Before I get under way, I want to say two things about this article. First, this is by no means my list of the top-10 greatest plays of all time. These are 10 things that mean a lot to me.
They are from players and teams that I'm a fan of. So don't ask me why your favorite player, team or moment didn't make the cut.
Second, these aren't really in any order. They will be numbered to make it easier to read but other than that, they are in no particular order.
And away we go...
1. Alex Ovechkin: The goal, as it has come to be known
This is the goal the put Ovie on the map. Playing against the Phoenix Coyotes during his rookie season, Ovechkin had a break away. He got bumped by the defender and lost his footing. As he's sliding on his back, somehow he manages to get his stick on the puck and direct it into the net. Even Wayne Gretzky, the coach of the Coyotes and greatest player in the history of the NHL, was quoted as saying, "That was pretty sweet."
2. USA hockey team upsetting the USSR at the 1980 Olympics
I was eight or nine when this happened. There is really no need for me to describe it, since everyone knows about this moment. I will say this though: This is the reason that I'm a hockey fan today.
3. Rick Nash goal
In January of the 2007-2008 season, Rick Nash got a breakaway, also against the Coyotes. Gretzky is probably getting tired of seeing amazing goals scored against his team. Nash is one on two versus the defenders, dekes around both of them multiple times and then gets the goalie to commit to the wrong side, leaving the goal wide open. Nash then deposits the game winner.
4. Ray Bourque finally hoists the Stanley Cup
Ray Bourque is one of my all-time favorite hockey players. He had spent his entire career in Boston. In the 2000 season, he knew he was near the end of his career and wanted a chance to compete for the Cup.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The B's, in what I think was very classy move, agreed to trade him and give him that opportunity.
Bourque was sent to the Colorado Avalanche. The following season, Bourque and the Avs won the Cup. After 22 seasons, he finally got to raise the Cup. If there was ever a more deserving player to have his name embossed on Lord Stanley's trophy, I don't know whom it is.
He was the first player to carry the cup in a victory lap, even before the Captain of the team.
Ray played with class and grace and finished his career as one of the best defensemen ever to play the game. On his day with the Cup, Ray took it to Boston to share with his legion of fans.
I have the Denver Post from the day after the Avs won the Cup, with the headline "HURRAY", with a picture of Bourque lifting the Cup, framed and hanging on my wall.
5. Duke rallying from 10 points down with 54 seconds left to beat Maryland
Jason Williams scored eight-straight points, including two three pointers in 13 seconds. Nate James hit two key free throws to send the game to OT. Battier blocked a Juan Dixon lay-up attempt with four seconds left in OT to preserve the victory.
6. Christian Laettner's shot against Kentucky
In my opinion, this is the greatest play in college hoops history. From the pass to the shot, for my money, it doesn't get better than this one. I have the highlights of this game on my iPod, and every time it comes on ESPNClassic, I still sit and watch it.
This is one of the best games I have ever watched. I was in college in North Carolina at the time. Most of my friends were UNC fans, so of course they were ragging on me the whole time.
When Laettner made this shot, I screamed something to the effect of, "How about Duke now [expletives deleted]," and tore off across campus like an idiot screaming at the top of my lungs.
7. J.J. Redick breaking the all time scoring record at Duke
In an ACC tournament game, Redick scores 25 points to pass Johnny Dawkins as the all-time scoring leader at Duke. This was the culmination of one the greatest college careers of all time. I have this newspaper as well, though I haven't had it framed as of yet.
8. Ball bouncing off Jose Canseco's head for a home run
No, I'm not really a fan of Canseco, but this is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in a baseball game.
In 1993, Canseco was playing for the Texas Rangers when Carlos Martinez of the Cleveland Indians came to bat. He hit a long flyball that Canseco lost in the lights. The ball bounced off Canseco's head and over the wall for a home run.
9. Cal catching the final out of the 1983 World Series
Cal had just completed his first MVP season and was appearing in his only World Series. Though at the time, O's fans everywhere thought this would be the first of many deep runs into the playoffs.
Cal all but disappeared in the Series offensively, but made several great plays against the Phillies, including the leaping catch off Gary Maddox for the series-clinching out in Game Five.
I can still picture him leaping around in celebration after the catch.
10. Cal breaking Lou Gehrig's unbreakable streak
What do I really need to say about this. This is one of the greatest accomplishments in baseball history, and certainly one that O's fans will always treasure.
Well, there you have it. My top 10 favorite sports moments. Being from Baltimore, many of you will hate me for all the Duke stuff, but that's my team and I'm not going to apologize for it.
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3 months ago
great list, i agree with all of those hockey memories
3 months ago
with the way his NBA career is quickly tanking, you'd better get that Redick newspapaper framed ----QUICK~like---- before you find yourself wanting to burn it. He's on his way to rivaling Ralph Sampson as the biggest bust in NBA history.
Top 5 Greatest Sports instances, whether I saw them or not:
5)Pitt's Jerome Lane murdering that backboard
4)Pistons vs. Nuggets, Dec1983
3)Tiger Woods' most recent golf win ----on one leg!
2)Final play of the 1982 Cal/Stanford game
1)Franco Harris Immaculate reception
from 3 months ago
311 comments posted vs. 0 articles written, and how many of those 311 comments are harassing JJ Redick?
3 months ago
Just a quick correction: Ovi wasn't on a breakaway, he was one-on-one with a defender, made a nice move, fell and then the rest is history.
3 months ago
Shaun,
312 comments posted and 1 article written. Unfortunately, the magnitude at which your *aimless-wandering* focuses on your anger at me for exploiting the peculiar institution which you help reek here...prevented you from being aware that you could've long executed your bias/hatred/anger onto the article that I wrote, nearly a week ago. What a shame.
