144th Edition
The Three Greatest Moments in Sports History
This will be the last of my three greatest series. I hope you’ve enjoyed them. What would be your criteria for the three greatest moments in sports history?
Here is my first one…
Do you believe in miracles? YESSSSS! Immortal words spoken by Al Michaels as the clock ticked down at the end of the incredible upset of the Miracle on Ice, the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team’s upset of the Russians at Lake Placid. This has to be my number one greatest moment in sports history. The entire story, as chronicled in the movie “Miracle,” will never be forgotten by my generation.
The life lessons from this movie are numerous. First, the coach, Herb Brooks, had to overcome conventional thinking and a willingness to settle, right from the very start. He had to establish and inspire fellow coaches, hockey officials and, of course, the players, who in the beginning had little concept of what it would take to beat the vaunted Russian team, let alone win the gold medal. In short, he had to inspire a dream. Doesn’t every amazing accomplishment begin with the courage to dream bigger than logic and popular opinion would suggest?
As the team began practicing months before the Olympic games were scheduled to start, Coach Brooks had to meld players from rival colleges into one cohesive unit. Team before self. Who do you play for? Brooks stubbornly kept asking. Finally, the players understood. We play for the United States of America. Competing for a prize or working toward any lofty goal that is bigger than yourself, is life changing. Commitment, sacrifice, and teamwork are huge parts of it, producing character traits upon which to build a life and successful career. The twenty young men who made up the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team learned these important life lessons under the uncompromising coaching excellence of Herb Brooks.
And the second…
I guarantee it! That’s what the brash young quarterback repeated to anyone who would listen. It was Super Bowl III, pitting the New York Jets of the upstart AFL against the vaunted and heavily favored Baltimore Colts of the NFL. The quarterback was Joe Namath, and he led his team to a dominating 16 – 7 Super Bowl win. The Jets upset victory led to the merger of the AFL and NFL producing the league we have today. It also made Joe Namath, Broadway Joe, and sealed his eventual entry into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Just about every amazing athlete has unshakable belief in himself. But few are willing to boast about it like Namath did. Braggadocio turns some people off. Others contend that it ain’t bragging if you can back it up. I guess I’m on the fence. I admire self-confidence, but also admire quiet confidence, too. Perhaps even more than loud boasts. If you know you can do it, why do you need to brag? In any event, there is no substitute for self-confidence. Self-doubt, on the other hand, is a performance killer.
My third and final one…
Here comes Willis!
It was May 8, 1970, the seventh and deciding game of the NBA finals between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks center, their team captain, Willis Reed, had sustained a severe hip injury in game five. The Lakers, led by three future Hall of Fame players – Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, won decisively in game six to tie the series three games to three, as Willis Reed could not play.
Back in New York’s Madison Square Garden for the decisive game seven, players and fans on both sides wondered will Willis play? As both teams warmed up only minutes before the tip-off, there was no sign of Willis. The Lakers felt confident that this was the year they would finally win an NBA title, after years of losing to the Boston Celtics. For the Knicks, playing without their captain was a frightful thought. Both teams continued to warm up, wondering about Willis.
Back in the locker room Willis and the team doctors decided he would receive a massive dose of a pain killer called Carbocaine and try his best to play. It was a selfless decision, but Willis was that kind of leader.
HERE COMES WILLIS!!! Minutes before tip-off, out comes Willis. The roar of the crowd was deafening. Moving slowly, with a noticeable limp, a teammate passed Willis a basketball. The Lakers stopped warming up and stood motionless watching Willis warm up. The announcer called the action, essentially doing a live broadcast of Willis warming up. I’m not sure if a live broadcast of warmups has ever happened since in NBA history.
The game starts and Willis makes the first two baskets of the game despite dragging his injured leg around the court. Knick guard Walt Frazier proceeds to play one of the best games in NBA finals history, scoring 36 points, adding 19 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Knicks went on to win their first NBA championship, 113 – 99.
Willis Reed was never really healthy after that major injury, and playing in that historic game probably shortened his career, but he put the team before himself. It is what all truly great servant leaders do. HERE COMES WILLIS will forever give me goosebumps. Check out this You Tube link to watch it for yourself.
What are your greatest moments in sports history? Thankfully, some memories never fade.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.