Go for the Glory

It has been called the most acrobatic playoff goal in NHL playoff history. May 10th 1970 Marks the 41 year anniversary of Bobby Orr's Stanley Cup clinching goal 4-3 against the Saint Louis Blues. That is showing up in a clutch situation. Because sports writing is debated in one way or another, it is only natural to compare this finals goal with historic sports moments such as Magic Johnson's baby hook, Havlicek stole the ball, Johnny Pesky waving the ball fair, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar's sky hook in the 1974 NBA finals. But these playoff moments were all before my lifetime. So, it makes sense to debate the biggest playoff performances moments from 1990 until 2011. I could write a book on this topic, but I'll boil it down to the ten most memorable moments for me. The readers can debate the order.

Aaron Boone hitting a home run of Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series.

This one still is painful for Red Sox fans. It was the bottom of the 11th inning, and off the bench comes Boone, who hit .254 with 6 homers and 34 runs batted in in 54 games with the Yankees. Not spectacular numbers, but solid. Boone comes and delivers another dagger into the heart of Red Sox nation off of a pitch that I could have hit.
What makes this moment memorable is because it was the Red Sox best chance since 1986 to reach the world series; and that they had to go through their rivals, the New York Yankees to do it. As most Red Sox-Yankee games, it lasted forever. The game started late and ended at 3:56 A.M. Little kids, like me, were staying up until 4 A.M. on a school night to watch a baseball game. But somehow we all knew that if we didn't stay up to watch it, something magical would happen. But it was the Yankees that got the magic instead. I still contend that the Florida Marlins would have beaten the Red Sox had the Boone home run not happened; for the Red Sox and Yankees played a marathon series against each other, and Florida was riding a giant wave of momentum. Although Aaron bleeping Boone was bad for Sox fans, the Marlins beat the Yankees in 6 games. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess.

Let's stay with baseball for another moment.

2003: Steve Bartman denies the Chicago Cubs Outfielder Moises Alou a potential out in Game 6 of the NLCS.

It was the year 2003, and the Cubs were playing the Florida Marlins in Game 6 at Wrigley Field with a 3-2 series lead. The Cubs were winning the game 3-0 in the top of the 8th inning when Marlins infielder Luis Castillo hit a foul ball that was drifting to the stands. Cubs left fielder Moises Alou chased the ball to the seats and jumped up at the wall to try and catch it. Alou came away with an empty glove, for the ball had deflected off of the hands of Steve Bartman and landed in the stands. Alou shouted angrily at Bartman and the Cubs argued for fan interference, to no avail. Alou maintained the stance that he would have caught the ball if Bartman had not gotten in the way. The Marlins would go on to score 8 runs in the inning and beat the Cubs in Games 6 and 7 to win the series. While the Marlins went on to beat the New York Yankees in 6 games, the Cubs were sent home wondering what could have been. 

The Chicago Cubs have a longer history of heartbreak and disappointment than any other team in sports. The last time the Cubs won the world series was in 1908. That is a 103 year championship drought, the longest in sports history by a mile and a half. 2008 was the last time the Cubs made the playoffs, a series in which they got outscored by the Los Angeles Dodgers 20-6 as they saw their world series aspirations swept away. But back to the day of the Bartman.

I highly doubt that Steve Bartman will ever be able to show his face in Chicago again, which is unfortunate and should not happen. Alou said in 2008 that it was time to forgive Steve Bartman for what happened. Unfortunately, most fans overreact to tough losses in sports. Look at what happened on Opening Day of this year. San Fransisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was beaten in Dodger Stadium all because he wore a Giants Jersey. This man now has brain damage as a result of the attack. If fans act this way if someone wears a different jersey, then Cubs fans getting a hold of Steve Bartman could result in a man's death. Yes it was a painful moment for Cubs fans, but no loss in sports should ever spark violence. That is why Bartman will forever live in infamy.

We'll come back to baseball, but for now let's go to football.

Tracy Porter picks off Peyton Manning to clinch Super Bowl 44.

