Your top sporting moments

cooker3

Well as we reach the end of yet another year I was wondering what is everybody’s favourite sporting highlights of the last 12 months, specifically your top 5 sporting moments. I will start of with my favourites.

5. John Part wins the PDC Darts World Championship
If you are a darts fan, you will know what a legend Phil Taylor is. He was the 10-time world champion and was going for his ninth world championship in succession. John Part won the B championship in 1994 and had performed well after joining the PDC but never had produced like form like he did on that night. Part started like a man pocessed and went 4-1 up and at one stage was looking like he was going to hand Taylor a good beating but Taylor’s class shone through when he made a incredible comeback, eventually the match reached the final set, it was 6-6, the tension watching on television was unbearable, what it must have been like in the Circus tavern must have unbelievable but just when you thought Taylor would come through, Part produced the set of his life and took the final set 3 legs to one and sensationally had become world champion. It was a fantastic battle by two great players and will go down in history as one of the greatest darts matches ever and for that reason it is number 5 on my list.

4. Europe win the Mosconi Cup
If you have never heard of 9-ball pool well you don’t know what you’re missing out on and I would advise you to check it out immediately. The Mosconi cup is the Ryder Cup of 9-ball pool. It was started in 1994 and Europe had only won it once since it begun. In 2001 Europe only claimed one point in a humiliating 13-1 loss to the USA. The expectations for 2002 were not high for Europe going in to it, but they had a great start and took a good lead over the USA but generally the trend was that USA have a slow start and eventually catch back up but this year was different. Europe showed it had what it takes to beat the Americans and eventually it all came down to Steve Davis versus Earl Strickland. Davis was 4-3 up in the best of 9 match but completely miss hit the orange 5 and had seemingly handed Earl the match but in the final rack Earl sensationally missed the green 7 and Steve pocketed the last 3 balls to claim the cup for Europe for the first time since 1995.

3. Michael Schumacher wins his sixth world championship
There are a lot of bad things that can be said about the German mainly he cheats, takes other people off the track, takes stop-go penalties after races are over, constantly breaks the rules, orders his team mates to move over when in front and it goes on and on but you have to give him credit, he is a very special driver and has broken a some unbelievable records but his most historic record was broken this year when he became 6 time world champion in a fantastic season long battle for the championship. Schumacher had bad start to the season by not winning any of the first 3 races of the season but came back by winning 3 races in a row but then summer hit Europe and Bridgestone policy of not bothering to make dry tyres and Williams policy of trying to win races again had a detrimental impact on Schumacher’s championship aspirations especially in Hungary when he struggled to eighth and even got lapped by Alonso but Ferrari got the their act together and in a fantastic climax to the championship Schumacher pulled out the goods in the last few races and eventually in Japan in the last race of the season, claimed the 1 point needed to become 6 time world champion.

2. England win the Rugby World Cup
England went in favourites to win the Rugby World Cup but thanks to a series of bad performances against Samoa and Wales meant a lot of criticism was put their way especially by the English media and you got the sense that it was slipping away from them because they are England and lets face it, how many major sporting events do they win and you just felt that a southern hemisphere team would take the trophy because they always do. England overcame France in the semis thanks to the bad weather conditions and went in the final against the hosts, holders and the old nemesis Australia. It was set up beautifully for an memorable occasion and the match certainly lived up to the billing. Australia took the early lead with a well-worked try but England came back with the almost robotic Johnny Wilkinson boot, they made the big break through with a try from former Wigan Warrior’s player Jason Robinson getting the try just before half time, with England leading 14-5, it looked like it was over but Australia came back with penalties from Elton Flatley and he eventually equalised with 2 minutes left to put the match in extra time. Australia looked like the team in the ascendancy, but Wilkinson kicked another penalty over in the first half, but Flatley replied in kind in the second half but just when you thought it was going into sudden death extra time, England attacked again, Matt Dawson made a piercing run through the Aussie defence and gave the ball to Wilkinson who hit the vital drop goal with 20 seconds to go to give England the William Webb Ellis Cup. What a final it was and finally England had won a major sporting final after 37 years.

