The Top 5 Sports Moments of The 80’s
Any sports fan will tell you that the reason they enjoy a certain sport or root for a particular team is because they have built an emotional connection to it…
FLUSHING, NY – OCTOBER 27: The New York Mets celebrate after winning game 7 of the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium on October 27, 1986 in Flushing, New York. The Mets won the series 4-3.
(Photo by T.G. Higgins/Getty Images)Any sports fan will tell you that the reason they enjoy a certain sport or root for a particular team is because they have built an emotional connection to it over time. The connection begins when you’re young and continues on. It’s a loyalty that carries you through both good seasons and bad.
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Having grown up locally in the 80’s, my favorite sports moments are etched in my memory and have a bit of a home team lean. Here are my Top 5 Sports Moments of the 80’s:
5) The Pine Tar Incident
I can picture the video in my head to this day. George Brett storming out of the visiting dug out at Yankee Stadium in July of 1983, when the umpires recalled his 2 run homerun that gave the Royals the lead. It was found that the pine tar on his bat was too far up on the barrel. It turned a mid-season game into an all-time classic.
4) The 1985 Chicago Bears Winning Super Bowl XX
They were the quintessential 80’s team, made up of characters like Jim McMahon, William “Refrigerator” Perry, and Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. They went 15-1, became the first NFL team to record back-to-back shutouts in the playoffs, made a terrible video called “The Super Bowl Shuffle”, and scored a lopsided Super Bowl win, pummeling the Patriots 46-10.
26 Jan 1986: The Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots are into action during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game, 46-10. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
3) The 1989 NCAA Championship Game
Seton Hall vs. Michigan. As a student at SHU at the time, it was an unbelievable night. I watched guys that I attended class with, play in college basketball’s biggest game. And they battled. It was heart stopping excitement that went into over-time. The 80-79 loss was crushing, but the incredible memory of that night lives on.
2) The Buckner Game
Who can ever forget the sight of Red Sox’s first baseman Bill Buckner missing that slow ground ball in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets. 10th inning, tie game, Mets score, series tied, and it was on to Game 7. The Mets would be World Champions.
1) The Miracle on Ice
One of the greatest sports moments of all time. The 1980 Men’s Olympic Hockey Team taking on the heavily favored Soviet team in Lake Placid. No one thought the young U.S. amateurs had a chance. The Soviets had won gold in five of the previous six Olympics. But on a Friday evening in February, the U.S. team played with everything they had. They went on to win 4-3 with commentator Al Michaels uttering the famous phrase ‘Do you believe in miracles?” as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The team would go on to beat Finland for Olympic gold.
