Intriguing and thorough listing of biggest Jax sporting events by the Florida Times Union tonight.
I would have considered the AFL All-Star Game in 1969 with Joe Namath, just a week or two after his infamous Super Bowl win (see my previous post at end of article). Also, at least one game from JU's NCAA record breaking season (the first college team with two 7 footers, Artis Gilmore and Pembroke Burrow,s and the first to average over 100 pts. per game for the season AND the playoffs!) on the way to the national championship game with John Wooden's UCLA in 1969-70.
Seems to me there were some turn of the century events including that 1894 World Heavyweight boxing match in Moncrief highlighted on MJ awhile back (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-feb-boxing-and-scarlet-women-at-moncrief-prizefight-1894 ) and some early auto races.
Then, there was this year's "Tiger going public at TPC Clubhouse" followed live world wide ( http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,7612.0.html ) :DQuoteSummer of 10: The 10 biggest sporting events in Jacksonville history
Source URL: http://jacksonville.com/sports/2010-08-02/story/summer-10-10-biggest-sporting-events-jacksonville-history
By Gene Frenette
When putting together a ranking for the top sporting events held in the Jacksonville area, the formula is more complicated than a top-10 list of athletes or teams. There are fewer numbers and statistics of comparison.
It's not surprising that a majority of these rankings are football-related, but Jacksonville's history of being a relevant sports host involves a lot more than games on fall weekends. While no presence here is remotely close in impact to the Jaguars, it's not like this city was a nobody on the national sports map before the NFL came along.
The criteria for judging Jacksonville's best sporting events were a combination of factors. How important was it to sports fans and the city's overall welfare? Did the stakes create a lot of excitement and hype on a local/national level? Was the event memorable enough to create a lasting impression?
While it doesn't hurt to have big-name stars on stage, that alone isn't enough to make this list. For instance, nine future Hall of Fame baseball players gathered at Wolfson Park on March 29, 1955 for an exhibition game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves. The U.S. Olympic basketball team played Puerto Rico at the Veterans Memorial Arena in July 2004, but that also failed to make the cut. The only thing that made that 25-point rout by the U.S. team memorable was that head coach Larry Brown suspended LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Amare Stoudemire for the entire game after they showed up late for a team meeting.
Jacksonville's rich sports history includes 120 Jaguars regular-season games, 77 Georgia-Florida football clashes, 64 Gator Bowls, short-term pro football stints with the WFL Sharks and USFL Bulls, AFL All-Star games (featuring quarterbacks Joe Namath, Bob Griese and Daryl Lamonica), two early-round NCAA tournaments, and 30-plus PGA Tour or women's professional tennis tournaments. One little-known fact: Jimmy Connors, who won more tournaments (109) than any male in tennis history, captured his first title at a tournament staged inside Jacksonville University's Swisher Gym in May 1972, his first event as a professional.
1 Jacksonville’s NFL debut, Sept. 3, 1995 (Jacksonville Municipal Stadium)
The national anthem by Boyz II Men was probably more exciting than the game, but nothing that ever happened sports-wise in Jacksonville compares to the city finally having its own NFL franchise. The Jaguars lost their first regular-season game 10-3 to the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) before a crowd of 72,363, but it was a monumental event. Never mind that the Jaguars pulled starting quarterback Steve Beuerlein for Mark Brunell, allowed a 78-yard touchdown drive on the opening series, had just 152 yards in total offense or completed only 10 of 26 passes. At least Jacksonville was in the NFL.
2 Patriot reign: Super Bowl XXXIX, Feb. 6, 2005 (Alltel Stadium)
After Tony Kornheiser and other national media took their swings at Jacksonville for being selected as a Super Bowl host, the truth is the whole spectacle came off fairly well. It might not happen again, but importing luxury cruise ships to make up for the shortage of five-star hotels was a shrewd move. As for the game, the New England Patriots held off the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 for their third title in four years, cementing quarterback Tom Brady’s legacy as a future Hall of Famer. Rodney Harrison’s interception of a Donovan McNabb pass in the final minute sealed the outcome. The only reason this didn’t get the No. 1 ranking is you can’t have a Super Bowl without an NFL team.
