Nearly Perfect

Last August, Anderson Silva’s performance at UFC 101 spawned a compilation of sports moments simply known as “The List.” Without that breathtaking display, this column (a highly recommended read if you wish to better understand the column you are currently reading) would’ve never existed and the list of single greatest sports moments in my life (at least the ones I can vividly remember, so we’ll say from 1995 to the present) would’ve never re-entered my mind.

But “The List” is somewhat flawed. First of all, it needs a name, or else I seem uncreative and a tad selfish.

Second of all, this list does contain the greatest sports moments of my life, but the conditions of this list haven’t been clearly mapped out. Obviously, this is my fault, so it’s time to clear things up.

Condition #1: Wow Factor

This condition should render either complete euphoria or utter shock. Anderson Silva’s performance against Forrest Griffin is the premier example of complete euphoria. I went bonkers, everyone I was with got out of their seats, a few shouts of “Did you just see that!?” came up even though we all knew everyone saw it, and the fight wasn’t even over but we knew we witnessed something special. That’s the textbook instance of Condition #1 – euphoria at its apex.

As a divergent example, when LeBron James sunk his buzzer-beater in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year, I was with a few friends who all feel LeBron is overrated, over-hyped, and doesn’t attain the superstar abilities comparable to Kobe Bryant at this point in his career. (Well, at least that’s what they felt last season. If they still feel that way, God should strike them down if they ever claim to follow sports in public.)

But once this sequence occurred, my friends and I entered utter shock mode. We were immediately entranced by what happened. All I could blurt out was a simple “Oh my God,” and became immersed in what happened and how his teammates reacted to the moment and embraced him.
I honestly have never seen a superstar’s teammates react to a situation in such fashion, which is one of the many reasons why LeBron will continue to be one of the most compelling, if not the most compelling sports figure in my lifetime thus far. Which brings up the second condition of “The List”…

Condition #2: Athlete Significance

In looking at the previous example, that shot would have never made the list if Mo Williams or Delonte West had made it. It just wouldn’t have been as captivating. The same goes for Silva, mostly because he’s probably the only Mixed Martial Artist on the planet who can pull off the feat he accomplished in the octagon last August. In other words, elite athletes have the capabilities of making this list over others based on the fact that, well, they’re elite athletes.

However, Condition #2 can always be overridden by Conditon #1. Derek Fisher, David Tyree, and the Boise State football team are examples of this. They are also examples of the upcoming condition. In fact, you can think of Condition #1 as rock and #2 as scissors. And Condition #5 as dynamite. But we’ll get to that later. Let’s get the trickier stuff out of the way.

Condition #3: Contest Significance

So far, every moment in this list has been in a game of illustrious significance (playoffs, championship game, title match, etc.), but this condition can always be overridden by Condition #1. However, can you really become engrossed by a moment, experience unprecedented jubilation, and remember something for the rest of your life that you watched during the regular season? It just doesn’t have the lasting impact. It may affect you by influence of Condition #1, but not completely fulfill it or create the same form of nostalgia. In other words, this condition is unequivocally imperative to Condition #1, but may not be necessarily required. As of right now, it’s proven to be a constant.

Condition #4: Crowd/Player/Announcer Reaction

Think of this as an extra credit component. It really doesn’t affect the moment on a particularly significant level, but can augment euphoria (Condition #1) and recollection (Condition #5).

For instance, Derek Fisher’s buzzer-beater with .4 seconds left on the clock in game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals is impossible to recollect without Al Michaels’ memorable: “HE SCORES! DEREK FISHER!!!”
My brother and I still try to imitate that outburst to this day. It’s just something that correlates with the recollection and supplements the resonation of the moment.

The same goes for Marv Albert’s “Gets it to LeBron… For three, for the win, YES!!! LEBRON JAMES! AT THE BUZZER!!!” after LeBron’s buzzer-beater, and Mike Tirico’s “OHHHH MAAANNNNNN!!!!! Time out… in Baron’s house” when Baron Davis dunked over Andrei Kirilenko in the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals. Each of those moments has announcer reactions intertwined within the remembrance.

It can also downgrade the moment. Let’s just say Joe Buck didn’t assist in making the renowned “Helmet Catch” more memorable than it is. Good thing I was at a Super Bowl party at the time and couldn’t hear him. Those who did probably think I’m crazy for adding it to this list, and I’m genuinely sorry for that.

Crowd and player reaction have a part in this as well – The silence in San Antonio and the unparalleled shock of Tim Duncan and the Spurs after Fisher’s shot; the instantaneous outburst in Cleveland and the camaraderie displayed in joyous celebration once LeBron hit his shot; the scene in Oracle Arena as of one of the most decorative crowds in NBA history erupted, Baron Davis un-tucked his jersey, and Stephen Jackson dusted him off in what would be the final extraordinary moment in the “We Believe” era of the Golden State Warriors – all contained elements which enhanced those moments and became part of how they are remembered.

This particular condition may not be the most important, but how do we reminisce on the aforementioned moments without it? We don’t.

