Michael Vick and the Most Explosive Performances Ever

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles accomplished something special tonight and the game is still going. The Eagles placed 28 points on the board in the first quarter. That would not be the extent of their offense. The Eagles would finish with 59 points and complete bragging rights over the Washington Redskins. 

Now I am thinking of all the prolific performances we have seen from other athletes. Here is a rundown of the biggest and best bursts of production in the sports world. 

10. Vince Young: 2006 Rose Bowl

The 2006 Rose Bowl was one of the most anticipated in recent years. Texas and USC were both titans of college football and it was going to be a thrilling game. 

The game did not disappoint thanks to Vince Young. It is rare that a talent makes everyone around him look foolish. That is precisely what Young did. Whether he was throwing the ball or running it, the Trojans had no answers. He was simply light years above anything the USC defense had ever seen. It has to be one of the most dominating performances in Rose Bowl history. 

9. Tom Brady: Five Touchdowns In One Quarter

October 18, 2009, Tom Brady was at his best. He was so good that he was unable to finish the game. With inopportune conditions, Bill Belichick made sure he took out his start QB once the game was in hand. 

It was in hand right after the second quarter, that would be the record-breaking quarter. 

8. Gayle Sayers: Six Touchdowns

Gayle Sayers's career was sadly cut much too short. He did manage to put together some memorable games while he was playing though. The game against the 49ers on December 12, 1965 would be unquestionably at the top. 

Amidst the mud of Wrigley Field, Sayers emerged as a swift running back with cat-like reflexes. As others slipped around him, Sayers looked very much unfazed. 

7. Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood: 20 Strikeouts In One Game

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SAN FRANCISCO - APRIL 14: Randy Johnson #51 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the San Francisco Giants during a Major League Baseball game on March 14, 2008 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The strikeout is a tough statistic to collect. You have to chip around the strike zone enough to get a called strike, but you don't want to serve the ball over the plate. You must also be deceptive. Those are major league batters in the box and they are not in the business of being fooled. 

Both, Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood hold the record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game at 20. Kerry Wood did it back in 1998 before his arm fell off. Johnson did the deed in 2001. 

6. Usain Bolt: A 9.69 100-Meters

This was an amazing display of physical talent. 

Usain Bolt, after only running the 100 meter race for a year, sets a world record on the biggest stage at the Beijing Olympics. The most shocking thing about his performance is that he could have run faster on that day. Right be the finish line, Bolt turns to pound his chest. 

5. Reggie Miler: Eight Points In Nine Seconds

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in 1995, NBA fans were treated to something truly special. Reggie Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds. 

The Pacers were down by six to the New York Knicks. With 18 seconds on the clock, Reggie Miller hit a three. He then stole the ball and jacked up another successful three-pointer tying the game. 

John Starks then took the ball down for the Knicks and was subsequently fouled. Starks missed both shots and Miller took the rebound. He was immediately fouled and made both of his shots. The Pacers won the game and it goes down as one of the more shocking turn of events in NBA history. 

4. Tiger Woods: 2005 U.S. OPEN

In 2005, Tiger Woods was at his best. In retrospect, it must have been all the women that he used for inspiration. 

Either way, Woods took on all comers at the yearly U.S. Open. He won the tournament by a record 15 strokes. 

3. Michael Vick: Domination In Washington

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LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 15: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with team mate Mike McGlynn #77 after throwing his teams first touchdown against the Washington Redskins on November 15, 2010 at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. (Photo b

I knew going into Monday Night's game that the Redskins were struggling, but this was ridiculous. On a night that was supposed to feature McNabb getting on the right track, Mike Vick stole the show. 

He passed for over 330 yards and picked up four touchdowns throwing. That is not all he did. Vick also carried the ball for close to 100 yards and ran in two touchdowns of his own. This is truly one of the best performances I have ever seen on the gridiron. At some points the Redskins defense looked like it would rather not go back onto the field. 

2. Kobe Bryant: 81 Points In One Game

On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant did what he always does, he shoots. On this night, nobody had an issue with it. 

Kobe Bryant had one of the most offensively potent nights in NBA history as he posted 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. The Black Mamba's line for the game is as follows:

81 points 

6 rebounds 

2 Assists

3 Steals 

1 Block

Not a bad fantasy night. 

1. Michael Phelps: Eight Gold Medals

Michael Phelps record breaking eight gold medals is astonishing for many reasons. For one, it took the endurance of the most pristine athlete to compete in eight different qualifying and official races in the span of a week. 

He also needed to beat the best swimmers in their respective events. It was necessitated that Phelps be both the best and most versatile person in the pool. His performance captured the imagination of a nation. His eight gold medals may never be touched by another. 

Phelps gets the number one spot because of the format he performed on. There is no greater pressure than the world's stage.