Bleacher Report - Best Lists

Ten Greatest Comebacks Wins in European Football History

Andrew Jordan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:58:07 -0500

Throughout the history of european football, there have been many great comebacks that have changed seasons, careers, and the fate of clubs and/or countries in the process. From a multiple goal comeback to a comeback in stoppage time, these moments are incredible for the fan who is watching the game, and is always a great moment whenever your team wins. With this in mind, I created a list of the ten greatest comebacks in european football history, all of which were incredible wins and will be remembered by fans everywhere for years to come.

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Top Five Moments of the 2009 PGA Tour Season

Michael Fitzpatrick — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:32:32 -0500

He’s Baaack

At just after 7am on a cool February morning in Arizona, Tiger Woods stepped onto a PGA Tour practice range for the first time in more than eight months.

He was walking a little slower, and he wasn’t attacking the ball with the same ferocity as he once did, but it was still Tiger Woods.

And if you thought your eyes were deceiving you, the hundreds of cameramen and reporters out at 7:15am on a Wednesday morning would have been enough to make you believe.

Woods’ much anticipated return was cut short when he was defeated by South African Tim Clark in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship.

For a guy who had won 65 PGA Tour events and 14 major championships before going down with a knee injury, there was only one way for him to prove he really was back—and that was to win.

Less than a month after his initial return, Woods overcame a five-stroke deficit in the final round to defeat Sean O’Hair at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The sun had set, Arnold “The King” Palmer was looking on from just off the side of the green, and Woods was lining up his 25-foot putt in almost complete darkness.

As Woods went through his tedious pre-putt routine, one could not help but think back to the last time he faced a must-make putt. It was on the 72nd hole of a little tournament known as the US Open, and we all know how that turned out.

The moment Woods struck his putt, the green was illuminated by the flashes of hundreds of cameras. As the ball began closing in on the hole, Woods began slowly back peddling before unleashing one of his trademark fist pumps upon seeing his ball disappear into the cup.

He’d done it again.

After an eight month hiatus, excitement had finally returned to the PGA Tour.

Woods vs. Michelson Showdown at Augusta

Although Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell would compete in a three-way playoff, most golf fans began enjoying their Easter ham upon the conclusion of the Woods/Michelson showdown.

Longtime golf announcer Jim Nantz later said that after watching Woods and Mickelson walk off the 18th green, he had to take a deep breath and remind himself that there was still a golf tournament going on.

Woods and Mickelson began the day well behind the leaders. But it didn’t matter. These two heavyweights could've begun the day tied for last place, and their pairing would have still been the tournament’s main event.

Heck, television could have shown their final round on pay-per-view, and millions of households would have gladly accepted the charges.

After Mickelson birdied six out of his first nine holes and Woods was three-under-par at the turn, it was beginning to look as if one of these guys might actually pull off a comeback comparable to Nicklaus at the '86 Masters or Palmer at the '60 US Open.

For Woods, it would have been yet another jaw-dropping accomplishment in a long list of jaw-dropping accomplishments.

For Mickelson, it would have defined a career.

But it was not to be.

Michelson double bogeyed the par-three 12th and then missed a short eagle putt on the 13th.

Woods on the other hand continued his charge by birdying the 13th, 15th and 16th before the greatest closer the game has ever seen inexplicable bogeyed the final two holes, which eliminated any hope of a fifth green jacket.

Mickelson’s final round 67 landed him in alone in fifth place while Woods’ 68 put him in a tie for 6th.

Oh yeah, and Angel Cabrera won the Masters with a par on the second sudden death playoff hole.

The Twilight Zone (aka The US Open)

Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes were battling it out for the US Open title; David Duval was right on their tails; Hunter Mahan was making a run of his own before his perfectly struck approach shot on the par-four 16th happened to ricochet off the pin and roll clear off the front of the green; and it began pouring rain every time Tiger Woods stepped foot onto the golf course.

Bethpage Black might as well have been the twilight zone during that memorable week back in June.

The only part of the 2009 US Open that didn’t come as a complete shock was Phil Mickelson finishing second for the fifth time in his career.

Glover played the back nine on Monday—yup, that’s right, on Monday due to the monsoons that swept through the New York area that week—in even par, which was good enough to give him a two-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson, Rickey Barnes, and David Duval.

During the trophy presentation, Barnes turned to Mickelson and told him that he could take the second place medal. Mickelson calmly replied by telling Barnes not to worry about it...he already had four of them at home.

Y.E. Yang Slays the Tiger

Tiger Woods had never lost a major championship when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

That’s worth repeating.

Tiger Woods had never lost a major championship when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead…until he ran into Y.E. Yang at the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

When Woods sent his tee-shot on the par three 17th, clear over the back of the green, thus virtually securing Yang’s victory, he put his hands on his knees and hung his head down in defeat.