3 Belue-to-Scott saves Georgia, Nov. 8, 1980 (Gator Bowl)
No Georgia-Florida games approaches the 1980 contest for immortality. This 26-21 Georgia victory had an eye-popping finish. On third-and-11 from his own 7 with 1:03 remaining, quarterback Buck Belue was just trying to complete a pass for a first down. Instead, he hit the jackpot as No. 2-ranked Georgia kept its national title run alive. Belue connected with receiver Lindsay Scott over the middle at the Georgia 25. A crowd of 68,524 watched in disbelief as Scott streaked down the left sideline for a game-winning, 93-yard touchdown. Herschel Walker ran for 238 yards, but what many remember is Georgia announcer Larry Munson screaming into the microphone: “Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott!â€
4 Jaguars’ Super Bowl dream slips away, Jan. 23, 2000 (Alltel Stadium)
Having the NFL’s best record and home-field advantage had Jaguars fans revved up for a trip to the Super Bowl. But their only nemesis, the Titans, spoiled the party as the Jaguars self-destructed with six turnovers in a 33-14 defeat in the 1999 AFC Championship game. From Reggie Barlow’s dropped punt late in the second quarter (leading to a Tennessee field goal), followed by receivers Jimmy Smith and Alvis Whitted dropping passes on the opening drive of the second half, the result was 26 unanswered Titans points. All three Jaguars losses that season were to Tennessee, prompting the suggestion from coach Jeff Fisher that Alltel Stadium was becoming the Titans’ second home.
5 Splish-splash! Pate savors Players win, March 21, 1982 (TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course)
Jerry Pate did his part to make sure the first Players Championship held at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course would be unforgettable. After the 1976 U.S. Open champion birdied the last two holes to earn a two-shot victory and $90,000 payday, he didn’t settle for a routine celebration. With all the controversy over the new layout, including criticism from Pate, he punctuated his victory by tossing PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman and course designer Pete Dye into the lake by the 18th green before jumping in himself. Beman and Dye knew it was coming, so they emptied their pockets before getting dunked. That remains the tournament’s most indelible moment.
6 Woody Hayes punches out a career, Dec. 29, 1978 (Gator Bowl)
The 1978 Gator Bowl was a tight battle, but when Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman intercepted a pass with 1:58 left to preserve a 17-15 win over Ohio State, it became a national bombshell. As Bauman reached the OSU sideline, a melee ensued, with legendary coach Woody Hayes taking a swing and hitting Bauman’s face mask with his right fist and forearm. The next day, OSU president Harold Enarson, who played for Hayes at Miami of Ohio and was a former Buckeyes assistant, fired the 65-year-old coach, saying: “There’s not a conference in the country which would permit a coach to physically assault a college player.â€
7 No. 1 vs. No. 2: Martina routs Chris, April 22, 1984 (Amelia Island Plantation)
A dream matchup turned into no contest. It tooked the world’s top-ranked player, Martina Navratilova, just 51 minutes to hand Chris Evert a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing in the 1984 WTA Championship. It tied for Evert’s worst career defeat, also by Navratilova, and marked her first loss ever to her archrival either on clay or at Amelia Island Plantation. Evert laid an egg on Easter Sunday, saying: “Nothing worked. It was probably one of the worst matches I’ve ever played.†It was the only time Martina and Chris met as the No. 1 and 2 players at Amelia, and the result avenged Navratilova’s 6-0, 6-0 loss to Evert at the same venue in 1980, when Martina was the world’s third-ranked player.
8 Missed FG puts Jaguars in playoffs, Dec. 22, 1996 (Jacksonville Municipal Stadium)
When the Atlanta Falcons’ Morten Andersen, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, lined up for a 30-yard field goal with the Jaguars’ playoff hopes on the line in the 1996 season finale, it figured to be a kick in the stomach for Jacksonville. He hadn’t missed a kick from that short of a distance in seven years. Miraculously, the left-footed “Great Dane†pushed it left of the upright as 71,449 spectators went bonkers. “This was a gift from God,†said Jags offensive lineman Ben Coleman. The Jaguars won 19-17, sending them to the playoffs as a No. 5 seed, which produced a run to the AFC title game after road wins at Buffalo and Denver.
