Top 10 most patriotic moments in sports history
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
We stand on the eve of an important milestone. A day that provokes national reflection. The kind of moment that makes you proud to be an American.
Yes, Joey Chestnut is poised to topple Kobayashi in the hot-dog eating contest today.
Of course, even if Mr. Chestnut fails in his valiant effort (update: He didn't), the team at We Rite Goode wanted to spend today pondering other patriotic moments in our nation's sports history. We've already detailed our methodology and listed some moments that didn't quite make the cut, as well as the sporting events threatening to give Lady Liberty a black eye in recent years.
Thus after much deliberation, our top 10 list follows below. We expect a quibble here or there, so tell us what we got wrong or forgot using the comments at post's end. Have a swell Independence Day, all.
#10) San Diego Padres dress their players in camouflage
It's often ignored in the wake of more important stuff, but the U.S. has been effectively at war for the past five years. But one group hasn't forgotten our overseas troops: The San Diego Padres, who honor our soldiers the best way they know how--by stationing a National Guard unit at Petco.
Still, the camouflauge isn't enough to qualify for top 10 status; what makes the difference is that the Pads apparently don't limit themselves to guarding the San Diego Zoo. As the San Diego Union Tribune reports, with some choice editing:
"As often as he could this offseason, Peavy had a gun or a bow in his hand... According to Peavy..."the coolest thing for me [was wearing] 'United States of America' [gear]."
Look, I'm just going to connect the dots--weapons...gear...crossbow--and say that Peavy sounds like a dude who'd welcome the hills of Kabul in the offseason. And that's just one Pad--who knows what damage the Giles brothers could reek on Al Qaeda? Clothes make the man and camo makes an army unit. So thank you, Padres, for all you do. Peavy for the Cy and America salutes you.
(Update: Some WRG writers are taking strong issue with the Padres' camo making our top 10. If you can give us a better example in the 10 spot, we'll consider it.)
((Update on the Update: So commenter Anon suggests Whitney Houston singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV--and we don't disagree. God bless America, indeed.))
).
#9) Americans rally to win 1999 Ryder Cup
Skip to 3:21 to see the greatness that was Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt. Of course, the Euros got their bobbysocks in a twist when the US then celebrated on the green--ok, so maybe Jose Maria Olazabal had a putt of his own to attempt--but pish-posh. That attitude lost you the New World, Jeeves!
#8) Hulk Hogan enters the ring to his "Real American" theme song
The WWF=an American institution. And nothing says patriotic like Hulk Hogan in front of a blue screen!!
The real question is, with skills like these, why didn't the Hulkster compete in the recent U.S. Air Guitar championships? This is a time where the U.S. needs leadership...and Hogan knows best!
#7) '92 Dream Team: Barkley elbows an Angolan
Sure, the US won each game handily. And forget pictures after the game--our opponents basically begged posterized, if only to save on film costs. But no moment better personifies the American spirit than the Chuckster's elbow to an innocent Angolan player; the Dream Team may have been on its way to a 46-1 run, but it was missing something (thuggery!), which Charles amply provided. Somehow, Barkley's elbow didn't make the Top 10 list of plays, however...but we know how key it was.
#6) 1980 Winter Olympics: USA Hockey over the USSR
Although we didn't see any other "patriotic moments" lists, this Hockey semi-finals would seem to be contractually required for one. However, we mixed it up just a little and lifted a video from the movie "Miracle" instead.
#5) Rocky wins the Cold War! I mean, defeats Ivan Drago
For my money, the first Rocky was just as patriotic as #4--who can resist the old Horatio Alger story, starring a slurring low-level mob muscle man and Carl Weathers? But for sheer "America, **** yeah!" attitude, you can't top a Moscow crowd cheering for the flag-clad Italian Stallion. I think Sports Guy credits this movie for glasnost.
#4) Randall Simon takes out Guido, the Italian sausage
A shocking, violent, depraved act--until you realize that Simon, in his nationalistic fervor, was merely helping America's own "Frankie Furter" along to victory.
#3) Rick Monday saves the American flag
Another must-have moment for this list. A quick gesture with a lot of staying power. It probably helped that an All-American boy like Monday was the one to rescue Old Glory, and not his teammate in the outfield, Ivan Von Kruschevzky.
