I have to wonder what Peyton Manning is really thinking a couple of days removed from his Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints. Is he still in disbelief? Or is he wondering if he and his teammates have what it takes to win another Super Bowl? I know he is a extremely confident quarterback but some doubt has to had creeped in his mind on what more he can do to win the big game.
How sure of himself is Peyton Manning?
Manning does have one Super Bowl win. The win was primarily sparked by the return of Bob Sanders. Sanders took a strugglingdefensive squad and breathed life into them like I have never seen before. Sanders was the biggest defensive impact player there ever has been to a playoff run. Without Sanders, Manning is still without a ring.
With all the regular season winning, Manning should have more rings. He has played sub par in his playoff chances and has had some of the worse games of his playoff career against his rival the New England Patriots. He seemed to lose poise and get out of rhythm on offense that resulted in poor passes and decisions. This type of play came to attrition Sunday night. The Colts jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead but failed to go for the kill. They played way too conservative and let the underdog Saints get confidence and back in the game. Manning seemed unsure of himself and did not want to throw the ball down field. This played into the Saints hands. He had a chance to tie the game late but threw a interception that resulted in a Saints touchdown and sealed the Colts fate. He seemed to have happy feet and was not sure of himself in the final drive. A great quarterback gets the job done at crunch time. One of the most proficient passers the game has ever seen was dumping the ball within a 10-12 yard range. It is the Super Bowl. Let it all hang out.
Manning is a very cerebral man so he will put this loss in perspective. But it is human to doubt yourself. Manning will have a very long season to think about it. Will he ever get back to the promise land and did he do everything in his power to get the Colts a Super bowl title. In his mind, how will he be rated in the annals of the greatest quarterbacks?
The Indianapolis Colts will be taking on the Baltimore Ravens tonight and try to win their first playoff game since 2006 when they defeated the Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl in 2006. MVP Peyton Manning will face the Ravens tough and opportunistic defense. If the Colts do not come up big tonight, the MVP award will be little to Manning…
Manning had a great year and will lead his offense against a stout Ravens defense. I think he will manage the game and stay away from the early turnovers that gave the Ravens all the momentum lat week. Manning will manage and play far smarter than Brady did last week. On Manning’s mind is his last two playoff loses to San Diego. These loses will serve as incentive and keep Manning focused on nothing short of a victory tonight. He will not let the Colts lose tonight. This game will be very personal to him.
Peyton Manning needs a win tonight to avenge his last two playoff loses.
The Ravens are coming off a impressive 33-14 over the Patriots in New England last week. The Ravens intercepted Tom Brady three times and never looked back. This is what they will need to do tonight to beat Manning and the Colts. If the Ravens can get out to a early lead, they will have a great chance of winning. Joe Flacco only attempted 10 passes, and the Ravens got the running game going with Ray Rice. Getting turnovers, eatablishing the running is a great recipe to win a playoff game. The Ravens are also Road Warriors as they have won six games this decade. They are still lead by Ray Lewis and are not itimidated by any means tonight.
With everything considered, I have to pick the Colts. The Colts clinched everything early and have had time to get healthy and think about a playoff run. The Colts have been here before, lets see if they have learned something.Manning will be hungry to avenge his last two playoff loses–both big disappointments. A third loss would be a even bigger disappointment. Colts taste victory tonight.
I see that the Eagles coach Andy Reid has given his endorsement for Donovan McNabb to be his starting quarterback next year. As a pro football fan and Eagles fan, I disagree with this decision and think the Eagles should look into another direction for their starting quarterback next season…
Donovan McNabb should not be the Eagles starter next season.
McNabb will be entering his 12th season next year. He is coming off a good regular season but faltered when the Eagles needed him most in his their las two games, two defeats at the hands of divisional rival, Dallas. McNabb was mediocre at best in these two games. In the last regular seson game ,and the NFC East Division on the line, McNabb missed receivers early that changed the complexion of the game. The Eagles were both shutout on the scoreboard and out of that elusive first round bye in the playtoffs. He then followed up that perfotmance with a awful game the next week . He went 19-37 for 230 yards with one touchdown and one interception. These stats are inflated as they came well after Dallas had the game in hand.The Eagles would have faired better with another quarterback.
