Those moments in sports...
Posted: June 8th, 2015, 3:08 pm
With American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown in this past weekend for the 1st time since Affirmed in 1978, it raises the question is it one of the biggest sports moments in our lifetime? Even as a casual horse racing fan, it wasn't for me. But it made me think this would be a good question for our small board here. What is your biggest sports moments? Moments you will never forgot where you were, how you were watching, and what made it a special moment for you?
For me it take 3 things to make a sports moment remarkable. 1) a build up to the game that has you excited to the event for a few days (or longer) before hand. 2) An underlying factor that goes beyond just a game but takes it to something else. 3) a game that doesn't disappoint and a finish that you will forever remember.
I will start with a few:
2006 Orange Bowl: The 2 greatest college football coaches of our generation were both in their final years. They matched up in an orange bowl that required several factors for it to line up perfectly. Penn State rose from the dead and after the worst stretch in over 4 decades came within 1 second of a perfect regular season. The only were able to be selected for the Orange Bowl because the National Championship took the Rose Bowl out of play. Florida State didn't come in off of their finest season but they did pull off an upset in the ACC Championship game to earn a automatic birth in the Orange Bowl. The game was close throughout with never more than a 1 score advantage and pushed to triple overtime. Penn State's Kevin Kelly squeaked at 29 yard attempt through and gave Penn State their biggest victory during the BCS era.
2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7: For the 2nd year in a row, the Penguins played the Red Wings in the finals. The year before the Red Wings finished off the Penguins in 6 games. Marian Hossa during the offseason took less money to leave the Penguins to go to the Red Wings for a "better chance at winning the cup." The much younger Penguin roster again fell behind 2-0 in the but this time they battled back to force a game 7. During the season the future of the franchise was in question. Though it was looking more likely they would return to Pittsburgh, their was still some uncertainty around the situation. In game 7, the Penguins who had one of the deepest roster of forwards in NHL history finally got contribution from the 4th line center, Maxime Talbot. He netted both goals and Fluery fought off a flurry (pun intended) of action in the final few minutes for a 2-1 game and 4-3 series victory.
For me it take 3 things to make a sports moment remarkable. 1) a build up to the game that has you excited to the event for a few days (or longer) before hand. 2) An underlying factor that goes beyond just a game but takes it to something else. 3) a game that doesn't disappoint and a finish that you will forever remember.
I will start with a few:
2006 Orange Bowl: The 2 greatest college football coaches of our generation were both in their final years. They matched up in an orange bowl that required several factors for it to line up perfectly. Penn State rose from the dead and after the worst stretch in over 4 decades came within 1 second of a perfect regular season. The only were able to be selected for the Orange Bowl because the National Championship took the Rose Bowl out of play. Florida State didn't come in off of their finest season but they did pull off an upset in the ACC Championship game to earn a automatic birth in the Orange Bowl. The game was close throughout with never more than a 1 score advantage and pushed to triple overtime. Penn State's Kevin Kelly squeaked at 29 yard attempt through and gave Penn State their biggest victory during the BCS era.
2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7: For the 2nd year in a row, the Penguins played the Red Wings in the finals. The year before the Red Wings finished off the Penguins in 6 games. Marian Hossa during the offseason took less money to leave the Penguins to go to the Red Wings for a "better chance at winning the cup." The much younger Penguin roster again fell behind 2-0 in the but this time they battled back to force a game 7. During the season the future of the franchise was in question. Though it was looking more likely they would return to Pittsburgh, their was still some uncertainty around the situation. In game 7, the Penguins who had one of the deepest roster of forwards in NHL history finally got contribution from the 4th line center, Maxime Talbot. He netted both goals and Fluery fought off a flurry (pun intended) of action in the final few minutes for a 2-1 game and 4-3 series victory.