im-freaking-possible it is to win all four golf majors in a row — and on courses like Augusta National, Pebble Beach, and St. Andrew’s, and by 15 strokes (Pebble), 8 strokes (St. Andrew’s), a gut-wrenching playoff by making an amazingly clutch putt in the PGA on a course Jack Nicklaus built; and over the next two best players in the world (Phil Mickelson and David Duval) in the momentous stretch run at Augusta.
5) Woods winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while on torn ligaments and a broken leg, in a 19-hole playoff, making amazingly clutch, mid-length putts twice to force extra holes, after holing bizarre shots from off the green all week.
6) Rafael Nadal beating Roger Federer in the Wimbledon gloaming in 2008, in the greatest tennis match, EVER. I watched the game with three generations of people who weren’t even tennis fans, and I swear that everybody watching from age 10 to 79 had a few moments where they literally forgot to breathe because the tension and athleticism were so phenomenal.
7) Willis Reed hobbling onto the court in the aforementioned Game Seven of the 1970 NBA Finals. No surprise entrance was ever more electrifying, or more significant. And think of the Hall of Famers on the court: Reed, Frazier, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley, Elgin Baylor, Phil Jackson, Jerry West, Dave DeBusschere. Simply amazing stuff.
8) Michael Phelps’ 1/100th of a second victory over Milorad Cavic in the 100m butterfly en route to his record eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics. It had to be seen in slow motion and in stop-action Sports Illustrated photos, frame by frame, again and again and again, before it could really be believed.
9) Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal to win Super Bowl XXXVI for the New England Patriots over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. The whole game was superb. And people forget what a huge upset it was. And it started a dynasty. And it was in a game held under stifling security, a week later than scheduled, because it was the first Super Bowl following 9/11. Sorry for the cliché, but by game’s end the tension really was almost unbearable.
10) The Bloody Sock. No “jinx” in sports history has ever been so celebrated, so romanticized and poeticized, and so subject to so many near-misses as the Red Sox 86-year Curse of the Bambino. Bucky Dent. Bill Buckner (but DON’T blame him, please; he was a pro’s pro playing on a bum leg). Aaron Boone. And for the Red Sox to be saved by a guy in a red-blood-soaked sock was just too eerie to be believed — except that it, and Curt Schilling’s courageous mastery, really did happen.
About the Author
Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom. Follow him on Twitter @QuinHillyer.
Darin| 8.5.10 @ 7:02AM
The Bills Don Beebe running down the Cowboys Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII. It was the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were up 52-17. Lett picked up a fumble and rumbled toward the end zone. Beebe ran the length of the field to punch the ball away and prevent a touchdown.
JmsA| 8.5.10 @ 11:43AM
The Cowboys beating the stuffing out the Bills 52/17, and then again the following year.
Alan Brooks| 8.5.10 @ 2:45PM
"The U.S. Olympic Hockey Team's gold medal in Lake Placid in 1980. Yes, Al Michaels, we do believe in miracles. "
The film (released 2004) was topnotch-- it is about the coach most of all.
Occam's Tool| 8.5.10 @ 3:59PM
The 1985 Chicago Bears, recording "SuperBowl Shuffle" BEFORE the Playoffs started, then winning the SuperBowl. And a Grammy.
vt64| 8.5.10 @ 6:40PM
how about mark messier's hat trick in game 6 against the devils forcing a game 7 in the greatest series in nhl playoff history.that brought on matteau,matteau,matteau and the first cup for the rangers since 1940.
potkas7| 8.5.10 @ 7:17AM
Bobby Orr, airborne, parallel to the ice, arms outstretched, after scoring the winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals.
Bob K.| 8.5.10 @ 7:53AM
When will they put Bert Blyleven in?
Or did he play too long out in the boonies seen only by the "Country Class" and away from the writers who would aspire to be members of the "Ruling Class?"
