Few things can elicit more excitement, frustration, and fury than sports, and one of those things is a list of rankings about sports. But the folks at the Ringer have tackled an especially evocative topic by attempting to rank the 100 best sports moments of the century so far. Although it's always difficult to say what makes a moment "the best," staffers based their decisions on criteria like championship stakes, legacy, nicknames, collective joy, and the "holy s--- factor." And while Boston sports fans have plenty of reasons to cheer for the list, they have one big reason to boo. Here are the top five moments:
- The "Helmet Catch": Down by four with a little over a minute left in Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants needed a miracle on third down to squash the New England Patriots' hopes of an unprecedented 19-0 season. And they got one from an unexpected hero and an inanimate object. Quarterback Eli Manning escaped the clutches of several defenders to throw deep downfield, where special teamer David Tyree made a nearly impossible catch by pinning the ball against his helmet, setting up the Giants for the game-winning touchdown. Bleacher Report also named this play the most incredible sports moment of the last quarter century, and the NFL dubbed it the top Super Bowl play of all time.
- The "Block": After departing the team that drafted him and returning four years later, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Finals, where they faced a historically prolific Golden State Warriors team. But with the score tied and less than two minutes left in the deciding Game 7, James blocked a layup from Andre Iguodala that would've given the Warriors the lead, opening the door for the Cavs to snag the championship. GQ included the win among the "Greatest Upsets in the History of Mankind."
- The Red Sox ALCS comeback: With the "Curse of the Bambino" hanging heavily overhead, the Boston Red Sox managed to overcome a daunting 0-3 deficit in the 2004 American League Championship Series to win four straight games against their dreaded rival Yankees on the way to their first World Series win in 86 years. NBC Sports ranked the epic ALCS win as the top MLB postseason series of all time.
- The men's 4x100 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics: Michael Phelps was chasing history during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Seeking to be the first person to win eight gold medals in a single summer Olympics, he was going to need the US men's 4x100 freestyle relay team to defeat France for a shot. Although Phelps led off the relay with a US record split, the Americans were almost a second behind France when anchor Jason Lezak dove into the pool. But all Lezak did was deliver the fastest split in the history of the event to secure the gold, break the world record, and allow Phelps to sweep the gold in all of his events.
- The "Kick Six": With just seconds remaining in the 2013 Iron Bowl, No. 1-ranked and 10-point favorite Alabama lined up to kick a game-winning 57-yard field goal against No. 4 seed Auburn at the Tigers' home stadium. But when Alabama's kick came up just short, Auburn's Chris Davis was there to catch it and improbably return the ball 109 yards through the crowded field to score the game-winning touchdown. The Sporting News named it No. 2 on a list of the top plays in college football history.
Disagree with these picks? Take a look at the
other 95 best moments. (More
sports stories.)
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