Peak Moments in Sport

Due to watching another Rocket 147 break, and sharing it in the Thing of the Day thread, I went back and watched his record breaking break. I realized I’ve watched various videos of that 147 many, many times over the years. And then I realized there are many moments in various sports I’ll watch over and over, though typically no more than once or twice a year each.

I don’t remember them all though, because I only seek them out when inspired. So to save them I made a YouTube playlist, but I think I’ll also share them here on the forum.

The thing all these videos have in common is that they are sport-defining moments, like world firsts, records, peak moments in a career, etc. The commentary and audience reactions are so great.

Please add to the list with some of your own favourite peak moments in sport!

Let’s get this rolling with the fastest 147 in snooker history!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D2rFMPN9js&list=PLedkVkRnas-rzukcldDjRXSyUXFFFzqwl&index=2&t=0s

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

Nadal vs Brown at Wimbledon is such a crazy classic. This video is a great way to experience it in super fast time. Normally match highlights can be over in a minute or two. This is 17 minutes of highlights! It’s ALL highlights!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYgAX6D43Q

This is all about the commentary. From just this run you can’t really see how much faster Danny is going than all the other riders, but the commentary makes it very clear something very special is happening.

There’s a reason why this video has over 4 million views.

A view of the commentary team during the run:

https://youtu.be/6KZV7zfMGTg

“How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?!?!” Is probably one of the best final lines of commentary ever.

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Bah, the things that come to mind don’t fit your description.

Like I wanna show off the Pine Tar incident (Which demonstrates Billy Martin is the Bill Bellachik of baseball) But that didn’t inspire anyone. It wasn’t the peak of George Brett’s carrier and Billy Martin was a manager by that point long past his days as a player.

Oh no. Peak cheating is the opposite of what I was hoping for!

I want videos that make people (me) cry and are like religious experiences for the athletes involved:

https://youtu.be/3pb8XFlRKsI

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Well a bit of context.

Pinetar is a sticky substance, designed to improve your hands/gloves adherence to the bat. Using more of it or putting it in the wrong place doesn’t really confer any advantage.

There existed a stupid and unenforced rule dictating how much you were allowed to use, and where on the bat it was allowed to be (the handle)

George Brett used to much, for years. He knew it, his coach knew it, every player knew, every coach knew, every manager knew and even the umpires knew. This was not a secret, you can see it with your eyes.

The peakness of the moment isn’t George Brett’s it’s Billy Martin’s who decided to formally bring a complaint to the umpires exactly moments after pine tar man did a thing he didn’t like. And he got a result he wanted.

Until eventually this was appealed to the league who agreed this was a stupid rule and made them play the last inning of the game where the Yanks formally lost the win they got from this.

No cheating really happened, it was definitely showcasing Martin’s savvy play dirty to win managing style.

I listened to this moment on the radio and can still quote the announcer by heart:
Swing and a ground ball , stabbed by Foulke . He has it. He underhands to first, and the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions! For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball’s world championship.

Can you believe it?!

Right. Peak gamesmanship can go in the “Fix a Sport” thread :wink:

Well in the interest of ACTUALLY contributing.

This may not be peak but for those of us who saw it happen it’s pretty hard to forget:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApoJk9X7Vto

Bit of context:
This is a very important game, leave it at that.

If this had been one of my highschool games, and I was that shortstop and I was where Jeter was there, my coach would yell at me. The short stop has no business covering home plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XY-XshGhMU

Olympics is where this is at.

van Niekerk sets the 400m world record:
https://youtu.be/6n14GVVWKB0

Kikkan Randall and Jesse Diggins win the first women’s cross country medal for the US:
https://youtu.be/9lZaXMXGdzk

Also not Olympics, but Kipchoge breaking 2 fit the bill for me.

Even when nobody thinks you’re a chance, just do your best and don’t give up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAADWfJO2qM

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I thought of another one, inspired by the Formula 1 thread update:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HnYPtvgZ54

I’ve watched the last few laps of this race many times over the last 10 years, but earlier this year I re-watched the entire race again. It’s a classic from the start, but the last lap is the craziest ever.

The scenes of both teams celebrating the driver championship, and then the Ferrari garage slowly realising they didn’t get it is PEAK F1 drama. Then Massa standing on the top step of the podium, but in tears because he didn’t get the championship… then cutting to Hamilton celebrating in the pit lane… wow.

Edit: the podium isn’t in this particular video.

Another motor sport video I’ve watched waaaay too many times. Start this one about half way through. Again, the commentary really makes this one great!

https://youtu.be/kBn57BCj0L8

I’ve posted normal sport and motor sport, so here’s an esport moment. It’s not from a competition, but still some of the craziest high level gaming. I love how at the start of the game, after 3 headshots with 3 bullets, Chocotaco is all like “I’m going to win this” and he somehow stay in the zone for the next 30 minutes. That state of “flow” is something I can identify with in my own sporting achievements (though very much not with computer games).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwc2WMii4kI

Tiger winning the Masters again, 11 years after his last major:
https://youtu.be/pE-aOBGN8UM

Broken leg USOpen was better.

This is old but I just learned about it today.

https://youtu.be/pGNZ3GqYrVY

Hell yeah. The nine dart finish in darts is like the 147 in snooker. It won’t win you the match, but it is sign of being in the zone!

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