9 Michael Jordan swings into Jacksonville, May 12-14, 1994 (Wolfson Park)
The experiment that was Michael Jordan’s baseball career made its only visit to Wolfson Park for a three-game series in May 1994. Just seven months after His Airness shockingly retired from the NBA, he put more than 30,000 fans in the seats while playing for the Birmingham Barons against the Jacksonville Suns. The 31-year-old right fielder entered the series hitting .253 and went 3-for-10, including a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning of the first game to give Birmingham a 5-4 win. He wasn’t in the lineup for the finale, when 12,390 fans showed up. Jordan signed autographs for the only time before that game, then struck out as a pinch-hitter to finish a 9-7 Suns victory. He ended his one-year stint in baseball with a .202 average, three home runs and 51 RBI.
10 Mary Lou Retton: A star is born, June 1-3, 1984 (Jacksonville Coliseum)
When Jacksonville surprisingly landed the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials for gymnastics, it turned out to be one of those planets-aligning moments in the city’s sports history. The trials, which decided six qualifiers and two Olympic alternates for men and women, gave America its first nationally televised glimpse on ABC of Mary Lou Retton. The 16-year-old icon from West Virginia was the all-around champion and went on to Olympic stardom. The top three men’s qualifiers of Peter Vidmar, Mitch Gaylord and Tim Daggett led USA to its only gold medal in Olympic competition.
http://jacksonville.com/sports/2010-08-02/story/summer-10-10-biggest-sporting-events-jacksonville-history
Quote from: stjr on November 13, 2009, 12:48:25 PM
Here is some Jax football history I previously posted on another MJ thread about area football history ( http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5489.0.html#quickreply ). I attended the second one of these games in 1969 and have one of these programs and in it the mayor's letter of welcome speaks to our aspirations for a pro football team.
Quote from: stjr on July 14, 2009, 12:33:30 AM
AFL * ALL STAR GAMES * in Jax:
(http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/proafl68program.jpg)
(http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/proafl682.jpg)
"Joe Namath Sneaks Over for the Winning Score"
Season: 1967
Date: January 21, 1968
Score: East, 25-24
MVP's: Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets; and Don Maynard, F, Jets; Defense: Speedy Duncan, DB/KR, Chargers
Location: Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida
QuoteThe largest AFL All-Star Game crowd in history witnessed the 1968 game. A crowd of 38,500 showed up at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. It was a game of old and new. The old being George Blanda of Oakland at age 40 and the new being Joe Namath, the young superstar of the league.
In the first quarter, San Diego’s Leslie “Speedy†Duncan fumbled a punt at his own 25 yard line. The East quickly turned it into a 10 yard field goal by Mike Mercer of the Bills. It would only take about 10 seconds for Duncan to redeem himself. Speedy took the ensuing kickoff at his own ten, shot up the middle, eluded George Saimes of Buffalo and went 90 yards for the touchdown. In the second period, Daryle Lamonica of Oakland hit Willie Frazier of San Diego for a 3 yard touchdown pass. Joe Namath of the Jets kept the East in the game with a 35 yard touchdown pass to his NY teammate, Pete Lammons. But, Lamonica answered, hitting another Charger, Lance Alworth, from nine yards out. When Mercer connected on his second field goal, this time from 33 yards with :37 to go, the West held a 21-13 halftime lead.
