'the most dramatic sports event of the half century.’

[GhostofDempsey]

Hagler-Hearns in there?

Greatest first round of boxing. Kept fans on edge of their seat or out of their seats for the duration.

[Dempsey-Louis]

So far . . .

Peles hand of god (1986 World Cup)
Roger Bannister's four minute mile (1954)
Wrestlemania I****
Munich Olympics (1972)
Spectacular bid 1979
Clay-Liston I (1964)
Ali-Frazier I (1971, The Fight)
The Rumble in the Jungle (1974)
The Thrilla in Manila (1975)
Reggie Jackson's three home runs vs. Dodgers (Game Six, 1977 World Series)
Hagler vs. Hearns (1985)
Joe Namath guarantees victory over Colts (Super Bowl III)
Ball goes bewteen Buckner legs vs. Mets (Game Six, 1986 World Series)
Douglas-Tyson (1990)
Bill Mazersoki's walk-off World Series Home run (1960)
Bobby Thompson's 'shot heard around the world' (1951)
A's - Dodger's earthquake game (1989 World Series)
Noorwood's missed field goal (Super Bowl XXV)



No mention of Secretariat (1973); The Ice Bowl (1967); The Greatest Games Ever Played (NFL Championship, Colts vs. Giants 1958); Tyson bites Holyfield's ear (1997)

**** Someone please enlighten me, as to what happened at Westlemania I?

[robertzimmerman]

Maradona's 'Hand of God' not Pele's.

[BattlingNelson]

Maradona's 'Hand of God' not Pele's.

Yeah lol. Was about to say the same. Fatyanks smh lol. And look at the list! Just fatyank sports lol.

[horge]

Peles hand of god

kys

[OctoberRed]

An Associated Press dinner in the summer of 1951 chose the Dempsey-Firpo fight as ‘the most dramatic sports event of the half century.’

I wonder what a list for the second half of the twentieth century would look like; would prize fighting have as many entries? (4)

I think this list says much about the importance of Jack Dempsey to the popularization of modern sport; Dempsey fills three of the top 15 spots with 119 total votes. Only Babe Ruth comes close with two entries and 79 total votes (and 13 of those votes came from dying.)


1. Dempsey-Firpo (1923) – 70 votes
2. Babe Ruth ‘calling his shot’ (1932 World Series) – 66 votes
3. Dempsey-Tunny ‘long-count’ (1927) – 43 votes
4. Lou Gehrig’s ‘farewell address’ (1939) – 23 votes
5. Grover Alexander’s strike-out of Tony Lazzeri (1926 World Series) – 21 votes
6. Notre Dame defeats Ohio State (1935) – 17 votes
7. Red Grange’s runs over Michigan (1925 [SIC]*) – 13 votes
8. Babe Ruth’s ‘farewell address’ (1948) – 13 votes
9. Floyd Bevens’ ‘near no-hitter’ (1947 World Series) – 12 votes
10. Louis-Schmeling II (1938) – 12 votes
11. Jesse Owens (1936 Olympic Games) – 9 votes
12. Dempsey-Willard (1919) – 6 votes
13. Bobby Jones’ ‘grand slam’ (1930 – golf) – 5 votes
14. Black Sox Scandal (1919) – 4 votes
15. Jim Trope returns Olympic Medals (1913) – 4 votes

*The Illinois-Michigan game took place in October 1924

Ive actually read statements where people dispute the story of the Babe calling his shot homerun.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Ive actually read statements where people dispute the story of the Babe calling his shot homerun.

Yes me too. I was kind of surprise that it ended up second on their list, they all must have believed it. Which leaves me confused on what to think, why would they all believe it? Many of them (the AP Reporters) must have been around at the time, I wonder what they saw.

One account I read said that Ruth was bantering back and forth with the Cubs players and that he was waving his arm at the them, not the fence, but later on claimed he pointed to the fence. Who knows?

It might be one of those things people just want to believe, but to get that many votes from such a group of educated observers seems odd. You would think they would be the debunkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkEX0eb2eBo

[BM dnobagaV]

Uhh... Soviets vs. US hockey?
Jordan's buzzer beater off the arc.

Since 2000:
Ray Allen's Game Six 3-pointer.
Ohh.... Zidane's headbutt. Guaranteed on the list.

I know it doesn't come close, but RVP's "Flying Dutchman" in the 2014 World Cup was spectacular!

[HOUDINI563]

Foreman regaining the true worlds hwt championship 20 years after losing that same title is the greatest achievement in all of sports history.

[Anthony342]

How about boxing ones since 1950 and after 2000?