Last weekend, it seemed like every college football game was decided in dramatic fashion. From Notre Dame losing in four overtimes to Texas Tech’s miracle touchdown, the day was full of big finishes. What are the top five sports finishes of all time? Funny you should ask.
5) Super Bowl XXXIV
Growing up as an NFL fan in the 1990s, you could always count on the Rams and the Oilers being terrible. A funny thing happened at the end of the decade however, and the Rams and Titans (formerly the Oilers) both got really, really good. We’re talking Super Bowl good. And their Super Bowl XXXIV game came down to the final play. Needing a touchdown from ten yards out, Titan’s wide receiver Kevin Dyson caught a short pass from quarterback Steve McNair, but Rams’ linebacker Mike Jones made a great open field tackle, and Dyson’s outstretched arm came up inches short of the goal line. The Rams won their first Super Bowl and the Titans were left to regret not making a midseason offer to Mr. Fantastic.
4) Hail Flutie
The 1984 showdown between Boston College and Miami featured plenty of large players, but 5’9″ Doug Flutie proved to be the game’s biggest star. Boston College found themselves down 41-45 with time for just one more play. A Hail Mary was the only option, and the Eagles had to rely on their quarterback to throw the ball some 65 yards into a fierce wind. Flutie put every inch of his 3’6″ frame into the throw and BC wide receiver Gerard Phalen came up with the game-winning catch. Fourteen years later, the thimble-sized Heisman-winner went on to impress youngsters everywhere with his delicious Flutie Flakes cereal.
3) NC State shocks Houston
The 1983 NCAA Basketball Championship was a perfect storm of memorability. No. 1 Houston was about as good as a team without Teen Wolf can be, while NC State was a ragtag six-seed so lovable that they might as well have had a golden retriever starting at small forward. With time running out, NC State’s Dereck Whittenberg launched a desperate heave towards the basket that came up short, but Lorenzo Charles caught the airball and dunked it as time expired. The ecstatic celebration that followed remains one of sports’ most timeless moments.
Jimmy Valvano’s up in heaven still looking for somebody to hug.
2) Bulls on parade
In 1998, it was the Utah Jazz’s turn to play the sacrificial lamb to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Down by one point in Game Six, Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone, crossed over, didn’t push Bryon Russell and nailed a picturesque jumper for the win. Jordan announced his retirement shortly thereafter, which made the finish even more special.
Unfortunately, Jordan would later unretire and stumble around the court for a couple seasons with the Washington Wizards, which was like watching Abe Lincoln come back to life for a cameo in “Epic Movie.”
1) Cal-Lateral damage
When not appearing near the top of every list of the country’s best colleges, Cal and Stanford have been known to play a football game or two. “The Big Game” dates back to 1892, but the two schools could play another 116 years without matching the excitement of the 1982 installment. Stanford quarterback John Elway’s team led 20-19 and only needed a tackle on the kickoff to seal the win. About that. Cal kept the return alive with a series of five laterals, and before long, Cal’s Kevin Moen was racing to the end zone with no one to stop him – except the Stanford band, who had prematurely stormed the field. The decision proved to be worse than casting Randy Savage as Hamlet when Moen plowed over an unsuspecting trombone player for the unforgettable game-winning score. Fans still disagree as to the legality of the laterals, but one thing’s for sure: this is the greatest sports finish ever. Well, that and Savage would make a much better Laertes.