Len Dawson of the Chiefs took over for Lamonica in the third quarter, but neither team could sustain any offense. The West appeared to ice the game in the fourth quarter when George Blanda of Oakland hit a 28 yard field goal to put the West up 24-13. This especially with the fact that Namath was having trouble finding his receivers. But, Namath connected with fellow Jet, Don Maynard, for a 24 yard touchdown pass. The attempted two point conversion failed and the score was 24-19. By this time, there was concern among the crowd and players that West coach, Lou Saban of Denver, should reinsert Lamonica into the game to get the West going. But, Saban elected to stick with the pre-game plan of playing each quarterback for a half. With two minutes to play, Larry Garron of Boston, a last minute addition to the East squad, took a pass from Namath and carried it 26 yards to the West ten. Garron then gained three to the seven and Houston’s Hoyle Granger bulled it 6 yards to the one. Namath scored the game winning touchdown on a sneak with :58 left. Again, the two point attempt failed and the score was East 25, West 24. Lamonica came back into the game and drove the West within field goal range. But, ageless Blanda, the AFL’s scoring leader for 1967, just missed the attempt from 35 yards at the final gun, wide by inches.
Namath and Maynard shared the offensive MVP honors. Namath established a record by throwing for 249 yards and Maynard’s 128 receiving yards was also a record. Duncan was elected the game's defensive MVP and his 90 yard kickoff return was also a record.
(http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/proafl69program.jpg)
Season: 1968
Date: January 19, 1969
Score: West, 38-25
MVP's: Offense: Len Dawson, QB, Chiefs; Defense: George Webster, LB, Houston Oilers
Location: Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida
Quote
The 1969 AFL All-Star Game was played in the aftermath of the most marvelous event in the history of the young league. The previous week, the New York Jets had defeated the NFL’s Baltimore Colts for the world championship. The East squad was loaded with Jets players. A record crowd of 43,800 saw the game at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. The coaches were Hank Stram of Kansas City for the West and Wally Lemm of Houston for the East.
In the first quarter, Joe Namath of the Jets and John Hadl of the Chargers led their teams. The scoring was confined to a field goal per team as New York’s Jim Turner connected from 27 yards out for the East and Jan Stenerud of Kansas City hit a record 51 yarder for the West. The East did all the second quarter scoring as Jim Kiick of Miami carried the ball in from the two and Turner connected on three more field goals from 16, 19 and 13 yards. The halftime score was 19-3. Hadl completed only 4 of 19 passes for 23 yards in the half and had three intercepted. Namath, meanwhile, completed 7 of 18 for 98 yards and had one intercepted.
In the second half, Bob Griese of Miami assumed the quarterbacking duties for the East, Len Dawson of Kansas City for the West. Dawson had not originally been chosen for the team (although he had led the league in average yards gained during the season), but Coach Stram exercised his option and chose Dawson as a backup. Dawson hit Bob Trumpy of the Bengals on a 6 yard touchdown route to bring the West to within nine at 19-10. Turner booted his fifth field goal of the game from 18 yards in the third quarter and that was matched by Stenerud, who hit from 30. The score at the end of the third quarter was 22-13. Turner gave the East some cushion at 25-13 when his kick from 21 yards out was good early in the fourth quarter. It was Turner’s sixth field goal on the afternoon. But, then the floodgates opened. In 6:15, the West scored 25 points. It started when Denver’s Floyd Little took a pass from Dawson and scampered 81 yards down the sideline to the East one yard line. Oakland’s Hewitt Dixon carried it in from there. The score was 25-20. Jim Lynch of the Chiefs then recovered an onside kick at the East 43, Dawson hit Warren Wells of Oakland for 37 yards and Cincinnati’s Paul Robinson (AFL rookie of the year) carried over on a one yard run few plays later. The West had the lead for the first time. Lynch then intercepted a Griese pass and ran 37 yards to the West one where Robinson again carried it in. Stenerud added a 32 yard field goal, his third on the afternoon, in the closing minutes and the final was 38-25.
Dawson was selected as the offensive player of the game. He was 4 of 9 for 158 yards in the second half. Houston’s George Webster was selected as defensive player of the game.
(http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/proafl692.jpg)
See following articles:
http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_1968_AFL_All-Star_Game.htm
http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_1969_AFL_All-Star_Game.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_League_All-Star_game
Not! It seems to have been written by a very young sports writer as some of the greatest moments were much earlier...