Quin| 8.5.10 @ 10:16AM
Bert Be Home Blyleven. He clearly deserves enshrinement!
tonypal| 8.6.10 @ 7:38PM
Sorry guys, but Bert Blyleven is not a hall of famer. He was a compiler whose stats are more a reflection of his longevity than of hall of fame level greatness. Ask yourself this simple question; was Blyleven at any time during his career a dominant pitcher, among even the 5 best in the league. Blyleven was a fine pitcher to be sure, but his average season for his career was 14-12. I know he didn't exactly play for great teams, but in 1979 as a member of the champion Pirates, he only managed 12 wins in 37 starts.
In my humble opinion, in order to be in the Hall, you must have been a dominant performer for a certain number of years, probably around 8-10. Blyleven doesn't even come close. Compare him to Jim Kaat, who as a starter has a superior record to Blyleven, won 20 games 3 times to Blyleven's one and won 16 gold gloves to boot. He also didn't give up a million home runs like Blyleven, who for most of his career was a launching pad. Kaat's not in the Hall and doesn't belong there either. Having said all that, he was a good pitcher who deserves a great deal of respect for the way he performed and carried himself.
tonypal| 8.6.10 @ 7:38PM
Sorry guys, but Bert Blyleven is not a hall of famer. He was a compiler whose stats are more a reflection of his longevity than of hall of fame level greatness. Ask yourself this simple question; was Blyleven at any time during his career a dominant pitcher, among even the 5 best in the league. Blyleven was a fine pitcher to be sure, but his average season for his career was 14-12. I know he didn't exactly play for great teams, but in 1979 as a member of the champion Pirates, he only managed 12 wins in 37 starts.
In my humble opinion, in order to be in the Hall, you must have been a dominant performer for a certain number of years, probably around 8-10. Blyleven doesn't even come close. Compare him to Jim Kaat, who as a starter has a superior record to Blyleven, won 20 games 3 times to Blyleven's one and won 16 gold gloves to boot. He also didn't give up a million home runs like Blyleven, who for most of his career was a launching pad. Kaat's not in the Hall and doesn't belong there either. Having said all that, he was a good pitcher who deserves a great deal of respect for the way he performed and carried himself.
Dave| 8.5.10 @ 8:34AM
As a little kid I still remember seeing the white cap coming from no-where to win the 800. Unbelievable! Thanks for great article.
Mike JL| 8.5.10 @ 8:43AM
Great list, but you have to include Sugar Ray Leonard's 1987 win over Marvelous Marvin Hagler as one of boxing's greatest bouts ever.
NavyBrat | 8.5.10 @ 8:52AM
1.The ENTIRE '85 Bears season, with Super Bowl 20 taking the prize!
2. The University of Memphis (my alma mater) beating Tennessee during Payton Manning's senior year. Game was in Memphis & I remember storming the field, tearing down the goal posts, & carrying them back to campus, 3 miles away.
3. Dale Jr. winning Daytona after Senior died.
4. Nolan Ryan pummelling the living piss out of Robin Ventura
5. Ohio State beating Miami for the National Championship in '02.
6. Tim Tebow breaking Emmett Smith's Univ. of Florida rushing record... AS A SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK!!!!
7. My first Army/Navy Game (GO NAVY!!!)
8. My first Tennessee vs. Florida game, at Knoxville (GO VOLS!!!!)
9. My first Ohio State vs. Michigan game, at Colomubus (GO TO HELL, BIG BLUE, GO TO HELL!!!!)
10. My highschool beating our crosstown archrival in 1994 on a 52 vyard filed goal in the driving rain. I was a freshman & remember it like it happened last week.
Helen Donnelly| 8.5.10 @ 2:56PM
Real nice comment about Michigan...geez, settle down. And yes I am a Michigan fan and yes I'm sick of getting the tar beat out of us by Ohio State.
STILLERS| 8.5.10 @ 9:01AM
The Immaculate Reception.
Ryan| 8.5.10 @ 9:12AM
Two images from the Saints' Super Bowl:
1. By-God Tracy Porter reading, studying, and KNOWING that pass was coming. One of the few times we may ever see Payton Manning - who may go down as the greatest technical quarterback to play the game - outsmarted.
