The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – 1983 Phi Slamma Jamma March Madness

Posted on March 12, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Phi Slamma Jamma sounds like the name of some rare pokemon.  If it were a pokemon, it would’ve been a very tall one with an extreme power to dunk a basketball.  This was the name attributed to the University of Houston Cougars men’s basketball teams of the early 1980s.  The name stood for the Cougars’ unorthodox method of playing street ball on a basketball court and setting up plays that ultimately ended in a slam dunk which Coach Guy Lewis referred to as “high-percentage shots”.

Houston had players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler to back up this style of play.  However, the 1983 NCAA Championship game proved that Phi Slamma Jamma could be had.  An underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack team came into Albuquerque, New Mexico with a tall order on their hands (no pun intended).  They attacked Houston right out of the gates and led by 7 at the half.  Phi Slamma Jamma woke up in the second half and dominated but missed a lot of free throws allowing North Carolina State to tread water (maybe a little less dunking and more free throw practice does the trick).

The last seconds of the game were classic and one of the greatest moments in sports archives history.  With the game tied 52-52, NC State’s Dereck Whittenburg puts up a 30 foot arching air ball only to be grabbed by Lorenzo Charles who dunks it through at the buzzer!  Hence, ironically, Phi Slamma Jamma is given a taste of its own medicine and is beaten by a dunk in the last second, 54-52!

Watch the highlights here.

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – 1982 Michael Jordan March Madness

Posted on March 11, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 1982 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament was a very special year for March Madness.  The championship game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the North Carolina Tar Heels featured a gold mine of players that went on to become NBA superstars.  The game itself was played in spectacular fashion with the lead changing 15 times and no team ever having an advantage by more than a few points.

Eric “Sleepy” Floyd put the Hoyas on top 62-61 with just over a minute left.  North Carolina called a timeout and probably discussed how to get the ball to their young freshman for a shot.  Wait, you ask, why go to a freshman for such an important two points in the final minute of the game?  When your freshman is Michael Jordan, you go to your freshman!  That is precisely what the Tar Heels did and Jordan did not fail them, hitting a jumper with 17 seconds remaining to push Carolina back in front 63-62.  Georgetown tried to rebound quickly but threw the ball right into the hands of Carolina’s James Worthy.   Worthy was fouled with 2 seconds left and although he missed both free throws, Georgetown could not drop their last desperation attempt.  The score stood and North Carolina reigned champion.

Besides Jordan, another freshman, this one from Georgetown had also given it everything he had that day.  Hoyas’ Patrick Ewing finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and a ton of goaltending calls.  Finally, Carolina’s Sam Perkins rounded out the talent that was displayed on the court that day.

You have to see the highlights here.

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – Boston Marathon Hall of Shame

Posted on March 5, 2011 by thesportsarchives

One of the greatest moments in sports archives history was a not-so great moment that occurred during the 1980 Boston Marathon. Take a second and visualize a runner emerging from a crowd of people standing on the sidelines about a half-mile from the finish line. This runner subsequently finishes first and becomes the third-fastest women runner in marathon history. This is precisely what happened in Boston!

Rosie Ruiz did the unforgivable not only in Boston but also in the New York Marathon just a year earlier. Ruiz was seen using the NYC subway system as a means for a short-cut and was never seen crossing the finish line. Nevertheless, she was given a time of 2:56:29, placing her 11th among women, and qualifying her for the Boston event. It wasn’t until later that NY officials voided her time after videotape revealed that she never crossed the finish line.

The Boston debacle was a little different. The Boston officials became suspicious right away when Ruiz began talking to the press about her miraculous finish. Not only did she not remember her ‘split’ times, but it became clear that she did not know what ‘split’ times were! More groundwork revealed the fact that checkpoint officials never saw her on the course. Moreover, other top runners never saw her pass them and two Harvard students stated that she emerged from the crowd just prior to finishing.

As Boston officials were scrambling, Ruiz was enjoying the limelight. She went on many interviews informing the public of her lack of knowledge of the Boston towns she supposedly ran through and how she trained for only 1.5 years and did not understand what interval training was. Finally, later in the week, word came from the Boston authorities that Ruiz would be disqualified and her name stricken from the record books forever.

Not too long after the Boston scandal, Ruiz would be arrested for embezzlement and also for her involvement in a drug deal. However, to this day, she has sworn to have completed the Boston Marathon!  I believe her …. NOT!

Rosie Ruiz

It's all over for Rosie Ruiz at the Boston Marathon!

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The Sports Archives – Dodgers Legend Duke Snider

Posted on February 28, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Duke Snider, also known as “The Silver Fox” and “The Duke of Flatbush” played center field for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers for the majority of his career.  He played in the shadows of center field greats such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, but to his credit, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980 and his #4 jersey was retired by the Dodgers the same year.

Snider grew up in Southern California and was an all-star athlete.  He was called up to play for Brooklyn in 1949 and never looked back.  His numbers kept going up as he helped the Dodgers win 6 of 10 National League pennants between the years 1947 and 1956.  He helped carry the Dodgers on his shoulders and like any player with this amount of responsibility; he had to face the media chatter when his numbers slipped some in 1951.  Nevertheless, Snider persevered and became a Dodger legend attaching his name to some of the best years in Dodgers history.

Snider finished his career with 407 home runs and 1,333 RBIs.  He averaged a home run in every 17.6 times at bat.  Besides being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was an eight-time All-Star, finished 6 times in the top 10 MVP and hit 4 or more home runs in two different World Series.

Snider just recently passed away in Escondido, California at the ripe old age of 84.  He will always be remembered as one of The Sports Archives’ legends of Dodger baseball history.

Duke Snider

Duke Snider, Brooklyn Dodgers

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – 1937 Indianapolis 500

Posted on February 23, 2011 by thesportsarchives

There was an old commercial that stated that a particular brand of coffee was ‘good to the last drop’.  This might have been the slogan Wilbur Shaw could have used for his Maserati 8CTF after winning the 1937 Indianapolis 500.

Wilbur Shaw was a racing namesake back in the 1930s and 40s.  He won the Indy 500 three times and finished seven times in the top 5.  He had a 3 mile lead in the 1937 Indy with 35 laps to go when his engine began leaking oil at a serious rate.  His pit crew said that he was 1 minute and fourteen seconds ahead of second place driver Ralph Hepburn.  Shaw immediately calculated the speed he needed to finish first and still retain enough oil so as to complete the race.  When Shaw cut his speed in his effort to conserve oil, Hepburn quickly closed the gap.   Hepburn starting inching ahead of Shaw in the final lap and Shaw was wondering if he would make to the finish line.  In one last desperate attempt, Shaw pushed on the accelerator and the Maserati responded by edging out Hepburn’s car by 2.16 seconds.  The engine died just after it crossed the line and there was but a few drops of oil left in the tank!

Wilbur Shaw became president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 but died tragically and ironically in a plane crash in 1954.  He would have agreed that the engine in his Maserati that day in 1937 was ‘good to the last drop’.

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The Sports Archives – 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Has Arrived!

Posted on February 19, 2011 by thesportsarchives

In the United States, when people mention the Cricket World Cup, most probably visualize a circus soccer tournament played by insects…and why not? Elephants play soccer. But, the truth of the matter is that Cricket is gaining more respect and becoming more international over recent years.

First, a little about Cricket in a nutshell. The game, played on an oval field, resembles baseball somewhat, mixed in with a little of the child’s game ‘running bases’. There are 11 players per side and substitutes are allowed in only for injury or illness. As in baseball, there are pitchers, known as bowlers, batters known as batsman, runs, outs and innings. The bowler’s job is to strike what is known as a wicket, which is made up of three wooden stakes called stumps connected at the top by wooden crosspieces called bails. The batter’s job is to protect the wicket by hitting the ball off a bounce. If the batsman is out, then he has lost his wicket and the bowler is said to have taken his wicket.

Cricket, known as “The Gentleman’s Game” must be viewed in order to be understood and enjoyed. There is much finesse in the way bowlers try for wickets and since there are no foul lines, batsmen look to place the ball instead of hitting it out of the park. Ty Cobb and Ted Williams probably would have been great cricketers.

The governing body of Cricket is called the International Cricket Council or ICC and is what FIFA is to soccer. There are over 100 countries included in ICC membership and much like World Cup Soccer, there are qualifying games or fixtures between countries, called “Test matches” that ultimately lead to Cricket Word Cup eligibility.

The Cricket World Cup is the fourth largest and most viewed sporting event. Australia is to cricket what Brazil is to soccer. They have won the Cup 4 times and are the current reigning champions. Some of the players to watch in this year’s tournament are Australia’s Ricky Ponting, India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, and West Indies’ Chris Gayle.

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The Sports Archives History Lesson – Red Auerbach and Basketball’s Sixth Man

Posted on February 15, 2011 by thesportsarchives

One of the greatest moments in sports archives history was the application of the ‘Sixth Man’ in basketball.  The strategy of the ‘Sixth Man’ is credited to Red Auerbach who coached the NBA Boston Celtics.