McNabb has had a habit at not playing at his best when it counts most.He is only 1-4 in NFC Championships games. He lost his only Superbowl performance against the Patriots when he was picked off three times. If he played to his potential, he would have a Superbowl ring on his finger. Eagle fans are sick and tired of seeing him play stiff in the games that count most It is time for a change.
Enter Kevin Kolb. The Eagles took a chance on drafting him in the first round. It is time for him to fly for the Eagles. Kolb started two games this year and passed for over 300 yards in each game. He is the only quarterback ever to accomplish that feat in NFL history. He has the tools and confidence to be the starter, Reid also agrees.He will be in the final season of his contract. If Kolb does not start next year, he will probably fly the Eagle coupe. There are other teams that will call on for his services.I vote for Kevin to be the starter next season.
The New England Patriots will be taking on the Baltimore Ravens this afternoon and try to keep their perfect 8-0 home record going despite some adversity.
Will Joe Flacco get a signature win against the Pats today?
The Pats will be without their leading receiver Wes Welker who was injured last week in Houston in a meaning less game.Welker was not only Tom Brady’s favorite receiver but caught a 123 passes and made the Pats offense more diversified. Welker will be definitely missed and will put more pressure on both Randy Moss and his replacement Julian Edelman. You cannot measure how important Welker meant to this team as he was a possession receiver that kept the chains moving. The Pats will need the leadership of Tom Brady to offset this setback. Brady will have them focused, and the Ravens defense better still be wary.
The Ravens were a poor team on the road with a 3-5 record. They played the Pats back on October 2 and lost 27-21. They had a opportunity to win the game late but could not pull the victory.New England is 5-0 all time vs the Ravens. It may just be that the Pats have their number. The Ravens do have a sound secondary lead by Ed Reed. This secondary must take advantage of the Welker injury and shut Brady in company down to have a good shot at winning.Joe Placco must step up and play mistake free football. The Ravens must also establish the run with their star running back Ray Rice. If the Ravens can do this things, they can pull off the upset in a very hostile environment.
This game comes down to whether the Ravens can handle being on the road.Joe Flacco is young and will need to be at his best today. The Patriots have all the intangibles and Tom Brady. Brady seems to have their number. But I think the Ravens will establish the run and keep Brady off the field. I will take the Ravens inn a upset and get Joe Flacco that signature victory.
The NFL has been under fire this week after Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell decided to bench his starters, including Peyton Manning, during a loss to the Jets in Week 16. Caldwell followed suit again this week and the Colts got beaten even worse in a snowstorm marred game in Buffalo. Every talk show out there hammered Caldwell for the decision to abandon trying to complete an undefeated. Was his decision wrong?
Welker Likely Out For Playoffs
During the New England Patriots and Houston Texans matchup today, Caldwell’s decision was proven to be the right one. With nothing to gain, the Patriots played their starters and watched as Pro Bowl wide receiver Wes Welker went down to a major knee injury. Early reports are that Welker sustained an injury to his ACL and MCL, ending his season.
The Eagles took risks today playing its starters deep into a game that was clearly lost. At least they had something to shoot for…a first round bye. Major contributors in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek all got shaken up during the game and had to leave the field. No doubt these guys will be on next week’s injury report and the unnecessary hits may impact their play for the playoffs. And Donovan McNabb took his worst beating of the season behind a porous line that was unable to slow down the Cowboys rush.
The fortunes of an NFL team can sway from one week to the next, with injuries being a huge factor. Every team has a few players that are irreplaceable. In Indianapolis, his name is Peyton Manning. His head coach made the right decision. The goal is to win the Super Bowl, not go undefeated in the regular season.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stuck his nose in this week, opening up debate on how to encourage teams to play their players in every game regardless of consequences. He plans to open discussion during the offseason to deter teams from taking what is a smart strategy. The regular season is about earning a spot in the playoff and jockeying for a seed. It makes no sense to meddle with this and it will only serve to hurt the game.
Lets leave well enough alone Mr. Goodell. The NFL is not broken and a rule change diminishes the hard work of players. The bellyaching comes simply from people playing fantasy football and getting upset over the fact that the Peyton Manning coattails could no longer be ridden to a “fantasy” championship.
It’s the end of the year. Its the end of a decade. Nothing great ever ends without a list and a debate over that list. Today, we focus on the 10 best sports stories of the 2000 decade and their impact on sports in America.
