Great Sporting Moments

[britbox]

This is a general thread to recount your favourite and most memorable sporting moments (any sport) ... Video is good but not essential!

 

[britbox]

I'll kick off with Liverpool v AC Milan, Champions League 2005.

Liverpool, once upon a time the landed gentry of European football had not won the English Premier League (formerly know as Division 1) since 1990. They kind of "fell into the final"... nobody expected it and most didn't fancy our chances against Milan.

3-0 down at half time, some fans left the stadium. Others at home were just hoping the score stayed in single figures.

What happened in the second half was incredible. Liverpool scored 3 goals in 7 minutes, hung on in extra time and won the trophy on a penalty shootout.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I don't give a toss for the "Premiership is the best league in the world" propaganda nor do I give a rat's ass about Man City, but Aguero's last second goal in 2012 to win the title gives me goosebumps to this day.

 

[Moxie]

Derek Jeter's walk-off game winning hit in his last at-bat in Yankee Stadium.



(I could only put this up as a hyper-link and not a video image. Not sure why.)

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

Hi @Moxie,

I'm not sure either... it brings up the video when I put it in.  I've also noticed that you and a couple of other users get the cite text when quoting other posters.

Do you mind letting me know what kind of device you are using?

 

[Moxie]

I see the video now...is that because you changed something, or because I didn't wait long enough?  I'm on a Macbook Air, OS X (10.10.3), if that helps.

 

[Billie]

First that comes to my mind is EuroBasket 1997 and winning 3pointer by one of my favorite Serbian players, Sasha Djordjevic, against Croatia. B-)

 

[britbox]

<cite>@Moxie said:</cite>
I see the video now...is that because you changed something, or because I didn't wait long enough?  I'm on a Macbook Air, OS X (10.10.3), if that helps.

The video submission isn't showing on your post for me, but it showing on the post I made directly underneath it.  I don't think they are auto-embedding if they are submitted using a Mac with OSX.  I'll fix that up over the weekend when I throw up the next round of updates.

 

[britbox]

The match @brokenshoelace is talking about was when Manchester City won the Premier League in 2012 on the last game of the season.

To give context... City had been overshadowed by their illustrious neighbours Manchester United for decades. It was 44 years since City had won the title - something the red half of Manchester constantly reminded them of.

Anyway, City went into the last game against QPR with the title in their hands. A win would guarantee the title. QPR were near the foot of the table and City were playing at home. United were away at Sunderland.... Surely a formality?

On the day, it was anything but a formality.

City were losing at home 2-1 to QPR when the final whistle blew in Sunderland. United had won 1-0 away.

United fans started celebrating on the terraces. They'd won the league...or had they?

After 92 minutes (2 minutes into injury time) City equalized. 2-2. The title was still with United. City pressed and pressed... the final whistle was seconds away... When bang....

Sergio Aguero slotted the winner on 94 minutes (4 minutes into injury time) to bring the title to Manchester City for the first time in 44 years.

The scenes were incredible.

 

[britbox]

Marvin Hagler v Thomas Hearns

Middleweight title fight between two of the greatest fighters in history.

 

[Billie]

Another one of my favourite is the golden goal by Sid the Kid to win an Olympic gold in Vancouver:

 

[shawnbm]

Well, I was a boy, but Big Red winning the Triple Crown at Belmont Park in 1973 stands out.  As the announcer famously said:  "Secreteriat is moving like a tremendous machine!!"  I was likewise moved seeing American Pharoah do it again this year (enjoyed with a childhood friend who turned me on to the horses--just like old times).  He is now part of the pantheon of greats--but there remains only one Big Red.

Another would be Jack Nicklaus shooting 30 on the back nine of Augusta National on Sunday to win the 1986 Masters for his final victory at age 46 and well past his prime.  It was scintillating.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Michael Jordan is my favorite athlete of all time. The last minute of his Bulls career the fairy tail ending. It really highlights what he's all about. He makes two free throws to tie the game. The, after the Jazz make a three to go up, the Bulls need a quick bucket. Jordan gets it done in 4 seconds. Jazz were still up by 1 and could milk the clock enough to give the Bulls very little time on the last possession. Jordan strips the ball from Malone and makes one of the most famous shots in NBA history to win the game.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Ali knocking out Foreman (way before I was born) has legit put a tear in my eye on some occasions. I strongly recommend that everyone watches a documentary called "When We Were Kings" to understand the significance of that whole fight, and the cultural phenomenon that it represented. Easily my favorite ever sports documentary.

The KO:

 

[brokenshoelace]

My all time favorite sports moment, and legitimately, one of the happiest moments of my life. Italy winning the 2006 World Cup. I can't decide between the last 3 minutes of extra time against Germany in the semis and the penalty that won the whole thing in the final, so here's both:

Andrea Pirlo's composure for the first assist is something else. Del Piero's finish on the second is a thing of beauty. But really the most amazing thing for me is Cannavaro headed clearance followed by insane anticipation and a 20 yard run to intercept the ball...after 120 minutes of play. The Wall of Berlin:



Grosso's penalty to win Italy's fourth World Cup:

 

[britbox]

Robert Horry 3 pointer on the buzzer in game 6 of the 2002 NBA finals to take the series to a decider. Lakers v Kings

 

[brokenshoelace]

I'm not a Barcelona fan, but I appreciate their brand of Football in the past decade or so. Lionel Messi is the biggest joy in Football. This one is a little recent. His performance against Bayern Munich in the semi finals of the Champions League last season was the stuff of legend.

On a sidenote, props to Martin Tyler for always managing to capture the magic of Football with his incredible commentary. His reaction to Messi's second goal adds to the moment:

 

[britbox]

Coe v Ovett 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Britain had the two best middle runners in the world... Coe was the 800m world record holder, Ovett the 1500m world record holder... they kept smashing records in the run up to the 1980 Olympics... beating each others records, and taking the world records at all the non-Olympic events like the Mile, 1000m etc...

BUT in the run up to the Olympics, they deliberately avoided each other at Grand Prix events. The Olympic final was the BIG one where they would face each other.

Both entered the 800m and 1500m.

Coe was the 800m World Record Holder, but Ovett won Gold.

Ovett was the 1500m World Record Holder, but Coe won Gold.

This face off was MASSIVE in the UK, the whole country tuned in. @JesuslookslikeBorg will likely remember!

Here is the 800m event (probably the most significant as it was first one where they faced off in years)

The final is at 8:20

 

[DarthFed]

Always going to be GB winning Super Bowl 31.  I was young and the excitement of watching football, while still there, is not quite the same as we aged.  That was a dominant season so it was not a big surprise like the Packers winning Super Bowl 45 was (which is 2nd place of course).

Aside from that and Roger winning RG in 2009 and the 2012 Wimbledon final I'd probably say Jordan winning his last championship in epic fashion is probably at the top.  I was rooting for a game 7 and was actually intrigued to see if the great man could be defeated in a series.  But when you look back at that game given MJ is easily the greatest athlete I've ever seen it is certainly a "great moment"

Others:  Sampras vs. Corretja in 96 USO,  GB vs. Raiders the day after Favre's father died of a heart attack and I'm sure dozens of others I'm forgetting.