It was a scene reminiscent of Rocky Balboa cutting the seemingly invincible Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.

Golf’s most dominant prize fighter of all time had been cut…and it was a bad cut.

Not since a driving range pro by the name of Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in the 1955 US Open had golf seen a more shocking upset.

Yang, a former Korean power lifter, celebrated by hoisted his golf bag over his head on the 18th green, while the rest of the PGA Tour was undoubtedly hearing the voice of Tony "Duke" Evers (Rocky Balboa’s trainer in Rocky IV) screaming, “You see, he’s man! He’s not a machine…he’s a man!”

Watson Comes Within a Hair

Every player at the 2009 British Open was competing against a field made up of the best golfers on the face of the planet. Well, every player except one.

Tom Watson was not only competing against 157 of the top players in the world, he was also competing against a far more ruthless and unforgiving opponent—Old Man Time.

And he came within a measly two yards of conquering them all.

All eyes were on Watson as he teed off on the 72nd hole at Turnberry holding a one-stroke lead. After all, it’s not every day that you see a 59-year-old man about to win a major championship.

When Watson found the right side of the fairway, the excitement began to build as his win looked inevitable.

Inevitable because Watson is from a different era in the game, an era when professional golfers were more likely to win tournaments rather than lose them.

Exactly 30 years earlier on the same hole, Watson stuck his approach shot to five feet and then proceeded to sink his birdie putt to defeat Jack Nicklaus in what is now known as “The Dual in the Sun.”

However, things did not go as smoothly for Watson on this day.

With the pin placed on the back of the green, Watson’s approach shot landed towards the front of the putting surface and sprung clear off the back edge of the green.

He pitched to around six feet and began lining up his putt.

As Watson stood over his six-foot putt to win the British Open, one could not help but question the pure cruelty of the golf gods.

You see, Watson’s days of winning ended when he lost his ability to make putts from inside of 10 feet.

So, what’s standing between Watson and arguably the greatest achievement in sports history?

That’s right, a six foot putt.

The massive crowds surrounding the 18th green at Turnberry uniformly winced as Watson’s putt came up three feet short.

He tapped in for a bogey five and began preparing himself for a three-hole playoff with Stewart Cink.

By then, however, Old Man Time had broken through the front lines and Watson appeared both physically and mentally broken.

Cink won easily, and golf fans will forever remember the 2009 British Open as another one of those “what if” moments in the game’s long and illustrious history.

Other Memorable Moments:

Henrik Stenson shoots a final round 66 to win The Players Championship by 4 strokes.

Phil Mickelson wins The Tour Championship while Tiger Woods wins FedEx Cup.

Ryan Moore finally breaks through at the Wyndham Championship.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker dominate the Presidents Cup.

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The Pac-10's Top Running Backs Spark New West Coast Goal Rush

Todd Williams — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:54:49 -0500

College Football tends to go in cycles, so it is no surprise that the PAC-10 has turned into more of a rushing conference than a passing one. Not that they forgot who to toss the forward pass on the West Coast, but the production of runners has been impressive lately, especially this year. With the top 6 runners all ranking in the top 41 in the nation, with three in the top 10! Let's take a look at the PAC's top runners this year.

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NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Comparing Teams to Holiday Foods

Michael Schottey — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:38:59 -0500

'Tis the season! As the winter grows colder, every red-blooded man wants to do what every red-blooded creature wants to do. Hibernate. To keep humans from falling asleep for six months out of the year, the sporting world has inserted some very important events into the schedule. Ultimately, men know they need to get to March Madness. Along the way, the college bowl season, Super Bowl, and occasionally the Olympics keep men happy and give them something to wake up for. However, not all men like sports. Thus, the world has also inserted very important eating events into the schedule as well. Can't miss turkey at Thanksgiving...or ham at Christmas...drinking at New Years...etc. Football and the holidays are forever mixed. For week 12, let's take a look at some popular (and not-so-popular) holiday foods.

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UFC 106: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

E. Spencer Kyte — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:09:57 -0500

1. Best Entrance Music Ever

Before breaking down the fights, let's get one thing clear: the choice of "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba as Forrest Griffin's entrance song was awesome.

Coming off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Anderson Silva, there was no better song for Griffin to walk out to than one whose chorus states, "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."

Well played, Forrest Griffin. Well played.

2. Play It Again, Sam

Chances are, we'll see Forrest-Tito Round 3 somewhere down the road, just because: (a) it's a 1-1 series and you have to have a winner, and (b) both of these guys bring in the crowds and would make for a great No. 2 or 3 fight on a stacked card.

While it might not be warranted in some people's estimations because Griffin was clearly the victor last night, while Ortiz eeked out a decision in their first fight, they seem to enjoy fighting each other and match up well against one another, so why not do it again down the road?