1. Lance Armstrong wins his fifth Tour De France
This for me was a no brainer in deciding which was the best sporting event of the last 12 months. In case you have never heard of Lance Armstrong here is a little background on him, the Texan was a triathlon champion but at age 20 took up professional cycling. In 1993 he became world champion in Oslo and it looked like he would be one of the major names in the sport for a decade, but all this changed when the Lance was told he had testicular cancer, doctors gave him a 50-50 chance of survival, he went through 3 bouts of chemotherapy which resulted in hair loss and debilitating sickness, eventually the cancer went into remission but nobody gave him a chance of even trying to cycle again. Lance did get back on his bike but the experts said he could never race professionally again, Lance returned to the pro ranks, but then the experts said he would never be a major force but surprise surprise in 1999 Lance completed his comeback by taking the sports biggest prize the Tour de France, over the next few years he would make the event his own and dominated it. For the 2003 tour Lance was trying to make history by becoming only the second man after Miguel Indurain to win it 5 times in a row. He went in odds on favourite to take it. Everything started of well for him, he had a decent prologue and his team the US Postal team won the team time trial for the first time ever but things started to go wrong for him, he was nearly taken out when one of his rivals Joseba Beloki crashed right in front of him which forced Lance to cyclo cross across the grass but he rejoined the peloton and although one of his rivals Beloki was out, things got a whole lot worse, in the individual time trial when Lance lost 1 minute 30 seconds to his biggest rival Jan Ullrich, this was an absolute disaster for Lance, he was looking weak and a lot of the commentators were saying he was not strong enough to win the tour, he continued to lose another few seconds to Ullrich on the next mountain stage and was only 15 seconds ahead of Ullrich going into Stage 15 which turned out to be one of the most dramatic in the history of the tour. Ullrich started off the first big mountain by making a break on Armstrong, Lance did not respond and things were looking bad for the Texan but eventually he pulled back the gap and all was set up for the final mountain, Lance was riding well when suddenly his handlebars got caught in a spectators bag and he crashed, he got back up but was behind, a minute or two later he nearly fell again when his wheel seemed to buckle, in a fantastic show of sportsmanship Ullrich decided not to attack and wait for Lance, he would live to regret this as Lance got back up with the main peloton and after a few kilometres he sensationally broke away, Ullrich could not respond and at the end Lance had taken 40 seconds out of Ullrich. It all came down to the final time trial in Nice, The weather was terrible, very dangerous conditions for cycling and both men have to give there all and in the end the weather would decide the outcome as just after half way through Ullrich crashed which meant Lance slowed down and got to the finished unscathed. The next day was the ceremonial 10 laps of the Champs-Elissez and Lance Armstrong took his fifth tour, one of the most exciting tours ever and for that reason, this is my greatest sporting event of 2003.

uberwolf

holer flurking schnitt, how long that take you to type?
I'd have to say that Armstrongs victory merits that allright.

Morgans

Merits it about as much as Michelle De Bruin merited the award a couple of years ago. Does he still use that disgraced Italian doctor as part of is team?

cooker3

Lance Armstrong has been tested for drugs on numerous occasions and has passed every time and I think him of all people would realise that their is more to life then winning sporting events and would not risk his body to take drugs that could be potentially very harmful. It took me about an hour an and half to write this, sport is quite important to me, it is worth the effort.

Morgans

It doesnt really matter how often they test if what they are testing for is undetectable at the moment. If Michelle de Bruin retired after the Olympics....

cooker3

In fairness Michelle De Bruin was never done for taking drugs, if I remember properly she was done for using a masking agent and although testing procedures may not be that great in cycling they are pretty stringent. I also just do not believe that Armstrong would take drugs, I try not to be as cynicle as to believe that every sports man and woman is on drugs.

Morgans

He has a disgraced italian doctor - i will google for his name and deeds if i get time - as part of his team. Seriously, what the cyclists do is superhuman, and in many ways i think that they should be allowed drugs to do what they do. All I said was that he merited the award as much as Michelle de Bruin would have in her year.

cooker3

I do know of the doctor you are talking about and I agree what the cyclists is incredible but I think the fundamental difference between DeBruin and Armstrong is that she has been found with a masking agent and has been stripped of medals while Armstrong has never had masking agent and has never failed a drug test, also Michelle DeBruin came from nowhere and won 4 olympic medals while Armstrong was always a force before and after his cancer.