10. Emergence of Mixed Martial Arts
In January 2001, Zuffa LLC purchased the fledgling, close-to-bankruptcy MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship for $2 million. They then secured state sanctioning with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Zuffa struggled for a few years to emerge from the shadows of the negativity that surrounded MMA until it secured a reality TV show called The Ultimate Fighter which first aired in January 2005 on Spike TV. The sport then exploded with a multitude of competitive promotion both regional and national. The sport is now on the brink of generating near $1 Billion in revenues per year and is on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. Love him or hate, Dana White is responsible for making MMA the sport it is today.
9. Rulon Gardner Upsets Alexander Karelin
Do you believe in miracles? Most fans of the Olympics are familiar with that saying and its forever bond with the 1980 USA Hockey team’s upset of Russia. In the Summer Olympics of 2000, a much more unimaginable upset of a Russian occured when Rulon Gardner shocked the world with his stunning victory over undefeated superstar Alexander Karelin. Coming into the finals, Karelin had not lost a match in 15 years and had not even surrender a point in the last 10 years. Gardner pulled out a 1-0 victory and delivered the most stunning upset in Olympics history against the 3-time gold medal winner that was deemed to be invincible.
8. New England Patriots Near-Perfect Season
The New England Patriots were the darlings of the 2007 NFL season, putting together the first perfect regular season in a dominating fashion never before seen in the sport. One toughed out victory against Baltimore and a valiant effort by the New York Giants in the final game of the season were as close as anyone got during the regular season. The Patriots then carved out two solid, conservative victories in the playoffs, setting up a rematch with the upstart New York Giants to end the season 19-0 and go down in history as the greatest team ever. An Eli Manning circus-like pass to and catch by David Tyree will forever be remembered in NFL lore that drove the nail into the coffin of this special team that was denied greatness. And in the process, the Patriots scored the largest Super Bowl viewing audience in the history of the game.
7. Red Sox Break The Curse
Buck F-ing Dent. Bill Buckner. Aaron Boone. The Red Sox were perhaps the unluckiest team in professional sports. Down 3-0 to their bitter rival New York Yankees in the 2oo4 ALCS, the Red Sox forged the biggest comeback in baseball history to defeat the Yankees and go on to win their first World Series since 1918, the year before they traded Babe Ruth away to those very same Yankees. Curt Schilling pitched one of the most courageous game ever by a pitcher, his bloody sock on display in Cooperstown for all to remember the pivotal moment of that amazing playoff season.
6. Roger Federer Streak at Top Ranking
There having been many great tennis players over the years. Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Bjorg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Federer did something that none of them ever did, holding the #1 ranking in tennis for almost four and half consecutive years between February 2, 2004 to August 17, 2008. During that span, Federer won 65 straight matches at Wimbeldon and holds a 72-1 record on grass over the past seven years. Federer also holds the record for most Grand Slam titles at 15, while finally earning his first French Open championship this past year. Without question, the greatest tennis player in the history of the game and he still has a lot left in the tank to set records that may never be matched.
5. Tiger Woods Wins Four Straight Majors
Woods made history in April 2001 winning his 2nd Masters championship. With that victory, he became only one of five player in the history of golf to win all four major titles in his career. To one up them, Woods won the championships consecutively, becoming the first ever to hold all four major golf championships at the same time, earning him a pseudo Grand Slam. Woods has gone on since that point to win 8 more majors, bringing his career total to 14, leaving him just four shy of the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus.
4. 2001 World Series
With the country reeling from the recent terrorist attacks that had taken over 3,000 lives, Major League Baseball gave grieving Americans an outlet to cope with their losses. The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks provided perhaps the most exciting World Series in history, filled with riveting National Anthems, seventh-inning stretches echoing to God Bless America and some of the most unbelievable ends to World Series games ever seen. In Game 4, Tino Martinez hit a game-tying two run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Derek Jeter closed the game with an opposite field walk-off homer in the 10th to win the game. The very next night, Scott Brosius hit a game-tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that would lead to another extra inning victory. The magic would fade in Game 7 though, as Mariano Rivera would surrender two runs in the bottom of the ninth to end the Yankees consecutive World Series run. A truly magical World Series for the ages at a time when America needed its pastime the most.
