And the greatest upset ever is...
Today, we count down the sweet 16 of the 33 Greatest Sports Upsets Ever. (Read Nos. 33-17)
Who's no. 1?
No. 16
Francis Ouimet becomes the first amateur to win the U.S. Open, 1913
This should probably be higher on the list, but I hate, hate, hate Shia Labeouf.
No. 15
Chaminade beats Ralph Sampson’s Virginia Cavaliers, 1982
The NAIA school (800 students) from Hawaii shocked the squad led by 7’4’’ All-American Sampson. Some newspapers refused to publish the 77-72 score, believing it to be a hoax.
No. 14
Mark Edmondson over John Newcombe in the Australian Open tennis final, 1976
Newcombe was the defending champ when he lost to Edmondson, the lowest-seeded player (212th in the world) to win a grand-slam tennis title.
No. 13
U.S. over England in the World Cup, 1950
Team USA had lost their last seven international matches by a total of 45-2 before beating favorite England in the “Miracle on Grass.”
No. 12
Y.E. Yang wins the PGA Championship over Tiger Woods, 2009
Not Mickelson. Not Garcia. Not Harrington. It was South Korean Y.E. Yang who did the improbable, toppling Tiger Woods head-to-head in the final round of a major, from 2 strokes back. Yang’s majestic approach on no. 18 will be replayed for eternity, but for me the day’s defining moment occurred on 17 after Tiger made bogey. The camera captured the normally-stoic Woods shaken and muttering, hanging his head and tearing himself a new golf hole. Time will tell what Sunday means. If Tiger loses more major showdowns and--perish the thought--fails to grasp the Holy Grail of 19 major wins, Yang will have shifted the tide of golf history.
No. 11
N.C. State over Houston in the NCAA Championship, 1983
Jimmy V’s Lorenzo-Charles-led crew stuns Olajuwon, Clyde “The Glide,” and the Phi Slamma Jamma.
No. 10
The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLIII, 2008
The Almost Sack. The Heave. The Helmet Catch. The most thrilling play in Superbowl history.
No. 9
Kirk Gibson’s L.A. Dodgers over the Oakland Athletics, 1988
How in the name of artificial knees did that ball reach the seats? I have no idea. The game's greatest limp-off home-run.
No. 8
Villanova beats Georgetown in the NCAA Championships, 1985
’Nova shot 78.6 percent in the 66-64 win. On April Fools Day.
No. 7
The New York Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, 1969
Thrillin’. Startlin’. Amazin’.
No. 6
Rulon Gardner over Alexander Karelin to win Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic gold, 2000
The small-town kid snapped the Russian’s 13-year unbeaten streak, 10 of which saw Karelin surrender exactly zero points.
No. 5
Cassius Clay over Sonny Liston, 1964
Sportswriter Jim Murray wrote of the then-22-year-old: "The only thing at which Clay can beat Liston is reading the dictionary." But Clay shook up the world.
No. 4
Jack Fleck beats Ben Hogan at the U.S. Open, 1955
The morning of the final round, Fleck, a farmer from Iowa, was shaving while listening to “I’ll Walk With God” when he said he heard a voice in his mirror predict, “Jack, you are going to win the Open.” He beat Hogan by 3 in the playoff. The Hawk never won another major.
No. 3
New York Jets defeat Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, 1969
Broadway Joe remains the only QB to win the Superbowl MVP without tossing a TD pass.
No. 2
Buster Douglas KOs Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship, 1990
He was a 42-1 underdog whose mother died 23 days before the fight. Douglas was helped by an overconfident Tyson camp that failed to bring an endswell ringside, having to use an ice-water-filled latex glove to ease the champ’s swelling eyes. Sports Illustrated’s cover said it all: “KO'd!”
No. 1
U.S.A. beats the Soviets in Olympic hockey, 1980
The Russians had won eight of the previous nine gold medals yet fell to a scrappy team of amateurs and college players, coached by Kurt Russell. Do you believe in mullets? Yes!
