The Best Sports Moments of the last Quarter Century
March 10, 2025 6:55 PM Subscribe
From The Ringer: The Best Sports Moments of the (last) Quarter Century
Cubs World Series win at #9? GTFOH.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:49 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:49 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
I only care about one thing in sport history and it's at #50 ⚾💥🕊️
posted by phunniemee at 7:54 PM on March 10 [2 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 7:54 PM on March 10 [2 favorites]
Didn’t even cover Hakuho’s zensho yusho in his final tournament. He is the GOAT of GOATs.
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:45 PM on March 10 [3 favorites]
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:45 PM on March 10 [3 favorites]
Maybe one for the worst list, but 'no underarm bowling' ? Back to the best... Or maybe worst... Buck Shelford playing on with a torn-scrotum? Or Vinnie Jones kicking a nazi? No Jonah Lomu destroying the Brits? Or Brian Laras 400? Although most of these are older than 25 years... damn, time flies...
posted by phigmov at 9:17 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
posted by phigmov at 9:17 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
I say this as a fan of The Ringer, but my lord, the only way this list could be more American would be with an accompanying "USA, USA, USA" chant.
posted by maupuia at 9:51 PM on March 10 [7 favorites]
posted by maupuia at 9:51 PM on March 10 [7 favorites]
I find it a bit unlikely that the 100 defining moments in sports in the last 25 years would include so little hockey.
posted by ChrisR at 10:45 PM on March 10 [3 favorites]
posted by ChrisR at 10:45 PM on March 10 [3 favorites]
Some amazing curling happening the last few years. But then it isn't an Olympic year so no interest yet from the US.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:30 PM on March 10
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:30 PM on March 10
My girl Yaroslava Mahuchikh breaking the 37-years-old women's high jump world record out of nowhere isn't on the list? For shame.
(Here's another video with some context about how significant this was and how unlikely it was, if you're not familiar with the record.)
posted by maxwelton at 1:37 AM on March 11 [6 favorites]
(Here's another video with some context about how significant this was and how unlikely it was, if you're not familiar with the record.)
posted by maxwelton at 1:37 AM on March 11 [6 favorites]
For non-USians this list is bewildering.
posted by awfurby at 1:49 AM on March 11 [12 favorites]
posted by awfurby at 1:49 AM on March 11 [12 favorites]
maupuia: I say this as a fan of The Ringer, but my lord, the only way this list could be more American would be with an accompanying "USA, USA, USA" chant.
You’re not wrong, in fact you’re correct, but it probably goes to show how low my expectations were that I was surprised how many non-US moments were on the list, including a men’s World Cup final in the top 10 (it should’ve been number one, but I digress).
I’ll give them credit that they do call themselves out for their US-centricity when they note that they somehow couldn’t find a single moment featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent two decades being a one-man sporting moments industry.
posted by Kattullus at 1:53 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
You’re not wrong, in fact you’re correct, but it probably goes to show how low my expectations were that I was surprised how many non-US moments were on the list, including a men’s World Cup final in the top 10 (it should’ve been number one, but I digress).
I’ll give them credit that they do call themselves out for their US-centricity when they note that they somehow couldn’t find a single moment featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent two decades being a one-man sporting moments industry.
posted by Kattullus at 1:53 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
It was nice of them to include #62. A moment of unity, even for the haters, and just a really nice clean throw, unexpectedly.
posted by chavenet at 2:15 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 2:15 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
They talk about Carli Lloyd's hat trick at the 2015 World Cup (#94).
They talk about Megan Rapinoe's rise to stardom via the 2011 World Cup (#16).
Aside from acknowledging that the 2015 final was against Japan, they just completely ignore the context of Japan's 2011 World Cup win, which came less than half a year after the devastating Tohoku earthquake on 3/11. The team wasn't even going to participate at one point. It was one of the feel good stories of the year for a lot of people except, I guess the Ringer staff.
posted by LostInUbe at 2:23 AM on March 11 [4 favorites]
They talk about Megan Rapinoe's rise to stardom via the 2011 World Cup (#16).
