OT Just for fun discussion

[OKLionFan]

If you could go back in time, and attend any three sporting events that ever happened, in real time and not knowing the outcome, what three would you choose? Mine would be:
3 - Game 7 1960 WorldSeries
2 - Penn state Fiesta Bowl vs Miami.
1 - The Miracle on Ice.

I guess I’m just a Sucker for a good upset.

 

[Obliviax]

I'd go with the Miracle on Ice. That was a worldwide sporting event with a geopolitical impact. The others, not so much.

thinking of some of the greatest sporting events, I would have loved to be on the 16th green at Augusta when Tiger dropped in his chip shot. The thrilla in Manilla would have been cool. More recently, Usain Bolt's 100m at the Rio Olympics too. Lastly, Secretariat at the Belmont.

 

[Hawkeybrokenglasses69]

Secretariat at Belmont all the way for me

 

[knickslions]

Game 7 1970 Willis Reed coming out of tunnel for Knicks. Secretariat no doubt. Mets Buckner game

 

[MacNit2.0]

If you could go back in time, and attend any three sporting events that ever happened, in real time and not knowing the outcome, what three would you choose? Mine would be:
3 - Game 7 1960 WorldSeries
2 - Penn state Fiesta Bowl vs Miami.
1 - The Miracle on Ice.

I guess I’m just a Sucker for a good upset.

1. Miracle on Ice
2. 48-14
3. Celtics over Lakers 1984, NBA Championship, game 7

 

[Woodpecker]

152 BC Olympics. Leonidas going for his 4th consecutive triumvirate - the stadion, the diaulos, and the race in armor

 

[ryoder1]

'82 Nebraska game.

 

[Cowbell Man]

'82 Nebraska game.

Since I was already at that one,
Miracle
Secretariat
Fiesta

 

[OKLionFan]

I'd go with the Miracle on Ice. That was a worldwide sporting event with a geopolitical impact. The others, not so much.

thinking of some of the greatest sporting events, I would have loved to be on the 16th green at Augusta when Tiger dropped in his chip shot. The thrilla in Manilla would have been cool. More recently, Usain Bolt's 100m at the Rio Olympics too. Lastly, Secretariat at the Belmont.

Good call on Secretariat. That would have been amazing.

 

[Jerry]

1: 1987...Penn State shocks favored Miami, then billed as one of the greatest college teams of all time, to win the national championship in an historic college football game. The highlight of my sports viewing life...unlikely to ever be surpassed.

2. 1976...Flyers beat Soviet Army hockey team...Kate Smith sings God Bless America...final is 4-1 in a bloodbath as Philadelphia physically pummels the Reds to win the only game by an NHL team against the favored Soviets on their North American tour that year. The memory still does my heart good.

3. 1971...Smokin' Joe Frazier outslugs Muhammad Ali for a brutal 15 rounds to retain the heavyweight crown in what I still think is the greatest boxing match of all time. I loved Frazier and still think that at his peak he was the best boxer ever. He proved it that night against the legendary Ali.

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

Great selections. I might add:
Nicklaus winning the 1986 Masters
Borg-McEnroe epic 1980 Wimbledon Final
Duke-Kentucky 1992 NCAA tournament
Penn State-Georgia 1982 national championship game

 

[Erial_Lion]

While I love Horse Racing and Secretariat was the best of them all, I think I'd rather see a more competitive event. My top 5 would probably be...

1991 US Open - Jimmy Conners vs. Aaron Krickstein - Maybe even could be replaced with the Haarhuis or Patrick McEnroe match in that run, but would have been great to see him making that last great run.

2002 World Cup - USA vs. Mexico - Would have been great to be in Jeonju, South Korea that night to see the biggest win in modern US Soccer History, over our biggest rival.

1986 Fiesta Bowl - Could easily be replaced with the 82 Sugar Bowl, but hoping for the day when I can be there to see us win a national title.

1980 Hockey - Miracle on Ice - Though having been to Lake Placid, I can't imagine the traffic getting in and out of that town in the middle of winter at those Olympics.

2001 NCAA Tournament - Penn State vs North Carolina - Wish I made the trip to New Orleans to see us pull off the upset against UNC and book our spot in the Sweet 16. Biggest PSU basketball win of the modern era, and things were looking so great for us heading into that S16 matchup with Temple (who we'd beaten) with Michigan St on the horizon (who we'd also just beaten).

