Sports Quotes of the Year: 2012

Quote of the Year:

“I personally think he's an idiot."

-Red Wing Ian White on Gary Bettman

Dumb Quote of the Year:

"Is he a brother or a cornball brother?  We all know he has a white fiancée. There was all this talk about he's a Republican, which, there's no information at all. I'm just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, I've got black skin, but don't call me black. So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on."

-Rob Parker

And the rest…

“My husband can not throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.”

-Gisele

“And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players.

-Cris Carter on Randy Moss

"(One fan) actually called me a racial slur to begin the game with. He was the only one I had a problem with. People in Boston don't even do that."

-Carl Crawford

"I remember when I went to the ownership meetings in Colorado in August, and I was walking back from dinner with Tony La Russa (retired Cardinals manager) and we're talking about statistics and about WAR. And, no offense to the player, but when I woke up that morning they had on the (ESPN.com) site that Darwin Barney that day was ranked ahead of Miguel Cabrera in WAR. And I don't mean anything against Darwin Barney, but there wasn't a person in Major League Baseball who on that particular day would have traded Miguel Cabrera for Darwin Barney. So, when people say WAR is all-encompassing, that loses the argument to me right there."

-Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski

"We are not prepared to open another season until we have a new collective bargaining agreement,"

- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman signaling the start of another player lockout.

"No curfew. I live in the basement. I got everything I need. Home cooking … it's awesome."

-Mike Trout on living at home

"I'm ready to go. I'm Applebee's out."

-Jim Leyland on the end of Spring Training

"I have to go over my carefully prepared ad-libs."

-Vin Scully

"Some of them are zombielike. Some honestly have an empty-corpse quality."

Washington State football coach Mike Leach describing his seniors after a 2-4 start

"People always ask me: 'When is the new Pele going to be born?' Never. My father and mother have closed the factory."

-Pele

Top 15 Greatest Detroit Sports Moments

...in my lifetime....

1. Kirk Gibson vs. Goose (1984)

2. McCarty goal (1997)

3. McCarty-Lemieux (1997)

4. Maggs HR (2006)

5. CMU: 29 MSU: 27 (2009)

6. Tanana 1-0 (1987)

7. Yzerman 2OT winner (1996)

8. The Dez: Hello Heisman (1991)

9. Woodson one armed INT (1997)

10. Igor 3 OT winner (2002)

11. 007 (1990)

12. The Dez: 4th and a ft vs. ND (1991)

13. 3-1 comeback vs. Toronto (Bro-phy!) (1987)

14. Probert- Coxe (1987)

15. Barry Sanders

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #2: McCarty's Goal (1997)

Darren McCarty scored the goal that sealed Detroit's first Stanley Cup since 1955...The Flyers called themselves the Legion of Doom...the Wings turned them into the Legion of Broom with the sweep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaYDDpTkv30

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #3: The Wings-Avs Brawl (1997)

In 1996, Avalanche player Claude Lemieux attacked Red Wing Kris Draper throwing his face into the boards and breaking his jaw. Lemieux enjoyed the reputation as a cheap shot artist and dirty player. In March 1997, the Wings achieved a measure of revenge. Darren McCarty crushed Claude Lemieux in a brawl-filled contest forcing Lemieux to turtle. Even the goalies fought as Mike Vernon pummeled Patrick Roy. McCarty scored the GW goal in overtime. The win propelled Detroit to its first Stanley Cup since 1955. The teams later engaged in two other major brawls. In 1998, Wings goalie Chris Osgood beat up Patrick Roy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOCXfu_mWyY&feature=related

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #7: Yzerman in OT (1996)

The Red Wings enjoyed an amazing regular season in 1996. In Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, St Louis took Detroit to Game Seven. In the second overtime, the captain scored the game winner. Detroit won the game 1-0 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the evil Colorado Avalanche. Steve Yzerman's goal is now one of the most replayed moments in hockey history.

