re: What is the Greatest Sports Event Ever Televised?

There's a lot of potential answers, and there's a frick ton of bias.

First you have to find a game that almost everyone thinks is a GREAT game, aside from the losing team. The entire game, not just a single play.

Professional sports are still much more popular than college sports, so it's likely a professional sporting event.

I, an Alabama fan, would probably rate the Alabama-Georgia national title game for the 2017 season, or the Alabama-Clemson national title game for the 2015 season, very highly as they were both incredibly back-and-forth contests. Once was on a final play in OT, the other had a bit of everything and lot more points scored.

A Boston fan would probably say the 2004 Red Sox; my great grandfather, if still alive, would probably say Lou Gehrig's retirement speech. Others might say Kurt Angel winning gold with a broken neck. Of course there's the Miracle on Ice, as you said.

For me personally, while watching it, was the home run chase between McGwire and Sosa. The stuff that came later might take some of the historical shine off of those, but at that moment it felt like you were watching history.

Evil Knievel's attempt to jump the Grand Canyon in 1974. That shite was awesome on live TV.

Since we're heading into March, I'll nominate...



And I couldn't stand Laettner.

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Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots fall in wildly dramatic fashion to Eli Manning and the Giants, as Manning leads an improbable drive while looking like Forrest Gump, entirely unaffected by the weight of the situation.

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i am still dumbfounded to this day how Eli Manning is a 2x super bowl champ. i've warmed on him in retirement, but still.

Great question, the reasons I wouldn't go with the Miracle on Ice are it wasn't the gold medal game and it was on delay from a game played in New York.

My nomination is Game 7 1994 NBA Finals
The Dream vs Ewing's Knicks while on split screen OJ's in a white Bronco on the 91 with a gun to his head

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i am still dumbfounded to this day how Eli Manning is a 2x super bowl champ. i've warmed on him in retirement, but still.

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Also a 2x Super Bowl MVP. After Lawrence Taylor, he's my favorite Giant of all time. I would never put Eli on a top 10 qb list, but he had a lot of good years in New York. When it mattered most in Super Bowls, he was cool as a cucumber. Future Hall of Famer.

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Just so many great stories and in my opinion the greatest Olympic Games of my lifetime

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How old are you and what was the first Olympics you saw?

For me, none of the Olympics have the same greatness since the end of the Cold War. I’d vote for 1976 being the greatest.

Nadia Comaneci gets the first 10 in gymnastics. Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Spinx and Leon Spinks all win gold in boxing. Edwin Moses gets gold in hurdles and Bruce Jenner gets gold in The Decathlon. Greg Luganis is robbed of gold (gets silver) in diving. The East German women had mustaches, massive necks and six pack abs. It had it all.

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, AND SHAME ON THIS BOARD for allowing this to go unmentioned till page 3

Hagler vs Hearns

That's the full fight, all 3 rounds. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.

Ray Boom Boom Mancini vs Duk Koo Kim was 14 rounds of war, back when boxing was live on network TV. I remember watching it. A few punches the other way and it would have been Boom Boom they were slapping a toe tag on.

Boom Boom vs Kim

All these are great answers, and 1980 hockey (isn't it crazy how Eric Heiden's 5 gold speedskating medals was overshadowed) is probably the answer, with the Ali Frazier fights and Secretariat's Belmont high on my list.

But as for pure drama, if you're not old enough to remember, the Tanya vs. Nancy olympics hype was insane. It wasn't just an ESPN story. It led on the national news every day leading up to and during the games.

Then, the drama played out as Nancy arguably got screwed out of the gold and Tonya had a meltdown with the whole world watching.