Semi-OT: Most dominating sports performances
So, recently we've seen a lot of domination in sports. The NBA had 3 second round sweeps with the Magic obliterating the Hawks, the Cavs got owned by Boston last night, the Blackhawks completely out-played the Canucks in game 6, there was a perfect game in baseball, Halak has owned the NHL playoffs recently, etc.
Got me thinking, what's the most dominating sports performance you remember? Can be series long, game, inning, whatever, scoreboard, style of play, etc. Something that gave me a "He's playing like a man among boys" feeling. A couple off the top of my head:
Michigan vs ND 2006 47-21
U of M's defense vs. Penn State 2006. Even though we weren't scoring, i remember thinking, no way we lose this game, this is a crushing D
.
An Ali fight i saw on ESPNClassic a while ago - he used his right hand twice in the 7 round fight. got a 10 second knockdown in the 4th, and a KO in the 7th
The '85 Bears defense. Scores in the playoffs? 21-0, 24-0, 41-10. They gave up 10 points in 3 games on their way to the Superbowl. Anyone know a scarier man in glasses than Mike Singletary?
Your favorites?
(Semi-OT because some of these might be michigan sports)
Vince Young in the Rose Bowl against USC was the first thing to come to my mind.
Ditto. The way he'd been playing all game (and in the previous year's Rose Bowl argh) it was almost inevitable he'd run that fourth-down touchdown in by himself. I had the feeling he would, and then he did - it was like there couldn't possibly be any other outcome.
I was trying to think of more individual football performances, and somehow this slipped my mind.
He was ridiculous that day, and beating SC made it all the better to watch
2005 Rose Bowl was full of dominating performances. Vince Young could do anything he pleased against our defense. Steve Breaston was unstoppable on special teams. Chad Henne threw 4 touchdown passes as a true freshman. Braylon Edwards had 3 touchdown catches. This was the best game I have ever attended.
The best team that I have ever watched play: 2005 Nebraska. They defeated the #2 team that year, 62-26.
I think you mean 1995. 2005 Nebraska played us in the Alamo Bowl.
1995 Nebraska is the first thing that came to my mind as well (I have since repented, but I was a Nebraska fan at the time). That team was insanely good, and the performance by Frazier, particularly in the bowl game, was amazing.
Here's a couple:
(1) Leo Messi v. Arsenal last month - 4 goals.
(2) Barcelona 6 - Real Madrid 2 at the Bernebeu, 2009.
(3) The Netherlands 6 - Yugoslavia 0 (Euro 2000);
(4) Michigan 29 - Minnesota 6 (2008).
Unfortunately the Lebron James show in the 4th quarter + overtime against the Pistons in the 2007 ECF (game 5 was it?)
I remember watching that and I was very impressed even though I was rooting against him. Detroit's defense was still one of the best in the league at that time and they couldn't even slow him down. I think that was a very pivitol game in his development as a superstar player and leader.
It definitely was a pivotal moment in LeBron's move to stardom. It was when the refs started giving him the benefit of every call, ala MJ. Not that I am bitter or anything...
In dismantling the Pistons. That game was to the Pistons what the 2005 NBA Finals was to the Lakers. I believe the proper terminology per this blog is "Dong Punch".
Dude was an absolute force. He just mauled people.
I'd also throw Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000 (where he won by 15 strokes) and, of course, the Mule against San Jose last week (4 goals, 6 points, total domination).
was the first thing I thought of as well.
I agree with the Tiger Woods part, but for a longer time frame. In 2000 he entered 20 tournaments and finished in the top 3 14 times with 9 wins and three majors. He broke his own earnings record, was AP male athlete of the year (he joined Michael Jordan as the only 3 time winner), the only repeat SI sportsman of the year winner, and had a scoring average of 68.17 (the lowest ever). His win at Pebble was by 15, and his win at the British was by 10. In 2001 he won the Masters again and became the only golfer to ever have all the major titles at one time. There were news articles about how he was ruining the game of golf because everyone was basically only playing for second. He was absolutely dominant.