Honorable mention would be Hagler-Hearns (the best 10 minutes in Boxing History), Rangers winning the cup at MSG in 1994, Duke-Kentucky at the Spectrum, and Payne Stewart's 72nd hole at Pinehurst.

 

[MacNit2.0]

1: 1987...Penn State shocks favored Miami, then billed as one of the greatest college teams of all time, to win the national championship in an historic college football game. The highlight of my sports viewing life...unlikely to ever be surpassed.

2. 1976...Flyers beat Soviet Army hockey team...Kate Smith sings God Bless America...final is 4-1 in a bloodbath as Philadelphia physically pummels the Reds to win the only game by an NHL team against the favored Soviets on their North American tour that year. The memory still does my heart good.

3. 1971...Smokin' Joe Frazier outslugs Muhammad Ali for a brutal 15 rounds to retain the heavyweight crown in what I still think is the greatest boxing match of all time. I loved Frazier and still think that at his peak he was the best boxer ever. He proved it that night against the legendary Ali.

Down goes Frazier (loved Joe too, but no where near the best boxer ever)?

 

[Kasparaitis]

If you could go back in time, and attend any three sporting events that ever happened, in real time and not knowing the outcome, what three would you choose? Mine would be:
3 - Game 7 1960 WorldSeries
2 - Penn state Fiesta Bowl vs Miami.
1 - The Miracle on Ice.

I guess I’m just a Sucker for a good upset.

3. Any of the Secretariat Triple Crown races.
2. Jets Super Bowl win over the Colts. (Seems funny even saying that out loud.)
1. Any of the 1927 World Series games (Preferably game 1 at Forbes Field. Maybe if I was there the Pirates might have pulled that one out.)

 

[johnmpsu]

1: Franz Klammer winning the 1976 Olympic downhill
2: The miracle on ice.
3: PSU vs Miami for the championship. I was at the 82 game but not this one.

Honorable Mention; 82 NB vs PSU. An incredible fan experience i would love to relive.

Also too many Yankee games to list.

 

[GregInPitt]

3) PSU Win over Georgia in 1982 MNC game (I had attended the 14-7 Surgar Bowl loss to Bama)

2) The 1981 48-14 PSU blow out of Pitt, that destroyed Pitt football for 40 years.

1) My oldest son's 11 year old travel game when he hit for the cycle. He had already had a single, double, and a long HR into the school parking lot before I got there having coached my younger son's travel game that day. I did get to see him crush one over the OF to right center and trot into 3rd to complete the cycle, but after the game the opposing coach said he had never seen a kid hit a ball into the parking lot past left field there (their home field)

One that I did attend was the game where Mario Lemieux returned to play from his absense to fight his cancer, and seeing him score the first goal in that win. By luck our son's boy scout group had gotten tickets to that game, schedule well in advance, that turned out to be his return. Both sons have pictures of that game/goal that Mario signed later at a hockey camp and also kept their ticket to that game as momento's.

 

[Jerry]

Down goes Frazier (loved Joe too, but no where near the best boxer ever)?

To be clear, I did say "at his peak."

For his first fight with Ali, Joe was at his peak, and on that single night in March 1971 I don't think he could have been beaten by any boxer ever.

But that said, yes, when you look at the entirety of his career, it's hard to make a case for Joe being the greatest of all time. I think Ring Magazine ranked him 8th all time. I might put him higher than that but certainly not above Ali.

At any rate, their 1971 fight was one of those rare events that transcended sports. It became a clash of opposing cultures...a stand-in for divisions over race and the Vietnam War. It was called the Fight of the Century and lived up to its billing.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Jesse Owens wins gold medal at the Berlin Olympics and pissed off Hitler so bad he invaded Poland, starting WWII

Kirk Gibson World Series home run.

Spiculos defeats Aptonetud and becomes what may have been the greatest Roman gladiator of all time!

