Great sporting moments: heroism & tragedy (Contains graphic images)*Don't quote pics*

Jimmy Iovine

I missed it by a few hours but yesterday Muhammad Ali turned 70.

I could honestly post 40 pictures here of The Greatest but I won't. I'll keep it to the main events in his life and some pictures that I like of him.

I'll start with probably the most famous of all the photos of him. The caption in the picture says it all "Muhammad Ali v. Sonny Liston, First Minute, First Round"



One of the many controversial things he did through out his life was to convert to Islam. Here he is photographed with Malcolm X, who was a great friend of Muhammad's. Years later Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and Ali refused to talk to him I think. Soon after that Malcolm X was assassinated.



In '67 he refused to be inducted into the Army to go and fight in Vietnam.

No, I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder, kill, and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slavemasters over dark people the world over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end.

This stance led to him being suspended from boxing for 3 years, right at the peak of his powers. It also resulted in a Supreme Court case being brought against. As the trial continued public support for Ali was growing and he was eventually found not guilty of the charges regarding the refusal to fight in the war.



This is my favourite picture of him. 52 years ago Ali told Life magazine photographer Flip Schulke that he trained for fights by running and punching in the pool. It was a lie. It makes for a superb photograph though.



Here are two pictures of him about 40 years apart. In the second photo Ali is in the midst of his battle with Parkinson's but even still he is able to lift his fists up to recreate that infamous pose that so many in the world have tried to copy but none have ever managed to make it their own quite like the main man himself.





This is one of the most poignant videos I've seen on Youtube recently. It's the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Olympic flame had travelled all over America and now it was time to light the torch and open the games. No better man than Ali, a former gold medal winner, to light it. At this stage the Parkinson's had very much taken over his body but it was great to see him up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TaITzi64Sw

Happy birthday Champ.

Killinator

2012, Bruno Senna joins William Renault F1, the team his uncle was driving for when he died in 1994,


Bruno's crash helmet design is based on Ayrton's own bright yellow helmet,
When being worn, one would almost believe Senna was back in a F1 car, the resemblance is striking, its in the eyes.
Bruno:

Ayrton:

Morlar

Ciaran Fitzgerald

On a cold Dublin day in 1985, the Irish rugby team were playing England at Lansdowne Road. The country’s rugby team has traditionally played with a lot of pride and passion, but never had the quality to trouble the world’s best teams on a consistent basis (I am delighted to report that the situation is a little different today). This day they had the opportunity to win the “Triple Crown” by beating the old enemy (well everyone’s old enemy :-) ). It was a tough match and the English team clearly had the upper hand. In fact it was becoming apparent that once again Ireland would come so close, but fail and have to take some consolation in a moral victory.

As time ticked on, there was a break in the game, and the side’s captain, an army officer by the name of Ciaran Fitzgerald, turned to his tired, beaten team mates and roared at them words that have since become a national institution: “Where’s your f*****g pride?”. The words were caught on TV cameras around the ground and broadcast all over Europe.

It won’t be a surprise, given the title of this post, that his team rose to the occasion following his call to arms, drove down the field and a Michael Kiernan drop goal sent a success-starved nation into sporting euphoria.

Morlar

Gerry McLoughlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqNkFoNYVLU

Blackpitts

70.000 people in stadium San Paolo in Naples shouting the name of Cavani after he scored one of the 2 winning goals against ManC last 22nd of November. That victory secured the 2nd place in the CL group, Napoli qualified for the next stage, 21 years after the last appearance with Maradona.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1g6ZB-rJ0

dave 27

You really have to like these two videos, thomond park at 13,000 back then it was still as much a fortress as it is today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJMf6XBS4H8

The_Kew_Tour

I always find it funny how Munster sing a song that is about a place in Galway, not in Munster.

Clareman

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

I always find it funny how Munster sing a song that is about a place in Galway, not in Munster.

When the whole thing went professional and the provinces got more prominence over the clubs when a local song started off (e.g. Sean South, There is an Isle, The Banks) it was usually drowned out by boos from opposition supporters, The Fields were handy cause it wasn't aligned with any team and everyone knew the words.