Cultural side note: listen to the crowd sing "Whoop there it is" after the goal forever dating this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAOYjVxP2wc&feature=related

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #10: Igor Larionov's 3OT Winner (2002)

The pesky Carolina Hurricanes put up a fight in the first three games of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals. They won Game One in overtime and lost Game Two 3-1. Game Three went three overtimes before Igor Larionov scored to break Carolina's back. The 'Canes never recovered and were outscored 6-1 in Games Four and Five as Detroit won another Stanley Cup.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84lZw2pkz7U

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #13: Red Wings beat Maple Leafs (1987)

The Red Wings fell behind 3-1 in the Norris Conference Finals against Toronto. Maple Leaf coach John Brophy called Detroit a bunch of chokers. They rallied to tie the series and then won Game 7 behind Glen Hanlon's shutout. In the 3rd period, Wings fans taunted Toronto's coach with chants of "Bro-phy!" Here is WDIV's Sports Final Edition from that April.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzUuhi0GAkM

Greatest Detroit Sports Moments #14: Probert vs. Coxe (1987)

This is the greatest fight that I have seen in hockey. It's #14 on my all-time list of great Detroit sports moments...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAReX5k9cA

Recap:
#14. Probert vs. Coxe
#15. Barry Sanders

Every Champ Every Sport: 1971-2010 Part IV

Post 4 of 5:

Three Time Champions:

Cincinnati Reds-3 (1975-76, 1990)

Detroit Pistons-3 (1989-90, 2004)

Florida Gator Football-3 (1996, 2006, 2008)

Indiana Hoosier Basketball-3 (1976, 1981, 1987)

Kentucky Basketball-3 (1978, 1996, 1998)

New England Patriots-3 (2001, 2003-04)

New Jersey Devils-3 (1995, 2000, 2003)

New York Giants- 3 (1986, 1990, 2007)

Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders-3 (1976, 1980, 1983)

Pittsburgh Penguins-3 (1991-2, 2009)

Washington Redskins-3 (1982, 1987, 1991)

Four Time Champions:

Detroit Red Wings- 4 (1997-8, 2002, 2008)

Duke Basketball-4 (1991-2, 2001, 2010)

Nebraska Cornhuskers Football-4 (1971, 1994-5, 1997)

New York Islanders-4 (1980-3)

North Carolina Basketball-4 (1982, 1993, 2005, 2009)

Notre Dame Football-3 (1973, 1977, 1988)

Oakland A’s-4 (1972-74, 1989)

Oklahoma Sooner Football-4 (1974-5, 1985, 2000)

San Antonio Spurs-4 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)

UCLA Bruins Basketball-4 (1972-3, 1975, 1995)

All Time NHL Team

Starters:

C- Wayne Gretzky

RW- Gordie Howe

LW- Ted Lindsay

D- Ray Bourque

D- Bobby Orr

G- Patrick Roy

Bench:
C: Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Jean Beliveau

LW: Bobby Hull, Mark Messier, Brendan Shanahan

RW: Mike Bossy, Maurice Richard, Jari Kurri

D: Doug Harvey, Dennis Potvin, Nick Lidstrom, Larry Robinson, Eddie Shore, Paul Coffey

G: Terry Sawchuck, Ken Dryden, Martin Brodeur

Coach: Scotty Bowman

Michigan Games of the Decade for the Aughts #1-10

1. Red Wings: 2 Avalanche: 0 (May 29, 2002): The Statue of Liberty. The Avs led the Wings 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals. Brendan Shanahan shot the puck at Patrick Roy. The flighty Avs goalie tried to olay the puck and held it up as a trophy. Only problem was he did not have the puck and it slid into the net. Darren McCarty added a second goal and the Wings forced Game 7. Detroit won Game 7 by a touchdown and ended Colorado’s reign of terror. The Avs have not been the same since. Roy would play one more year before retiring.