Morgans

He was never at the level he was before his cancer. HE was a decent cyclists but he was never in the shake up. Michelle de Bruin always claimed that she was the most tested swimmer.

Why does he have the doctor?

cooker3

He won the road race world championship in Oslo in 1993 and he also won stages in the Tour De France, in fairness he never really challenged for the overall GC but that was because he was too heavy for the mountains, ironically the cancer got rid of his bulk so when he came back he was the right size for the mountains, this combined with the ridicilous amount of training he does is the reason he has being so successful. I make the same point again about Michelle DeBruin she was caught with masking agent, Armstong has not. We seemed to lost the orignal point of this thread, so whast are your favourite sporting moments of this year?

Morgans

The point i'm making is that if ms de bruin retired after teh olympics we would never have known. She evaded teh testers for years, the point being that if you test negative, it doesnt mean you are not on drugs.

My sporting moment - Ive a big interest in horse raceing, and Moscow Flyer winning at Cheltenham would have been one. I recognise that that is a minority sport (no more than cycling, i suppose)

But the winner by a long long way for me is Munster beating Gloucester at the start of the year. remarkable television from a remarkable team.

O'Gara's drop goal in Wales was good also.

uberwolf

This debate is meaningless. To cast libelous statements around like confeti is a liitle stupid. I know everyone believes in a certain athlete or doesn't believe in another one. But the fact remains, you either believe in sport or you don't, but the playing field is level.

As for Dr. Ferrari, as I believe his name is, the one particular incident I can remember him being used in a high profile way was in the tour bout 3 yrs back, when pantani tried to blow the race apart, bruyneel(lance directeur sportif) instigated a 3 way converstation between the men and figured out at what level pantani was riding, in terms of % O2 consumption, and from that how long he could maintain it based on the terrain and his performances in the climbs and TTs to that day- this then allowed Armstrong to gauge his effort in chasing him. He also advised Lance on altitude climbing.

A few yrs back I was at a seminar in the Spa hotel in Lucan, Stephen Roche brought out this famous Italian doctor he'd worked with all his career to give a talk. He was implicated when the '98 tour went down.

Point being you can't pick out individuals, the cancer and shadow of drug taking isn't as selective as to allow it. Obviously if someone has failed a drug test then they shouldn't be put up on a pedestal, but until then...

as for lance having improved dramtically, winning the Worlds at 21 makes you a dam good rider. period.

Morgans

I havent been watching my ps and qs but i dont think that Ive said anything libellous. Sport is great and i actually think that Michelle de Bruin's gold medals were one of the best sporting moments in my life. (at that exact moment when she was winning) SHe doesnt owe me anything, and the only people that she possibly does owe was her nearest and dearest.

Lance Armstrong has been been tested positive, and everyone is innocent until proven guilty - do i need to state these cliches - but it wouldnt surprise me if he was eventually found on to be taking performance enhancing nutrients/dugs. Nor would it surprise me that Messers Roche and Kelly were doing the same. Its unfortunate that I feel that sceptical, but i do. What upsets me is that he seems excempt from suspicion. THis is from an outsider looking in on the cycling world, and will gladly bow to information from a more expert commentator. I simply cannot see his victory in the tour de france as a great sporting achievement.

cooker3

When has Lance Armstrong tested positive? I am fairly certain he has passed every drug test he has taken. If you can not recognise him winning the Tour for the 5th time as a great sporting achievement that what is? as you say he is innocent until proven guilty and he has never being found guilty so therfore you have to believe he won the tours fairly and to win one of the most gruelling sporting events so many times especially after cancer is extradinary and I can not possibly think how someone can think otherwise. But I do agree Munster win and O'Gara's drop goal were great.

Morgans

Apologies, my last post should ahve read

Lance Armstrong has never been tested positive

I wasnt deliberately trying to be mischievous, just getting a bit rushed typing.


I recognise the fact that he is innocent until proven guilty. That doesnt mean that I think he is innocent. I should be able to be happy for him, but I'm not.

cooker3

I think it is a bad that you can watch a major sporting event and think that because somebody is doing well that they are taking drugs. I recognise that drugs is a big problem in sport but if I had that sort of cynicle attitude I am not sure how I could watch it.

