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Streetcar Line
More on Sports — The Hits I Missed
Sports’ greatest moments and achievements are too numerous for the record books.
In creating last week’s list of the 20 greatest moments in modern sports history, I quite obviously shortchanged several major categories or sports — all for reasons that make sense to me — but they do merit acknowledgement nonetheless.
(I write this, by the way, before reading any reader comments or letters, so as not to be affected by the tenor of those responses.)
The first category is women’s sports. Of 30 moments (including honorable mentions), the single women’s entry was Nadia Comaneci’s series of perfect “10s.” The problem is that, aside from tennis, women’s sports just haven’t been consistently high profile — and that the ones that do grab attention every four years, namely gymnastics and figure skating, I just have a strong distaste for sports whose scores themselves (not the rules, but the actual scores) are determined by judges.
Nonetheless, women’s tennis probably deserved more attention. The problem with the great Evert-Navratilova “rivalry” was that the contest really was rarely close: when Navratilova was pudgy, Evert won almost every match; after Navratilova suddenly used whatever means she did to get fit virtually overnight, she completely dominated Evert.
The start of the great era of women’s tennis as a major public sport was probably Margaret Court’s epic 14-12, 11-9 victory over Billie Jean King at Wimbledon in 1970; Court’s Grand Slam that year, and Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam in 1988, probably merit inclusion on any list of all-time great sports achievements.
The other great women’s event that most people would include is the 1999 Women’s World Cup victory by the USA in a shootout with China. It was riveting theatre. Sorry I couldn’t find room for it on my original list.
The second shortchanged category is team dynasties. The Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s, '60s and '70s; the Boston Celtics of the 1960s; the UCLA Bruins of John Wooden; the New York Yankees of the 1920s and 1950s; the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s and Chicago Bulls of the 1990s; and probably the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s-90s all have good reason to complain. The problem is, it’s hard to fit dynasties into the category of sports “moment.” Clearly, Michael Jordan’s last-second, championship-winning shot in 1998 was better than the best of fairy-tales — but then he went and sort of ruined the effect by coming out of retirement and ending his career with a slow fade.
(Speaking of career-ending high notes, John Elway finishing his career with two straight Super Bowl titles is as good as it gets. Now that was an extended “moment” that is hard to top.)
In general, basketball was under-included on my list. Yes, Hondo stole the ball. Yes, David Thompson’s extraordinary performance in the 1974 Final Four, breaking up Wooden’s string of titles, was about as good as individual performances ever get in team sports. Yes, Bobby Knight’s undefeated 1976 team of Quinn Buckner, Kent Benson, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, and others was astonishingly good (although its very dominance robbed its championship games of pulse-pounding drama). Yes, Magic and Bird had some great match-ups. Yes, Lorenzo Charles stuffing it home over Phi Slamma Jamma to send Jimmy V racing around the court was as dramatic as sports can get. I have no good excuse for not including such events, other than that they just didn’t “stick” in my memory with the vividness that other great contests did.
Next, non-championship events were deliberately excluded from my list, specifically because they weren’t ultimately definitive. Mind-boggling NFL playoff games such as the Steelers “Immaculate Reception” win in 1972, the Raiders “Sea of Hands” win over Miami in 1974, the Chargers’ “Epic in Miami” (also known as the “Kellen Winslow game”) in 1982, the 49ers takedown of the Saints earlier this year, and of course “The Catch” by Dwight Clark in 1981 all created lasting memories. (I did include the Ice Bowl on my list even though it was followed by a Super Bowl because, before the Jets’ win in SB III, the NFL championship really was the bigger deal.) Similarly in baseball, the Red Sox over the Angels in 1986, the Mets over the Astros that same year, and the “Greatest Night in Baseball History” last September (the final day of the regular season, with its multi-stage dramas), all were wonderful showcases of sport.
Baseball, in general, fared less well than it should have, considering that it is America’s Pastime. I wasn’t alive yet for Bill Mazeroski’s blast to beat the Yankees in game 7 in 1960; Joe Carter’s walk-off homer in the 1993 World Series, Tug McGraw’s infectious enthusiasm and last-out save in 1980, and the Miracle Mets of 1969 all deserve a place in the sun as well. Ditto Cal Ripken’s homer as he broke the consecutive-games streak. Oh, well….
