The Single Best Sporting Event You've Ever Seen

Sigma

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I was just watching a documentary about the The Thrilla in Manilla and it got me thinking about what is the best sporting event I have ever seen. I'm too young to have seen the Thrilla in Manilla alive but obviously it's one of the most famous and spectacular sporting events of all time.

I don't really know where to start with this, but I'm interested in hearing people's opinions about what is their greatest sporting event.
 
Too many to name....but the Bayern match sticks out...also FA Cup Semi-Fnal reply between us and Arse is up there. When the Kings won their first cup was special for me.
 
Not going to go for football events.

Federer vs Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final.

Murray winning Wimbledon in 2013.
 
Live, with my own eyes? Can't really beat the 2011 UCL final, as much as it pains me to say it.

Otherwise I can't really say... I'd have a bunch of different candidates for different reasons. Seeing Brazil twatted 7-1 in their own backyard was probably the most surreal thing I've ever seen at such a high level (a WC semi, ffs). As for as an even-matched spectacle goes, I'd second Pscholes18's mention of the FA Cup semi final replay against Arsenal, the penalty save and Giggs tying the game up alone were incredible moments that would have us remembering the game for a long time, but the whole match itself was a crazy contest. And then you of course have the final of the UCL that season.

edit: aww shit, I see this is in other sports... hrm... don't follow other sports much, but seeing Bolt smash the WR with ease, and even visibly letting up a bit before the finish line, was absolutely insane. I don't have much appreciation for individual contests like that, but I know enough to know that the margins tend to be fine, and here you have a dude just killing it with ease.
 
Not sure about a single event but any top fuel drag race is something everyone should experience, they register like 2.0 on the Richter scale fecking feel it all through your body yet you're say 200 ft away lol.

Other than that it's got to be the Isle of Man TT, when you see Valentino Rossi, Mark Webber etc gobsmacked, you know it's fecking special!
 
Personally, this years final in the Aussie Open is up there. Nadal and Federer turning back time and all.
 
Istanbul - Sorry, but as a Liverpool fan, I have to mention it :D
2005 Ashes - Sorry, but as an England fan, I have to mention it :D
 
Champs League Final 99, and Germany 1 England 5 in Munich. The latter a much more enjoyable affair in terms of the match itself. The latter was better and more remarkable, but difficult to pick between the two.
 
Nadal and Federer for me.. two all time greats at their peak and performing at a Herculean level.

Usain Bolt first breaking the world record.

99 semi final between Australia and South Africa.

Istanbul.

2005 Ashes.

Wimbledon and Ashes would be my favourites.
 
I was going to say the 2008 Wimbledon final too, that was absolutely incredible.

The 2006 Ryder Cup was another, especially with Clarke's personal situation at the time. That was incredible.
 
Raees said:
Nadal and Federer for me.. two all time greats at their peak and performing at a Herculean level.

Usain Bolt first breaking the world record.

99 semi final between Australia and South Africa.

Istanbul.

2005 Ashes.

Wimbledon and Ashes would be my favourites.
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That was surreal
 
Phelps vs Le Clos at '08 Olympics.

Bolt at '08 Olympics and '09 Berlin.

Hockey USA-Canada at Winter Olympics '10.

Wimbledon 2008 Final.

Tom Boonen Paris-Roubaix '09 and '12.

Super Bowl 49 and 51.

Verstappen winning Spain GP.

Woodley vs Wonderboy 1.
 
IRL it has to be Moscow for me. The atmosphere when Terry was walking up to take his kick followed by the euphoria of him missing was like nothing else I've ever experienced.
 
Here's some of my favourite athletics moments.

1991 Men's Long jump final at the World Championships, that battle between Carl Lewis and Mike Powell was incredible, culminating in the world record which still stands to this day.

1995 Men's Triple Jump final at the World championships, Jonathan Edwards with a huge set of jumps and breaking the world record by a massive chunk.

1996 Men's 200m Olympic final, seeing Michael Johnson take a huge chunk off his own world record, never thought that 19.32s would be beaten in my lifetime and then Bolt comes along 18 years later to take it.

2009 Usain Bolt smashing his own 100m WR at the World Championships. 9.58 is a ridiculous time.

2012 David Rudisha in the 800m at the London Olympics, dominated the race from start to finish with a new world record, going sub 1:41
 
Dyslexic Untied said:
Personally, this years final in the Aussie Open is up there. Nadal and Federer turning back time and all.
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Good shout. The final set was ridiculous. Great tennis and such a great story behind it as well, two of the greatest players of all time producing, perhaps, a last Grand Slam final showdown.

RobinLFC said:
Phelps vs Le Clos at '08 Olympics.

Bolt at '08 Olympics and '09 Berlin.

Hockey USA-Canada at Winter Olympics '10.

Wimbledon 2008 Final.

Tom Boonen Paris-Roubaix '09 and '12.

Super Bowl 49 and 51.

Verstappen winning Spain GP.

