Greatest Moment In Sports?

[Canon Shooter]

Ask 100 people this question, and you could easily end up with 100 different answers. Some might say it was the underdog Jets beating Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Some might say it was when Cassius Clay knocked out the 7-1 favorite Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964 (Sports Illustrated actually ranks this as #4), or when the New York Giant's Bobby Thompson sent his "shot heard around the world" into the left field stands at the Polo Grounds in New York City to snatch the National League pennant from the Brooklyn Dodgers.

For me, though, it has to be from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Place, New York. Herb Brooks coached the USA men's hockey team into the medal rounds, and they were to face the heavily favored Soviet Union team. Brooks made what I think is one of the greatest speeches ever in sports:

"Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game; if we played them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight."


Brooks continued:

"Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players—every one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it!"

And, in a a stunning 4-3 upset of the Soviet Union men's hockey team, the Americans did exactly that, helping to pave their way to the highest perch on the Olympic medal podium...

 

[Oddball]

Miracle on Ice....Nothing else comes close.

 

[Polishprince]

The 1998 Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Mankind.

Probably the greatest wrestling match of all time, and demonstrates why the Pro Game so outshines amateur wrestling.

The Undertaker thought Foley was dead when he threw him off the top of the 20ft Cell

After 30 years at the top, The Undertaker appears to be stepping away from professional wrestling. The 55-year-old WWE legend said ‘he had no desire to get back into the ring’, which ma…

talksport.com

 

[Canon Shooter]

The 1998 Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Mankind.

Probably the greatest wrestling match of all time, and demonstrates why the Pro Game so outshines amateur wrestling.

The Undertaker thought Foley was dead when he threw him off the top of the 20ft Cell

After 30 years at the top, The Undertaker appears to be stepping away from professional wrestling. The 55-year-old WWE legend said ‘he had no desire to get back into the ring’, which ma…

talksport.com

I'm talking about actual sports...

 

[eddiew37]

The home run Thomson hit against my beloved Bklyn Dodgers hurt almost as bad as Trump winning in 2016 Ralph Branca was the pitcher

 

[norwegen]

One of the greatest moments is Franco Harris' immaculate reception.

 

[Canon Shooter]

One of the greatest moments is Franco Harris' immaculate reception.

A great play, no doubt.

As for it being one of the "greatest moments" in sports, I think it would fall under that heading had the Steelers gone on to win the Super Bowl that year. In that case, it would be difficult to find a more seminal moment.

Just my opinion...

 

[konradv]

Ask 100 people this question, and you could easily end up with 100 different answers. Some might say it was the underdog Jets beating Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Some might say it was when Cassius Clay knocked out the 7-1 favorite Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964 (Sports Illustrated actually ranks this as #4), or when the New York Giant's Bobby Thompson sent his "shot heard around the world" into the left field stands at the Polo Grounds in New York City to snatch the National League pennant from the Brooklyn Dodgers.

For me, though, it has to be from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Place, New York. Herb Brooks coached the USA men's hockey team into the medal rounds, and they were to face the heavily favored Soviet Union team. Brooks made what I think is one of the greatest speeches ever in sports:

"Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game; if we played them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight."


Brooks continued:

"Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players—every one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it!"

And, in a a stunning 4-3 upset of the Soviet Union men's hockey team, the Americans did exactly that, helping to pave their way to the highest perch on the Olympic medal podium...

A great opportunity for a trivia question stumper: who did the US defeat to win the gold medal in hockey? 99% of people will say the USSR, but that wasn't the gold medal game. They had to defeat Finland to complete the feat.

 

[Canon Shooter]

A great opportunity for a trivia question stumper: who did the US defeat to win the gold medal in hockey? 99% of people will say the USSR, but that wasn't the gold medal game. They had to defeat Finland to complete the feat.

According to Mike Eruzioni, Brooks' speech before the gold medal game was a bit more succinct:

"If you lose this game tonight, you're gonna' take it to your fucking grave."

 

[Billo_Really]

The greatest moment in sports was when the US hockey team beat the Russian's in 1980.

 

[candycorn]

Ask 100 people this question, and you could easily end up with 100 different answers. Some might say it was the underdog Jets beating Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Some might say it was when Cassius Clay knocked out the 7-1 favorite Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964 (Sports Illustrated actually ranks this as #4), or when the New York Giant's Bobby Thompson sent his "shot heard around the world" into the left field stands at the Polo Grounds in New York City to snatch the National League pennant from the Brooklyn Dodgers.

For me, though, it has to be from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Place, New York. Herb Brooks coached the USA men's hockey team into the medal rounds, and they were to face the heavily favored Soviet Union team. Brooks made what I think is one of the greatest speeches ever in sports:

"Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game; if we played them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight."