The 1940s, '50s, and '60s all were under-included; TV either wasn’t existent or wasn’t as ubiquitous then, so fewer people experienced the thrills first-hand. Ted Williams, Johnny Unitas, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, the Palmer-Nicklaus-Hogan battle at Cherry Hills in 1960, the Bob Gibson masterpieces in the mid-'60s, the Bob Mathias decathlons, Rocky Marciano’s undefeated career, and Bob Beamon’s long jump all suffered exclusion because of it. (For that matter, the Babe’s prodigious feats in the 1920s and the great feats in the 1930s by Joe Louis and Babe Didrickson Zaharias belong in any all-time sports compendium.)
Non-human-powered racing lost out, big-time. NASCAR and Indy racing may be hugely entertaining, but I just don’t know how to rank a sport where the power is all mechanical. And while I just couldn’t fail to include Secretariat’s Triple-Crown-winning Belmont run, my pro-human bias led me to exclude what otherwise were three of the most thrilling sports events imaginable: the astonishing Affirmed-Alydar duals in 1978 and the extreme near-misses for the Triple Crown by Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998.
Finally, I admit to a U.S. bias. For the rest of the globe, the World Cup in soccer equals or even exceeds the Olympics in interest and importance. Bah, humbug. I loved playing soccer, but watching it (unless played by cute little kids whose enthusiasm is entertaining) just isn’t my thing. No can do. Too little scoring, too little chance for arm-chair strategizing. And without a strong U.S. interest, it just doesn’t rate. Likewise for other sports like cricket, and likewise for whatever Olympic victories other nations may consider as epics but which made no impression on yours jingoistically truly.
So there. I’m sure there are other things I’ve forgotten. Sports are almost infinitely able to produce excitement, highlight great human effort, and capture the imagination.
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.
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Quin Hillyer| 7.30.12 @ 9:27AM
Other quite arguable oversights: Roger Bannister's 4 minute mile, Don Larsen's perfect game, Kirk Gibson homer, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Edwin Moses, Al Oerter, Bonnie Blair, DiMaggio's hitting streak, Ted Williams' finishing his .400 season with a flourish, Jackie Joyner-Kersee's accomplishments, the Miami over Nebraska Orange Bowl in which the Cornhusker's Tom Osborne bravely tried to go for two (they failed), the Kirby Puckett World Series, the Kansas comeback and overtime win over Memphis in NCAA hoops in 2008, Dan Jansen's heart-warming speed-skating gold medal, Mickey Lolish's great 1968 World Series. A HUGE, but deliberate, absence is Lance Armstrong's seven Tours de France victories. If he was NOT doping, it easily moves into the top three or four of all time. If he was doping, it falls out completely. Resuming the list: Greg LeMond's three Tour titles, especially the dramatic last-day sprint for his second one after coming back from his hunting accident. Duke's upset win in NCAA hoops over UNLV en route to Coach K's first-ever national title. Sebastian Coe's Olympic gold over Steve Cram in the 1,500 meters in 1984 -- matching the one from 1980 and capping his epic three-way rivalry with Cram and Steve Ovett.
Okay, enough for now. Possible more later.
Bob Grant| 7.30.12 @ 10:45AM
"I loved playing soccer, but watching it (unless played by cute little kids whose enthusiasm is entertaining) just isn't my thing. No can do. Too little scoring, too little chance for arm-chair strategizing....
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Quin,
With all due respect. Perhaps your condescending dismissal of soccer is borne of ignorance of the sport?
If your only exposure is pee wee games on Saturday morning, which bears absolutely no resemblance to the game played at it's highest level, then maybe you should decline commenting on the sport altogether.
Personally, I don't "get" Table Tennis and Badminton but forgo commenting on the odd chance that in the future I may learn and understand the nuances of the sport and become a fan.