2. Red Wings: 3 Penguins: 2 (June 4, 2008): Stanley Cup Finals Game 6. In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Wings led the Pens 2-1 in the third period. Henrik Zetterberg scored at the 7:36 mark of the third to ice the game. Marian Hossa scored late to make it 3-2, but Pittsburgh ran out of time. The Wings won their 11th Stanley Cup and Sydney Crosby cried. Hahaha.

3. Tigers: 6 A’s: 3 (October 14, 2006): ALCS Game 4. The Tigers led the A’s 3-0 in the ALCS. The A’s jumped to a 3-0 lead on Jeremy Bonderman. Bondo battled and kept the Tigers in the game. After 6, the game was tied 3-3. In the 9th, Magglio Ordonez hit his second homer of the game. It was a 3-run pennant winning walk-off. The Tigers won their first pennant since 1984.

4. Red Wings: 3 Hurricanes: 2 (3OT) (June 8, 2002): Stanley Cup Finals Game 3. Detroit lost game 1 to Carolina in overtime. They won game 2 to even the series. Game 3 proved pivotal. It went three overtimes before Igor Larianov scored the game winner. It was his second of the game. Detroit dominated the next two games to win their 10th Stanley Cup.

5. Twins: 6 Tigers: 5 (12 innings) (October 6, 2009): Game 163. This could have been the best game of the decade had the Tigers won. This game had everything. Rick Porcello pitched his heart out. The game turned when Brandon Inge was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, but it was not called. The Twins went on to lose the LDS while the Tigers retooled.

6. Spartans: 67 Jayhawks: 62 (March 27, 2009): NCAA Tournament. Kalin Lucas scored seven points in the final 49 seconds as Michigan State defeated the defending champion Kansas Jayhawks. Goran Suton scored 20. MSU rallied from a 13 point deficit to win. MSU made the finals after beating #15 Robert Morris, #10 USC, defending champion Kansas, #1 Louisville, and #1 Connecticut. They ran the gauntlet and then fell to North Carolina in the final.

7. Penguins: 4 Red Wings: 3 (June 2, 2008): Stanley Cup Finals Game 5. Wings were seconds away from Stanley Cup #11 and gave up the game tying goal. The Pens scored in the third overtime to send the series to a 6th game. I hate Pittsburgh.

8. Pistons: 100 Lakers: 87 (June 15, 2004): NBA Finals Game 5. The Pistons won their third NBA Championship by defeating the Lakers in 5 games. This series was not that close as the Lakers imploded and the NBA could not do anything to throw the games to Shaq and Kobe. Larry Brown became the first coach to win a NCAA title and a NBA title. Chauncey Billups won the Finals MVP Award.

9. Chippewas: 29 Spartans: 27 (September 12, 2009): Once again, CMU defeats the Spartans in East Lansing. MSU pulled a MSU with stupid penalties sealing the Chip victory!

10. Wolverines: 41 Gators: 35 (January 1, 2008): The Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines beat the defending national champion Gators and Tim Tebow in Lloyd Carr’s last game. It was the end of an era. The Schembechler coaching tree seemingly came to an end and Chad Henne and Michael Hart graduated.

Michigan Games of the Decade for the Aughts #21-25

21. Red Wings: 2 Flames: 1 (2OT) (April 22, 2007): The Red Wings knock off the Flames in double overtime and win the first round playoff series. Johan Frazen scored the winner. In Game 5, Flames goalie Jamie McLennan slashed Frazen in the stomach. He was suspended, but Frazen got revenge by eliminating Calgary. Silly Canadians!

22. Indiana: 97 Pistons: 82 (November 19, 2004): The Malice at the Palace. The game itself was not memorable. However, Ron Artest started a brawl. Pacers players attacked fans and fans tried fighting Pacers players. One of the crazier incidents we will ever see. Somehow Detroit got the blame for that idiot Artest's actions.