Aside from acknowledging that the 2015 final was against Japan, they just completely ignore the context of Japan's 2011 World Cup win, which came less than half a year after the devastating Tohoku earthquake on 3/11. The team wasn't even going to participate at one point. It was one of the feel good stories of the year for a lot of people except, I guess the Ringer staff.
posted by LostInUbe at 2:23 AM on March 11 [4 favorites]
I was expecting to see Kawahi Leonard’s series-winning 4-bounce buzzer-beater at the number one spot but it wasn’t on the list at all.
posted by mhoye at 5:29 AM on March 11
posted by mhoye at 5:29 AM on March 11
Wayyyyyyy too much football, but glad to see Lezak's performance in the men's 4 x 100 in Beijing so high up.
Also I will never be happy about Messi winning anything and I regret the list reminded me.
posted by dame at 5:42 AM on March 11
Also I will never be happy about Messi winning anything and I regret the list reminded me.
posted by dame at 5:42 AM on March 11
CTRL-F "Philly Special" #21? PLEASE. Top 10 at least.
posted by grumpybear69 at 5:45 AM on March 11
posted by grumpybear69 at 5:45 AM on March 11
I was expecting to see Kawahi Leonard’s series-winning 4-bounce buzzer-beater at the number one spot but it wasn’t on the list at all.
posted by mhoye at 5:29 AM on March 11
It was #14.
I find it a bit unlikely that the 100 defining moments in sports in the last 25 years would include so little hockey.
posted by ChrisR at 10:45 PM on March 10
Tbh I couldn't think of very many hockey moments from the last 25 years to add. Maybe Bourque raising the Cup? The 2014 Women's Olympic final could have been there but you were never going to get that AND Crosby 2010: it could only be one or the other on such a US-centric list.
posted by The Notorious SRD at 6:11 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by mhoye at 5:29 AM on March 11
It was #14.
I find it a bit unlikely that the 100 defining moments in sports in the last 25 years would include so little hockey.
posted by ChrisR at 10:45 PM on March 10
Tbh I couldn't think of very many hockey moments from the last 25 years to add. Maybe Bourque raising the Cup? The 2014 Women's Olympic final could have been there but you were never going to get that AND Crosby 2010: it could only be one or the other on such a US-centric list.
posted by The Notorious SRD at 6:11 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
It was #14.
Argh, I was reading it on my phone and missed it. Thanks.
posted by mhoye at 6:33 AM on March 11
Argh, I was reading it on my phone and missed it. Thanks.
posted by mhoye at 6:33 AM on March 11
Published too soon. Ovechkin is on the verge of breaking Gretzky's all time goal record in the NHL. A record everyone considered unbreakable until, say, last season.
posted by xiix at 6:37 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by xiix at 6:37 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
I’m not surprised that a site that has its roots in Bill Simmons unceasing Boston homerism would have a clip so painful to Celtics fans, but goddamn if Joakim Noah, in the third overtime (in a seven game series that had seven overtime periods, making it one of best goddamn playoff series of all time, even if the bulls eventually lost), stealing the ball, running the length of the floor, dunking on (and fouling out) Paul Pierce, and unleashing a howl for the ages.
I have watched this clip (a variation on the pretty awesome Where Amazing Happens ad campaign for that years playoffs) dozens and dozens of times. Probably the best Bulls moment of the last 25 years.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:55 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
I have watched this clip (a variation on the pretty awesome Where Amazing Happens ad campaign for that years playoffs) dozens and dozens of times. Probably the best Bulls moment of the last 25 years.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:55 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
The homerism is painful. I follow baseball and barely remember some of the baseball ones, and the sheer amount of college football and Tiger Woods makes me feel like someone from a different planet for not knowing or caring about any of it.
Things I would add: Virtue and Moir winning the ice dancing gold with sheer horniness, the pure giddiness of Barshim and Tamberi agreeing to share the high jump gold after tying on their attempts, and Romain Grosjean emerging relatively unscathed from a terrifyingly fiery crash.
posted by thecjm at 7:22 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
Things I would add: Virtue and Moir winning the ice dancing gold with sheer horniness, the pure giddiness of Barshim and Tamberi agreeing to share the high jump gold after tying on their attempts, and Romain Grosjean emerging relatively unscathed from a terrifyingly fiery crash.
posted by thecjm at 7:22 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
An american list by americans talking about americans, depicted as "all time". Surprise!
posted by Pyrogenesis at 8:17 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
posted by Pyrogenesis at 8:17 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
I love this partly because I was there: At the halfway point in this 200m mens final, Richard Whitehead is right at the back. And then he picks up speed on the straight...