I throw down the soccer challenge to you: Begin watching the English Premier League - the season begins next month - and learn about the teams and the towns they represent, the players, the structure of the game (i.e. the rules, the "promotion/relegation" process, the Pyramid System in England, etc.) and yes, the strategy of scoring a goal against the best players in the World, and you might at least appreciate the sport a little more.
In addition, you'll notice the EPL provides the best atmosphere for fans in the World. Say what you will about our brothers across the pond but sometimes they get things right...like golf.
Now, about the Jimmy Connors US Open run, that WAS great and forgot all about it. It would rank at the top of my list as well.
mjfin| 7.31.12 @ 3:33AM
Bob: I really sympathize with serious soccer fans who must bear up under the major deficiency of their game.
But no. There is simply not enough scoring, period. End of story. There are even insane rules, like off-sides, which actually discourage scoring, and prevent plays like the basketball fast break.
Any game that is played for 90 minutes which (often) ends in a 0-0 or 1-1 tie does not have enough scoring. And instead of overtime, (what?! play another 90 minutes!?) the game is decided by the ridiculous free kicks. It is as if soccer officials throw up their hands in despair of every getting a goal, and decide to have a couple of guys just kick the ball at the poor goalie until someone scores so everyone can finally get out of there and go home.
The frustrating thing is I actually like and admire soccer play. And it would be child's play to fix the game. Make me the league commissioner and I could fix the sport in a day. Here is how (some examples): Eliminate off-sides penalties. Widen the goal by four feet and increase the height by one. Or prevent goalies from using their hands. Or ... or ... etc. Keep doing this until the average 90 minute game ends with scores averaging 14 goals between the two teams. Then eliminate free kicks and go to a series of 15 minute overtimes with sudden death like in football.
I would call the change "American rules" soccer, just to annoy everyone.
Bob Grant| 7.31.12 @ 12:16PM
Well, I'll give you credit for criticizing the sport with thoughtfulness, which is a refreshing change from "it's a kid's sport", or "...because the athletes aren't 6-5, weigh 230 lbs, bench press 400 lbs, and juice up to the hilt, it's not a REAL sport...", or "...it can't be a real sport because they use their feet..." etc.
Your complaint about insufficient scoring can be addressed by noting the incredible teamwork and skill set required to prevent an opposing team from kicking a ball through a relatively LARGE target! Please consider that the goal is 8 feet in height by 24 feet in length. It doesn't need to be any larger because it would not be reasonable to expect a goalie to cover an even larger area. It would not be a fair test of a goalies physical or mental abilities.
If you remember, they did eliminate the offside penalty in the NASL during the '70's. The offside penalty was a fixed line, 35 yards from the goal. It did nothing to improve the lack of scoring, which is a good thing in my book.
Soccer is all about positioning, timing, ball handling abilities, and....yes....lot's and lots of teamwork!!!!!!
...
Bob Grant| 7.31.12 @ 12:16PM
...cont
It's a game of chess on a beautifully manicured pitch.
The problem with soccer, unlike most other sports, is when it's bad (i.e. Saturday morning pee wee variety, the high school level, most college level, and some professional leagues) it's unwatchable. At it's highest level, there's simply no better sport to watch. You need to first be able to spot and appreciate the difference between the two.
Watch a season of the English Premier League and get back with me.
Reggie Love| 7.30.12 @ 11:13AM
My favorite,not necessarily greatest moments.
In no specific order.
1983 Nebraska/Miami Orange Bowl. Nebraska was an amazing team that year. Miami was an nupstart. The Huskers were down big and came back to cut it to 1 pt. Dr.Tom Osbourne would rather go for 2 than tie it(unlike Ara Parsegian vs.Michigan State).Anyways,Nebraska is thwarted as Miami wins it's 1st title led by freshman Qb(and Republican)Bernie Kosar.
2001 World Series-Dbacks vs.Yankees-Somehow Mariano Rivera falls apart and the Dbacks do the impossible,defeat the 3 time champs.
1979-This one is just personal. This isn't a great feat or individual achievement. I put this one in because I was there. Disco Demolition night at Comiskey(and no Obama it's not Cominskey.Anyways things get way out of hand,as could be expected. The Sox are forced to forfeit. Btw,I still wish they would go back to those old uniforms.