2. Drew Brees holding his son on the field after the win, in that little "Brees" jersey. For a few brief moments, he was YOUR favorite quarterback.
A few others for me:
3. Chris Webber, timeout.
4. 2007 Little League World Series - Warner Robins kid hits a homerun to win the game, steps on home plate, and after some celebration, goes and hugs the crying Japanese kid who threw the pitch. If you've never watched it before, the Little League World Series may be the best sporting event on TV. Those kids left it ALL on that field - I was on the edge of my seat the entire game.
JP| 8.5.10 @ 9:30AM
There was "The Pass" in the 1973 Sugar Bowl. On 4th down and long, from the 5 yard line with less than 2 minutes left in the game, Notre Dame's QB Tom Clements hit an unknown back-up tight end (Robin Weber) for a 25 yard gain and a 1st down. That sealed Notre Dame's 24-23 victory over Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide.
Fred Segunda| 8.5.10 @ 9:32AM
Quinn, my man. I can't believe you left off Jim Valvano's take down of Phi Slamma Jamma!
I'm no NC State or Houston fan, but that one was mythic.
Quin| 8.5.10 @ 10:19AM
It's on the list: " the 1983 NCAA hoops title game where Jimmy V's NC State Wolfpack shocked Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma on the game's last play."
Doctor Right| 8.5.10 @ 9:51AM
The 1980 US Olympic hockey victory over the Soviet Union is THE greatest moment in 20th century US sports history...PERIOD.
It was incredibly symbolic. It represented the end of Soviet dominance in more ways than just hockey. And it lifted the spirit of malaise that had poisoned our nation for far too long.
Think about it.
In November of 1980, Ronald Reagan became President. He began an aggressive campaign to roll-back Soviet victories around he globe - and he succeeded.
By the time that Reagan left office, the Soviet Union was crumbling.
Reagan was the driving force in that Cold War victory. But the will to win emerged ion the ice at Lake Placid.
Dagny Taggert| 8.5.10 @ 3:01PM
Some make a good argument it was the collapse in the price of oil that led to the demise of the Soviet economy, and thus the USSR.
SteveN| 8.5.10 @ 10:44AM
I never understood why Elway didn't come back to try to lead the Broncos to be the first Super Bowl three-peat. Not that I really followed the decision much. Maybe he knew he didn't have anything left, but I would have thought anyone would go for it given the chance.
Oh, and Jordan didn't push off. That was an optical illusion of the camera angle. On the other camera angle, Jordan and Russell were a good 2 or 3 feet apart. Jordan did, however, carry the ball virtually every time he dribbled. But I guess that rule went out the window long ago.
Bruce Berger| 8.5.10 @ 11:13AM
No event in my lifetime will likely ever come close to the 1980 Olympic hockey team. The only thing that could ever come close would be if somehow the US soccer team were to win the World Cup.
Tyree's catch? Come on, how parochial can you get?
Left off the list, and yet perhaps the single greatest athletic performance ever, albeit not by a human, is Secretariat's dominating performance in the Belmont Stakes.
Quin| 8.5.10 @ 11:41AM
Parochial? I don't even like New York! As for Secretariat, I explained that in the column: "I included only sports where the action is propelled by the muscle of man, which excludes auto racing and thoroughbred racing. (Secretariat's Belmont Stakes in 1973 and the Affirmed-Alydar battles in 1978 otherwise clearly would be on my list.)"
Oldefarte| 8.5.10 @ 11:40AM
Jackson should be appreciated for his personal integrity along with his football accompolishments, since, to my knowledge, he was never suspected of assaulting women, being involved with illegal drugs, and is a pretty good person. On the football side, he was accompolished at playing the run as well as the pass, which speaks volumes to me. Congrats to Rickey!!!!!!!!!
Quin| 8.5.10 @ 11:49AM
Jackson did have some child-support issues, having fathered children with several women -- but it turned out to be just a goof, not a deliberate shirking of duty. He made good, and apparently tries hard to keep up with ALL his kids. He's no paragon of virtue -- he's is notorious for badly ignoring speed limits on the road -- but he otherwise is a solid citizen: No drugs, talks straight, works hard, was a team player, that sort of thing. And he tries to do some good in the community both in New Orleans and in his Florida hometown. Yeah, Rickey!