#2) Steve Francis refuses to play in Vancouver
In the news a lot this week because of Yi Jianlian, but came right to our minds before that. From the Sports Guy's old Draft Diary:
After the Grizzlies select Stevie Francis second, a disappointed Francis puts on a Grizzlies hat, shakes hands with Stern and tries to pretend he's happy. But when he and his grandmother head on stage for an interview with Sager, Francis becomes steadily more distraught by the realization that he's heading to Vancouver. When Sager asks him, "How does it feel?", Francis rolls his eyes, holds back tears, leans back in his seat, stares up at the roof in dismay and looks like he might start screaming. Sager quickly throws it back to Ernie.
On "PTI," guest host J.A. Adande said that by demanding a trade, Francis helped "destroy basketball in Vancouver." I'm not sure I'd go that far--although Francis get smajor America points regardless--but selfishness, greed, and hissy-fits? Why, good for Steve in taking those abroad...Canadians could stand to learn a few things! And who can blame Francis for begging out? The city's clean, healthy--an underrated center of the entertainment industry. We're talking affluence, and you certainly wouldn't want that...as a multi-millionaire basketball player.
#1) Tiger bagging a Swedish bikini team model
Yes, Woods is the king of golf. And it's not unusual for
But let's be honest. Mickelson and Toms...well, they seem like average guys. Try as he might to hide it, Tiger's nerdom is as part of him as his Stanford education.
And success doesn't always equate to a Swedish bikini team model. Bill Gates is the richest man in the world...and, erm, I'm sure his wife's personality makes for a happy marriage. Perhaps they have stimulating conversation. But anyway.
No, I will always remember when I found out Tiger was with Elin. Not because I'm a huge golf fan, a Tiger fan, or somehow follow the Swedish bikini models on a daily (as opposed to the more regular biweekly) basis. But because this is any red-blooded American's dream. U-S-A!
Labels: Charles Barkley, Elin, Hulk Hogan, Jake Peavy, Joey Chestnut, Kobayashi, Tiger
posted by Crucifictorious @ 07:27,
60 Comments:
-
At July 4, 2007 at 6:11 PM,
said...
-
Nice idea
-
At July 5, 2007 at 7:59 PM,
said...
-
Thought that some of your runner-ups were better than some of these...Randall Simon over the 02 World Cup, seriously?
-
At July 6, 2007 at 1:12 PM,
said...
-
Realize this is mostly a joke, but #1 should be Whitney Houston at Super Bowl.
-
At July 8, 2007 at 1:25 AM,
said...
-
Pat Tillman should live forver in the minds of American Sports Fans. The Arizona Cardinal that retired and went and died to defend our country.
He was young, talented, had it all, and went to fight for us all in what he thought to be the right thing for all Americans.
God Bless him and his family. -
At February 8, 2010 at 1:51 AM,
said...
-
lovely, i just made even more new emo backgrounds in my blog
http://www.emo-backgrounds.info -
At June 13, 2012 at 5:24 PM,
price per head online said...
-
Its so interesting article..Thanks for sharing..
-
At November 13, 2012 at 9:13 AM,
said...
-
buy diazepam online diazepam pregnancy use - valium side effects memory loss
-
At November 13, 2012 at 11:20 AM,
said...
-
generic ambien buy ambien stories side effects - ambien lamictal drug interactions
-
At November 14, 2012 at 12:55 AM,
said...
-
buy diazepam diazepam 2mg when pregnant - effects of diazepam 2mg
-
At November 15, 2012 at 6:52 AM,
said...
-
lorazepam mg lorazepam ratiopharm 1mg wirkung - buy ativan toronto
-
At November 16, 2012 at 3:35 AM,
said...
-
cheap alprazolam what does generic xanax look like - best place to buy xanax online forum
-
At November 16, 2012 at 6:43 PM,
said...
-
buy ativan want to buy ativan - ativan overdose child
-
At November 18, 2012 at 5:47 AM,
said...
-
xanax drug generic equivalent xanax - xanax generic for
-
At November 18, 2012 at 10:38 AM,
said...
-
cheap alprazolam generic xanax round white - effects of xanax and alcohol together
-
At November 20, 2012 at 9:27 PM,
said...
-
ambien online without rx ambien pill types - ambien and alcohol overdose
-
At November 21, 2012 at 6:18 AM,
said...
-
soma without prescription generic for sumatriptan - soma drug family
-
At November 21, 2012 at 3:43 PM,
said...
-
buy generic valium valium dosage per kilogram - buy roche valium no prescription
-
At November 22, 2012 at 10:18 AM,
said...
-
generic zolpidem can you buy ambien at walgreens - ambien cr cost
-
At November 23, 2012 at 12:00 AM,
said...