23. AL: 7 NL: 5 (July 12, 2005): Detroit hosted the MLB All Star Game. AL won in a ho-hum game.

24. Spurs: 96 Pistons: 95 (OT) (June 19, 2005): Game 5 NBA Finals. The first four games were blowouts. Detroit had this and then Sheed missed his assignment. Horry scores. Pistons lose in 7. That was a turning point in Piston history.

25. Appalachian State: 34 Michigan: 32 (September 1, 2007): This might be the most embarrassing loss in Division 1 history. Wait...Richrod engineered a loss to a worse team (Toledo) the following year...

The Greatest Hockey Games Ever Played

Here are the greatest Hockey Games of the Last Hundred Years...I picked one game for each decade.

1910s: Montreal Wanderers: 10 Toronto: 9 (December 19, 1917): The first game in NHL history.


1920s: New York Rangers: 2 Montreal Maroons: 1 (OT) Game 2 Stanley Cup Finals (April 7, 1928): The Rangers lost their goalie. Their 44-year-old coach, Lester Patrick, took over in goal and led New York to a 2-1 overtime win. The Rangers won the series 3 games to 2.

1930s: Red Wings: 1 Maroons: 0 (6 OT): Game 1 Stanley Cup Semifinals (March 24, 1936): Mud Bruneteau's goal in the 6th overtime wins Game 1 for Detroit.

1940s: Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Detroit Red Wings: 1: Finals Game 7 1942 Stanley Cup Finals (April 18, 1942): Toronto finishes off a comeback in which they trailed 3 games to none.

1950s: Detroit Red Wings: 4 New York Rangers: 3 (2 OT): Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 (April 23, 1950): Pete Babando scored the cup winner in the second OT of game 7.

1960s: Chicago Blackhawks: 3 Montreal Canadiens: 0: Game 6 Stanley Cup Semi-Final (April 4, 1961): Montreal was the five-time defending Stanley Cup Champs. Chicago stunned the world by upsetting the Canadiens in six games. They shut out Montreal in Games 5 and 6.

1970s: Montreal Canadiens: 3 Soviet Red Army: 3 (New Year’s Eve 1975): In an exhibition, the Canadiens and Red Army skated to a tie. Many hockey fans consider this the greatest game ever played.

1980s: Miracle on Ice (February 22, 1980): U.S. beats the evil Soviets. You know the story.

1990s: Detroit Red Wings: 6 Colorado Avalanche: 5 (OT): The Brawl: Turtle boy Claude Lemeiux cheap shotted Kris Draper and broke his jaw the previous year. Darren McCarty got payback and a GW goal. The game featured one of the great brawls as the Avs were finally brought to justice.

2000s: Detroit Red Wings: 3 Carolina Hurricanes: 2 (3OT): Game 3 Stanley Cup Finals: The Hurricanes actually believed they could beat the Wings. HAHHAHAHAHAAHAHA. They did win Game 1 and Detroit won Game 2. Game 3 broke the Hurricanes. Even though Detroit went up 2-1 with lots of hockey left, Carolina was not the same team after Igor Larianov’s overtime goal.

Greatest Games of the 1990s: #1-10

1. Red Wings: 6 Avalanche: 5 (OT) (March 26, 1997): During Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, one of the universe’s greatest Assholes, Claude Lemieux, crosschecked Kris Draper into the boards. He broke Draper’s jaw. Almost a year later, the brawl. They played three times since the incident without any problems. On March 26, the Wings went on a vendetta ride. Darren McCartey beat the hell out of Lemieux, who turtled. Av goalie Patrick Roy skated down to help his teammate when he received a check from Brendan Shanahan. Adam Foote and Shanny fought it out while Roy was beaten to a pulp by Wings’ goalie Mike Vernon. Igor Larianov and Peter Forsberg paired up and Forsberg suffered an injury and did not return to the game. The game went into overtime and the Wings won on a goal from Darren McCarty. The two teams brawled again in April, 1998. In that contest, Patrick Roy was once again pummeled by a Red Wing Goalie. This time, it was Chris Osgood. Both were tossed from the game. The Wings won 2-0. However, the first brawl marked a turning point. It fueled the Wings and propelled them to two straight Stanley Cups.