This reminds me of 1 of a game years ago when we were playing WASPs (I think) in a group game and the stadium announcer came out with "We'd like to remind Young Munster supporters that Munster wear red", it's hard to believe that there used to be more people at club games than there would be at provincial games.

ImpossibleDuck

The Invincibles:


A lot of F1 crashes in this thread but haven't seen this one:

arybvtcw0eolkf

Morlar wrote: »

“Where’s your f*****g pride?”

Thats always a big kick up the hole in the army when the going gets really tough, and you're starting to falter "“Where’s your fucking pride?”.

Or when I'm having a bad day in training or competition I'll remind myself “Where’s your fucking pride?”.

ottostreet

Roger Williamson/David Purley are in the Photos That Shook The World.

majiktripp

ImpossibleDuck wrote: »

A lot of F1 crashes in this thread but haven't seen this one:
[

Bottom of page 7

Revolution9

Bill Shankly and his many fans

seanmacc

For those too young to remember the scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Harding#Attack_on_Nancy_Kerrigan

Nancy Kerrigan had the last laugh though:



She recovered from the attack surprisingly quickly and picked up the silver medal in the 94 games. Harding competing in the same games crashed out early on. I saw Harding in the flesh a couple of years ago in her local town Vancouver, Washington, USA. The years really haven't treated her well

kwalshe

My God

macfhinn

MrJoeSoap

Doc

^^First ghost to play inter-county hurling?

Duckworth_Luas

Doc wrote: »

^^First ghost to play inter-county hurling?

A couple of invisible men have played for Galway over the years!:pac:

The Highwayman

London 2012

CatFromHue

Prob going to be Captain Bringdown



New Zealand 60 - 0 Ireland

A tragedy.

MrJoeSoap

Seans_Username

Cooper vs Clay 1963:
Absolutely heroic that with one hit, Henry Cooper could take down the greatest of all time. Tragically it was at the end of the round and what happened next is just legendary


The finest copy and pasting you'll ever see, straight off wikipedia too

Wembley 1963: In the dying seconds of the fourth round, Cooper felled Clay with an upward angled version of his trademark left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer".

Clay stood up and started slowly towards Angelo Dundee who - in violation of the rules - guided him into the corner. At first Dundee talked and slapped Clay's legs but after a still-dazed Clay misunderstood and tried to get off the stool Dundee used smelling salts in a serious violation of the rules. (British rules did not allow any stimulant but water).

Dundee has since claimed to have opened a small tear in one of Clay's gloves and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. Cooper has always insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from 3–5 minutes and denied him the chance to try to knock Clay out while he was still dazed.In tapes of the fight it seems Clay received only an extra six seconds (although there are still doubters who think a longer delay was edited out), and the gloves were not replaced

What is certain however, is that Dundee held smelling salts under Clay's nose in an effort to revive his man, which was illegal

a recovered Clay effectively countered and Cooper was hit high on the face with a hard right which opened a severe cut under his eye; referee Tommy Little was forced to stop the fight in the American's favour although Cooper was ahead on the scorecards.

Cooper would get cut a lot easier than most other boxers. It's a shame something like that denied him a legendary victory. They fought a few years later and Cooper got a bad cut (again) so the ref ended the fight. Despite being ahead on the scorecards (again), Ali won by knockout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPiyMpeEQY

General Relativity

Can't belive nobody has posted this;



Rodger Federer wins a record 7th Wimbledon title and a record 17th Grand Slam to become the greatest tennis player in history.




Micheal Phelps win yet another olympic Gold. He has won 22 medals in total including 18 gold. Amazingly he has more gold medals then team Ireland in their history.

Snakeblood

Xavi6

MrJoeSoap

salad dodger

A night that still sends shiver down my spine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8hzfrTPo6E

reganreggie

the armbar that shaped mixed martial arts. Not sure how to embed the image sorry.

The Highwayman

^^^^^^^
There ya go

Clareman

Adam Nolan posted this on Twitter (that's the Olympic Village btw)

Dangerous Man

Reg_hurley wrote: »

Mick O'Connell arrives from Valentia to train for the 1968 All-Ireland Final

What a photo! Magnificent!