Morgans

It's not just because they are doing well. It is unfortunately teh world we live in. It might be a better world if we were all naive instead of cynical, but such is life. How many world records did east germans hold?

cooker3

Yes point taken about the east germans but when you watched Munster beat Gloucster, did you think I bet O'Gara is on drugs or did you think what a match

uberwolf

Armstrong has put aside blood and urine samples from every tour for testing in X years time. He is that confident.

I understand your cynicism. I want to believe though. Thats either sad or naive, but I prefer that.

Morgans

i do question if a lot of rugby players are on drugs of some sort. If creatin use as widespread amonst schools rubgy player as is allege, I would wonder. I prefer not to think about it, but all sports unfortunately have drugs colouring the background. I do think that you could drug me up to the eyeballs and i'd still only walk the l'alp d'heuz. You still need the talent, and in a perverse sort of way i would like to see that talent, i'd like to see a 9.50 sec 100m. I love sport, and i love the tour de france, and in a lot of ways i dont mind if all are on drugs.

What annoys me is teh hypocricy. It amazes me how flo jo was seen as obviously been on drugs because of the times she was setting, when people like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson are presumed clean. All my childhood would be a lie if Roche and Kelly were on drugs. Unfortunately, if i were to bet on it now, i would say that they were. Sad.

cooker3

What are you saying then, do you think people should think athletes are on drugs or not or should it be a free for all and let all drugs be legal. On the subject of Sean Kelly I wish somebody would give him should drugs when he is comentating on Eurosport and make him talk every now and again, great cyclist he is, great commentator he is very much not.

Morgans

In an ideal world, no athletes should be on drugs. However it is not an ideal world, and if taking illegal substances cannot be policed correctly, and where cheats can win - no naming names - then some other method needs to be thought up to make the playing field fair. I think in some sports its endemic - one being cycling.

Is it teh womens hammer where noone has got next or near the world record for over 10 years now that doping is more stringent. Is this world record a better feat of human ability than one where no help was added to natural ability.

cooker3

Yes in an ideal world there would be no doping but what can the testers do, they can only test for what they know exists. W

cooker3

Pressed enter by accident there Yes in an ideal world there would be no doping but what can the testers do, they can only test for what they know exists. What can be done, there is so much you can do?

Big Ears

cooker u could have just edited ur post. also morgan i believe a lot of athletes are on drugs that we dont know about but i think u have gone a little over board.
are u scared that pub team (soccer) players are using drugs ? .

Morgans

scared? I couldnt care less. heard on teh radio on saturday morning that there are two high profile sports whose governing bodies havent signed up to the sport agaist drugs campaign - soccer and cycling. ( I cant verify the statement except to take the pundit for his word, and I dont want to be posting it for the sake of it, so if someone could confirm it would be great. )

Overboard, i dont see how. its teh hyposcrisy that annoys me. Not one athlete has ever owned up to taking drugs when they are caught.The drugs that Frankie Sheahan was done for was excused as it is contained in asthma medicine. (i dont know if frankie was up to something illegal, i suppose not if his name has been cleared) but the stats on the amount of athletes taking ashtma medication is astounding. From my memory at school, those on asthma were the ones who didnt excel at sports.

Big Ears

first of all scared is the wrong word and i shouldnt have used that i realy meant u felt pub players were taking drugs.

second of all soccer has only verbally agreed to the drugs thing so technically they havent signed up. (dont know about cycling.

Im in secondery school and you would be astounded in the amount of people who have asthma and excell at sports. Although i have to say a huge amount of people have asthma know days is unbelieveble(i have it myself )

out of our four main sports in school (soccer hurling rugby football ) three out of the four people who are best at each have asthma. So i think that frankie sheehan statement isnt quite so strong.

Kalina

Montoya's 1st F1 win in Monza 2001- top sporting moment for me!

cooker3

Yes cycling and football have not signed up to WADA (World anti-doping association, i think) I think that both sports should especially cycling, it is bad for the image of the sport, and if football had signed up Rio would have got 2 year ban like he deserved.
I meant the list to be for the last 12 months so I wouldn't rally count Montoya in 2001 and the circumstanes around the race were not great either.
Well done Phil Taylor on his win on Sunday, good chance that will be on this years list in December.

uberwolf

Originally posted by Morgans
those on asthma were the ones who didnt excel at sports.

I know from cycling that teh tour de france riders something 95% are registered asthmatics. Convenient front.