After Hurricane Katrina struck the state of Louisiana, their capital city of New Orleans was virtually under water. Thousands of people were left without food, shelter, and water for an extended period of time. Sports is unique regarding American culture because it can unite people. The New Orleans Saints rallied around this cause in the 2006 season by winning their division and going to the playoffs, but losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC conference championship game. Yet in the year 2010, it all came together.
The Saints beat future Hall of Fame Quarterback, and media darling, Bret Favre and his Minnesota Vikings in the NFC title game 31-28 in overtime off of the leg of Garrett Hartley. And that was just to go to the Superbowl to beat the Colts.
The Saints entered the game as heavy underdogs against Superbowl champion and arguably the best QB in the NFL Peyton Manning. It was the 4th quarter and the Saints lead 24-17, but Peyton and the Colts were driving. Then on 3rd Down with 5 yards to go, Manning threw the ball to Reggie Wayne who was coming in on a hitch route. Porter jumped in front of the pass and ran towards the Saints first Superbowl win.
Many people, including me, wish that they could have been in New Orleans for the celebration of winning Super Bowl 44. As good of a game it was, what the win meant to the city of New Orleans goes beyond being the best football team that year. The Saints winning the Superbowl gave the people of Louisiana something that Hurricane Katrina took away, hope. And that gift is way better than giving the fans a trophy.

2009: Santonio Holmes catch in the corner of the endzone to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a Superbowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

It has been called one of the best catches in Superbowl history. A catch that would make Lynn Swan proud. And arguably the best play in Superbowl history. But wide receiver Santonio Holmes' catch will go down in football immortality.
The game itself was mostly dull until the 4th quarter, for the score through 3 was 20-7 in favor of the Steelers. Then Kurt Warner and Arizona's passing attack came to life. The Cardinals scored 16 points in the 4th quarter, including a Warner-Larry Fitzgerald catch and run that gave the underdogs the lead. But Ben Rothlisberger would not be denied his second ring. The Steelers stormed down the field, and on 2nd and goal with 43 seconds left in the game; Ben to Santonio for the touchdown.
The catch made by Santonio Holmes adds another ring to the most prestigious franchise in NFL history. The Steelers now have 7 Superbowl championships, 23 Hall of Fame Players, and the song "Black and Yellow" written about them by rapper Wiz Khalifa. One of the best endings to one of the best 4th quarters in Superbowl history.

Now to Basketball

2010: The Decision: Lebron James announces that he is going to the Miami Heat.

Many individuals, like myself, were big critics of Lebron's hour long event to announce that he was going to the Miami Heat. It was one of the most arrogant, self centered moves that a player could have made to announce where he was going. James acted bigger than the game of basketball and it did not seem to bother him in the slightest.
That being said, the story of where Lebron was going to play basketball this season was the dominant news over the course of last summer. The media ate Lebron's act up. There was daily analysis on where Lebron was going to take his talents. If Lebron blew his nose and threw the tissue on the ground, there were cameras asking him where he was going to play his next season almost immediately.The media enabled Lebron's attitude, then ridiculed him for the media making a deal about where he was going to play.
The Decision drew a 7.3 TV rating, in which most of the conversation was based around how Lebron's summer was going. There was no journalism involved, no reporting, just the host chit chatting with James about nothing, until James finally said he was going to Miami. Then the new look Heat said,again on TV, that  they would win 7 championships.
It was a display of arrogance and ego, but everyone watched to see how the drama would end.


Michael Jordan breaks down Byron Russell in the NBA Finals:

The year was 1998, the situation was game 6 of the NBA finals, the result of this one on one matchup was the most famous cross over/push off in NBA history.
With the Chicago Bulls leading the series 3 games to 2, the Utah Jazz went back to Salt Lake City to defend their home court against a Bulls team that has never gone to a game 7 in franchise history. Utah lead in the game 86-83 with 42 seconds left. Jordan cut the lead down to 86-85 with a layup, then on Utah's final trip down the floor, their best scorer Karl Malone had the ball stolen by Jordan. After dribbling to the front court, the only thing standing between the Bulls and the championship was Jazz defender Byron Russell. Jordan proceeded to break Russell's ankles and hit an easy jump shot to give the Bulls the 87-86 win.
Michael Jordan was the iconic player in the NBA during the 90's. Every kid wanted to be a great player like him. After that game, pickup games at recess featured youngsters trying to perfect their ankle breaking moves.
Michael Jordan was great because he could do things on the court that nobody else could, or have done since.

Let's transition to Hockey's memorable moments

Sidney Crosby hoists Lord Stanley's Cup at age 21

In the year 2005, the entire National Hockey League raved over the talents of a young Canadian player out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was strong, quick, and everyone was calling him the next Wayne Gretzky. His name is Sidney Crosby, and he was taken with the number 1 overall pick in the 05 NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four years after being drafted, Crosby won the Stanley Cup as his team beat the Detroit Red Wings in 7 games in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.
This moment culminated the next big thing was everything Pittsburgh thought he would be. In the playoffs he scored 15 goals and had 16 assists. And at the age of 21, he won the Stanley Cup.And the best is yet to come.

