In all seriousness, I think I’ve got a moment that trumps ALL of these moments, except Lake Placid, 1980.
The first game in Yankee Stadium after 9/11 when George Bush threw out the first pitch. It was an extremely emotional moment for pretty much any American who was watching, myself included. But what REALLY made it a special moment for me was the fact that he threw a perfect strike right down the middle. If he had bounced it up there or airmailed it halfway up the backstop I think that moment would have lost a little something.
Jordan’s walkoff versus the Jazz in '98. It was the perfect culmination to a series where MJ said, “I don’t give a single fuck,” carried the team on his back, and ended the series with the single most iconic moment in Finals history. I’m totally homo for Jordan.
I consider “American moments” to be us vs someone non-American personally so all those saying Super Bowls and other various American vs American team sports don’t really count imo. My definition is us whooping up on someone non-American.
[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
I consider “American moments” to be us vs someone non-American personally so all those saying Super Bowls and other various American vs American team sports don’t really count imo. My definition is us whooping up on someone non-American.[/quote]
How about just sports moment that made ALL Americans proud? That way the discussion doesn’t have to be limited to international competitions. Michael Jordan had great moments, but that’s a great Bulls moment, not a great American moment.
Has anyone mentioned Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier? I suppose not ALL Americans consider this a great moment, but it deserves mention anyways.
almost agree with LiquidMerc having been with Igor Grinko in '96 when we took the silver in the quad. Still take two former Tour de France champions (Greg Lemond '86 and Laurent Fignon '83-'84) mix in getting SHOT by brother in law (lemond) and cardio vascular trouble (fignon) place back into the '89 Tour with Lemond down by 50 seconds going into the final stage and beating Fignon by 8 seconds over 2100 miles of racing…Hollywood could not scrip a finer example of human performance : )
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Chess hero Bobby Fischer defeating Boris Spassky in 1972. This was during the Cold War, so this spoke symbolic volumes to the world. [/quote]
[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
I consider “American moments” to be us vs someone non-American personally so all those saying Super Bowls and other various American vs American team sports don’t really count imo. My definition is us whooping up on someone non-American.[/quote]
How about just sports moment that made ALL Americans proud? That way the discussion doesn’t have to be limited to international competitions. Michael Jordan had great moments, but that’s a great Bulls moment, not a great American moment.
Has anyone mentioned Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier? I suppose not ALL Americans consider this a great moment, but it deserves mention anyways.[/quote]
I can agree with this definition. And yes Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier is indeed a great American moment.
Not only racial overtones in a despondent time for the black man, but also hugely political overtones because of the idea of an “inferior” minority from America defeating the Nazi champion (even though Schmeling hated that idea, and really, Nazis too.)
I would also say Jessie Owens in the 1938 Olympics, as well as Lake Placid in 1980.
These all had grand implications that reverberated across the history of the world, and are famous for much more than just the sporting aspect.
Your favorite football game or NBA Finals moment doesn’t compare to when these men really stood up not only for themselves on the playing field, but also for the idea that a democratic republic could, in fact, produce athletes who were better, stronger, and tougher, than the fiercest of dictatorships.
Your favorite football game or NBA Finals moment doesn’t compare to when these men really stood up not only for themselves on the playing field, but also for the idea that a democratic republic could, in fact, produce athletes who were better, stronger, and tougher, than the fiercest of dictatorships.[/quote]
Okay reading fail on my part I took it as American Sports in general.
Your favorite football game or NBA Finals moment doesn’t compare to when these men really stood up not only for themselves on the playing field, but also for the idea that a democratic republic could, in fact, produce athletes who were better, stronger, and tougher, than the fiercest of dictatorships.[/quote]
Okay reading fail on my part I took it as American Sports in general. [/quote]
He very well may have meant that, I’m not sure, but when you’re saying “American sports” moments- in my mind it means “America/American vs. other country/a foreigner.”
Your favorite football game or NBA Finals moment doesn’t compare to when these men really stood up not only for themselves on the playing field, but also for the idea that a democratic republic could, in fact, produce athletes who were better, stronger, and tougher, than the fiercest of dictatorships.[/quote]
Okay reading fail on my part I took it as American Sports in general. [/quote]
He very well may have meant that, I’m not sure, but when you’re saying “American sports” moments- in my mind it means “America/American vs. other country/a foreigner.”
Just how I construe it.[/quote]
I guess I took it as just based in America, MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, college sports.
Too bad OP has bailed and doesnt end all of our questioning.