3. Major League Baseball Steroids Scandal
In a sport defined by stats and where Hall of Fame hitters fail 7 out of 10 times, baseball has been defined by its statistical records and comparison of current ballplayers to those in its past. At the end of the last decade, MLB treated its fans to the most compelling drama in years when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled it out to surpass Roger Maris’ single season home run record. At the turn of the decade came BALCO, a book by Jose Canseco and revelations that MLB owners and execs turned a blind eye to rampant steroids abuse. After a humiliating Congressional hearing where Mark McGwire pleaded the 5th Amendment so, baseball was forced to implement drug testing. The Mitchell Report would then follow, containing over 100 names that were linked to steroids, many of them the biggest names in the sport. In the end, we are left with era that will forever be scarred and represents some of the darkest hours in the sport’s history.
2. Michael Phelps’ 8 Olympic Gold Medals
The swimming star from Baltimore MD had prepared for this moment all his life, but nobody expected the drama that would go down at the pool in Beijing. Phelps and his relay teammates were heavily favored in six of his eight races. The remaining two races will go down in Olympic history forever. Teammate Jason Lezak would anchor the final leg of the 4 x 100, facing off against Alain Bernard of France, the current world record holder in the 100 freestyle. The Frenchman was provided an ample lead for the final leg, all but assuring Phelps quest being over. But in the final 25 meters Lezek tracked Bernard down for the gold. The drama was even more amazing a few days later, as Phelps dug deep in the final 25 meters of the 100M butterfly to defeat Serbian Milorad Cavic by 1/100 of a second for his seventh gold medal. You can be assured most Americans will not forget that moment as they cheered and screamed in front of their TVs trying to help will Phelps to victory.
1. Lance Armstrong Winning 7 Tour De France Titles
Armstrong lays claims to the greatest story of the decade. In a sport dominated by Europeans, Armstrong did the unthinkable…he dominated them at their own game. Armstrong set the record of seven victories, besting the previous record of five held by Miguel Indurain. A survivor of testicular cancer, Armstrong became an American hero in a sport that most in this country rarely followed or cared much about. With his unbelievable climbing ability in the mountains and untouchable time-trial sprinting, Armstrong dominated the competition like nobody before him. His victories spawned an explosion of interest in cycling in America and his story gave hope to everyone around the world that you can beat cancer and strive forward to be the best in your craft.
It’s the end of the year. Its the end of a decade. Nothing great ever ends without a list and a debate over that list. Today, we focus on the 10 greatest sports teams of the 2000 decade and the accomplishments that defined their greatness.
10. Penn State Women’s Volleyball (2006-Current)
Penn State’s girl volleyball team is a trendy selection given their recent headlines at the top of the sport section. On December 20th, the Nittany Lions won their 102 consecutive game at the Division I level and won their third national championship in a row. Feeling the pressure, the Nittany Lions went down two sets to #2 ranked Texas and stormed back for a five-set victory. What’s make the accomplishment so special is that women’s volleyball has now become a national sport, thanks in part to Title IX and the Nittany Lions. Dominated by the West Coast, 16 of the first 19 NCAA Champions crowned came from the West Coast, primarily beach locations. The latest decade saw the emergence of the Big Ten and Big 12, led by Penn State. In short, Penn State girls volleyball proves you don’t need the beach for greatness.
9. Boston Celtics (2007-2008)
Danny Ainge was on the hot seat. It was put up or shut up time. He butted heads and pushed head coach Jim O’Brien to resign. He sent popular players such as Antoine Walker, Tony Battie and Eric Williams packing. He brought in recently fired coach Doc Rivers whom tumbled in flames during his first head coaching stint. It all hit rock bottom with coaching Red Auerbach’s death in 2006 and the second-worst record in team history at 24-58, including a franchise record 18-game losing streak. Ainge masterminded the trades which brought in Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo prior to the 2007 season. Alongside Paul Pierce, they would generate one of the greatest turnarounds in sports, improving their won-loss record by 42 games and posting the 6th best single-season record in NBA history at 66-16. The season ended with the Celtics getting their 22nd championship in a 39-point blowout of the rival Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
8. Florida Gators Basketball (2006-2007)
In a rare display of sportsmanship at the college level, the Florida Gators welcomed back its underclassmen that recently won an NCAA championship the previous season. They would leave the NBA’s riches on the table to attempt becoming back-to-back champions. Led by wunderkin coach Billy Donovan, the Gators would finish their regular season stumbling in early February, ending the regular season with a 26-5 record. They would then march through the SEC tournament, earn the top seed for the NCAA tournament and cement their status as one of the decade’s best with a dominating run to the championship.
