What is the greatest single achievement in sports?

For pool I would have to go with Mosconi's 526

For a feel good moment (epitomized in a great movie), 5' 6" 165lb Rudy Ruettiger defying all odds to start for Notre Dame and in his 3rd of his only 3 plays he sacks Georgia Tech QB Rudy Allen.

For most dominant in a career: "Jahangir Khan was unbeaten for 555 straight consecutive matches in Squash, that led him to win the British Open 10 times and the World Open in Squash 6 times. Did not lose a single game."

For single greatest sporting achievement I would go with Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game for individual achievement and Team USA Miracle on Ice for team achievement.
 
The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series is easily the greatest achievement in the history of competitive sports. Up here, in the fighting 41st ward, we're still high fiving total strangers!
108 years of skillful rebuilding actually paid off. Worth the wait!!
 
Double-Dave said:
The question was single greatest achievement.

Bubka took it from 5.91 to 6.14 in like 15 steps, never more then 6cm in 1 step
Usain took it from 9.74 to 9.58 in 3 steps, never more then .11 second in 1 step
Beamon took it from 8.35 to 8.90 in 1 step, 55cm in 1 step

It's not even close to being close. Bolt would have needed to go from 9.74
to something like 9.11 in 1 step to get the same % improvement Bubka from
5.91 to 6.29.
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And their records would have to last a couple more decades :eek:

Bob Beamons world record lasted 23 years, and his Olympic record stands today, close to 50 years later !

Dave
 
maplecap said:
The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series is easily the greatest achievement in the history of competitive sports. Up here, in the fighting 41st ward, we're still high fiving total strangers!
108 years of skillful rebuilding actually paid off. Worth the wait!!
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I'm one of the biggest Cub fans here in this forum, but I wouldn't consider the Cubs' World Series championship the "greatest single achievement in sports" at all. It was definitely a great moment in sports history and arguably the most entertaining World Series and/or Game 7 in baseball history, but it shouldn't be considered the "greatest achievement". Other teams have won the World Series, and in definitely more dominating fashion. Just an argument in semantics.

But yeah, I'm still on a high from that series.
 
It can be argued that it's not a "single" achievement, but count me in on Phelps' domination in Beijing. 8 gold medals in 8 attempts. I just can't imagine that ever being equaled in a single Olympics ever again.
 
pt109 said:
Some feats have to be considered in context.

A man hit a golf ball 360 yards....
...not all that unusual, you say?

well, it was with a hickory-shafted club....
...with a leather-covered feather-filled golf ball...
...Scotland....sometime in the 1800s


video to follow.....:)
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in Scotland you say? .............. "wind-aided" I say :sorry:
 
It may have been mentioned but the one record that will never be broken is Johnny Vandermeer's back to back no hitters in 1938.
 
Nostroke said:
It may have been mentioned but the one record that will never be broken is Johnny Vandermeer's back to back no hitters in 1938.
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Again, I have to say that Doc Ellis throwing a no-hitter while on an acid trip on June 12, 1970 trumps any of these pitching accomplishments...
 
CJH said:
Again, I have to say that Doc Ellis throwing a no-hitter while on an acid trip on June 12, 1970 trumps any of these pitching accomplishments...
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He probably got a weak hit and was this hitless.

Great job and all, but no reason to make more of it than what it is.
 
CJH said:
Again, I have to say that Doc Ellis throwing a no-hitter while on an acid trip on June 12, 1970 trumps any of these pitching accomplishments...
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He may have taken a 1/4 hit of acid but he wasnt on a full trip for sure-Not to mention, nothing but the no hitter could be documented.
 
Lonestar_jim said:
He probably got a weak hit and was this hitless.

Great job and all, but no reason to make more of it than what it is.
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There were no weak hits in 1970. 270 micrograms was still the standard. Anyway, assuming he was honest about it it is amazing but does not qualify in the "great" category unless we are measuring knuckleheads.
 
Great thread! I wanted to say Johnny Vander Meer pitching back to back no hitters. But, for me, not playing against black players takes this out of the conversation.

I'm of the opinion baseball and golf are the most difficult sports. So, I'll take Tiger at the 2000 US Open just demolishing the field. Tiger shot -12 and 2nd place was +3:yikes:
 
Tim Raines 1986 batting title. His average both lefty and righty (separately) were high enough to to win the title.
 
PoolBum said:
I'm going to second this as the greatest achievement in one event in sports history.

Secretariat finished the 1973 Belmont Stakes in 2:24 flat, which has now been the world record for a mile and a half on a dirt track for 44 years.

The closest any other horse has come to that time in the history of the Belmont Stakes is 2:26, which would be about 10 lengths behind Secretariat.

Other records by Secretariat that may never be broken:

Winning all three Triple Crown races in record time. All three records still stand:

1:59 2/5 in the Kentucky Derby (still the track record)
1:53 in the Preakness (still the track record)
2:24 in the Belmont (still the world record)

Setting the fastest time ever in the Kentucky Derby by running each quarter mile faster than the previous one. His times for each quarter mile in the Derby were

25 1/5
24
23 4/5
23 2/5
23
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I can't really think of anything better than this. That Belmont was something truly special. It makes the tears well up every time I watch it.

KMRUNOUT
 
Big Reds (Secretariat) 26 length win in the Belmont Stakes...the third race of the Triple Crown. He won all 3. I was there for it, with wife and 4 kids. Amazing horse. Johnnyt
 
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