Very OT: What are the lamest sports moments/feats that other fanbases think are huge?
Since we're in the slowest part of the year, I was thinking back to a conversation with some Rutgers fans where they kept talking about "the Upset", as if I was supposed to know what that was. When I finally asked, they were referring to when they beat us in 2014 during the Brady Hoke farewell/GTFO tour. They legitimately acted as if this was a big deal and talked about how it was a wakeup call to all the Big Ten that Rutgers was for real. There was even a big banner this past season on the side of the arena commemorating it.
It made me proud to root for a team that has actual accomplishments that people outside of the fanbase are actually aware of.
Any other stories of lame accomplishments?
those buzzer beaters in elimination games just run together I guess.
His shot to beat Utah in the 1998 NBA Finals. That to me should be called "The Shot." But I guess the one against Cleveland came first and the NBA thought it was never going to get better than that.
I'm not one to talk because admittedly, I bragged about Michigan winning the NIT.
Sadly I suspect Ohio State looks at our celebrating our one recent win vs them in 2011 the same way as they were down and had Fickel.
Who celebrates that win as meaningful? Our last meaningful victory over OSU came in 2003. And yes, that sucks.
First, I'd argue any win over them is meaningful. Second, even if it's not meaningful, I'm sure glad they aren't going for 14 wins over us in a row in November.
Well, OSU has no room to talk given they let their fans rush the field after beating us in 2014, when we finished a 5-7 season.
Ok, the thing that gets me is lesser sports or leagues making a big deal about relatively unimportant accomplishments. I like a lot of these sports, but sometimes it gets a bit silly. For example:
- A minor bike race, like the Tour of California, pumping up secondary acomplishments like the climbing jersey.
- A multi-class heat race format motor racing series (I'll use TORC, a truck-racing series in this instance) making a big deal out of a podium finish for a driver who finished #3 because his truck was one of the only three vehicles still running at the end of his race.
- The NHL's annoying habit (it was much worse in the ESPN days) of getting media types to pump up players with meh stats as stars because they wanted you to believe that they had a lot of stars worth following.
- I hate to say this, because I enjoy sailing and I enjoy the racing it is offering this year, but the America's Cup is very guilty of this. The racing itself is fine, but the fluff around it is absurd for what they're actually providing.
Also, NBC telecasts of Notre Dame football.
Mateen Cleaves coming back to play after spraining his ankle portrayed as an act of heroism. It was nauseating to hear Jim Nantz and Billy Packer gush over this "courageous" act during the game, and worse as it went into MSU basketball lore. Nantz, Packer and the Detroit media seemingly could not STFU about it.
Yes, he played a very good game (Mo Pete was better). But playing on a sprained ankle does not make you a hero, especially in the biggest game of your life. Athletes do stuff like that all the time.
The day Mike Valenti said...
"What Dantonio has done at MSU is more impressive than what Bo did at Michigan" I stopped listening to that radio station for good.
The streak was impressive when the Wings were winning playoff series against talented teams and not backing into the playoffs. Arguably since the move to the Eastern Conference, that streak was a red herring for how badly Holland crippled the organization with bad contracts given to average players. I don't expect the Wings to climb out of the hole for awhile if that bozo thinks protecting an overpaid 33 year old goalie over a potential future starter (who had one bad season) is a good idea. Good riddance that the streak is over, now a proper rebuild can begin.
This is good. Also an example of a lesser league burnishing its credentials with an underwhelming accomplishment.
Reminds me of the eggregious example of that Blackhawks points streak from a few years ago that the NHL was desperately trying to hype up that only existed because of the NHL's stupid loser point rules.
Turns out it was just a motivational gimmick last season to make some kind of meritocracy for jerseys #1-9 Link
Numbers 4-8 were more popular than expected amongst the players...
900 program wins in football. Michigan football has been around forever and 900 is a weird number to celebrate (couldnt wait 10 more years for 1000 if we're going to do this?). I suspect the reason this was so vaunted was that no one wanted to admit that beating MSU was reason enough to storm the field (up for debate).
Winning 8-12 games a year still only sees that come around maybe once a decade
Bobby Orr famous "diving" goal. He clearly shoots, then is tripped and jumps through the trip....big deal. Is shown on hockey highlight shows like some immaculate play, I don't think so. Better plays every night of hockey season.
Idk, that play is revered because it was an OT goal to win Boston's first Stanley Cup in like 30 years. Not becuse it was some great hockey play.
The BYU victory over Michigan in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, giving them an undefeated season and MNC. Most sports fans acknowledge that BYU played an incredibly weak schedule to go undefeated that season, but many will add "well, they did beat Michigan in their bowl game," as though that made up for a season spent beating up on teams the best of which could be described as mediocre. The problem is, that Michigan team was only 6-5 going into the Holiday Bowl. When your signature victory is over a team that finished .500, it's not much of a signature victory and nothing to crow about.
After a season which ended with getting eviscerated by the New England Patriots in the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts hung this banner in their stadium:
