Greatest Moment in Michigan Sports History.
I love Michigan football above all other teams. Blake’s TD run vs OSU this past year was unforgettable and quite possibly the greatest moment in the history of the program.
But the thread below about McCarty reminded me to remind you that Darren McCarty’s greatest moment was not with his fists but with his hands.
1997 Stanley Cup Finals. Wings vs Flyers.
Wings up 3-0 in series and 1-0 in second period of the game four when this happens…
https://youtu.be/zqArFH7uYf0?si=BRgN8D3L-DJ_KO2w
Perfection.
Forty-two years of frustration slayed by the least skilled scoring a sublimely skilled goal on a team loaded with supreme skill. This was a Disney moment for a guy who today is still largely remembered for fights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJfP2Zbzmac
3/26/1997, changed the course of the season.
The best regular season hockey game ever played. It had everything. Only game I've ever watched that felt like a Stanley Cup Final game. I was just a kid watching on TV, but the atmosphere was incredible to witness.
If I remove my Michigan and recency bias, this is number 1 for me.
Here's my favorite cut up of that game. The music and editing in this video are on point.
I post this every year on turtle 🐢 day in the book of faces.
I was expecting Haskins 5th TD run in the 2021 game against OSU.
Yeah, lousy title for thr post.
Loved seeing him skate that in and bury it, icing on the cake.
Might as well start a thread on The Great Chefs of Ireland and World War 2 Italian War Heroes.
Because the state of Michigan has never had sports success?
Don‘t forget the Swiss Guide To Romance or Legendary Russian Sports Cars.
Denard to Roundtree UTLI
Henne to Manningham to beat psu
Those are my top two that I was present for.
The previous play to Gallon was just as good.
The last play in OT vs Bama didn't suck.
I'm sure part of this is nostalgia (all-time favorite play by my all-time favorite player, which I was fortunate enough to be in the stadium to see), but here's the play that has everything, the signature, Heisman-clinching play from arguably the biggest game in a generational, national championship season:
This was the peak in my opinion. Otherwise this game could have gone the other way. Elevated Michigan to where it had not been in 49 years, for the most important program, in its most bitter rivalry, at the flagship university in the state.
This thread about many things, not all related.
This is a beautiful goal, but if up 3-0 in the series and 1-0 in the game, it can’t quite compare to Blake-6-5. That was life or death.
I think the key here is Championship... Whether it was the Wings, Tigers, Pistons, or Wolverines - the pinnacle of achievement IS a championship - and, how you get there isn't as important as reaching the summit.
After I graduated from Michigan, I left the state to work. My son was the only kid in his class (in the Chicago area) that wore a Red Wings sweater on "Spirit Days" during hockey season. He took a lot of flak for wearing it - in an area that lives for the Black Hawks. His allegiance to Michigan was also challenged by a LOT of ND fans that attended his schools.
The "real nice" news is - Michigan football winning the NC - he's an undergrad in Ann Arbor - and, feels a bit "better" with the seasons Michigan's had the last three years.
Go Blue!
Dupe.. Deleted
I'm not the type of guy to say that there's a best moment in all of sports. The breadth and depth of the history of sports is just too much to say that.
I'm just gonna leave this here though. You know, for posterity.
I know I'll never forget that play. I was standing in that end zone section of the Rose Bowl and it was right below us. That, and the 4th down defensive stand to win it were unforgettable.
The greatest moment in Michigan sports history was the 45 minute span on May 25, 1935 when Jesse Owens broke or tied four world records on the UM Ferry Field track. No other individual or team achievement comes close.
You do know that Jesse was part of OSU's team that day, right?
It depends on what one means by the history of sports in the state of Michigan.
But it was a great moment and I don't care who he played for.
Does that change the answer?
Indeed, Jesse Owens was a hero and one of the greatest Americans of all time.
True, but it is still the single greatest day in sport, ever and anywhere Balanced by the greatest day in Ohio sports history, just 5 years later, when Tom Harmon received a standing ovation at the Horseshoe in his final game after three rushing TDs, two passing TDs, four EPs, three INTs, and three punts averaging 50 YPK.
Michigan thought enough of the accomplishment that a plaque recognizing Owens' achievement can still be found at Ferry Field.
and they called the long jump the 'broad jump' in that plaque. non-track person as the designer. d'oh!
March 26th, 2024 at 10:13 PM ^
Back then, there were three long jumping events: Standing Broad Jump, Running Broad Jump (now called Long Jump...which is what he ran) and Triple Jump. They didn't make a mistake on the plaque.
Goose Goslin’s hit to bring in Mickey Cochrane.