Woodley vs Wonderboy 1.
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The victory in 2012 was a bit boring, even though it was great to watch as a Boonen fan. I agree with the one in 2009 though, so many incidents in the last hour and thrilling finish. His narrow loss in 2016 was a brilliant race as well, perhaps even better despite the heartbreak at the end (at least from out point of view). Paris-Roubaix is undoubtedly my favourite one-day race.
 
Packie Bonner saving the peno in Italia 90. I've never seen scenes like it in my hometown. I'd imagine its something similar to seeing your country win the World Cup.
 
1980 US Open Connors v. McEnroe has to be number one. Four and a half hours of me screaming.
2006 Turin Giant slalom> Benny Reich, Axel Svindal and Hermann Maier duke it out.
1973 Secretariat winning the Triple Crown in a record time that still exists.
1972 Olympics: Olga Korbut's Korbut flip. She stood on the higher uneven parallel bar, did a back flip and caught herself going down. The move is illegal in gymnastics today.
2004: Boston Red Sox win the World Series.
 
1980 Olympic Men's Hockey game between the US and USSR. A bunch of youngsters mostly just out of college, only some of whom would go on to have decent pro careers, vs a group of seasoned professionals, viewed as the best team in the world at the time almost all of whom could have started for almost any NHL team. In a pre-Olympic friendly the USSR had smashed the US team. Not this night.



The call of "Do you believe in miracles!?" as the clock ran down still gives me goose bumps.
 
15 years ago today. Robbie Keane vs Germany.
 
Dan said:
Here's some of my favourite athletics moments.

1991 Men's Long jump final at the World Championships, that battle between Carl Lewis and Mike Powell was incredible, culminating in the world record which still stands to this day.

1995 Men's Triple Jump final at the World championships, Jonathan Edwards with a huge set of jumps and breaking the world record by a massive chunk.

1996 Men's 200m Olympic final, seeing Michael Johnson take a huge chunk off his own world record, never thought that 19.32s would be beaten in my lifetime and then Bolt comes along 18 years later to take it.

2009 Usain Bolt smashing his own 100m WR at the World Championships. 9.58 is a ridiculous time.

2012 David Rudisha in the 800m at the London Olympics, dominated the race from start to finish with a new world record, going sub 1:41
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Nothing will ever match that race, for me. I think I'm too old to ever feel the same exhilaration from a single sporting event again. It was a formative moment in my life.
 
Olympic hockey gold medal games have been pretty memorable of late. When Canada beat the US in Salt Lake City in 2002, that was awesome. Winning again in Vancouver was probably even better. Overtime against the US with a great call from the play by play guy. Last Olympics Canada won gold again, but they were so dominate throughout the tournament it almost made it less memorable than the other two

Donovan Bailey winning gold in 96 was memorable because I watched it with my entire dad's side of the family - roughly 100 aunts, uncles, cousins and second cousins. It was a great atmosphere. My brother still talks about Ben Johnson and his rivalry with Carl Lewis as being the biggest sporting story for a year or so. The final in Seoul must rank as one of the greatest and most memorable 100m finals ever

Also, remember as a kid watching the Holyfield-Tyson fight where Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear. It was crazy memorable for all the wrong reasons
 
The 7-1 is probably the most memorable one for me. 20 Years ago (when I was a kid) if a bundesliga team signed a Brazilian you'd just automatically assume he's the best player on that team by a country mile, just because he's Brazilian.

Pistons beating the Lakers 4-1 was pretty special to me too. I watched them a lot at the time, and seeing them beat Shaq&Kobe made it worth it to get up at 4am every second day.
 
Nothing too special, Murray and Federer perform in the Aus open.
Cena v Michaels (suppose that doesn't count).
GB football team at olympics.
England v Germany friendly
Various United premier league games.
England v Australia rugby union match.
 
Nadal v Federer 2008 was a great shout. Probably the best single sporting event I've watched.

Last years Open was an amazing shootout between Stenson and Mickelson.

France v New Zealand in 1999 WC semi-final was a thrilling rugby union match.

All Ireland hurling final 2014. Kilkenny 3-22 Tipperary 1-28(draw match*) An amazing game that had to be seen to be believed. Only 9 wides all game, 53 scores in 70 pulsating minutes.

*Kilkenny won the replay 2-17 to 2-14.
 
2004 World Series: my Red Sox break the curse of the Bambino (I like your style @Barbara Charles)

2016 College Football National Championship: my Clemson Tigers (captained by a kid I coached in high school) beat Alabama for the title

1995 World Series: the Braves beat Cleveland (watched every pitch as a 7 year old)

2016 World Series: Cubs break the Billy Goat Curse

2006 Rose Bowl: Texas over Southern Cal for the National Title
 
Usain Bolt's 100m + 200m dominance.

Ayrton Senna's first lap at Donington Park in 1993.
 
The final stage in the 89 Tour de France (Lemond v Fignon) was incredible drama.

The 2005 Ashes was the best sporting series I've seen.
 
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