I was definitely thinking Tiger as well. Its tough to pick one out of 97 master, 00 US open, or 00 Open to be the most dominant. You could make a case for any of them.
I agree, ask Michael Spinks what the most dominating performance he ever saw was. If he can remember it.
2000 Open by 15. Nothing else comes close.
97 Masters isnt that far behind if at all.
For the great memories.
Go BLUE!!!!!!
The Undertaker and his career dominance at Wrestlemania
So dominate since they already know who's going to win...
and anyone going up against him, anytime, anywhere.
This fall we will see a man amongst little brothers.
There are a lot I can think of (Wilt Chamberlin 100-pt game, for example), but of the games I've been to:
- Charles Woodson 1997 versus OSU
- Michigan 49-3 over State 2002. State gets clocked after clock-gate.
- Michigan D 2006 at Penn State at night
- Michigan 38-0 over ND after the Horror and Oregon games
- That sounds nice, lets do it again: Michigan 38-0 over ND 2003
"To hell with Notre Dame." - Bo.
Game 7 versus the Avalanche in 2002.
We won the game 7-0 and it launched us a step closer to the Stanley Cup.
In the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997 and 1998, the Red Wings swept the Flyers and the Captials.
From a team perspective (and UM related) it was 1997 UM vs. PSU. Completely dominated PSU at Beaver Stadium on "judgment day." It was a physical domination that propelled UM to the national title.
Daydrion Taylor's hit was the signature play in that game.
It certainly was the signature play but that game was also total domination from the M offense, the M defense, the M coaching....etc. It was one of the most one-sides games from two top-5 teams (late in the season) I have ever seen. And the score didn't even reflect the level of play as UM never tried to rub it in.
Even before that, we set the tone by bringing down their double-reverse (or whatever it was) for a gigantic loss on the first play of the game.
I am shocked this guy has not been mentioned.
Michael Jordan
Anytime he stepped on the court was usually the most dominant performance ever.
Yeah, it's all about the details:
63 in Boston - highest scoring playoff game ever, prompting Larry Legend to say “I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
more dominating performances/quotes here http://www.nba.com/history/Classic_NBA_Quotes_Jordan.html
performance of Jordan's career was game 5 in the 1997 NBA finals against the Jazz, when he had a great game while suffering from the flu.
And he could really throw food well.
Johan Franzen vs Colorado Avalanche in 2008. 9 goals in 4 games. 2 hat tricks. I've never seen someone completely take over a playoff hockey series like Franzen did.
I was gonna say Braylon Edwards against MSU but it's already up there so I'm gonna go with Michael J. Fox as the wolf in Teen Wolf
Nobody's mentioned Lance Armstrong and the way he dominated the most prestigious race in international cycling for 7 years? His performance in the 2004 L'Alpe D'Huez time trial was definitely one of the most dominant athletic performances I've seen.
Bolt jogging away with 100M Gold in the 08 Olympics is a close second for me... shoe untied at the end, slowed down to celebrate, STILL crushed the second place in the race.
lance armstrong's crash and recovery on stage 15 in 2003 was also pretty amazing.
Floyd Landis pre-doping accusations in Stage 17(18?) was epic too.
I can't respect Landis because he Actually doped to win that stage after hitting rock bottom. Everyone in cycling knows it.
Lance on the other hand... everyone KNOWS he doped pre-Chemo, but post-Chemo the common consensus is that he's been clean.
Oh, I certainly agree. But for those three days after the stage and before the test results were released, nobody dared call him anything other than superman.
'95 vs. Osu. Total domination.
3 rushing TDs, 2 passing TDs, 4 extra points, 3 interceptions on defense and 3 punts with an average of 50 yards per kick.
He received a standing ovation from the OSU fans after the game.
I was going to put ol' 98 up as well but had a hard time finding exactly which game. Maybe we should just assume his whole career?
When an opposing fan is fed up with your dominating performance enough to come down on the field to try and stop you personally, you know you've done something special.
I don't "remember" it, since it happened before i was born, but: Blues vs Flyers 1968 Red Berenson put in 6 goals for St Louis.