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)