Wangler to Carter
Some of McCarty's perceived lack of skill was more a product of his role honestly, at least early in his career. Guy was a high goal scorer in the minors I believe and still flashed that skill at times with the Wings.
Well....depending upon your definition of sport, losing my virginity during freshman orientation has to be ranked near the top.
Must've been a last second Hail Mary haha
It was a great moment, but it's not clear to me that it can be called the "greatest moment in Michigan sports history." It's not even clear that it's the greatest moment of that season for the Detroit Red Wings, much less that era (let's say, the Bowman era that encapsulates three of their Cups, led by Steve Yzerman and also featuring guys like Lidstrom and Darren and Sergei). And when you consider all of sports in the state of Michigan, it's frankly unfair to consider college sports in that sphere, because close to half of the state won't like what the other school does at all (no MSU moment can be considered one of the greatest in Michigan history, right? They feel the same way about us).
And then you have to consider the other sports. A Tigers world series win in 68 or 84 will mean something to certain generations of fans. The Pistons have won three titles. The Lions... will probably let us down, but if they ever win a SB that's going to compete for the top of any list.
And then you can plumb history for other great athletes and sports, guys like Joe Louis, all-time greats in other sports from other places performing great feats in the state like the aformentioned Jesse Owens and the late F1 legend Ayrton Senna.
Those Red Wings teams were something else, though. I love runs like that, or the great Tigers teams, that get the whole state behind them. The UM-MSU game in 06 a good example of this, everyone cheering for the Tigers. I remember the Detroit Papers basically giving their whole front page over to the Wings during deep playoff runs.
It's great. Some of the best of what sports can do, give the whole community something to pull together and enjoy.
I will add Harbaugh to Kolesar back in 1985.
Pure joy. Good call.
(Grbac to Howard against the Fighting Irish for a similar moment of joy).
Hey, that's one I was there for.
Thanks! This is absolutely my favorite memory of all those great Wings teams. Just a perfect goal. it felt like the cup was theirs after that.
I'm not going to say that was the greatest moment in Michigan sports history, but it's in the running.
March 29, 1987. Pontiac, Michigan. Hulk Hogan bodyslamming Andre The Giant, less than an hour after Ricky Steamboat beating The Macho Man.
Best Birthday ever (a couple days after my 8th).
I was there too. Somewhat older (26).
The greatest moment in Michigan sports history took place when a young Wolverine Devotee, then four years and three months old, toddled over to his parents' television set and unknowingly changed the channel away from whatever was on to an episode of Michigan Replay. Young WD sat there, transfixed by Jim Brandstatter as he and the coach broke down a Michigan victory. He knew then that life would never be the same.
... and that's the rest of the story. Now stay tuned for this advertisement for Garlique, the all natural garlic supplement.
Seeing that the OP isn't specifically about Michigan Wolverines sports, I have to go with the key play of the 1968 World Series.
To set the scene, the Tigers were down to the Cards 3-games-to-1, and trailed in the 5th inning 3-2...
Had Lou Brock scored, St Louis would have taken a 4-2 lead and possibly had a rally continue. Fast forward to the 8th inning, Al Kaline lined a 2-run single and the Tigers took the lead 4-3 on the way to a 5-3 win behind the pitching of Mickey Lolich. Detroit then went in to win games 6 and 7 at Busch Stadium to become World Champions. And this young baseball fan had his all-time favorite championship team to celebrate for a lifetime!
Best of all from a Michigan perspective, the play featured two Michigan Legends: one of them being Willie Horton, a Detroit native and real-life hero who played a major role in preventing the '67 riots from getting even more out of hand; and the other...
Bill Freehan, a true Michigan Man who happened to play both Baseball and Football for the Maize and Blue, then eventually became Michigan's head baseball coach years after his playing days were over.
For years I was one of the many who criticized Brock for not sliding, even though it was normal for him to go in standing up. I always thought that if he'd hit the dirt, his foot would have gotten in clearly. But Brock said years later that if he'd slid, Freehan would have blocked him off the plate. Considering Freehan's size and defensive excellence, Lou had a fair point.
The other thing about the play was that it took a perfect throw by Willie Horton to get him. Often during the season, and certainly during the Series, Horton would be replaced in the later innings for defensive purposes. Horton was not a great defensive player, but at that moment, he was a good as anyone.
March 26th, 2024 at 11:25 PM ^
I've read the same thing, but have also heard that the Cards manager Red Schoendienst always swore Brock should have slid and that he would then likely have been safe.
Me? Good luck to anyone being able to get through the ultimate immovable object, Bill Freehan !
When I think greatest moments in (University of) Michigan sports, I always think of Trey's three in Kansas. That was pure goosebumps.
Michigan Ohio State in November 1997, when Woodson broke the punt return.