Oldefarte| 8.5.10 @ 4:01PM
My point was that, compared to LT's rape, assault and drug usage charges, his minor indiscretions are as minor as say, Vittor's would be to Clinton's, Kennedy's or Edward's [take your pick, John or Edwin]!!!!
WJ| 8.5.10 @ 12:18PM
1982 Dwight Clark making the "Catch" from a Joe Montana pass, sending the 49ers into their first Super Bowl. Greatest play ever!
The Big E| 8.5.10 @ 12:39PM
How about John Riggins 43yd touchdown on 4th and 1 in Super Bowl XVII to seal Washington's first super bowl win?
And how could you leave off the 1974 ACC Championship game between NC State and Maryland, possibly the greatest college b-ball game of all time. NC State was ranked #1 in the Country, Maryland #4, and at that time ONLY the winner would get to go to the NCAA's. State won 103 - 100 in TRIPLE OT, and went on to end UCLA's run of 7 straight NCAA championships.
Notary Sojac| 8.5.10 @ 1:03PM
The 1971 AFC playoff, five and a half quarters of evenly matched goodness with eleven Hall of Famers on the field.
And Quin, by specifiying "since 1960" you have missed by one year the greatest MLB game ever played (the final game of the 1960 season).
Puprle Lips| 8.5.10 @ 1:14PM
I'll never forget the 1984 soccer match between Upper Cornwall and Essex. It ended in a 0-0 tie, but the ensuing brawl was something I'll never forget! The bodies of the injured and vomit were everywhere. Good times!
Ed| 8.5.10 @ 1:35PM
Bucky Dent
Ed| 8.5.10 @ 1:42PM
one more:
AFL Championship Game, Dec 1968. NY Jets over Oakland Raiders. Incredibly exciting game, decided near the end of the fourth quarter when the Jets intercepted a lateral as the Raiders were marching for a go-ahead score.
Steve A| 8.5.10 @ 2:23PM
Secretariat 1973 Triple Crown capped by Belmont perfomance has to make the list.
pete the mediocre| 8.5.10 @ 3:53PM
A lame Curt Gibson's homerun against the Dodgers.
Tommy Frazier and the Huskers running all over Spurrier's Gators in '95 Fiesta Bowl for their second straight national championship.
The amazing (Espie Award) catch by Matt Davidson against Missouri in 1997.
Martin Treptow| 8.5.10 @ 5:24PM
Amen to the 'Huskers moments! I was in the building the night Big Red shellacked the Gators. By the way, how about T.O. going for two against Miami in Jan. '84 instead of kicking the sure-thing extra point which would have given him a sure-thing National Championship? Pure class, our Dr. Tom.
Cpm| 8.5.10 @ 7:32PM
Kirk Gibson homered FOR the Dodgers.
Oldefarte| 8.5.10 @ 3:56PM
testing
William5| 8.5.10 @ 4:02PM
Can't argue with any on your list Mr. Hillyer.
And tho his world record has been broken and Usain Bolt is now the fastest man alive, I'll never forget Michael Johnson's 200m run in the 1996 Olympics (when he became the only man to win both the 400m and the 200m in the same Games). I couldn't believe what I was seeing - I truly thought man could fly. If you can catch video of it, do so, it will take your breath away.
John Luker| 8.5.10 @ 5:06PM
1980 Sugar Bowl. Buck Belue hits Lindsay Scott for the comeback.
1992 NCLS. Braves over Pirates. Bottom of the 9th. Epic!
John Luker| 8.5.10 @ 5:07PM
Correction: NLCS
Mike| 8.5.10 @ 5:26PM
Too much jock-sniffing here. They are just stupid games, the opiate of the masses.
Robb76| 8.5.10 @ 5:56PM
Any game featuring Russell and Chamberlain, also Byrd and Johnson.
