Sports

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Since the calendar turned from 1999 to 2000 and none of us succumbed to the great machine uprising of Y2K, there have been 60,096 games played in Major League Baseball, 32,579 in the NBA, 31,377 in the NHL, 6,758 in the NFL, and 5,884 in the WNBA. That is a lot of sports in 25-plus years, a total of 136,694 games, which doesn’t even take into account college sports, all of the Olympics, the tennis matches, the rounds of golf, and the myriad other ways to behold athletic competition. You’d be forgiven if it all blended together.

But the wild thing about sports is that it never really does. With such an unparalleled ability to bottle up the human condition—the highs, the lows, the adversity, the intensity, the buildup, the release, the heartbreak, the triumph—sports are capable of delivering moments of true wonder that become memories, that become part of our lives. When the impossible becomes possible, when the definition of absurd is redefined, when men and women turn into superheroes—you don’t easily forget something like that.

As we bid farewell to the first quarter of the 21st century, there’s no time better than now to celebrate the moments in this era of sports that stand above the rest—the ones that brought tears to eyes, left jaws on floors, and exemplified why we all spend so much time watching this stuff. To come up with this list of the best sports moments of the quarter century, The Ringer polled our entire staff, hoping to cover every corner of the wide world of sports and every kind of sports moment (most of the things on this list happened on the field of play, but our scope was not limited to in-game moments). Of course, we also had to define “best,” as it applies to sports moments. Because “best” does not necessarily mean “most important”—the Malice at the Palace is undoubtedly one of the most important sports moments of the 21st century, yet no one would call it one of the best—we leaned on this set of criteria in assembling our ranking:

• The Collective Joy Factor: Simply put, did the moment spark joy? (The “collective” part here is pretty important, too: It’s not like you’re gonna find a Yankees fan who loved the Red Sox comeback in ’04, but everyone else had a great time.)
• The Ubiquity Factor: Did it transcend its sport and become a moment of monoculture?
• The Holy Shit! Factor: Did it make you say, well, “Holy shit”?
• The “I Remember Where I Was When …” Factor: The staying power of the best sports moments is such that you can remember not only the moment but also where you were sitting when it happened—the shirt you had on, the people you were with, the way the bar smelled like popcorn …
• The Championship Stakes Factor: After all, great moments are often born out of great pressure.
• The Key Characters Involved Factor: Relatedly, great moments often feature sports’ most important figures coming through in the clutch. (This is admittedly a chicken-or-the-egg thing, as sports’ most important figures often become most important through great moments.)
• The Legacy Factor: Did the moment burnish or solidify the legacy of a given athlete or team?
• The Nickname Factor: Because let’s be honest: If a moment has a widely recognized moniker, it’s probably one of the best.
• The “Will You Talk About This in 25 Years?” Factor: If your grandkids aren’t going to hear you drone on about it, it’s not that great of a moment.

Not every moment on this list will satisfy each of these criteria. Some may really satisfy only one of these factors. But mix all of the above together in any way, and you come out with a good idea of what makes a sports moment the “best.” As for which moments fit the definition most, well, let’s get to The Ringer’s 100 Best Sports Moments of the Quarter Century.

Appearing on 'The Main Event with Andrew Marchand,' Adam Schefter defended his reputation as a transactions reporter.

Figure skaters, their coaches and family members were among 60 passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. Officials said no survivors are expected.

Pat McAfee joined in on the criticism of ESPN's Adam Schefter and his reporting on the Kansas City Chiefs penalty advantage this posteason.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/38097809

Today's stream available https://njcaastats.prestosports.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/div1/composite

Near the historic Center City area of Philadelphia on Sunday night, a car hit and injured three pedestrians in a crowd of people leaving the Eagles' 55-23 NFC title game victory over the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field, police said.

CBS Sports' Nate Burleson addressed fans "fatigued" by the Kansas City Chiefs, saying the team deserves respect in its pursuit of history.

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/21808975

Commanders-Eagles and Bills-Chiefs are on deck Sunday. We preview both matchups, including game picks.

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/21681569

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit lauds Ohio State head coach Ryan Day's perseverance amid criticism this season.

Non-paywalled: https://archive.is/bA3RB

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/21267410

Kirk Herbstreit pushed back against Desmond Howard’s $20 million claim, challenging the narrative around Ohio State's perception.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is expected to enter the transfer portal, multiple sources tell On3. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman dished on what he told his team in wake of the terror attack in New Orleans.

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/20902628

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/20902627

The College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame has been postponed by 24 hours to Thursday following a deadly pickup truck attack in New Orleans.

Ryan Day is a semifinalist for national coach of the year, which left much of the Ohio State fanbase dumbfounded.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/35223819

DCFC is losing millions every year

"An interview request with Mann, who in addition to cofounding and co-owning the team is also its CEO, was denied. Crain’s also sent questions about the team’s finances and stadium financing that were not answered"