COMMENTARY : Looking back at sports’ greatest years
Posted on Friday, July 25, 2008
The 2008 year has a chance to go down as the best in sports history. Think about it.
The New York Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots in, arguably, the best Super Bowl. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in, perhaps, the greatest tennis match, at Wimbledon. The NCAA men’s basketball title game was an overtime thriller. Tiger Woods turned in his most memorable performance by winning the U. S. Open on one leg. Danica Patrick earned her first victory. We had a classic outdoor hockey game, a great Stanley Cup final, the storied Boston Celtics won the NBA title and the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium went 15 innings.
There are plenty more memories to be made with the Olympics and a possible doozy of an October if the Chicago Cubs can get to the World Series.
What have been the greatest years in sports history ? Here’s our ranking.
1 . 1980
The U. S. Olympic hockey team beats the Soviet Union in the “Miracle on Ice.” Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard fight twice, with Duran winning the first then saying, “no mas” in the second. Larry Holmes effectively ends Muhammad Ali’s career with an 11 th-round TKO. Rivals Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson are in their primes with Nicklaus winning the U. S. Open and PGA, and Watson winning the British Open. Bjorn Borg defeats John McEnroe in five sets, including an incredible 18-16 tiebreaker, to win at Wimbledon. Rookie Magic Johnson plays center and scores 42 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76 ers in Game 6 for the NBA title. The Philadelphia Phillies win the only World Series in club history.
2 . 1962
Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a game. Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson to become the heavyweight champ. A golden age of golf as Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player all win majors. Aussie left-hander Rod Laver becomes only the second man to win tennis’ Grand Slam. Despite Elgin Baylor’s 61 points in Game 5, the Lakers lose the NBA title to Bill Russell’s Celtics in seven games. The New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants 1-0 in Game 7 to win the World Series.
3 . 1972
The Miami Dolphins go 17-0 to become the NFL’s only unbeaten champion. The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders on Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception.” At the Olympics, U. S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals, Sovietborn gymnast Olga Korbut becomes a star and the Soviet Union wins a controversial basketball game over USA for gold. Tragically, this is one of sports’ darkest years as 11 Israeli Olympic athletes and coaches are killed by terrorists in Munich, Germany. Also, baseball legend Roberto Clemente is killed in a plane crash.
4 . 1986
In baseball’s greatest postseason, the New York Mets beat the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game World Series best remembered for Bill Buckner’s Game 6 error. The Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl to cap their season, becoming one of the best teams in NFL history. Nicklaus, 46, becomes the oldest player to win the Masters. Larry Bird and the Celtics win the NBA title. Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champ at 20 years and 4 months.
5 . 1969
The Miracle Mets win the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles. Rod Laver wins the Grand Slam in tennis again. Joe Namath guarantees his New York Jets will upset the favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and, sure enough, the Jets win 16-7. The start of the legendary 10-Year War as Michigan snaps Ohio State’s 22-game winning streak with a 24-12 victory.
6 . 1985
Pete Rose passes Ty Cobb to become baseball’s all-time hit king. Villanova scores one of the biggest upsets in sports history by beating Georgetown for the NCAA basketball title. In a classic NBA showdown, Johnson’s Lakers defeat Bird’s Celtics to win the NBA title. Marvin Hagler knocks out Thomas Hearns in three rounds in, possibly, the most exciting fight in history. At 17, Boris Becker is the youngest men’s Wimbledon champion and first unseeded player to win. Helped by Don Denkinger’s controversial call, the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in the I-70 World Series.
7 . 1975
Carlton Fisk hits a famous home run in Game 6, but the Cincinnati Reds win the World Series. UCLA beats Kentucky to win its 10 th NCAA basketball title in 12 years in Coach John Wooden’s final game. Muhammad Ali beats Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila.” Arthur Ashe becomes the only black man to win Wimbledon.
8 . 1938
Seabiscuit defeats Triple Crown winner War Admiral in a match race to become, arguably, the greatest horse ever. Reds left-hander Johnny Vander Meer becomes the only pitcher in baseball history to throw back-to-back no-hitters. Don Budge becomes the first tennis player to win the Grand Slam. A title-game record 48, 120 at the Polo Grounds see the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers 23-17 for the NFL championship. Led by Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, the Yankees sweep the Cubs to win the World Series.
9 . 1974
Hank Aaron hits home run No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth as the baseball’s all-time home run king. UCLA basketball has two streaks snapped as Notre Dame ends its 88-game winning streak and eventual champ N. C. State ends its streak of seven consecutive NCAA titles. Using the “rope-a-dope,” Muhammad Ali knocks out champ George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Jimmy Connors wins the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U. S. Open; Chris Evert takes the French Open and Wimbledon. Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500, the race’s first back-to-back winner. 10 . 1967
The Packers win Super Bowl I over the Kansas City Chiefs. Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into the Army. The Toronto Maple Leafs win their last Stanley Cup, and the NHL doubles its size from six to 12 teams. The Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the “Ice Bowl.”
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