Plus, what you call harassing Redick? I call, simply speaking truth. Period.
And I bet if I commented in the same undesirable way re: Artest or Alston or Zeke or Marbury or Randolph, then you would happily not have a word to say. I gare-RON-tee!
from 3 months ago
I'm not Shaun so I have no idea what you are talking about.
from 3 months ago
Was your article so horrendous that it was removed from bleacherreport.com, it's nowhere to be found, and no the chicken-scratch you wrote on the bathroom wall last week while taking a #3 at Wendy's doesn't count...
3 months ago
chad,
my comments were responding to Shaun's post to me, so...why are replying?
3 months ago
It's my article I can respond to whatever I want. Plus your Redick bashing on this article is out place. These are moments that mean something to me. You're basically calling me stupid for something that is totally subjective.
I understand that you hate Redick, you have ever right to do so but he is one of my favorite players. I'm a bigger college fan (and Duke is my favorite team, go ahead and call me stupid for that too) than NBA fan and he is one of the greatest college players of all time. That's not opinion, that's a fact. Go check his stats if you don't believe me.
I don't mind you criticizing him on the other article but this is not the place for it. You don't have to agree with my list but you don't need to bash it either. I prefaced the article by saying this is a list of moments that mean a lot to me, not a list of the ten greatest sports moments of all time.
3 months ago
Shaun,
here you go -----{ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/45209-the-nfl-is-a-companyperiod }-------- now, I know it'll be a difficult task for you, but...pull your head out of your queef, grab your keyboard, and get to hate-stroking!
And, even though, I'm not going to care about anything you post there ----whatsoever---- at least you'll no longer be able whine/cry that *I haven't written an article* next time I'm exploiting your 'peculiar-institutionalized' posts.
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chad,
dude. go away. quick!
You posted an article, I commented on it. JJ Redick sucks, terribly, and you appear extra-aimless for getting mad at me for exploiting that. I didn't say a word regarding your collegiate love for Redick, so...you have no gripe. Fact is, that here in America;
When a player has a great college career then goes on to be an extreme bust as a pro? ...that usually means something and diminishes what he represented. It's not my fault. And its why I suggested to hurry and get that newspaper framed now, before you want to burn it.
So, get mad at Redick, not me.
from 3 months ago
your response was that I should burn the newspaper that I have from when he broke the record at Duke. Ok we've got that you hate Redick that's fine. Hate him all you want. If you don't like my articles or the subjects they are about then don't read them.
from 3 months ago
Ok Robert Kleeman, are you bi-polar, why the need for 2 names? If that really is even you... If you had any balls, you'd write an article as yungCaucasoid. It took you 6 hours to respond, what happened, did you put OT in at rehab today??
from 3 months ago
Duuude,
Chad is enamored by J.J.'s college accomplishments, I see no mention of his NBA career in Chad's piece. Your comment is rather misplaced here don't you think? Perhaps you thought you were over on the NBA page.
These are Chad's personal top 10 favorite accomplishments in HIS sports history so they're really not up for debate or comparison.
3 months ago
chad,
stop crying, at anytime now. I don't hate your article, I loved it, but Redick sucks. Period. I made that analysis, out of hope that you don't wind up hating the man, in case his career continues in the bust-direction its going. Or else, I wouldn't have suggested you frame the paper now, while still hyped. If I hated it, I would have said that, or did something like called you out for such a crazy act of keeping the newspaper clip of a guy who can't perform past Division I-A competition.
OH YEY:
You continue to write articles, I'll continue to comment on them, if I want to. You don't own the article, once you post it. Face it.
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Shaun,
Obviously, they didn't teach you something in grade school; Reading Is Fundamental!
Now, get up, exit *the short yellow bus* that you tour around Life on, and go back/read the Editor's note. Then you'll comprehend why Robert Kleeman published my article for me...duh??
And it took me 6 hours to respond because ----unlike you---- I have more to do, in Life, than sit on B/R commenting. So, I responded as soon as I was able to come back to this site, and read your harlequinade. Just because it shows me logged in, doesn't mean I'm sitting in front of the computer screen. It's like that online at some sites, you know, you can remain logged in once you close the site's windown...duh??
from 3 months ago
Not crying. I'm glad you liked the article but there wasn't a reason to bash Redick on this article. This was a college moment and you can't deny he had a great college career.
I posted another article completly on Redick in the pros and I saw your comments on that one. I didn't have a problem with them there. That was the appropriate place for them.
I know college success doesn't always translate to NBA success, it's much more common for it to not. For example Christian Laettner, he too is one of the best college players ever and he had a horrible pro career, I would say he was a huge bust, after being drafted 3 overall in 1992. But you didn't say anything about that when I mentioned the shot he made against Kentucky. So why do it to Redick on this piece?
I'm not trying to start a confrontation. I just want you to see my point of view about posting that kind of stuff on this article.
Like I said, I had no problem with you bashing his pro career. I'm not ready to call him a bust yet though, because he is still young, and if he can get to a team that would play him, maybe he could be a solid 7 or 8th option. A guy that could get a spark going by nailing a couple of 3's at the right time. Maybe like a Brent Barry. Obviously Barry is bigger than Redick but I'm comparing the type of role Redick could play for a team.
Look, I'll be the first to admit that he sucks if he gets solid playing time and doesn't produce but I'm not willing to admit it in the situation he's in now.
Does that make sense?
And yes I know I don't own the article once I post it. I'm going to keep writing and please keep reading them if you are interested.
3 months ago
chad,
Don't worry, I can't wait for you next articles. Afterall, I made it known ---weeks ago--- that you're on my favorite writers here...and I am *sure you know* thats a very very very very very shorty-short list.
peace
from 3 months ago
thanks man
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