7. Chinese Olympic Team (2008)
The cold war dominance of the Summer Olympics by the Russians and Americans was put to rest by an upstart Chinese team hosting their first Olympics. Traditionally stereotyped as a power in gymnastics and table tennis, the Chinese arrived in 2008 as the future of Olympic sports. The Chinese won medals in 25 different disciplines, including its first ever gold medals in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey. With its strong financing and development of Olympic athletes, the showing in Beijing appears to be the beginning of the next era in the Summer Olympics.
6. New York Yankees (2009)
The Yankees shelled out $423 million in contracts prior to the season for Mark Teixiera, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to win their 27th World Series championship. Based on payroll, they were supposed to win…although the Yankees expenditures had delivered nothing since 2000. After missing the playoffs in 2008 for the first time since 1996, the Yankees re-tooled for a big run. The season got started off with a steroids controversy swirling over Alex Rodriguez. The team stayed focused through a rough April, persevered by posting 103 wins and became the only MLB team in the decade to win over 100 games and capture the World Series title. In a sport that rarely crowns the best team for 162 games as it did in its pastime, the Yankees helped make baseball relevant and exciting again.
5. Miami Hurricanes NCAA Football (2001)
Perhaps the best single season team in NCAA football history, posting a 13-0 record and simply dominating everyone in their path. The Canes’ average margin of victory was 39 points, as they steamrolled over five Top 25 ranked opponentsm including a 37-14 blowout victory over Nebraska in the National Championship game. The roster read like the NFL’s All-Pro starting lineup with standouts that included Clinton Portis, Ed Reed, Andre Johnson, Jeremy Shockey, Jonathon Vilma, Bryant McKinnie and D.J. Williams. An amazing collection of talent that superceded expectations and succeeded in spite of a lack of coaching prowess in Larry Coker after Butch Davis’ departure.
4. Misty May / Kerri Walsh Volleyball
If you told me at the beginning of the decade that this list would contain two volleyball teams, I would have chuckled at the thought that even one would make the list. But how can you look past the accomplishments and dominance of Misty May and Kerri Walsh, the two-time Olympics champions in beach volleyball. Even President Bush specifically sought them out in Beijing for a picture op. Leading up to the 2008 Olympics, they had a 101 match winning streak, rarely losing a set in the process. The streak finally came to an end at 112 shortly after their Olympic repeat.
3. Duke Men’s Basketball (2000-2001)
College basketball’s version of the Miami Hurricanes football team. Led by Shane Battier, this squad developed 6 NBA players and left their collegiate competition in the dust. This team posted a 35-4 record for the season while winning is game’s by an average margin of 20.2 points. While the team stumbled in the rough and tumble ACC during the season, they blossomed at tournament time. They won the ACC Tournament while blowing out #6 ranked rival North Carolina by 26. They then ran the table in the NCAA tournament, defeating opponents by an average of 16.7 points and winning every game in the tournament by double-digits.
2. New England Patriots (2007)
Okay, so they lost the Super Bowl. It doesn’t matter. Even the most hardcore New York Giants fan will tell you that the 18-1 Patriots they defeated were the better team. Head and shoulders better. It was just one game…you can’t win them all. The Pats posted the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Not only did they win, they dominated most everyone they played. This team shattered offensive records across the league with its explosive superstars that included Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Their invincibility was shattered by one circus acrobatic catch by David Tyree from Eli Manning. The rest is history.
1. Connecticut Women’s Basketball (2008-2009)
The last decade ended with the USA Women’s Soccer team displaying “girl power” in the World Cup that would serve to define the next decade. No other team defined excellence in the manner that the UConn women’s basketball team in the 2008-2009 season. A perfect 39-0 season, an average winning margin of 31.5 points and an invincibility that would even make Michael Jordan genuflect. They won the Big East tournament over Louisville by a score of 75-36. Just how much better they were they than every other team? Their NCAA Finals matchup was against that same Louisville team they had pounded into submission just weeks prior. They captured the crown with a 76-54 victory. But what stands out most in their undefeated season, which makes them the team of the decade, is that they won every game they played by double-digits.