Brooks continued:

"Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players—every one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it!"

And, in a a stunning 4-3 upset of the Soviet Union men's hockey team, the Americans did exactly that, helping to pave their way to the highest perch on the Olympic medal podium...

A great opportunity for a trivia question stumper: who did the US defeat to win the gold medal in hockey? 99% of people will say the USSR, but that wasn't the gold medal game. They had to defeat Finland to complete the feat.

I thought it was Czechoslovakia...

 

[candycorn]

The greatest moment in sports was when the US hockey team beat the Russian's in 1980.

Certainly one of the greatest.

What I recall about it aside from the game was that back then, the events were tape-delayed so the outcome was known before it was shown. Its very weird when you look back on how there could be a defacto quarantine on the results of such a momentous event.

 

[konradv]

Ask 100 people this question, and you could easily end up with 100 different answers. Some might say it was the underdog Jets beating Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Some might say it was when Cassius Clay knocked out the 7-1 favorite Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964 (Sports Illustrated actually ranks this as #4), or when the New York Giant's Bobby Thompson sent his "shot heard around the world" into the left field stands at the Polo Grounds in New York City to snatch the National League pennant from the Brooklyn Dodgers.

For me, though, it has to be from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Place, New York. Herb Brooks coached the USA men's hockey team into the medal rounds, and they were to face the heavily favored Soviet Union team. Brooks made what I think is one of the greatest speeches ever in sports:

"Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game; if we played them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight."


Brooks continued:

"Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players—every one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it!"

And, in a a stunning 4-3 upset of the Soviet Union men's hockey team, the Americans did exactly that, helping to pave their way to the highest perch on the Olympic medal podium...

A great opportunity for a trivia question stumper: who did the US defeat to win the gold medal in hockey? 99% of people will say the USSR, but that wasn't the gold medal game. They had to defeat Finland to complete the feat.

I thought it was Czechoslovakia...

Czechoslovakia was in the same preliminary group as the US team and were beaten early in the competition. I remember that game as being very exciting, because the Czechs were heavily favored.

 

[candycorn]

The selection of the OP--strictly speaking--violates the title somewhat. A great moment is that; a moment. A great event is what it was. A small matter but there is a difference. Certainly the match was great--4 to 3-- and the moment the US won was unforgettable.
Some others here got it more correct--moments like the Immaculate Reception, Thompson's home run...they were moments in the game.

So greatest events in sports.
Certainly USA/USSR is up there for the underdog story and the political subplot.
Villanova beating Patrick Ewing's Georgetown team was a great win and one of the true David v. Goliath stories.
Off the boards here but the 07 Wimbledon Men's Final between Nadal and Federer was perhaps one of the greatest matches ever.
Ward Vs. Gotti I and II were probably the greatest boxing matches I've seen.
Hearns vs Hagler was epic.
Herans vs Leonard was epic too. Tommy Hearns never got the credit he deserved.

Greatest Moments...
Kerri Strug winning the gold in the vault and landing on one leg.... My goodness.
Dieon Sanders hitting a home run and scoring a touchdown on the same day. How is that even possible that you can be a starter for two teams in two different sports???
The Catch because it ripped the heart out of the cowboys....
Torvil and Dean at the 84 Olympics. I think they got 6's across the board. Dean was all but blackballed afterword because of it I think
Kurt Gibson's home run off of Dennis Eckersley where he had to limp to the plate.
The end to the Knicks/Pacers playoff game in 1995. Miller scores 9 points in 8 seconds...

I could sit here all night and come up with others...

 

[22lcidw]

The 1998 Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Mankind.

Probably the greatest wrestling match of all time, and demonstrates why the Pro Game so outshines amateur wrestling.

The Undertaker thought Foley was dead when he threw him off the top of the 20ft Cell

After 30 years at the top, The Undertaker appears to be stepping away from professional wrestling. The 55-year-old WWE legend said ‘he had no desire to get back into the ring’, which ma…

talksport.com

As sports were getting more and more full of themselves and expensive in that era, the WWE was dollar for dollar the best value you could get.

 

[Canon Shooter]

The 1998 Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Mankind.

Probably the greatest wrestling match of all time, and demonstrates why the Pro Game so outshines amateur wrestling.

The Undertaker thought Foley was dead when he threw him off the top of the 20ft Cell

After 30 years at the top, The Undertaker appears to be stepping away from professional wrestling. The 55-year-old WWE legend said ‘he had no desire to get back into the ring’, which ma…

talksport.com

As sports were getting more and more full of themselves and expensive in that era, the WWE was dollar for dollar the best value you could get.

But it's not a sport. It's theater...