To Wit:
(http://www.nlbpa.com/Mitchell_Alonzo.jpg)
According to baseball affectionados Alonzo Mitchell of the Jacksonville Red Caps NEGRO LEAGUE which was founded in Jacksonville may have been the best baseball player of all time. On June 28, 2008, in Pittsburgh, the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates honored the Negro Leagues by wearing uniforms of the Jacksonville Red Caps
Babe Ruth playing in the park on Myrtle?
(http://multifamilyinvestor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/pele-bicycle-kick.jpg)
Jacksonville TEA MEN play PELE!
Hank Aaron?
http://www.youtube.com/v/1JRQYDJV2ns&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca
What about the Jacksonville Sharks WFL? USFL? Good Football, you tell me... I sure thought so!
Csonka, Kiick and Warfield playing for the Memphis Grizzlies Southmen of the WFL HERE?
(http://memorylanesports.com/images/products/Auto_BB_8x10/FRT-08PHMUS302.jpg)
Yougy Barra and Stan Musieal playing in our park?
http://www.youtube.com/v/wEVJyf0ft3I&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca
Woody Hayes crash and burns after punching out a playing from the opposing team in the Gator Bowl?
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Coleman-Bessie_01.jpg/180px-Coleman-Bessie_01.jpg)
Bessie Coleman, famous black female aviator crashed and killed in Jacksonville air show, funeral attended by 5,000 people but maybe her sport flying story is too chocolate for print?
Bob Hayes? ...and he REALLY could shine shoes! Son of a Cobbler on J.P. Randolph.
There are thousands more moments at least as great, attended, famous or infamous on the fields, water or air of Jacksonville. Hey and I'm not even much of a sports fan!
OCKLAWAHA
GO POKES! OSU! "OSU THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA!"
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY COWBOY
1999 was the biggest. I wonder if they'll ever have another chance. They were incredibly fortunate to get Coughlin - as he was blessed to be in the right place at the moment the NFL expanded.
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 08:02:38 AM
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
This is an era of Gator prominence. Were FSU still the dominant and fashionable team, it might have made the list.
Then again- were that the case, Bobby might still be there.
Quote from: rjp2008 on August 03, 2010, 01:30:29 AM
1999 was the biggest. I wonder if they'll ever have another chance. They were incredibly fortunate to get Coughlin - as he was blessed to be in the right place at the moment the NFL expanded.
Ironic, since so many fans cheered Coughlin's firing in the hope they'd get Spurrier. Though who knows what would have happened had Spurrier come here, flopped, then turned tail like he did in DC. We may have had better drafts and a better coach.
But then we may not have been able to hold on to Gene Smith, so I guess it's water under the bridge.
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 08:02:38 AM
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
There's a spot for that game, just not on this list. Maybe biggest over-hyped love fests??
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 09:45:02 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 08:02:38 AM
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
There's a spot for that game, just not on this list. Maybe biggest over-hyped love fests??
O, to see the world through Orange-and-Blue colored glasses. Everything ends. Enjoy the ride.
Quote from: ac on August 03, 2010, 09:46:53 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 09:45:02 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 08:02:38 AM
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
There's a spot for that game, just not on this list. Maybe biggest over-hyped love fests??
O, to see the world through Orange-and-Blue colored glasses. Everything ends. Enjoy the ride.
It will end, just not in the next 5 years!!! Even if UF wasn't so amazing, that wouldn't make FSU good.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 09:51:06 AM
It will end, just not in the next 5 years!!! Even if UF wasn't so amazing, that wouldn't make FSU good.
The Gator Bowl was about Bobby's entire career, not just the pathetic end of it. You sound like we did back in 2000, BTW.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 09:45:02 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 08:02:38 AM
They couldn't find a spot for St. Bobby's last game?
There's a spot for that game, just not on this list. Maybe biggest over-hyped love fests??
80k+ people would disagree with you.
What was the point of re-posting the same things as above without any comment AC?
OCKLAWAHA
^ I realize that the Gator Bowl was about Bobby's whole career, but it's tough to remember when FSU was so dominate nowadays. The man was a heckuva coach, from '87 to 2000. If Urban ever falls from greatness, I hope he'll know when to step down.