The Colts and Peyton Manning pulled off another victory in the fourth quarter as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-31 in a back and forth game Thursday night. The Colts fell behind four times before Manning worked his magic on a 65 yard touchdown strike to Reggie Wayne with 5:23 left in the game that turned out to be the game winner, and the only scoring of the fourth quarter. This has become a habit for this team and this quarterback. The Colts have won seven games this year when trailing at one point in the fourth quarter. This team just knows how to get the job done with the game on the line.
How much will Jim Caldwell play Peyton and Co to stay perfect?
Manning completed his first thirteen passes and ended up 23-30 with 308 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. The Colts were playing for pride and a perfect regular season. This team just has a infectious way of winning a football game. Jacksonville was playing for a chance for a Wild Card playoff position, so the Colts beat a opponent that has something on the line.
The Colts have two more opponents left on their schedule. They have the Jets at home and finish up in Buffalo. It will be interesting how much Jim Caldwell will play his starters in these last two games being they already have the home field advantage clinched in the AFC. I hope he gives it a real shot and makes the Colts a perfect 16-0. Maybe he will not want to finish perfect and get a loss out of the way and not end up like the New England Patriots did a few years ago. The next few weeks will tell the story.
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 28-16 yesterday and in doing so set two records and kept them rolling towards a perfect regular season this year. The first and current record they set is a impressive 22nd straight regular season victory eclipsing the 21 stright set by the New England Patriots just last year. You have to be both lucky and good to achieve a streak like this. The second and even more impressive record is the Colts have won 114 games this decade breaking the 113 wins in the 90’s set by the mighty San Francisco 49ers. The Colts are making history each week and are steam rolling towards a improbable 16-0 regular season finish. I would not bet against them achieving that goal and achieving that history.
In yesterday’s victory, they jumped out to a 21-0 lead. Denver closed to 21-16 before their great leader Peyton Manning lead them to a 80 yard drive to salt away the victory. It seems that Manning and the Colts can come up with that kind of scoring drive whenever they need to.
Their next three games are Thursday at Jacksonville, then the Jets at home and then finally at Buffalo. They should pull off that triple and will never be forgotten in the annals of the NFL.
I am truly hoping that they pull this off as I love a team and player like Peyton Manning to make sport memories that will last a lifetime. It makes watching the NFL very enjoyable for me and to any NFL fan that enjoys history in the making. Keep the decade of excellence going, Colts.
In January 2001, Zuffa LLC purchased the fledgling, close-to-bankruptcy MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship for $2 million. They then secured state sanctioning with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Zuffa struggled for a few years to emerge from the shadows of the negativity that surrounded MMA until it secured a reality TV show called The Ultimate Fighter which first aired in January 2005 on Spike TV. The sport then exploded with a multitude of competitive promotion both regional and national. The sport is now on the brink of generating near $1 Billion in revenues per year and is on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. Love him or hate, Dana White is responsible for making MMA the sport it is today.
Do you believe in miracles? Most fans of the Olympics are familiar with that saying and its forever bond with the 1980 USA Hockey team’s upset of Russia. In the Summer Olympics of 2000, a much more unimaginable upset of a Russian occured when Rulon Gardner shocked the world with his stunning victory over undefeated superstar Alexander Karelin. Coming into the finals, Karelin had not lost a match in 15 years and had not even surrender a point in the last 10 years. Gardner pulled out a 1-0 victory and delivered the most stunning upset in Olympics history against the 3-time gold medal winner that was deemed to be invincible.
The New England Patriots were the darlings of the 2007 NFL season, putting together the first perfect regular season in a dominating fashion never before seen in the sport. One toughed out victory against Baltimore and a valiant effort by the New York Giants in the final game of the season were as close as anyone got during the regular season. The Patriots then carved out two solid, conservative victories in the playoffs, setting up a rematch with the upstart New York Giants to end the season 19-0 and go down in history as the greatest team ever. An Eli Manning circus-like pass to and catch by David Tyree will forever be remembered in NFL lore that drove the nail into the coffin of this special team that was denied greatness. And in the process, the Patriots scored the largest Super Bowl viewing audience in the history of the game.
