Sports have always been a major part of society. Whether recreational or professional, million and millions from across the world enjoy their time with it. As society and culture evolve, so too does the sports we enjoy and involve ourselves with. It is a way of testing the capabilities and limitations of what humanity can achieve. In most cases, sports uplift and entertain us. For the best and elite athletes, sports is a way to immortalize their names and be given credit for the achievements and feats that they strive to achieve. As such, it is worthwhile to talk about some of the greatest moments in sports history. Here are four of those moments.
Miracle on Ice
In the 1980 Olympics, the US Hockey team beat Finland bagging the championships and bringing home the gold. However, their journey to the finals was no easy feat. They had to beat the four-time champions, the USSR team, to earn their spot at the finals. Their record against the Russians showed a degree of challenge that made them major underdogs. Months before the 1980 Olympics, the US team took a 10-3 thrashing against the Russians. To the surprise of many, they won with a scoreline of 4-3, achieving the upset of the century.
Hank Aaron’s Record-Breaking Home Run
Baseball is Americans’ favorite pastime. In this sport, Babe Ruth is one of the best players to have ever played. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron would finally break Ruth’s home run record and clobber his 715th home run to his credit. A year prior to this monumental event, Hank had 713 home runs, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to beat the record. Some of the extreme fanatics did not want a person of color to beat Ruth’s record. Fortunately for sports history, Aaron stood tall and proud and broke the record in front of over 50 thousand people in Atlanta. He is a trailblazer who set new standards for African-Americans in sports when he was given credit for breaking the record for most home runs.
Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics
At the 1936 track and field event during the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens set precedence and dominated the event. He claimed gold medals in the long jump, in the 100 and 200 meters, and he was also part of the American quartet, which won the 4×100 meter relay. Much to his credit, his feats during that event effectively debunked the “Aryan myth” in front of millions watching. During a time when Nazi propaganda filled the air, Owens, a proud person of color, obliterated the competition. Moreover, Owens is the first African-American to be sponsored by Adi Dassier, the founder of brand Adidas.
Michael Jordan’s Game Winner Against Utah Jazz
Jordan has a myriad of iconic moments to boast of during his legendary career. After all, many consider him to be the best basketball player of all time. To his credit, he is known for his clutch plays and his never-say-die mentality. His most iconic win, though, has to be the one he did against the Utah Jazz. The score was 86-85 Jazz and the clock was slowly winding down with under 30 seconds. Jordan steals the ball from Karl Malone and makes his way towards the other half of the court. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Jordan shook off his defender and sank in a mid-range jump shot that won the Bulls the game and the championship. More than the shot being the game-winner, Jordan’s final shot was also for the Chicago Bulls.