2. Red Wings: 2 Flyers: 1 (June 7, 1997): The Red Wings swept Philadelphia’s Legion of Doom (renamed Legion of Broom) out of the finals. In Game 4, Darren McCarty scored the game winner in the second period. It was the first Stanley Cup for the Wings in 42 years. Unlike the 1984 Tiger celebration which turned into a riot, the Red Wing celebration was akin to the celebrations following the end of World War II. People poured into the streets and celebrated peacefully.

3. Red Wings: 1 Blues: 0 (2OT) (May 17, 1996): The Wings and Blues had gone to Game 7. Game 7 went to overtime. Yzerman vs. Gretzky. The Wings won 62 regular season games, but fell behind 3-2 in the series to Gretzky. They forced Game 7 and then neither team could score for 81 minutes. Yzerman scores and the Wings win. Nationally, this is probably the game of the decade for the NHL.

4. Pistons: 92 Trail Blazers: 90 (June 14, 1990): 007. The Pistons had not won in Portland in an eon and then swept three straight during the Finals. Vinnie Johnson capped off Game 5 with a 15 foot jumper that won the game and the World Title for the Pistons with 0.007 left on the clock.

5. Red Wings: 4 Capitals: 1 (June 16, 1998): The Red Wings won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, and 10th overall, over the Washington Capitals. The Wings celebrated with Vlad Kostantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov who had been severely injured in a limo crash the year before.

6. Michigan: 21 Washington State: 16 (January 1, 1998): Michigan wins the Rose Bowl and their first National Title since 1948. WSU coach’s response after his team lost, “Michigan is #1. They’re getting my vote.”

7. Tigers: 8 Royals: 2 (September 27, 1999): Final Game at Tiger Stadium. Although they did not need a new park when Illitch acquired the Tigers, his neglect of the stadium made one a necessity. The Tigers beat the Royals 8-2 in the final game in which players donned the numbers of former Tiger greats. Following the game, former Tigers players, led by Mark Fidrych, marched to their former positions.

8. Lions: 21 Rams: 10 (November 17, 1991): The Lions were 6-4 going into the Rams game. During the game, right guard Mike Utley was paralyzed. As he was wheeled off the field, he gave the crowd a thumbs-up. The team did not lose another game until the NFC Championship Game against Dallas.

9. Michigan: 31 Ohio State: 3 (November 23, 1991): Michigan dominated Ohio State. The Des had 223 all-purpose yards and scored a TD on a 93 yard punt return. Howard clinched the Heisman and struck the pose. This is probably the most iconic moment in Detroit sports since Kirk Gibson rounded the bases in the 1984 World Series.

10. Michigan: 20 Ohio State: 14 (November 22, 1997): Michigan denied OSU undefeated seasons in 1993, 1995, and 1996. Ohio State looked for revenge. Instead, they got Charles Woodson.

All Time Red Wings Team

Starters:

C- Steve Yzerman (1983-2006)

RW- Gordie Howe (1945-1971)

LW- Ted Lindsay (1944-57; 1964-65)

D- Red Kelly (1947-1960)

D- Nick Lidstrom (1991-Present)

G- Terry Sawchuck (1949-1955; 1957-1964; 1968-1969)

Bench:

C: Alex Delvecchio (1950-1974), Igor Larionov (1995-2003), Sergei Federov (1990-2003)

RW- Mickey Redmond (1970-1976), John Ogrodnick (1979-1987; 1992-1993), RW- Bob Probert (1985-1994)

LW- Sid Abel (1938-1943; 1945-1952), Brendan Shanahan (1996-2006), Syd Howe (1934-1946)

D- Marcel Pronovost (1949-1965), Larry Murphy (1996-2001), Vladimir Konstantinov (1991-1997), Reed Larson (1976-1986), Chris Chelios (1998-2009), Viacheslav Fetisov (1994-1998)

G- Chris Osgood (1993-2001; 2005-Present)

Coach- Scotty Bowman (1993-2002)

Plays of the Decade

Here are my plays of the decade. I have one for each of the four majors plus a Detroit moment.