Photos: Heinz Kluetmeier/SI (hockey); George Silk/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images (Ali); John Biever/SI (Yang)
Posted by: Shag Bag | Aug 19, 2009 5:25:06 PM
The 1972 Olympic Gold Medal basketball game where the U.S. suffered its first ever defeat at the hands of the U.S.S.R. Duke over UNLV in 1991. North Korea over Italy in the 1966 World Cup.
Posted by: reporandy | Aug 20, 2009 12:06:55 AM
Sorry pal, your list blows. You forgot to mention Boise state beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta bowl
Posted by: Ivor | Aug 20, 2009 9:16:22 AM
I know this is primarily an American website focused on the stereotypical American sports but nothing about soccer outside of an American victory way back when?? It aint called the game of billions for nothing and has more shocks than John Daly has had big macs (Denmark wins Euro '92 despite not even qualifying and taking out world champion Germany in the final for example! They got in as an alternate due to Yugoslavia being kicked out because of the Balkans war - the rest is history).
Posted by: ritchie | Aug 20, 2009 9:42:32 AM
Kurt Russell? a hockey coach? only in Hollywood. Although he grew up in Maine. the winning coach was Herb Brooks. I know you know that( even I knew that and I'm a true Canadian.) Great list.
Posted by: Ritchie | Aug 20, 2009 9:48:37 AM
Kurt Russell? a hockey coach? Only in Hollywood, baby. I know you meant to say Herb Brooks. Lists such as these are always up for debate. entertaining.
Posted by: paddyb | Aug 20, 2009 12:24:22 PM
good catch reporandy...Boise St. over Oklahoma has to be top 5
Posted by: Fuller Gold | Aug 20, 2009 2:11:15 PM
Actually, the author is correct. Kurt Russell coached that particular game to provide realism for the Disney Film, "Old Yeller on Ice". Clips of the dog were added later.
Posted by: Sal | Aug 20, 2009 2:51:01 PM
Entertaining list, but...Frances Ouimet's victory gets downgraded because you "hate, hate, hate" the kid actor who played him in a movie 90 years later? Tell me you're kidding. What, did LaBeouf turn down your autograph request?
Posted by: Jim in Ga | Aug 20, 2009 4:45:35 PM
COME ON. YE Yang had already won on tour this year and had won overseas. It doesn't even come close to the nongolf upsets or Jack Fleck (he had only joined the tour the year he won the US Open and had been a club pro before) or Ouimet (a 20 or so year old amateur winning a playoff against seasoned champions Vardon and Ray). Ridiculous to include Yang in that, even if Tiger was 14 for 14 when he won. Someone was going to do it eventually. Don't you really understand golf and the fact that even a moderately successful touring pro can beat Tiger on any given week?
Posted by: Jim in Ga | Aug 20, 2009 4:53:58 PM
Huh? Yang is number 12? Come on. He already won this year on tour, and had already beaten Tiger in a tournament. While a surprise that Tiger lost - not an epic upset like the others in golf (Ouimet was an amateur kid and Fleck was a club pro who had just started playing on tour that year). Don't feed the Tiger legacy too much. Tiger doesn't win every major he enters and his record of always winning a major when in the lead after 54 was never going to last.
Posted by: Johnny Robertson | Aug 21, 2009 10:35:44 AM
What's all this hype about a "major upset"? Are you guys aware Tiger shot a 75? Hello?
Posted by: onthemark | Aug 21, 2009 10:42:41 AM
Before we crown the US miracle on ice team as the greatest upset ever, it should be noted that they were not playing the against the best national team on the planet - that team would have been Canadian and composed of Canadian NHL players - Gretzky and all - if they had been allowed to play. Beating a bunch of second-best commie pinkos does not cut it when determining the greatest upset of all time. An original professional Canadian "dream team" would have steamrolled through the 1980 Olympics as they already has a winning record against the Soviets over the previous 10 years of tournament play (1972 Summit Series and the 1976 Canada Cup). 1980 was also the convergence of two eras of superstars in Canadian professional hockey. Sorry to bust your bubble - but those are the real fact that get ommitted with the average American talks about the so call Miracle on Ice. It those US amateurs had beating a Canadian team of professionals, it would have amounted to a sign of the end times.