POLL TAXING

Sports radio SEN are running a poll: "Name your three greatest sporting moments". Even though you can pick from any sport, anywhere, which means there's a shit load of events to pick from, I'll be buggered if I can come up with three.

[Update: I trust none of you swine will start a semantic debate about "greatest".]

Many of the SEN guests picked the usual suspects - Cathy Freeman, Kieren Perkins, Makybe Diva, Muhammad Ali and last year's World Cup soccer qualifier. Fair enough, too. Sandy Roberts picked a goody, I thought, when he nominated that Japanese gymnast who competed with a broken leg. You could make a case for the bloke who runs into the pommel horse. Mick Malthouse, on the other hand, made a goose of himself when he picked Buzz Aldrin hitting a golf ball at the Sea of Tranquility. Mick likes to think of himself as a little out-there, pity he bolloxed up the facts. Alan Shepard was the astronaut who hit the golf ball. What's more he did it at Fra Mauro, not the Sea of Tranquility.

For me only two really stand out. One is the America's Cup in 1983. Sure it's naff to say so these days, what with sailing being demoted to joke status, but back in '83 the America's Cup win was absolutely HUGE. My other pick is Australia losing to the West Indies in Adelaide in 1993 by one run. Rivetting television.

Another one that sticks in my mind is when Arsenal beat Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup Final. Dunno why, probably because of the ending. So too 1997 at the MCG when Iran drew with Staya.

I was in Canada just after Comedia beat Russia in the 1987 Canada Cup. I'm no hockey fan, and I didn't even see it live, but this was some super stuff with the Comedians winning a fantastic three game series 2-1.

Surprisingly no AFL moment stands out, probably because I've seen so many. The 1977 draw, Wayne Harmes in the 1979 grand final, Essendon's winning burst in the 1984 grand final, the 1989 grand final, Melbourne making the finals in 1987 before Jimmy Stynes ran across the mark in that year's preliminary final, and Melbourne beating Carlton in the 2000 qualifying final.

Cricket has provided many memories, but like Aussie Rules, it's hard to pick one over another. Adelaide above only just tops the 1999 World Cup semi-final, last year's Ashes, Headingley 1981, Steve Waugh's hundred at Sydney in 2003, the Centenary Test and Warne's ball to Gatting, Michael Bevan hitting a four off the last ball in a New Year's Day ODI against the Windies at the SCG.

Comments

[Gareth]

Good post Tony - I know what you mean about it being tough to pick best AFL game EVA.

In the past 9 months I've seen three absolutely cracking matches at Subi and I'll be buggered if I can say which one was better - Dockers v Saints when Longmuir took the grab in the dying seconds and slotted one after the siren; West Coast v Sydney in the Qualifying Final, and last weekend's Western Derby.

And how do you pick between the 2005 Grand Final and the 1989 Grand Final? Or the 2002 Grand Final when the Lions won the cup but Buckley won the Norm Smith?

I reckon cricket's a bit the same - moments stick out, like Glenn McGrath's hat-trick against the Windies or Hayden's 380 against the Zimbos - but best match? Dunno. World Cup tie with South Africa? Bevan's miracle chase at the SCG? Kasper and Bing not quite steering Australia over the line against the Poms last winter?

A good mate speaks highly of the Diva - although he's a bit miffed that he's been at Flemington for three Melbourne but only seen one horse win it.

[Tony.T]

The 2002 and 2005 GF were arm-wrestles, but the 89 GF had Ablett.

Shouldn't forget the underarm ball, either, even though I didn't see it until long after.

[Russell Allen]

No AFL moments stand out...how about when Aka did his infamous handstand and Hopoate stuck his finger up his Peter Costello.

Oh! I've got my codes mixed up again.

[Tony.T]

That's ok. League has it's Hopoate, we have Terry "Squirrel Grip" Wheeler.

[DJ]

Dont be modest. Hows about Tony.T making a century in the country week grand final.

[Moved to the right post by Tony.T]

[Tony.T]

That's big for me, but it's not exactly big in the "greatest" scheme of things.

Not exactly big for Yilgarn, either.

[RT]

Cricket - Centenary Test. Hookes hitting 5 fours in a row off Greig, DK, McCosker, even Derek Randall.

[stickit]

Every single State of Origin game won by Queensland - even the ones when Barry Gomersall helped us home. I hate you Sydney bastards!

[Adsy]

Top 3 in no particular order:

VFL: 89' Grand Final - Hawks v Cats. You are never going to see another game like it, with all the rule and style changes. Especially the one out duels against full forward and full back.