Buck F-ing Dent. Bill Buckner. Aaron Boone. The Red Sox were perhaps the unluckiest team in professional sports. Down 3-0 to their bitter rival New York Yankees in the 2oo4 ALCS, the Red Sox forged the biggest comeback in baseball history to defeat the Yankees and go on to win their first World Series since 1918, the year before they traded Babe Ruth away to those very same Yankees. Curt Schilling pitched one of the most courageous game ever by a pitcher, his bloody sock on display in Cooperstown for all to remember the pivotal moment of that amazing playoff season.
There having been many great tennis players over the years. Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Bjorg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Federer did something that none of them ever did, holding the #1 ranking in tennis for almost four and half consecutive years between February 2, 2004 to August 17, 2008. During that span, Federer won 65 straight matches at Wimbeldon and holds a 72-1 record on grass over the past seven years. Federer also holds the record for most Grand Slam titles at 15, while finally earning his first French Open championship this past year. Without question, the greatest tennis player in the history of the game and he still has a lot left in the tank to set records that may never be matched.
Woods made history in April 2001 winning his 2nd Masters championship. With that victory, he became only one of five player in the history of golf to win all four major titles in his career. To one up them, Woods won the championships consecutively, becoming the first ever to hold all four major golf championships at the same time, earning him a pseudo Grand Slam. Woods has gone on since that point to win 8 more majors, bringing his career total to 14, leaving him just four shy of the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus.
With the country reeling from the recent terrorist attacks that had taken over 3,000 lives, Major League Baseball gave grieving Americans an outlet to cope with their losses. The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks provided perhaps the most exciting World Series in history, filled with riveting National Anthems, seventh-inning stretches echoing to God Bless America and some of the most unbelievable ends to World Series games ever seen. In Game 4, Tino Martinez hit a game-tying two run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Derek Jeter closed the game with an opposite field walk-off homer in the 10th to win the game. The very next night, Scott Brosius hit a game-tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that would lead to another extra inning victory. The magic would fade in Game 7 though, as Mariano Rivera would surrender two runs in the bottom of the ninth to end the Yankees consecutive World Series run. A truly magical World Series for the ages at a time when America needed its pastime the most.
In a sport defined by stats and where Hall of Fame hitters fail 7 out of 10 times, baseball has been defined by its statistical records and comparison of current ballplayers to those in its past. At the end of the last decade, MLB treated its fans to the most compelling drama in years when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled it out to surpass Roger Maris’ single season home run record. At the turn of the decade came BALCO, a book by Jose Canseco and revelations that MLB owners and execs turned a blind eye to rampant steroids abuse. After a humiliating Congressional hearing where Mark McGwire pleaded the 5th Amendment so, baseball was forced to implement drug testing. The Mitchell Report would then follow, containing over 100 names that were linked to steroids, many of them the biggest names in the sport. In the end, we are left with era that will forever be scarred and represents some of the darkest hours in the sport’s history.
The swimming star from Baltimore MD had prepared for this moment all his life, but nobody expected the drama that would go down at the pool in Beijing. Phelps and his relay teammates were heavily favored in six of his eight races. The remaining two races will go down in Olympic history forever. Teammate Jason Lezak would anchor the final leg of the 4 x 100, facing off against Alain Bernard of France, the current world record holder in the 100 freestyle. The Frenchman was provided an ample lead for the final leg, all but assuring Phelps quest being over. But in the final 25 meters Lezek tracked Bernard down for the gold. The drama was even more amazing a few days later, as Phelps dug deep in the final 25 meters of the 100M butterfly to defeat Serbian Milorad Cavic by 1/100 of a second for his seventh gold medal. You can be assured most Americans will not forget that moment as they cheered and screamed in front of their TVs trying to help will Phelps to victory.
Armstrong lays claims to the greatest story of the decade. In a sport dominated by Europeans, Armstrong did the unthinkable…he dominated them at their own game. Armstrong set the record of seven victories, besting the previous record of five held by Miguel Indurain. A survivor of testicular cancer, Armstrong became an American hero in a sport that most in this country rarely followed or cared much about. With his unbelievable climbing ability in the mountains and untouchable time-trial sprinting, Armstrong dominated the competition like nobody before him. His victories spawned an explosion of interest in cycling in America and his story gave hope to everyone around the world that you can beat cancer and strive forward to be the best in your craft.