To copperfiend, I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands that would disagree, but there are hundreds of thousands that would agree. I was at the game, btw. Not for Bobby, just because I love watching football at the 'Bank.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:01:43 AM
The man was a heckuva coach, from '87 to 2000.
87? Try 1977. He won 85 games from 77-86.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:01:43 AM
To copperfiend, I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands that would disagree, but there are hundreds of thousands that would agree. I was at the game, btw. Not for Bobby, just because I love watching football at the 'Bank.
So are you saying that Martina Navratilova beating Chris Everet on Amelia Island was a bigger sporting event than Bowden's last game?
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:21:33 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 10:05:45 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:01:43 AM
The man was a heckuva coach, from '87 to 2000.
87? Try 1977. He won 85 games from 77-86.
81-86 Were good years?
They weren't bad year. They were ranked in the top 20 most years and played about the toughest schedule in the country.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on August 03, 2010, 09:58:32 AM
What was the point of re-posting the same things as above without any comment AC?
OCKLAWAHA
I put my response in the wrong place and it got lost in the quote. I've fixed it.
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 10:34:53 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:21:33 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on August 03, 2010, 10:05:45 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 10:01:43 AM
The man was a heckuva coach, from '87 to 2000.
87? Try 1977. He won 85 games from 77-86.
81-86 Were good years?
They weren't bad year. They were ranked in the top 20 most years and played about the toughest schedule in the country.
It's OK. I've given up convincing Gator fans there was Gator Football, let alone College Football, before Spurrier was the coach.
this topic is worded wrong it should be MOMENTS not EVENTS.....this is a list of moments.
Quote from: Coolyfett on August 03, 2010, 11:48:45 AM
this topic is worded wrong it should be MOMENTS not EVENTS.....this is a list of moments.
Topic name mirrors the T-U article its based on. Please contact the T-U customer service department to make your complaints known. This is a recording..... :D
One the list the Biggest moment for me is the missed Field Goal!....My brothers and I watched that whole game...when he miss that kick we went crazy! we jumped around the den for like 10 minutes str8 yelling!
Moments not on list...
Jags vs Dolphins 99 playoff game
The BullDog Celebration...thats gonna be in the highlight reel forever no matter what the Gators do...That was Evil yet so Amazing
Daytona 500 Death of Earnhart...I know its not Jax but its near the Jax Metro...Id bet there are more Nascar fans in Jax than Orlando. Im not a Nascar fan...but dude dieing in his ride was a terrible feeling...unexpected kinda ruined that season.
The Olympic game was lame...the MJ game vs the Suns was great,
How about the inaugural USFL Bulls game? What about the "friendly" played at Alltel in which the United States was able grab a (3-0) victory vs. Germany (certainly gained international attention)? The Gators run to the National Championship (Basketball) in the first round on the NCAA tourney? Bowdens' final game?
What about the NCAA first/second round this year and in 2006. Duke won its first two games to go to the regional, Wisconsin was almost upset by Wofford, Cornell made its cinderella run, and Louisville lost to California.
In '06, half the Final Four (Florida and LSU) came from Jacksonville, including national champions Florida.
I wasn't living in Jacksonville at the time, but does anyone remember if Roy Jones Jr.'s 1996 fight was a big deal locally? Nationally, I remember it being an interesting story, as he played in a paid basketball game on the same day. If not the Jones fight, you'd think boxing might have showed up on this list somewhere.
Also, I know its classification as a "sport" is dubious at best, but I think people overlook how huge pro wrestling was in Florida, especially during the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Guys like Dusty Rhodes and Jack Brisco were icons in this state. The WWE is so goofy these days that I think people forget about the days when guys like Harley Race, Ivan Koloff, and Dick Murdock were just such tough, unbelievable athletes that people really believed in what they were doing out there.
Quote from: ac on August 03, 2010, 09:53:53 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 03, 2010, 09:51:06 AM
It will end, just not in the next 5 years!!! Even if UF wasn't so amazing, that wouldn't make FSU good.
The Gator Bowl was about Bobby's entire career, not just the pathetic end of it. You sound like we did back in 2000, BTW.