-
online pharmacy for valium street prices for valium 10 mg - valium
-
At November 23, 2012 at 4:15 AM,
said...
-
ambien drug ambien side effects 2012 - ambien side effects in men
-
At November 23, 2012 at 4:23 PM,
said...
-
where to buy ambien online ambien sleep onset - ambien sleep eating
-
At November 25, 2012 at 2:45 AM,
said...
-
generic valium pill identifier valium 10mg pics - buy msj valium online
-
At February 6, 2013 at 4:47 PM,
said...
-
dalsCleax order plavix no prescription - clopidogrel without prescription http://www.plavixonlinediscount.com/#clopidogrel-without-prescription
-
At February 10, 2013 at 12:51 AM,
said...
-
Veterinarian Off-label Drug Prescription sibutramine without prescription - buy reductil http://www.meridiaonlineorder.net/#buy-reductil , [url=http://www.meridiaonlineorder.net/#buy-meridia-without-prescription ]buy meridia without prescription [/url]
-
At February 13, 2013 at 4:36 PM,
said...
-
2, finasteride online pharmacy - cost of propecia http://www.wheretobuymedsonline.com/propecia/], [url=http://www.wheretobuymedsonline.com/propecia/]buy propecia no prescription [/url]
-
At March 2, 2013 at 10:13 AM,
said...
-
6, buy sumatripan - imitrex price http://www.imitrexonlinebuy.com/#imitrex-sale-online, [url=http://www.imitrexonlinebuy.com/#imitrex-sale]sumatriptan without prescription[/url]
-
At March 6, 2013 at 9:07 PM,
said...
-
ooo!!! Buy Topiramate - where to buy topamax http://www.cheaptopamaxorder.net/#topamax-no-prescription, [url=http://www.cheaptopamaxorder.net/#topamax-no-prescription]Topamax For Sale[/url]
-
At March 9, 2013 at 10:43 PM,
said...
-
g, purchase provigil - buy generic provigil online no prescription http://www.thegooddoctormovie.com/#buy-generic-provigil-online-no-prescription , [url=http://www.thegooddoctormovie.com/#provigil-cost ]provigil cost [/url]
-
At March 10, 2013 at 10:04 AM,
said...
-
ny, Biology Assignments - http://www.onlinewritinghelp101.com/biology.html#biology-assignments, [url=http://www.onlinewritinghelp101.com/biology.html#biology-online]Biology Project[/url]
-
At March 16, 2013 at 2:37 PM,
said...
-
oZzy moved away a few months ago, I miss his cock, and i am always
hungry for sexual intercourse.
FUCK MY PUSSY!
My site hcg injections -
At March 21, 2013 at 7:02 AM,
said...
-
Li, neurontin online - cheap gabapentin http://www.neurontinonlineprice.net/, [url=http://www.neurontinonlineprice.net/]order neurontin[/url]
-
At March 21, 2013 at 7:53 AM,
said...
-
Nice job, really good article mate free iPhone
tiestox 6439 -
At March 21, 2013 at 4:20 PM,
said...
-
Hi, [url=http://www.topamaxdirectonline.com/]topamax medication [/url] - where to buy topamax - topamax pills http://www.topamaxdirectonline.com/.
-
At March 22, 2013 at 2:34 PM,
said...
-
Porno 12 years underground porno
-
At March 22, 2013 at 4:09 PM,
said...
-
4, [url=http://www.benefitsofisotretinoin.net/]cheap isotretinoin online [/url] - order isotretinoin - order accutane online http://www.benefitsofisotretinoin.net/.
-
At March 22, 2013 at 5:57 PM,
said...
-
Home New Movies Popular Movies Live Cam Girls Free Live Cams Porn Free Porn Movies Fuck ... Free Porno - Sex Videos - Sex Movies - Porn Tube 13 years porn xxx porno
-
At March 22, 2013 at 6:28 PM,
said...
-
Porno 14 years old sex girls
-
At March 22, 2013 at 7:14 PM,
said...
-
Vintage porn-14 years old girls
-
At March 22, 2013 at 7:29 PM,
said...
-
Fat Girls Porn Single Girls Porn!
-
At March 22, 2013 at 7:46 PM,
said...
-
4, Generic Accutane Cost - accutane without rx http://www.benefitsofisotretinoin.net/, [url=http://www.benefitsofisotretinoin.net/]Isotretinoin No Prescription[/url]
-
At March 22, 2013 at 9:31 PM,
said...