Condition #5: Pristine Nostalgia

This is undoubtedly the most important condition of all. This is what separates the greatest sports moments from the greatest sports moments that belong on this list. Once moments such as these occur, they immediately enter the memory portion of the brain as they happen. You know once you see a moment such as these transpire that it will be something you remember for the rest of your life. The moments that belong on this list don’t have to be analyzed in great detail before realizing how special they are. You just know once it happens.

Instant. Perpetual. Memorable. Pristine nostalgia.

Prime example of how Condition #5 is the most important of all: It forbids the greatest sports moment of my life from being on this list.

The 2007 Warriors will be a part of me forever. The “We Believe” playoff run and epic upset of the Dallas Mavericks in the first round will be the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me in the sports world until one of my teams wins a championship in my lifetime. But it doesn’t qualify because it’s a combination of euphoric moments throughout the run and moments during games; the flamboyant, fearless, and improvisational character of the team; the specific performances by individual players; the history they made in the process; and so many other countless adjectives and memorable features that makes that specific team so endearing to me. This list wasn’t created for the complexities of something so grand, but for the instant ecstasy sports can provide.

Now, after all of this, why am I bringing up this list and shoring up its precise conditions eight months after its conception? Because an eighth moment was nearly added to it Monday night.

Gordon Hayward of the Butler Bulldogs nearly single-handedly completed one of the biggest underdog stories in NCAA men’s basketball history. Twice.

The first of which was a tremendously difficult fade away jumper with the outstretched hand of the 7-foot-1 Brain Zoubek of the Duke Blue Devils in his face. Somehow Hayward got the shot off, and the shot was perfectly on line once it left his hands, but barely missed off the back iron with 3.6 seconds remaining in the game.

The second of which was a half court shot that almost shocked the world, but didn’t quite go in. If one of those two shots goes in, we’d have another sports moment on our hands. However, this isn’t the only reason I was forced to clear up “The List.” To put it simply: If one of those shots goes in, the 2010 NCAA Tournament becomes the single greatest postseason tournament in sports history.

I thought about the abovementioned notion several times throughout the tournament. Every possible exciting moment had happened, a plethora of upsets occurred, a few moments almost made “The List,” and it was collectively materializing as a three week span no sports fan would ever forget. All it needed was a perfect ending, and it almost happened. But that didn’t stop me from recalling the following moments throughout the tournament and nearly adding its entirety to “The List.”

First round: Ohio University’s upset over Georgetown; Murray State’s buzzer-beater over Vanderbilt; the double-overtime thriller between BYU and Florida; Quincy Pondexter’s heroics to advance Washington past Marquette; Old Dominion upsetting a streaking Notre Dame team; Villanova nearly losing as a 2-seed to 15-seeded Robert Morris; Wake Forest’s buzzer-beater over Texas; Northern Iowa’s Ali Farokhmanesh sinking a ridiculously deep three to send the Panthers to the second round.

Second round: Korie Lucious’s buzzer-beater to send Michigan State to the Sweet 16; Cornell becoming the first Ivy League school to reach the Sweet 16; Omar Samhan leading Saint Mary’s to an upset over Villanova; Ali Farokhmanesh’s heroics and fearlessness subsequent a myriad of memorable plays to seal the biggest upset of the tournament as Northern Iowa dropped Kansas. A first week for the ages.

Third Round (Sweet Sixteen): Butler’s victory over Syracuse as yet another #1 seed falls; Evan Turner and Ohio State eliminated; Baylor ends the run of Saint Mary’s; Xavier and Kansas State’s double overtime extravaganza featuring Gus Johnson.

Fourth Round (Elite 8): Butler defeats Kansas State and earns a trip to the Final Four, which is located 6 miles away from the Butler campus; West Virginia defeats Kentucky and keeps the NBA star-studded Wildcats out of the Final Four.

Final Four: Sets up a David vs. Goliath matchup between Duke and Butler; the Butler hometown/underdog buzz generates and builds all week.

National Championship: Butler sticks to its gameplan of hard-nosed perimeter defense and quality offensive possessions, shoots unusually well from three and thrives off a productive bench, neither team extends a lead larger than six; Duke plays well in all phases, portrays superior talent, succeeds behind the poise of Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Brian Zoubek, survives two near-miraculous makes by Gordon Hayward, and ultimately sobers up the tournament by winning the National Championship in conventional fashion.
The hyperlinked games were obviously the most memorable of the tournament, but the tournament as a whole culminated in something more than a string of great games. Just like the 2007 Warriors, it became one of the greatest moments in sports history via a combination of countless memorable moments that included aspects from conditions one, two, three, four and five. It became so captivating that it was on track to be put on “The List” with no repercussions and forced me to create its guidelines.

Maybe it didn’t make this list, but it almost did. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest postseason tournament in sports history, but it almost was. Maybe we’ll forget about this tournament in a couple of years when another one outshines it, but I doubt it.

And although “The List” still only contains 7 sports moments in the last 15 years, at least we’ve perfected it. Almost. Just like this year’s tournament, it still doesn’t have a name.


To watch videos from each of the 7 sports moments from "The List," click here.