But of course, the ultimate NHL memory was not a pleasant one.

2004-2005. NHL Lockout

The worst thing that could happen to a sport is a lockout. Players do not make money, owners do not make money, and fans are alienated from the sport. Yet the NHL Lockout will not be remembered for the failure of commissioner Garry Bettman to get a new Collective Bargaining Agreement done in time for the 04-05 season; but rather for how little the causal sports fans seemed to care that there was no hockey. And the NHL lockout still hurts the sport today. Ratings for the NHL still are the lowest out of the four major sports. Because most prime time NHL games get pushed to VS, where few fans get to see the games. If the NFL or NBA want to avoid alienating their fanbases, they should cut the business malarkey and find a way to get new collective bargaining agreements done.


2004: Keith Foulke flipping the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz to give the Red Sox their first World Series in 86 years.

After all of the years of heart break, post season failures, and waiting, Red Sox players and fans finally got what they waited so long for. This moment seemed inevitable throughout the 2004 playoffs. The Red Sox come back from being down 0-3 in the ALCS to the Yankees and the sweep of the Saint Louis Cardinals culminated the amazing run. I remember exactly where I was the moment that Foulke flipped Mientkiewicz the ball. I was watching the game with my dad in our living room, again on a school night. The first thing we both did was cheer and hug each other. It was a bigger moment for him because he had seen all of the Red Sox postseason failures, while I had only seen what happened in 2003. My mom, a born Yankee fan, then came and hugged us both; congratulating the Red Sox on the end of all the heartache. But all the noise and cheering failed to wake up my little sister, so we all went to her room and whispered the news of the Red Sox winning the world series. 

The Red Sox winning the World Series has been, and always will be the highest moment ever in Boston sports. The 3rd longest championship drought in sports history had been erased by one of the simplest plays in baseball. The Boston Celtics are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in NBA history and the New England Patriots won three super bowls in the 2000-2010 decade. Fans are used to the Pats and fighting shamrocks winning. If the Boston Bruins hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, that will be cheered. But the Bruins following now is not what the Red Sox following has been. It can be argued that the Red Sox winning the world series was the biggest moment in sports history. The biggest moments in our lives are ones where we remember everything about it. Lots of Red Sox fans know exactly where they were when the Red Sox won the World Series.

David Tyree's on the helmet catch against the New England Patriots in Superbowl 42.

Only once in NFL history had a team ever gone an entire season without a loss, and that was the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The 2008 New England Patriots entered Superbowl 42 with a record of 18 wins and no losses. Just 1 win away from clinching the second undefeated season in NFL history. But as Chris Berman said, "that's why they play the game."
The New York Giants trailed the Patriots 14-10 with 2 minutes and 39 seconds remaining with the ball on their own 17 yard line. Then Eli Manning drove the Giants to the 44 yard line with 1 minute 15 seconds remaining. On 3rd down and 5 yards to go, Eli turned into Houdini. Escaping the potential sacks of linebacker Adailus Thomas, Richard Seymour, and Jarvis Green to throw a deep pass to David Tyree. Tyree somehow made the one handed catch with the ball cradling against his helmet at New England's 25 yard line. The Giants would score a touchdown with 59 seconds left to go up 17-14. That would be the game's final score.
The moment, dubbed as the catch, was the sword that enabled David to slay Goliath. The New England Patriots offense set several offensive records, including Tom Brady's 50 passing touchdowns in one season,  and Randy Moss' 23 receiving touchdowns in one season. But the offense had been harassed by the Giants Defensive line throughout the game. Patriots corner back Asante Samuel dropped the potential game sealing interception two plays before the catch. The Pats had the undefeated season seemingly within their grasp, only for Tyree and Manning to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
As the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 was the highest moment in Boston sports history, 18-1 quickly became one of the lowest moments in Boston sports history. Sports talk radio in Boston was unbearable to listen to the next day. And everybody seemed to be in a bad mood. History was made, but not the kind that everyone in the New England area wanted to make. Not to mention the catch was the best play in Superbowl history.

But despite these 10 great moments, the best part about sports is that there may be a moment or two that will take their place on the list. When will there be a bigger moment? I don't know, but like so many others, I can't wait until it happens.