Cpm| 8.5.10 @ 7:29PM
I've been an NFL fan for 45 years and have never heard of Ricky Jackson. The Saints. Go figure.
Ryan| 8.6.10 @ 7:56AM
Stuck in a major market, I suppose.
Part of one of the best linebacker corps under one of the most mediocre coaches (Jim Mora).
Sam H| 8.6.10 @ 12:50AM
Correction John Luker...Belue to Scott was in 1980, but it was the UGA/FL game...not the Sugar Bowl. That same day, Notre Dame and GA Tech tied, 3-3, vaulting the Dawgs to #1.
Without a doubt it is USA hockey team...greatest sports memory of all time, world-wide.
A distant second for me are any of a plethora of Oakland Raider (in their heyday) big games...some lost, some won. What a team and what an image.
Why isn't Stabler in the Pro Hall of Fame for crying out loud??!! A true sports travesty. The Snake was football in the 70's.
MoeBlotz| 8.6.10 @ 2:38AM
Ball sports and games. Because Mr.Hillyer does not fancy ice hockey and motor racing,I suppose they do not exist in his mind. Most major news outlets treat both as minor league sporting events as well.
Turnditch| 8.6.10 @ 9:11AM
When I think of the best linebacking corps in the NFL that I've seen, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert of the 70's Steelers were about as good a tandem that ever played the game.
One could easily argue the same about the Saints' Ricky Jackson and Sam "Bam" Mills. Jackson is deserved of the Hall of Fame induction, no doubt.
The 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team was special indeed. That game was "THE" game that got me interested in hockey.
What? No Joe Montana and "The Drive" accolades?
DatsunMark| 8.6.10 @ 3:44PM
Quin,
How about Franz Klammer's Downhill goldmetal in the 76 Winter games? He was on the edge of disaster the whole way down the hill. (Ok so he's not an American but it was exciting.)
tonypal| 8.6.10 @ 7:40PM
Any list of great sport's moments that doesn't include the "Immaculate Reception" in 1972 is wholly inadequate.
tonypal| 8.6.10 @ 7:43PM
Almost forgot that I second Mark Messier's hat trick in the third period of game six of the 1995 eastern conference finals. Messier had personally guaranteed victory at a point when the Rangers look like they were about to go down. The Devils had all the momentum and had a 2-0 lead late in the second period. After setting up Alexi Kovalev for goal, he scored his hat trick in the third. Simply amazing.
tonypal| 8.6.10 @ 7:47PM
Either I'm on a roll or just extremely forgetful. Reggie hits 3 homers on 3 pitches in the '77 World Series. Maybe the single most impressive feat ever pulled off by a professional athlete. Considering the circumstances and the improbable odds doing what he did, I can't think of anything I've ever seen or heard of another athlete doing that surpasses Reggie.
That shall be my final post, unless of course someone tries to include Obama's performance on the basketball court with Harry Smith.
Dennis Bedard| 8.7.10 @ 8:22AM
1. The Packers Cowboys 1967 NFL Championship Game.
2. NC State/UCLA 1973.
3. Miami/Boston College 1985.
4. Ali/Frazier 1971
Oldefarte| 8.8.10 @ 11:40AM
THEN YOUR ELEVATOR OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!!!!!
Mark MacInnis| 8.9.10 @ 11:57AM
No mention of Doug Flutie. For shame.
Mark MacInnis| 8.9.10 @ 12:01PM
No mention of Borg-McEnroe. For shamer.
Mark MacInnis| 8.9.10 @ 12:02PM
No mention of Adam Viniatierri. For shamest.
Mark MacInnis| 8.9.10 @ 12:08PM
I stand corrected. I'll have to find something more egregious to complete my shame, shamer, shamest trilogy....Got it....no mention of the Imperfect perfect game from this June - Gallaraga/Joyce? Shamest.
Zach| 8.9.10 @ 11:04PM
Ayrton Senna jumping out of his car to help Erik Comas at the Belgian Grand Prix. Or the 1993 European Grand Prix. at Donington.
And yes, Jordan pushed off. It's hard being a Jazz fan.