Saturday Fun Thread: Amazing Moments in Sports [Y-not]

How about a thread with a little less hate after all the awful news this week?

Wyatt's Torch alerted me to this yesterday:

Phil Mickelson Takes Shot from Atop Hospitality Tent at the Barclays. (Follow the link for the video.)

Phil's shot got me thinking about amazing plays in sports. Needless to say, there are tons of lists out there, but here's one to get you started courtesy of Bleacher Report.

Sorry, it's in that annoying slide format. I'll save you the hassle and list their top five most amazing plays of all time (clips of each play are available at the link):
5. Monster dunk by the Clippers' Blake Griffin
4. Pirates OF Jose Guillen's cannon throw from the right-field warning track to 3rd base
3. Washington Capital Ovechkin and "The Goal" versus the Coyotes in 2006
2. University of Alabama receiver Tyrone Prothro's spectacular catch
1. Tiger Woods at the 16th hole of the 2005 Masters

I can't say I witnessed any of these plays. (I didn't start watching golf until five or six years ago, so I didn't even see Tiger's.)

The play I remember watching in real time and being amazed by was a punt return by Darrell Green of the Washington REDSKINS (I denounce myself!). It happened in the 1987 playoffs versus the Bears, at Chicago:

Chicago, just two seasons removed from Super Bowl glory, led 14-0. But the Redskins rallied to tie the game, and, with 11:40 left in the third quarter, Green started a punt return for the ages. He retreated to the Redskins' 48-yard line to field Tommy Barnhardt’s punt and started up the right sideline.

Out of the corner of his eye, Green spotted Cap Boso diving at his legs around the 34. Green then created the memory: He hurdled Boso, then cut back inside and, within a few yards, grabbed his left side. He clutched his side for the final 30 yards en route to a 52-yard game-winning punt return.

Green had torn his rib cage on the return and could play only one more snap. But his efforts on this play led to not only a 21-17 win but also a moment that was hard to top in Redskins history.

Here's the play:

We were living in Chicago at the time, but were loyal Redskins fans. Darrell Green is probably my favorite Washington player of all time.

And, just because I really like golf, here's a clip of the Top 10 Recovery Shots on the PGA Tour:

What amazing plays have you seen over the years?

Open thread for this and that.

posted by Open Blogger at 10:12 AM

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