Top 15 greatest sports moments of all time

At least this is one list:


15. Dwight Clark The Catch

I remember this. I hate the Cowboys. This was a great day.



14 Diego Maradona Diego Maradona’s goals for Argentina against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup

Maradona was just in the UK a few weeks ago, coaching the Argentinian team against Scotland. Bin Laden would be better received over here. But I do like to bring this up from time to time, when the Brits get on my ass about American sports. I might get us pulled out of NATO yet.



13 Rocky Marciano Rocky Marciano Retires As Heavyweight Champ Undefeated at 49-0

I used to be a big boxing fan, about 25 years ago. When it meant something. This is one of the great, under-rated sports achievements of all time.



12 Kerri Strug Kerri Strug’s one footed Vault

This wasn't quite the great victory it's been made out to be, as the US had already clinched the gold, and this vault didn't matter. But spirit like this is what made our country. And what a great moment on our soil. The second greatest in the history of American international competition.



11 Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson Signs a Major League Contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers

I'm not any kind of activist, and I do get tired of all the first-this, first-that of race, creed, color, religion, etc. Continually naming our differences doesn't do anything to bring us together. But somehow, shouldn't this be a top-5 event, at the least. This changed the face of America in a way that very few events ever have.



10 Bob Beamon Bob Beamon long jumps 29′ 2 1/2 inches to shatter the world record by more than two feet

Somehow, I just can't get excited about this one, and don't see how this is top-10 event. If not for the clenched fist controversy, the Mexico City Olympics might go down as the most forgotten games in history. I mean, seriously, name one other thing you can remember about the '68 Olympics.



9 Lou Gehrig Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech

I think this one transcends sports, and is one of the great moments of mankind.



8 Mark McGwire Mark McGwire over Sammy Sosa, 70-66, for the new home-run crown

I'm about to commit a sacrilegious offense here, but this doesn't belong on this list. Its a great moment, but it's really not that great. And not to be listed above Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig.




7 Bobby Thompson Bobby Thompson’s shot heard round the world

Not sure about this one here. A little New York bias, perhaps. This is 7, but Mazeroski is nowhere on the list?



6 Wilt Chamberlain Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100 Points in a Single Game

I'll even forgive Wilt for going to KU and say this is of the greatest individual achievements in the history of sports. And if Kobe Bryant ever does it, it won't be the same.


Have you head the story about the immigrant from Eastern Europe, who lived in New Jersey. He attended one major-league baseball game in his life, and one NBA game.

Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the '56 series, and Wilt scored 100 points. Good timing, dude.




5 Cal-Stanford Cal-Stanford Play

Somewhere there is a Zapruder-like film showing an official picking up a flag. But for his safety, lets hope we never find out.



4 Jesse Owens Jesse Owens Debunks Aryan Myth

Was this really that big of a deal? Did anyone really even care back then? I'm not knocking Jesse. Hey, 4 golds in one Olympics. Great moment. But that's not what this is about? Hell, we depicted blacks as inferior. What did we care what Hitler thought?



3 Michael Phelps Michael Phelps wins 8 Gold Medals at the Olympics

I remember the '72 Olympics, because I had been to Munich as a kid. The only three things I remember about this (at the age of 7) was the hostage situation, the basketball game, and Mark Spitz. I'll take Spitz. Not to take anything away from Phelps, but it all seemed too manufactured.



2 Michael Jordan Michael Jordan’s Final Shot

This would deserve to be 2 if he hadn't come back. But he did. Still a great moment. But not 2. Popular doesn't mean great.



1 US Hockey Team 1980 USA Hockey Team Defeats Soviet

Rag tag bunch of mostly teen aged amateurs, barely together a few months and playing a sport invented and perfected elsewhere, take on the most polished, professional and unbeatable team in the history of international hockey, and win it. In exhibitions that year, Soviet club teams had gone 5–3–1 against National Hockey League teams, and a year earlier the Soviet national team had defeated the NHL All-Stars 6–0 to win the Challenge Cup. The Soviet and American teams were natural rivals due to the decades-old Cold War. In the final seconds of the game the crowd began to count down the seconds left. Sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game on ABC along with former Montreal Canadians goalie Ken Dryden, picked up on the countdown in his broadcast, and delivered his famous call “…Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk…five seconds left in the game…Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” US won the game 4-3. This victory was voted the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century by Sports Illustrated.

Nothing to add on this one.




This is not my list, just one I found on-line, and I though I would comment on it. There are other great moments. What's great is every person would have a different list. It's not a bad list. It has some truly great moments, some popular choices and a few baffling ones. But 4 baseball picks out of 15. I guess that's okay.

Personally, I would have picked Ryan's 7th no-no, Barry Sanders resetting the record books, Doug Fluties Hail Mary, Edwin Moses and Michael Johonson, 'Nova over the Hoya's, and some of the ones I've listed above.


This would never make any one's list for obvious reasons, it its my top 10 of all time personal favorites. See the picture at the top. What a summer!!!