But for sheer delight there is this, from the 2010 Tour de France. It's partly a trick of the camera angle, but when Cavendish bursts through to the front it looks like he's on a motorbike, he's that much faster than everybody else.
posted by YoungStencil at 9:13 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
But for sheer delight there is this, from the 2010 Tour de France. It's partly a trick of the camera angle, but when Cavendish bursts through to the front it looks like he's on a motorbike, he's that much faster than everybody else.
posted by YoungStencil at 9:13 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
Published too soon. Ovechkin is on the verge of breaking Gretzky's all time goal record in the NHL. A record everyone considered unbreakable until, say, last season.
it says a lot about the times that I have no strong feelings whatsoever about this.. Also it seems appropriate that Gretzky's record will be overshadowed by a Russian player "keep it on the team" did I say that out loud?
posted by ginger.beef at 9:43 AM on March 11
it says a lot about the times that I have no strong feelings whatsoever about this.. Also it seems appropriate that Gretzky's record will be overshadowed by a Russian player "keep it on the team" did I say that out loud?
posted by ginger.beef at 9:43 AM on March 11
> An american list by americans talking about americans, depicted as "all time". Surprise!
To be fair it's headlined as being all-time, not all-place. But yeah, there are a *lot* of amazing sports things that happened outside the US.
I guess they feel they deserve half-credit for being US sports journos who are willing to treat soccer as anything more than a footnote to field sports, but they're still not really trying.
posted by at by at 10:37 AM on March 11
To be fair it's headlined as being all-time, not all-place. But yeah, there are a *lot* of amazing sports things that happened outside the US.
I guess they feel they deserve half-credit for being US sports journos who are willing to treat soccer as anything more than a footnote to field sports, but they're still not really trying.
posted by at by at 10:37 AM on March 11
If we're including transfers/trades - and we are - then Andrea Pirlo from AC Milan to Juventus for free needs to be in the mix. It took him a season to get going, but with him on board Juventus won four titles on the bounce and multiple cups. An incredible piece of business.
And of course, this allows me to segue into this jaw-dropping moment of sporting cool.
posted by YoungStencil at 12:45 PM on March 11 [2 favorites]
And of course, this allows me to segue into this jaw-dropping moment of sporting cool.
posted by YoungStencil at 12:45 PM on March 11 [2 favorites]
2 things in this part stood out to me:
Watching this World Cup final is how you get people who claim they don’t like sports to like sports: It’s not a game—it’s the highest expression of human DRAMA.
It a) implies that nobody sincerely does not like sports, they're just pretending, because it's cool, I guess and b) it continues that old canard about how if you have any interest in drama, you have to enjoy watching sports, which, my brother in Christ, not really? There's actual drama to enjoy if that's your thing?
posted by signal at 12:48 PM on March 11
Watching this World Cup final is how you get people who claim they don’t like sports to like sports: It’s not a game—it’s the highest expression of human DRAMA.
It a) implies that nobody sincerely does not like sports, they're just pretending, because it's cool, I guess and b) it continues that old canard about how if you have any interest in drama, you have to enjoy watching sports, which, my brother in Christ, not really? There's actual drama to enjoy if that's your thing?
posted by signal at 12:48 PM on March 11
Sure, the Miracle of Istanbul should be in there. But is it even Liverpool's best Champions League comeback?
posted by biffa at 2:52 PM on March 11
posted by biffa at 2:52 PM on March 11
Also it seems appropriate that Gretzky's record will be overshadowed by a Russian player
No Regretsky
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:06 PM on March 11
No Regretsky
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:06 PM on March 11
IMO, so many sports records are going to fall in the upcoming decades, that they don't really count for much anymore. Training is so much better, injury rehabilitation, and softening rules to prevent injury are all major factors.
Training is so much better, jr high kids are running what used to be Olympic times in track and field.
Players are also starting younger, so their careers are longer.
So I'd discount about half the top 100.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:32 PM on March 11
Training is so much better, jr high kids are running what used to be Olympic times in track and field.
Players are also starting younger, so their careers are longer.
So I'd discount about half the top 100.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:32 PM on March 11
Ohtani v Trout in the World Baseball Classic at #91?! No. Done.
It's the greatest at-bat in the history of baseball. Ohtani's the best pitcher in baseball, Trout's the best hitter. They're teammates but playing for their national teams against each other. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, championship on the line.