Play of the Decade: In the first game played in New York following 911, Mike Piazza hit an eighth inning two-run home run to give the New York Mets a 3-2 win over the Braves. Tom Glavine said it was one of the few losses that did not bother him.

Detroit Moment of the Decade: There were three contenders for this. The winner: Magglio Ordonez’s pennant winning walk-off homer to beat the A’s and send the Tigers to the World Series. The other two contenders are below.

NFL Play of the Decade: David Tyree’s catch vs. New England. Tyree caught the ball with his hand-to-helmet. I never thought anyone would top the Lynn Swann Super Bowl catch. It saved Eli Manning, saved the Giants, and saved the Super Bowl. It set up the game winning TD catch by Plaxeco Burress.

NHL Play of the Decade: Statue of Liberty. This will be a homer pick. In Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Patrick Roy wanted to stick it to the Wings after making a save. He held the puck up like a trophy and looked like the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately for Roy, he did not have the puck. Brendan Shanahan found it and scored. Wings won the game and then smoked Roy in Game 7.

NBA of the Decade: Al Michaels has a cow. The Pistons made short work of the dysfunctional Lakers and won the NBA Title 100-87 in Game 5 of the Finals. The Lakers were lucky to win a single game in the series. The national media scoffed at the Pistons. When the Palace shot off fire works following the victory, ABC’s Al Michaels had a conniption fit.

Teams of the Decade: The Aughts

Team/NHL/Detroit: 2001-2002 Red Wings: This team was a walking Hall of Fame exhibit. Nine players are either in the Hall or will be. We will never see a team with so many Hall of Famers again. As such, SI also voted them team of the decade.

The Wings went 51-17-10-4 for 116 points and the President’s Trophy. They went 16-7 in the post season. After falling behind 2-0 to Vancouver in the first round, they went 8-1 before running into the Avs. Colorado was a great team and it took the Wings seven to dispatch them. It was the series that witnessed the infamous Statue of Liberty play. That was not Roy’s only embarrassing moment as he fell 7-0 in Game 7. The Finals were anticlimactic. Wings won 4-1 over Carolina.

MLB: 2009 Yankees: The Yankees won 103 games and went 11-4 in the postseason. This team seemed like they were on cruise control throughout the season. They were the only 100 win team to win the WS throughout the decade and were really the most dominant team.

NFL: 2004 Patriots: The 2004 Pats were the defending champs. They went 14-2 and steamrolled the Colts and Steelers on the way to the Super Bowl. They won the Super Bowl over the Eagles. There was a lot of trash talking in that SB. It was the Pats third championship in four seasons.

NBA: 2000 Lakers: The Lakers went 67-15 during the regular season and the Finals. It was the first of three straight.

CFL: 2001 Miami Hurricanes: The Hurricanes went 12-0 and averaged 43 points a game while surrendering 10 points a game. They had one close game all season and featured 16 first round draft picks and 23 NFL players. Most football historians consider them one of the greatest teams ever.

CB Team: 2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels: Roy Williams’ squad went 34-4 and 13-3 in the tough ACC. They were ranked #1 in the pre-season and were the first team to be a unanimous #1 in the preseason Coaches’ Poll and preseason AP. During the tournament, they routed everyone including Michigan State in the final.