Cricket: Aus v WI 1993 Adelaide. What stands out is AB in the back of the commentary box with a cricket ball then finally smashing it into the ground as we lost. Changed history; we win, basically wrap up the series. Important to note that in the two real close tests of the last 15 years (this one and Edgbaston) that both times the striker actually wasn't out!

Makybe Diva 2003-05 - 2003 I didn't back it, 2004 I was going to but changed my mind at the last minute because everyone else was on it. But I finally hopped on in 2005 along with 30 million other punters. I also backed 5 winners in Melb that day so it was a pretty memorable night (for the most part)

[youcancallmemeyer]

1. Davydova's & Ermakova's Gold Medal at the Athens Games. Who could ever forget the red-sequined Russians scissor-kicking their way through a lively routine to "Don Quixote," popping out of the water at exactly the same time.

2. Tiddlywinks - Andrew Dominey's win in the 1998 Oxfordshire Open - it's hard to describe the level of excitement that was reached by those fortunate enough to be in attendance.

3. Tommy Mattinson's 2005 win at the annual world gurning championships in Egremont. If Tommy wasn't such an ugly cunt his dedication of his victory to 'arch rival' and four time champion Peter Jackman, who died earlier that year while on holiday in Spain, would have brought a tear to anyone's eye.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

My best sporting moment is when I turn off ABC 774 AM and listen to music whenever fuckin sport comes on. Which is about 80% of the time.

That stupid women who replaced Virginia Inner City Trioli at drive time knows nothing about Melbourne and talks feckin sport all the time.

I object to my taxes paying for idiots to wank about sport 24/7 on ABC radio.

There used to be a time when you could rely on females not to buy into the sport hegenomy and its accompanying misogyny. Now they are all raunch, porn and sport. Owned.Sold out.

[youcancallmemeyer]

So you're not really into sport FX?

[fredfillis]

How 'bout the test against the poms where AB and Thommo almost got us across the line.

Warnie's hat trick?

America's Cup '83 (the best)

The Gatting ball.

Murilitheran getting called for chucking by Darrel Hair.

Dons V Hawks 84 GF

Plugger (pick one)

Ablett (pick one)

Modra (pick one)

And here's one that should have topped the list. Dennis Lillee vigorously feeding Miandad's bat down his big fat yarp.

[Adam 1.0]

1988 FA Cup final. The last true win for slog over style.

[The (WHMECDM) President]

I reckon Aker's two goals against the Cats last year, from the pocket, in the wet were about as good as you will get. To do it once is a fluke, to do it twice was almost unbelievable.
What a difference a year makes hey.

Other than that, I cried after the Ashes loss last year when Kaspa DIDN'T hit the ball.

The Don's last Test would have to be the most memorable, part of Australian folklore

[ns]

World Cup Italia 90, Holland v West Germany: Frank Rijkaard spits in Rudi Voeller's curly mullet, then pulls his hair, then yanks his ear, then spits on him again. Both players shown red cards. So Rijkaard spits on him again. Completely unmotivated madness.

[Tony.T]

Rudi Voeller: very much a porno looking kind of bloke.

[Anthony from Chippendale]

T,

Great thing about that Adelaide Test was that it was exhausting to just watch. I remember a cartoon in the Sun the next day had a whole lot of people just slumped over TVs. It summed the whole thing up perfectly.

[brownie]

You did say 'best moment', so may I proffer the Grand Final where Ted Hopkins kicked the deciding goal on the siren? was it 1974?

I liked the second consecutive Melb Cup win by Harry White on the same horse (Think Big?) because Harry was the oldest jockey in the race (and I think it was his last?)

My 3rd best moment was the rowing girl who chucked it in.
Right.

(See the kind of comment you get when women wade into sport!)

[Tony.T]

It's true what you say, Brownie. All us smart sports blokes know Ted Hopkins kicked those goals in the 1765 grand final; Harry White indeed rode conseckative Melbourne Cup winners, the first in Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year; and the girl who chucked it in, Sallii Robinson, well, she was just in need of a nanna nap.

[slatts]

John Landy helping up Ron Clark in the 1955 national championship then bolting off to pick up the field and win.

Tied Test between Australia and WI 1962.

Collingwood winning 1990 Grand Final.

That boof-head skater skooting around the tumbled pack to take the gold in Winter Olumpics.

Real Tonic winning the Grand Annual two weeks ago. Only bet for the day and snaffled up each way odds of $7.50 early in the day.

[Clem Snide]

Anthony Mundine shitting his pants while facing Mecca as he gets his bloodies snot pounded into his frontal lobes. You can dream, can't you?