0-0: 88 mph slider in the dirt
1-0: 100 mph fast ball down the middle, swing and miss
1-1: 100 mph fast ball just a bit outside
2-1: 100 mph fast ball down the middle, swing and miss
2-2: 102 mph slider in the dirt
3-2: very uncharitable 87 mph slider across the strike zone, swing and miss, ballgame
Luis Gonzalez’s World Series Walk-off
Game 7 of the 2000 World Series. The Yankees had won the previous three World (or "World") Series in a row, lead the series 3 games to 2 and are leading 2-1 in the ninth inning. Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, probably the best closer ever, allowed 11 earned runs in 141 postseason innings in his career, an ERA of 0.70.
The Diamondbacks put in legendary pitcher Randy Johnson in as a relief pitcher in the 8th inning, extremely unusual for a starting pitcher. Johnson threw 105 pitches as a starter the night before. The Diamondbacks had just joined the league as an expansion team in 1998, when the Yankees started winning back-to-back-to-back World Series. They had to beat the best closer on the best team in baseball, and they did.
Kawhi Leonard’s Buzzer-Beater Hits Every Part of the Rim
The Toronto Raptors vs. the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Toronto inbounds with 4.2 seconds left, game tied, 90-90.
Kawhi Leonard shoots, the ball hits the rim and bounces straight up.
And bounces again.
And bounces again.
And bounces again.
And goes in. Ballgame.
this jaw-dropping moment of sporting cool
That was awesome.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:14 PM on March 11 [1 favorite]
It's the greatest at-bat in the history of baseball. Ohtani's the best pitcher in baseball, Trout's the best hitter. They're teammates but playing for their national teams against each other. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, championship on the line.
0-0: 88 mph slider in the dirt
1-0: 100 mph fast ball down the middle, swing and miss
1-1: 100 mph fast ball just a bit outside
2-1: 100 mph fast ball down the middle, swing and miss
2-2: 102 mph slider in the dirt
3-2: very uncharitable 87 mph slider across the strike zone, swing and miss, ballgame
Luis Gonzalez’s World Series Walk-off
Game 7 of the 2000 World Series. The Yankees had won the previous three World (or "World") Series in a row, lead the series 3 games to 2 and are leading 2-1 in the ninth inning. Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, probably the best closer ever, allowed 11 earned runs in 141 postseason innings in his career, an ERA of 0.70.
The Diamondbacks put in legendary pitcher Randy Johnson in as a relief pitcher in the 8th inning, extremely unusual for a starting pitcher. Johnson threw 105 pitches as a starter the night before. The Diamondbacks had just joined the league as an expansion team in 1998, when the Yankees started winning back-to-back-to-back World Series. They had to beat the best closer on the best team in baseball, and they did.
Kawhi Leonard’s Buzzer-Beater Hits Every Part of the Rim
The Toronto Raptors vs. the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Toronto inbounds with 4.2 seconds left, game tied, 90-90.
Kawhi Leonard shoots, the ball hits the rim and bounces straight up.
And bounces again.
And bounces again.
And bounces again.
And goes in. Ballgame.
this jaw-dropping moment of sporting cool
That was awesome.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:14 PM on March 11 [1 favorite]
No videos?! What?! Lame
posted by DeepSeaHaggis at 12:39 AM on March 12
posted by DeepSeaHaggis at 12:39 AM on March 12
A few of them have videos but they really all should.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:43 AM on March 12
posted by kirkaracha at 7:43 AM on March 12
Another great moment in sport, or 11 great moments, really, was USA swimmer Gretchen Walsh setting nine individual world records (and being part of relay teams which set two more [here's the 4x100 medley relay where the existing record was absolutely destroyed]) at a single championship meet, the short-course world championships in Budapest this past December.
Walsh was incredibly dominant at this meet, perhaps as much as Katie Ledecky was at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which is saying something. (Walsh did well enough at the Paris Olympics, but her dominance in Budapest stemmed in large part from how good she is underwater, which is much more of a factor in the 25m laps of short-course contests, as opposed to the 50m laps of Olympic-type contests.)
posted by maxwelton at 1:01 AM on March 13
Walsh was incredibly dominant at this meet, perhaps as much as Katie Ledecky was at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which is saying something. (Walsh did well enough at the Paris Olympics, but her dominance in Budapest stemmed in large part from how good she is underwater, which is much more of a factor in the 25m laps of short-course contests, as opposed to the 50m laps of Olympic-type contests.)
posted by maxwelton at 1:01 AM on March 13
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posted by NoMich at 7:10 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]