Athletes of the Decade

Athlete of the Decade: Peyton Manning: NFL Player of the Decade, Four Time MVP (Record), Super Bowl MVP, Pro Bowl (2000, 2002-09), First team All-Pro (2003-05, 2008-09), Second team All-Pro (2000, 2006), Pro Bowl MVP (2005), 2000s All Decade Team, Most seasons with 4000 yards passing, third highest passer rating in history, and All-Time Colts leader in many categories.

Detroit Athlete of the Decade/NHL Player of the Decade: Nick Lidstrom: Lidstrom is a contender for greatest defenseman of all time. Red Wing Captain, Four Time Stanley Cup Champion (2002 and 2008 in this decade), six time Norris trophy winner (2001-03, 2006-08), Conn Smythe winner (2002),  eight time All-Star in the decade (11 overall), NHL First Team All Star (1998-03, 2006-08), Second Team All Star (2009), Olympic Gold Medal (2006), Viking Award (2000, 2006), several Red Wing and European NHL records and accomplishments.

MLB: Albert Pujols: Baseball's most feared hitter. 2006 World Champ, Three Time MVP (2005, 2008-09), 2001 ROY, 2004 NLCS MVP, 2008 Roberto Clemente winner, Eight time All Star (2001, 2003-09), five time silver slugger (2001, 2003-04, 2008-09), Gold Glove (2006), and is piling up stats that very few have ever approached.

NBA: Kobe Bryant: Some are beginning to claim that Kobe is the greatest of all time. He is no Jordan, but he is the NBA's best. Four Time NBA Champ (2000-02, 2009), Finals MVP (2009), NBA MVP (2008), 12 time All Star (1998, 2000-2010), Two-time scoring champ (2006-07), 7x First Team All Star (2002-04, 2006-09), Second Team All Star (2000-01), 7x All Defensive First Team (2000, 2003-04, 2006-09), Second Team All Defense (2000-01), 3x All Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009)

Individual Sports: Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong (tie): Phelps: 16 Olympic Medals (14 gold), 6x Swimmer of the Year, 8x American Swimmer of the Year, several world records, etc etc.

Armstrong: Won seven straight Tour de France's (1999-2005) and several other major competitions. 2002 SI Sportsman of the Year and AP Male Athlete of the Year: 2002-05.

Greatest Games of the 1980s: #1-10

1. Tigers: 8 Padres: 4 (October 14, 1984): There’re Greeaat! World Series Game 5. The Tigers flexed their muscles and dispatched the Padres. Kirk Gibson hit 2 homers. After the second blast off Goose Gossage, he paraded around the bases in celebratory fashion---he roared as the crowd chanted “Goosebusters.”

2. Michigan: 23 Huskies: 6 (January 1, 1981): Bo’s first bowl win. Bo finally wins a bowl game. No heart attacks, no phantom touchdowns, and no bizarre incidents.

3. Detroit: 105 Lakers: 97 (June 13, 1989): How sweep it is! NBA Finals Game 4. The Pistons polished off a sweep of the two-time defending champs. The game was close, but Bill Laimbeer finished off LA with a jumper with 28 seconds remaining. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with a basket. The crowd and the Pistons gave him a standing ovation as he left the game.

4. Lakers: 103 Pistons: 102 (June 19, 1988): Championship denied. NBA Finals Game 6. Isiah Thomas twisted his ankle and still managed to score 25 in the 3rd quarter. Detroit led the series 3-2 going into Game 6. They led 102-99 with a minute left. Byron Scott cut the lead to one with 52 seconds to go. The Pistons failed to score on their next possession. Piston defense stifled LA and forced a desperation shot by Kareen Abdul-Jabbar. Then, the NBA took over. Bill Laimbeer got whistled for a foul. It was clear he did not come near Kareem and instant replay proved it. Kareen hit the foul shots and forced Game 7. The Pistons really won 3 titles in a row despite what the history books state.

5. Detroit Tigers: 1 Toronto Blue Jays: 0 (October 4, 1987): Comeback complete. The Tigers finished off an amazing comeback behind Frank Tanana’s 6 hit shutout. Larry Herndon homered for the game’s only run. The Tigers went 5-2 down the stretch while Toronto did not win in the final week.

