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.
The Game 1969. The Final score...
sal, great highlight. and the voices of the announcers, not quite earnie harwell level, but so pleasant to hear. those were indeed the days.
I’ll add Kirk Gibson’s legendary HR in game 5 of the 1984 World Series. Vin Scully on the call, who also called his other legendary HR in the1988 World Series.
I came here to make this comment. I was a teenager in 1984. It was the first time I ever touched the ceiling my family's living room. The jump was involuntary when Gibson hit the ball. Going outside afterward and hearing people randomly driving around and honking their car horns in pride is a vivid memory. What a night!
The Michigan Panthers winning the USFL championship in 1983 was the first one of local interest that was also of interest to me. Watching local, professional, championship-winning football was a revelation.
Wikipedia List of Michigan sport championships.
The next one was the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984.
Then U-M b-ball won the NCAAT in 1989, and the Pistons their first NBA championship.
It still took a while before I saw a Red Wings Stanley Cup and a U-M football National Championship.
March 26th, 2024 at 10:20 PM ^
As I recall from his autobiography. McCarty got hooked up with a Swedish stick handling coach and spent a lot of time over the summer and during the season working on his hands after that loss to Colorado in ‘96.
I’m a diehard wings fan my entire life, and outside of the fight night at the Joe (which is obviously my #1 memory of him) I don’t recall many of his fights. He was a tough guy who never backed down, but wasn’t at the level of a Probert, Domi, McSorley with his fists. So that goal is my #2 memory and #3 is his hat trick against Roy and the Aves in game 1 of the ‘02 western conference finals.
I should have checked all comments before posting :)
March 27th, 2024 at 12:58 AM ^
I wasn't here for this game. But I saw Game 1 against Avs in 2002. McCarty hat trick.
The Stanley Cup Finals was anti-climactic.
Edit: Game 1, not Game 7. I somehow remembered it as Game 7. My bad.
game 7 sounded about right - i think we chased Roy with 7 goals so Darrne getting three sounded right to me
i remember it well i was at frazier's pub at the left end of the bar and i remember about ten of us huddling and jumping up and down We won the Cup We Won the Cup. Keith Jones future wife was bartending.
March 27th, 2024 at 12:33 PM ^
Gibby's 8th inning 3-run HR off the Goose Game 5 1984 WS. Right after the fans sang "Goose"-busters when he entered the game in the 7th.
I'm only UM football fan, so for me it was the moment in the 21 Ohio State game in the third quarter when everyone realized that the Ohio State's defense could not stop us. Not even the touchdowns, but their inability to stop Haskins at all.