-
Home New Movies Popular Movies Live Cam Girls Free Live Cams Porn Free Porn Movies Fuck ... Free Porno - Sex Videos - Sex Movies - Porn Tube A 14 Years Old Asian Girl porno xxx sex - Video - Metacafe - Online Video
-
At March 22, 2013 at 11:06 PM,
said...
-
Porno Fox; Free Tube Sex; Horny Girls; Radical Porn; Videos Bang; Lovely Clips; Sex Reaction; Jerk Cult; Asteroid Movies; Homemade Mpegs; BBW Movies; Lust Porn Tube Porno Movies
-
At March 23, 2013 at 12:10 AM,
said...
-
hese hot girls will do ANYTHING. Check it out! ... Check out the new "YouSexdotcom" for tons of free? videos, beautiful girls, non-stop laughs and HD yang girl porno is on fire at Great sexy Girls
-
At March 23, 2013 at 2:03 AM,
said...
-
Virgin girl porno!Real Virgin Video & Pictures . First time in the life of Lena felt real love! He barely picked her shirt and kiss young firm hips 14 years girl porno
-
At March 23, 2013 at 2:19 AM,
said...
-
exy Girls tubes, xxx porn vids, streaming porno videos - Free porn The number one place on the net for hot porn XXX movies, where you will find whatever Free Sex Movies
-
At March 23, 2013 at 3:23 AM,
said...
-
Vintage 16-year-old girl porn
-
At March 23, 2013 at 3:39 AM,
said...
-
School Sex Porno Videos
-
At March 23, 2013 at 3:55 AM,
said...
-
School Sex 16-year-old girl porn
-
At March 23, 2013 at 5:15 AM,
said...
-
exy Girls tubes, xxx porn vids, streaming porno videos - Free porn The number one place on the net for hot porn XXX movies, where you will find whatever Porno Videos
-
At March 23, 2013 at 5:31 AM,
said...
-
Virgin Sex 15 years 18 years teen porno
-
At March 23, 2013 at 8:09 AM,
said...
-
Porno Free old-man-fuck-young-girls - Porno, Free Porno, Mom Son Porn, Dirty Porno, Drunk Porn, Japanese Porn, Arab Porno, Indian Porno Arab porno, Milf, Porno . 12 years underground porno
-
At March 27, 2013 at 8:07 AM,
said...
-
Virgin girl porno!Real Virgin Video & Pictures . First time in the life of Lena felt real love! He barely picked her shirt and kiss young firm hips FREE PORN! FREE SEX! Perfect Girls Tube
-
At March 27, 2013 at 8:16 AM,
said...
-
Young Girls Have Sex! Only Best Young Girls show their Pussy, Young girls porn the biggest collection of Young Girls Porn, Young Teen Like suck cock. Hot Young Girls . Porno Videos
-
At March 27, 2013 at 9:00 AM,
said...
-
hese hot girls will do ANYTHING. Check it out! ... Check out the new "YouSexdotcom" for tons of free? videos, beautiful girls, non-stop laughs and HD Young Girls Sex & Young Girls Porn & Young Girl Pussy
-
At March 27, 2013 at 9:09 AM,
said...
-
Virgin girl porno!Real Virgin Video & Pictures . First time in the life of Lena felt real love! He barely picked her shirt and kiss young firm hips 14 years old sex girls
-
At March 27, 2013 at 10:25 AM,
said...
-
Hot Girls video Lesbian dildo squirting fun with nice chicks, now playing on RedTube Home of Porn, sex videos & xxx movies yang girl porno is on fire at Great sexy Girls
-
At March 27, 2013 at 12:57 PM,
said...
-
12 years underground porno 15 year porno girls 14 years girl porno 16-year-old girl porn 13 years porn xxx porno 15 years 18 years teen porno porn-14 years old girls A 14 Years Old Asian Girl porno xxx sex - Video - Metacafe - Online Video
-
At March 27, 2013 at 3:48 PM,
said...
-
Fat Girls Porn porn-14 years old girls
-
At April 30, 2013 at 6:36 AM,
said...
-
Your own report provides established useful to us.
It’ѕ very helpful and you are ceгtainly veгу experienced in thiѕ field.
You possess oρened up my eye for уou to variouѕ opinion of this kind of matter together
ωith intriguing, notаblе and rеliable
writtеn content.
My web sitе; ambien -
At May 4, 2013 at 4:48 AM,
said...
-
you're in reality a just right webmaster. The web site loading velocity is amazing. It kind of feels that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you've done a ωonderful actіvіty in this topic!
Heге is my webpagе ... pure hcg