6. Tigers: 4 White Sox: 0 (April 7, 1984): He has his no-hitter! Jack Morris throws a no-hitter on national TV. It was part of Detroit’s 35-5 start and Chet Lemon homered.

7. Hawkeyes: 12 Wolverines: 10 (October 19, 1985): #1 vs. #2. #1 Iowa took on #2 Michigan and escaped. Through five games, Michigan’s defense surrendered 21 points while Iowa was averaging 44 points a game behind Chuck Long. Neither offense did well and Michigan held a 10-9 lead early in the 4th quarter. Long drove down the field with 5:27 to go and Iowa kicked a field goal with seconds remaining. This was one of the best college games of the decade.

8. Wolverines: 26 Buckeyes: 24 (November 22, 1986): The guarantee. Jim Harbaugh guaranteed a victory. Ohio State blew a 14-3 lead as Jamie Morris racked up 210 yards. OSU missed a game winning field goal with 1:06 remaining. Chris Spielman had 29 tackles in the loss.


9. Red Wings: 3 Maple Leafs: 0 (May 3, 1987): Bro-phy! Bro-phy! The Wings fell behind 3-1 in the playoffs to Toronto. They won the next two games, 3-0 and 4-2. In Game 7, they shut out the Leafs 3-0. During the series, Leafs coach John Brophy accused the Wings of choking. In the third period, the JLA crowd shouted “Bro-phy! Bro-phy!” taunting the Leaf coach.

10. Michigan: 80 Seton Hall: 79 (OT) (April 3, 1989): Goodbye Bill, Hello Steve. Michigan wins the NCAA Tournament. Michigan coach Bill Frieder decided to move on to Arizona State, so athletic director, Bo Schembechler, fired him and elevated assistant coach Steve Fisher to head coach. Fisher started his career 6-0 as he swept through the tournament. Glen Rice was the tournament’s outstanding player as he averaged 29 points a game.

Greatest Games of the 1980s: Detroit Edition

21. Tigers: 4 Blue Jays: 2 (October 2, 1985): The oldest home run champ. 1985 was a disappointing season. The Tigers won the World Series the year before and fell to 84 wins. In a game attended by yours truly, Darrell Evans launched his 40th home run. He was the oldest player to lead the league in homers (back when that mattered). Kirk Gibson followed Evans and hit an inside-the-park shot. Jack Morris beat Dave Stieb.

22. San Francisco: 24 Lions: 23 (December 31, 1983) Monte says a Prayer. NFC Divisional Playoff. The Lions had this won. In an iconic Lion moment, Coach Monte Clark went into prayer as Eddie Murray, one of the most accurate kickers ever, missed a 43 yard FG with 5 seconds to go. 49ers win. Lions go home. Happy New Year!

23. Lions: 48 Bears: 17 (October 19, 1981) Night of the Hipple. Eric Hipple was the third string QB for the Lions. The others struggled, so Hipple got the start and lit up the Bears. Hipple ran for two scores, threw 4 more, and passed for 336 yards.

24. Kansas: 96 Spartans: 86 (OT) (March 21, 1986) The Clock Game. In the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State led the Kansas Jayhawks. With 2:21 left, the clock stopped for nearly 20 seconds. With 9 seconds left, Kansas scored the tying basket. The game should have been over and MSU should have advanced to the next round. However, the game went into overtime and the Sparties lost.

25. Red Wings: 3 Oilers: 1 (May 5, 1987) Night of the Dead Things. Campbell Conference Finals Game 1. The Red Wings finished under .500 for the season, but won the first two rounds of the playoffs. In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, they went into Edmonton and defeated Wayne Gretzky’s Oilers. Edmonton newspapers called it the “Night of Dead Things.” The Oilers won the series in 5.