The top 10 sports moments of the 2000's

note: Over the next days and weeks I will be doing top 10 lists of the 2000's on a variety of topics, this is only volume one

As chosen by me, 100% un-scientific, done mostly by rank of how emotionally affected/involved I was in the event or moment. All of these things I saw live unless otherwise noted.

#10 Randy Johnson Kills a bird...
Before the 2001 season started (When the D-Backs won an amazing World Series by the way) Randy Johnson had an unusual, some would say hilarious/sad/amazing, happening in a spring training outing. He killed a bird, with one of his 95+MPH fastballs. In case you forgot here's the video



#9 Delmon Young Throws Bat at Ump
Back in 2006 Delmon Young was still a hot prospect for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who was languishing in AAA for his impatience and well-known temper. That temper earned him national headlines, for the wrong reasons, after this infamous incident that earned him a record 50 game suspension from the team. It seemed to work though, because he is now an everyday starter for my Twins.



#8 Zidane Head-Butt in 2006 World Cup Final
Put into the category of shit-you-cannot-make-up Zidane headbutted an Italian player after he apparently said something insulting about Zidane's sister or mom. This earned him an immediate red card (ejection) and probably cost France the World Cup. To make it worse it occured in not only the World Cup Final, but in extra-time (overtime) right before the shootout. To put some context in for non-soccer fans its about the equivalent of punching someone in game 7 of overtime in an NBA Final or overtime in the Super Bowl and getting ejected. The only reason this isn't higher on the list is because, well, its soccer.




#7 The infamous "tuck-call"/ Adam Vinetari's game-winning OT field goal in last game at Old Foxboro stadium in the "Snow Bowl"
Back in the 2002 playoffs no one really thought the Patriots had much of a shot. I mean they had this 6th round draft pick kid from Michigan named Tom... Bradley? Brady? who replaced Drew Beldsoe who went down in week 3 with a bad knee injury. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. It was a freaking snowstorm out and if it wasn't for that call the Patriots wouldn't have gone on to win the super bowl that year and may have never been the dynasty that they were this decade.



#6 Adam Vinetari's game-winning FG in Super Bowl XXXVI
This was amazing, not because I finally got a upset pick right (I made it known at school I thought the Pats would win) but because almost no one, and I mean no one, picked the Patriots to win. The Rams aka "The Greatest Show on Turf" won the SB two years prior and were poised to cement themselves as a dynasty. But the pesky Patriots refused to quit. I thought they were the team of destiny after what happened earlier in the playoffs (see above) but what they did to start off the Super Bowl was amazing. Normally there would be individual player introductions to start off the games. But not for the Patriots, being the ultimate in team first attitude they rushed on to the field as a group. No team has done individual player introductions since.



#5 Vince Young's 4th and 5 run to win the 2006 National Championship against USC in the Rose Bowl.
Once again this was an amazing feat that I picked when almost no one gave Texas a chance against the 2 time defending champions who hadn't lost a game in nearly 3 years. An amazing streak that while not a record in college football, will not be approached again anytime soon, probably.



#4 Music City Miracle
Simply amazing, just simply amazing. Some people are still pissed about it to this day. It only happened 1-2 weeks into the decade but will live on in sports and NFL lore.



#3 Boise State's Statue of Liberty play to win 2007 Fiesta Bowl (and the hook and lateral, and the halfback pass)
Boise State won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against all odds, Oklahoma was supposed to go out and CRUSH them. Well, before the Sooners could get their chinstraps on they were down 14-0 and 21-10. Oklahoma came back of course and Boise State's magic appeared to be out when they had a 4th and 15 at midfield with a little under a minute to go. Then they go freaking backyard football and run a perfect hook and lateral that ties the game. Then on 4th and 2 at the 7 yard line, down 42-35 in OT they do a halfback pass and it works (barely). They say screw it and decide to go for the win pulling off the Statue of Liberty play perfectly, and to cap it off the RB who went in for the game winning score proposes to his long time girlfriend on national TV. She says yes and the game becomes an even BIGGER story.



#2 David Ortiz game 4 ALCS walk-off home run
Not big when it first happened, I mean Boston was still down 3-1 and had to win 2 games in Yankee Stadium if they hoped to do the impossible. Alas they did, breaking the 86 year old Bambino Curse and in the process being the first MLB team EVER to come back from an 0-3 hole. I remember saying that the Sox would win after seeing that walk-off home run but even I thought I was crazy. I mean the Yankees wouldn't be the first team to ever blow a 3-0 lead and besides it was a fluke right? Nope...



#1 David Tyree helps end the Patriots perfect season...
This could be the most amazing catch in NFL history. I wanted to see the big bad Pats go undefeated because I had been a fan of them since late in the 2001 season and I felt I had earned the right to root for the favorite for one of the first times in my life. Then fricken David Tyree comes up and squashes the Patiots dream like he did with the football on the side of his helmet.



What will the 2010's bring? Will I do this again in 10 years? (doubtful) Stay tuned folks!