5 Famous Ancient Roman Gladiators

Who were the most renowned Roman gladiators? From slave rebel Spartacus to debauched emperor Commodus, they varied widely.

www.history.com

 

[Roar More]

I was at all of the mentioned Penn State games mentioned. My three would be:

- Immaculate Reception
- Game seven of sixty world series
- Miracle on ice

 

[RickinDayton]

Jesse Owens wins gold medal and pissed off Hitler do bad he invaded Poland, starting WWII

Kirk Gibson World Series home run.

Spiculos defeats Aptonetud and becomes what may have been the greatest Toman gladiator of all time!

5 Famous Ancient Roman Gladiators

Who were the most renowned Roman gladiators? From slave rebel Spartacus to debauched emperor Commodus, they varied widely.

www.history.com

Like that Jesse Owen's selction.

 

[Jerry]

Jesse Owens wins gold medal and pissed off Hitler do bad he invaded Poland, starting WWII

Kirk Gibson World Series home run.

Spiculos defeats Aptonetud and becomes what may have been the greatest Toman gladiator of all time!

5 Famous Ancient Roman Gladiators

Who were the most renowned Roman gladiators? From slave rebel Spartacus to debauched emperor Commodus, they varied widely.

www.history.com

Great choices, Spin.

I recently watched the You-Tube video of Vin Scully's call of that Gibson home run. Great moment in baseball history!

But if you're going back a couple thousand years, my pick is the shocking Judah Ben-Hur upset of the Roman bastard Messala in the Jerusalem chariot race of 33 A.D.

 

[DrJC]

'82 Nebraska game.

I was at that game. One of the best ever at PSU

 

[DrJC]

Great choices, Spin.

I recently watched the You-Tube video of Vin Scully's call of that Gibson home run. Great moment in baseball history!

But if you're going back a couple thousand years, my pick is the shocking Judah Ben-Hur upset of the Roman bastard Messala in the Jerusalem chariot race of 33 A.D.

I was at that race. Ben Hur horse was on steroids and lasix

 

[DrJC]

Gotta go with Secretariat at the Belmont. Then Wilt's 100 points against the Knicks. Then, yes, yes Rangers game 7 against Vancouver. Messier, Messier, Messier

 

[Jerry]

I was at that race. Ben Hur horse was on steroids and lasix

Maybe...but Messala's chariot had steel blades on its wheels...which could be why he was unbeaten entering the contest.

To this day, 2000 years later, we cling to the sentimental idea that cheaters don't win. But the reality is they do win...a lot...at least until Karma catches up with (some of) them.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Maybe...but Messala's chariot had steel blades on its wheels...which could be why he was unbeaten entering the contest.

To this day, 2000 years later, we cling to the sentimental idea that cheaters don't win. But the reality is they do win...a lot...at least until Karma catches up with (some of) them.

I remember hearing that a Hollywood stuntman was killed filming the chariot scene. And the directors decided to use the film of it in the movie.

Do you know if that was true?

 

[Jerry]

I remember hearing that a Hollywood stuntman was killed filming the chariot scene. And the directors decided to use the film of it in the movie.

Do you know if that was true?

Urban legend, Spin. Didn't happen.

Here's the scene by the way. An all-time classic of cinema:

 

[The Spin Meister]

Great choices, Spin. I recently watched the You-Tube video of Vin Scully's call of that Gibson home run. Great moment in baseball history! But if you're going back a couple thousand years, my pick is the shocking Judah Ben-Hur upset of the Roman bastard Messala in the Jerusalem chariot race of 33 A.D.

Gibson’s homer had incredible impact and not just on that game but the entire series.

The Dodgers were heavy underdogs. Some experts said they might win one game. Gibson had injured both legs and was not supposed to play. In fact, he couldn’t run and walked with a bad limp.

But the Dodgers were down 5-4, bottom of the ninth, two out, tying run on first base, and facing Dennis Eckersley…..an all time great closer. To the shock of everyone Gibson was sent to the plate, limping the whole way, as a pinch hitter.

He hammers a long, walkoff homer to win Game One. His slow jog around the bases, fist pumping the air the whole way, crowd going berserk is still shown as one the greatest moments in baseball.

But that is just part of the story. The team was so inspired by his homer….and the Oakland A’s so shell shocked…. the underdog Dodgers went on to win the series four games to one.

And just as amazingly that at bat…… the at bat that changed it all and won the series…… was Gibson’s only plate appearance the entire five game series!