Auerbach surmised that his team could demoralize their opponents and turn or add momentum by keeping what would normally be a starting player on the bench and then waiting for the right moment to substitute the player in.  The philosophy worked and the Boston Celtics went on to develop some of the best ‘bench players’ or ‘sixth men’ in all of basketball.

The first great sixth man was Frank Ramsey.  Other great Celtics to follow were John Havlicek, Don Nelson and Paul Silas.  Because the league thought so well of the strategy of the sixth man, a Sixth Man Award was instated in 1982-83.   Boston’s Kevin McHale, Detroit Pistons Ricky Pierce, and Indiana Pacers Detlef Schrempf were all twice winners of the Sixth Man Award.  Jamal Crawford of the Atlanta Hawks is the latest winner to date.

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford - latest winner of NBA "Sixth Man" Award.

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – Miracle at the Meadowlands

Posted on February 9, 2011 by thesportsarchives

One of the greatest moments in sports archives history happened during an NFL Game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles on November 19, 1978.  Although this was not a playoff game, it is a memorable event because of a call and execution of a play that turned a sure Giant victory into a ‘giant’ defeat.

The Giants were up 17-12, they had control of the ball on their own 26 yard line with 31 seconds left.  On second down, Giant quarterback Joe Pisarcik kneeled the ball like any quarterback would do in this situation to secure the victory.  The football player code of conduct calls for both teams not to block and to accept the ultimate outcome of the game.  However, Eagle linebacker Bill Bergey was not in an accepting mood and he pushed Giants’ center Jim Clack into Pisarcik in an attempt to cause a fumble.  Seeing what was happening from the sidelines, Giants’ Offensive Coordinator Bob Gibson did not want his quarterback touched, so he called the next play to be a hand-off to running back Larry Csonka.  The consensus in the huddle was that this was the wrong call and Pisarcik should just kneel again, however, Pisarcik did not want to override Gibson’s authority.  The Eagles naturally brought all players to the line and with all the confusion, Pisarcik did not really get a good grip off the snap which caused him to bobble the ball during the hand-off to Csonka.  The ball hit Csonka’s hip and bounced loose only to be picked up by Eagle’s cornerback Herm Edwards who sprinted into the end zone untouched for the Eagle victory.

On game losing plays like that, heads have to roll, so Bob Gibson was fired the next morning.  In the aftermath, the play came to be remembered in the sports archives as “The Miracle at the Meadowlands”.

See it here.

Miracle at the Meadowlands

Herm Edwards scoops up Joe Pisarcik fumble for Eagles victory in the "Miracle at the Meadowlands"!

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – Cleveland Browns “The Fumble”

Posted on February 8, 2011 by thesportsarchives

One year after “The Drive“, another memorable event occurred between the same Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Once again, it was the AFC Divisional Championship Game played on January 17, 1988 in Denver.

This time, it was Cleveland driving in the late stages of the game looking for the score and the tie. Down 38-31 with 4 minutes left, they drove to the Bronco’s 8 yard line. Cleveland running back Earnest Byner was having a heroic game, however, his luck changed when Bronco defensive back Jeremiah Castille stripped the ball from Byner on Cleveland’s next play. Denver recovered the fumble on their 2 yard, which ironically is where they started their ‘Drive’ a year earlier. Byner was devastated to say the least. Denver gave the Browns an intentional safety and held on to win 38-33.

The play became known in the sports archives history as the “The Fumble“.

See it here.

The Fumble

Earnest Byner after "The Fumble".

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – Denver Bronco’s “The Drive”

Posted on February 6, 2011 by thesportsarchives

One of the greatest moments in sports archives history happened during the AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns on January 11, 1987. This was not one particular play or event, but a series of plays which ultimately led to Denver tying the game.

Denver was trailing the Browns, 20-13 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. Led by quarterback, John Elway, they took control of the ball at their own 2 yard line and in 15 plays, spanning 5 minutes and 2 seconds; they mesmerized the Browns defense and marched 98 yards downfield for a touchdown with just 37 seconds remaining on the clock.

The closest the Browns came to stopping them was when they forced a 3rd and 18 after sacking Elway. On the very next play, Elway retaliated by completing a 20 yard pass to the Cleveland 28 for a first down. They completed the drive with an Elway to Mark Jackson 5 yard toss for the score.

Denver went on to win the game in overtime 23-20. The series of plays to tie the game became known as “The Drive”, a great moment in sports archives history.

See it here.

The Drive

John Elway executing "The Drive".

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