The Highwayman

Not a Liverpool fan but.....

Da Shins Kelly

The Hillsborough Disaster. No explanation needed really.



1967 Grand National where the field of horses either fell, refused or were brought down at fence 23, all except 100-1 shot Foinavon, who was so far behind for the majority of the race that he simply passed by the carnage, hopped over the fence and ran on to win by a good 20 lengths. The commentary on the event by Gaelic football commentator Michael O' Heir has become legendary.



Another bizarre Grand National moment - Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National, in the home straight, 40 yards from the post and he inexplicably jumps in the air and lands, legs splayed, on his stomach. He got up again after doing it, but was overtaken by a rival and subsequently lost the race. To this day, it's still uncertain as to why he did it.



Roger Federer finally captures the elusive French Open title at Roland Garros.



Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France. Strange now, given all the controversy.

Dunny

jordainius

The aftermath of one of the most horrific accidents in the history of motorsport, the wreckage of Tom Pryces Shadow Cosworth (car on the right) lies in the barriers of the first corner at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa.

He died after colliding with a 19 year old marshall (Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren) who had crossed the track to assist in extinguishing a fire at the rear of the car of Pryce's teammate Renzo Zorzi. Van Vuuren was one of two marshalls who crossed the track on the main straight to extinguish the fire.

Pryce was said to be travelling at 170mp/h at the time he struck Van Vuuren, and unfortunately Van Vuuren's fire extinguisher collided with the helmet of Pryce; both dying instantly.




Martin Donnelly lies on the track at Jerez, Spain in 1990. The impact of the crash was so severe that he was thrown from the car with the seat still attached to his back. Amazingly, although he suffered multiple injuries; he somehow survived and eventually made a full recovery.




Two legends of F1, Senna and Sid Watkins. Watkins died earlier this month; a man who saved lives and made the sport of formula one a safer place. RIP to them both.

lintdrummer

This is one that really made an impression on me



Fr. Neil Horan ruins Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima's marathon gold medal hopes at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

It's the utter dejection and pain on his face that makes the picture. De Lima later said he feared for his life at the time, not knowing that it was just a lunatic jig dancing Irish priest!

Horan also invaded the track at silverstone in 2003

Hazys

An end of an era - one of my favorite pics of all time



Babe Ruth's final public apperance waving goodbye to the Yankee fans, on the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium (the House that Ruth built) and having his no3 jersey retired. Ruth died 2 months later.

I'm moved each time I see it because it has great feeling--a man returning to the scene of his greatest successes, saying goodbye for the final time. The way triumph and sadness, pride and humility are one in this photograph give it a meaning that goes far beyond the story it tells as a newspaper illustration.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

My favourite Croker memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEjudiKrh_A

[Jackass]

Irishman and Leinster legend Leo Cullen becomes the first man ever to captain a side to three European Heineken Cup victories. Leinster also become the first team ever to win 3 from 4 cups and only the second side to ever defend the title.

The Highwayman

The Ryder Cup 2012











For Seve

decisions

I loved this.

MrJoeSoap

In the same vein...

RandolphEsq

Jack Nicklaus waves goodbye to The Open for the last time.

DazMarz

Stephen Cluxton kicks the winning point for Dublin, bringing Sam Maguire back to Dublin for the first time since 1995.

MrJoeSoap

Terry Fox, subject of the ESPN 30 for 30 "Into The Wind" and one of the most inspirational people you may never have heard of.

Heroism and tragedy all rolled into one.

calistro

Johnny Hoogerland after crash caused by a television crew's car whilst trying to avoid a tree!

brandon_flowers

Possibly the most famous goal in GAA history. Paddy Cullen goes to pick the ball out of the net. The start of a 4 in a row for Kerry and scored by one of the greatest players of all time, Mikey Sheehy.



PS... Don't mention Seamus Darby

Duckworth_Luas

The most famous goal in GAA history. Seamus Darby denies Kerry the 5 in a row!


:pac::pac::pac::pac::D

.E_C_K_S.

EPIC celebration:D