Yeah, FSU's dominance in the 90s has been pretty much un-paralleled in modern day college football. That's right, I said it. Now to wash my mouth out. Go Gators!
Quote from: blizz01 on August 03, 2010, 01:07:17 PM
How about the inaugural USFL Bulls game? What about the "friendly" played at Alltel in which the United States was able grab a (3-0) victory vs. Germany (certainly gained international attention)? The Gators run to the National Championship (Basketball) in the first round on the NCAA tourney? Bowdens' final game?
I was just thinking about that when I saw the start of this thread and found this before I got to your post.
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Articles/1999/02/Inspired-U-S-National-Team-Stuns-Germany-3-0.aspx
I remember the media (albeit soccer media) was quite nice to us and our stadium.
Unfreaking believable, where is Jacksonville's star basketball player Artis Gilmore, our friendly 7' 2" giant? And if you go by what Gilmore did in two Division I seasons at JU Jacksonville, where he still holds the NCAA record of 22.7 rebounds per game, his case for Hall inclusion becomes as formidable as his post presence was to every opponent who had to contend with him.
Bob Hayes "almost" got into the Football hall of fame in 2004, but almost only counts in horseshoes! Gilmore and Hayes both deserve much more then what they have gotten from their fans. At the very least let's add their full size likeness in bronze and place them on the riverwalk.
OCKLAWAHA
What about Bob "Bull" Hurley? Seriously, he's quite possibly THE most famous athlete of ALL time from Jacksonville. In theory, he must have dominated the Jacksonville arm wrestling scene...... ;)
(http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/profile-ak-snc1/object3/1013/23/n56157083881_950.jpg)
http://seriousexploitation.blogspot.com/2010/03/over-top-1987.html
"I drive trucks, break arms, and arm wrestle. It's what I love to do, it's what I do best."- Bob "Bull" Hurley, Jacksonville, Fla.
I don't know how you could leave out any of the NCAA basketball tournaments into the discussion???
I would also submit the 1984 Jax Bulls vs NJ Generals game... biggest attendance of ANY USFL game in the history of the league(and a major catalyst to the NFL's interest in our market).
The US Soccer game when Alltel was first rebuilt had a packed house and major international media coverage.
JU/FSU basketball in '73, JU/UNC basketball in '85, JU/Georgetown basketball in '87, and JU/UF basketball in '98 were all very big time college basketball games in this city.
WWF once held a scaffold match at the old Colliseum which was a BIG pay-per-view event at the time.
The innaugaral ACC Championship game with FSU/VA Tech was a pretty big event.
There are SEVERAL Gator Bowl games that were left off their list that could have garnered consideration.
I agree with about 6 of their listings, but I think 4 of their choices were VERY weak. But that's to be expected from the TU Sports section... which has always been very poor ever since I can remember learning how to read.
Quote from: fieldafm on August 05, 2010, 03:05:55 PM
I don't know how you could leave out any of the NCAA basketball tournaments into the discussion???
I would also submit the 1984 Jax Bulls vs NJ Generals game... biggest attendance of ANY USFL game in the history of the league(and a major catalyst to the NFL's interest in our market).
The US Soccer game when Alltel was first rebuilt had a packed house and major international media coverage.
JU/FSU basketball in '73, JU/UNC basketball in '85, JU/Georgetown basketball in '87, and JU/UF basketball in '98 were all very big time college basketball games in this city.
WWF once held a scaffold match at the old Colliseum which was a BIG pay-per-view event at the time.
The innaugaral ACC Championship game with FSU/VA Tech was a pretty big event.
There are SEVERAL Gator Bowl games that were left off their list that could have garnered consideration.
I agree with about 6 of their listings, but I think 4 of their choices were VERY weak. But that's to be expected from the TU Sports section... which has always been very poor ever since I can remember learning how to read.
Yes I remember the WWF match. I was pretty young then and my dad took me and brother.
2000: Fred Taylor running amuck over the Dolphins with a 62-7 playoff victory, ending both Marino's and Jimmy Johnson's career in Miami and one career permanently.