You have to admit, this was far better than Ortiz vs. Coleman would have been.

3. Sorry Tito, But You Missed the Evolutionary Bus

No, I'm not saying Tito is a caveman or anything disparaging when it comes to the real world application of the word evolution. But in terms of Mixed Martial Arts, Tito missed the bus in a big, big way.

Back when Tito dominated the 205-pound division, being outstanding at one skill could propel you to numerous victories, and Tito was a prime example. His wrestling was tremendous and few could defend his double leg takedown. From there, a little Tito ground and pound and the fight was done.

But we're creeping up on 2010, and being one dimensional isn't going to cut it today. Even a guy like Forrest, who started out as a brawler, has evolved. He has tightened up his striking, adding some Muay Thai and developing a very underrated ground game under Robert Drysdale.

If Tito wants to have any success moving forward, he's going to have to disprove the theory that you can't teach and old dog new tricks.

4. Not Quite Ready to Rumble

He's close, but Anthony Johnson just isn't quite there yet and Josh Koscheck showed that last night, by utilizing his strong wrestling base and superior submission skills to force the Cung Le protegee to tap in the second round of their much-anticipated bout.

What a novel concept, using your strengths in accordance with your opponents weaknesses to earn a victory. Why didn't someone think of that sooner...or at least tell Jorge Gurgel?

Results aside, this was an ugly fight. Both guys got poked in the eye and we were extremely close to seeing the fight end in a disqualification thanks to Johnson's blatant and brutal knee of a downed Koscheck.

Regardless of what the replays showed and however you want to spin it, Johnson should know better, and until those mental errors are erased and he develops his defensive skills against submissions, "Rumble" will remain an outstanding prospect who can't quite get over the hump.

5. That Was Fight of the Night?

As entertaining as the Koscheck/Johnson tilt was, am I the only one wondering how a fight filled with fouls and accidental eye gouging was awarded Fight of the Night?

My understanding of things is that the $60,000 bonus should go the bout that provided the most action throughout or was the most evenly contested fight of the evening, not a scrap that didn't see the third round and was stopped repeatedly for rest and regaining clear vision.

Griffin/Ortiz and Thiago/Volkmann were far more deserving of the money in my book, but this isn't my book we're talking about.

6. Speaking of Jacob Volkmann...

Two things I liked from the debuting Minnesota Martial Arts Academy welterweight:

1. His nickname

As Joe Rogan said, we have enough pitbulls and spiders and guys with menacing names who are far from menacing, so now we have a guy his friends call "Christmas" and I love it. Even better is that it comes from his ever-so-slight resemblance to Jim Carrey's character "Lloyd Christmas" in Dumb & Dumber.

2. D'Arce Choke off His Back

Yeah, you don't see that one every day, especially against a guy who is known for having a great jiu-jitsu game of his own. While he wasn't able to secure the choke or score the win, pulling out moves like that is certainly a glimmer of hope for future fights with the UFC.

7. The Best Part of Phil Baroni's Performance...

...was his entrance.

Honestly, someone needs to tell me why Baroni was given an opportunity to collect whatever money he made last night while countless fighters are denied chances to fight on pay-per-view cards or even fight in the UFC at all.

Remember, the UFC re-signed "The New York Badass" after Strikeforce had released him, so it's not like he was a big-name talent who could have helped the competition. This was brutal, just as everyone outside of the Baroni family knew it would be.

8. Sadollah Looked Solid

Actually, he looked more than solid. He looked strong, and despite my history of ragging on the former Ultimate Fighter, I won't even qualify that with an "against the equivalent of a human punching bag in Phil Baroni."

His Muay Thai was terrific; powerful kicks and well-placed elbows that would cut up anyone, and he showed a killer instinct to keep pushing the fight when he clearly could have coasted through the final round.

While the memory of the Johny Hendricks fight still lingers, it's not as salient, and I look forward to seeing what's next for Sadollah.

9. Introducing Antonio Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Lil' Nog. Nog, meet the UFC fan base.

This was one of the best debuts I can remember, as Nogueira made quick and easy work of a very game opponent in Luis Cane, showing those who were unaware that there are two talented Nogueiras in the game.

Unlike Koscheck/Johnson, Rogerio was more than deserving of his $60,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night, and the rest of the light heavyweight division has officially been put on notice that a new knockout artist has arrived.

10. Still A Couple Judging Questions

As always, there are a couple points of discussion concerning scorecards and judges.

a) Did anyone else think Phil Baroni won a round besides the one judge who scored it 29-28?
b) I still don't know how you can have a fight scored 30-27 Griffin and 29-28 Ortiz...
c) If ever there were a 10-8 round it was Round 3, right? Ortiz did zero...

While there are always going to be a couple questions, at least we didn't have a main event that yielded a controversial decision!

On to The Ultimate Finale!

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