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Mr. Buckeye
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1080...But no NFL career Rushing mark?
What's America's most hallowed mark now?
Kevin Hench
FOXSports.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7105628?MSNHPHMA
Well, so much for the "most hallowed record in all of sports."
With each blast Barry Bonds hits, the home run record — now at 757 and counting — becomes a little less hallowed and a little more hollow.
The sports world practically vanished into the collective yawn that met the merciful end of the Bonds saga.
I thought I'd be more impressed, might feel something, a flutter. But nope. Nada. I kept forgetting to switch over for Barry's at-bats and managed to miss 755 and 756, even though I was actually sitting and watching baseball when both bombs occurred.
Right now 757 feels about as sacred as 66, Joey Chestnut's new hot dog eating record.
As we begin our long solemn vigil waiting for Alex Rodriguez, who we've all unanimously decided is clean and beyond reproach, to wrest the record from the diabolical Bonds, perhaps it's time to come up with a new "most hallowed record in all of sports."
And the nominees are ...
1. 2,632 — Cal Ripken
I don't care what advances they make in the lab, there's nothing a player could ingest that would put this most remarkable of all sports records in jeopardy. The combination of the feat — 16 straight years without missing a game — and the class of the individual who accomplished it make this a logical replacement for America's Most Hallowed Record.
2. 56 — Joe DiMaggio
Joltin' Joe's 56-game hitting streak is always at or near the top of the list of records that will never be broken, but its hallowedness suffers from the fact that nobody ever makes a serious run at it. Fewer and fewer truly great hitters are free swingers like DiMaggio was, and the base on balls — and deep bullpens — have become the bane of would-be streakers.
3. 200 — Richard Petty
There is no doubt in my mind that if a NASCAR driver was on the verge of eclipsing Richard Petty's record 200 wins, many, many more American sports fans would be riveted by that chase than were by Bonds' torturous hunting down of Hank Aaron (Javert and Valjean). Not that anyone will ever make a run at King Richard's record. Jeff Gordon, the active leader, is a mere 121 wins from tying the mark.
4. 2,105 — Eric Dickerson
Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis. They've all taken dead aim at Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record and they've all come up just short despite going over 2,000 yards. E.D.'s record has stood for 22 years, which is some serious staying power for a guy with the initials E.D.
5. 11 — Bill Russell
Imagine a guy coming into the NBA today — say, Greg Oden — knocking out 11 championships in 13 seasons and then calling it a career. What Bill Russell accomplished in his NBA career has never been approached by any other player in American team sports.
6. 7 — Nolan Ryan
Given how rare a simple complete game is these days, it's safe to say no one is going to touch Nolan Ryan's career record of seven no-hitters. Of all the absurd pitching records — 511 wins, 59 consecutive scoreless innings, 84 consecutive saves — Ryan's magnificent seven is the most ridiculous. He was not a product of the era he pitched in or the way he was used. There were 18 years between his first no-no and his last.
7. 420 — Dan Marino
With football supplanting baseball as the national sport, it's time football records were more widely known. Fran Tarkenton broke Johnny Unitas's career TD pass record of 290 in 1975, retired with 342 and held the record for a total of 20 years. Dan Marino broke the record in 1995 and extended it to 420 before retiring. Now, after 11 years with Marino on top, Brett Favre is closing in. He sits at 414 heading into the 2007 season. Once Favre becomes the all-time TD king, he will be merely keeping the throne warm for Peyton Manning, who has 275 after nine seasons.
8. 3:43:13 — Hicham El Guerrouj
In 1954 the mile towered over the sporting scene as Britain's Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier and became a global icon. In the '60s American Jim Ryun set a new world record and, in 1967, lowered it to a point where it wouldn't be broken until 1975. In the early '80s Brits Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett traded the record back and forth five times. And now? With the 1,500-meter "metric mile" squeezing out the old mile in most meets, El Guerrouj's record has stood for eight years. Only no one knows it.
9. 92 — Wayne Gretzky
With the elimination of the red line, someone — Sid the Kid? — is going to take a run at Gretzky's single-season goals record that has stood for 25 years. The Great One, who also has the second-highest total with 87, has withstood all challengers over the last quarter-century with Brett Hull (86) and Mario Lemieux (85) coming closest.
10. 1080 — Shaun White, et al.
Ever since Tony Hawk stuck the first 900 — two-and-a-half revolutions — in competition at the 1999 X Games, the 1080 has become the Holy Grail of the vert ramp. Shaun White has come closest to pulling off the full three revolutions, but has been unable to land it. But somebody, either the Flying Tomato or someone else, is going to stick this trick eventually. And, truth be told, after Travis Pastrana's Moto X double back flip last year, I was much more interested in the X Games this year than in Barry Bonds' pursuit of "the most hallowed record in all of sports."
What's America's most hallowed mark now?
Kevin Hench
FOXSports.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7105628?MSNHPHMA
Well, so much for the "most hallowed record in all of sports."
With each blast Barry Bonds hits, the home run record — now at 757 and counting — becomes a little less hallowed and a little more hollow.
The sports world practically vanished into the collective yawn that met the merciful end of the Bonds saga.
I thought I'd be more impressed, might feel something, a flutter. But nope. Nada. I kept forgetting to switch over for Barry's at-bats and managed to miss 755 and 756, even though I was actually sitting and watching baseball when both bombs occurred.
Right now 757 feels about as sacred as 66, Joey Chestnut's new hot dog eating record.
As we begin our long solemn vigil waiting for Alex Rodriguez, who we've all unanimously decided is clean and beyond reproach, to wrest the record from the diabolical Bonds, perhaps it's time to come up with a new "most hallowed record in all of sports."
And the nominees are ...
1. 2,632 — Cal Ripken
I don't care what advances they make in the lab, there's nothing a player could ingest that would put this most remarkable of all sports records in jeopardy. The combination of the feat — 16 straight years without missing a game — and the class of the individual who accomplished it make this a logical replacement for America's Most Hallowed Record.
2. 56 — Joe DiMaggio
Joltin' Joe's 56-game hitting streak is always at or near the top of the list of records that will never be broken, but its hallowedness suffers from the fact that nobody ever makes a serious run at it. Fewer and fewer truly great hitters are free swingers like DiMaggio was, and the base on balls — and deep bullpens — have become the bane of would-be streakers.
3. 200 — Richard Petty
There is no doubt in my mind that if a NASCAR driver was on the verge of eclipsing Richard Petty's record 200 wins, many, many more American sports fans would be riveted by that chase than were by Bonds' torturous hunting down of Hank Aaron (Javert and Valjean). Not that anyone will ever make a run at King Richard's record. Jeff Gordon, the active leader, is a mere 121 wins from tying the mark.
4. 2,105 — Eric Dickerson
Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis. They've all taken dead aim at Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record and they've all come up just short despite going over 2,000 yards. E.D.'s record has stood for 22 years, which is some serious staying power for a guy with the initials E.D.
5. 11 — Bill Russell
Imagine a guy coming into the NBA today — say, Greg Oden — knocking out 11 championships in 13 seasons and then calling it a career. What Bill Russell accomplished in his NBA career has never been approached by any other player in American team sports.
6. 7 — Nolan Ryan
Given how rare a simple complete game is these days, it's safe to say no one is going to touch Nolan Ryan's career record of seven no-hitters. Of all the absurd pitching records — 511 wins, 59 consecutive scoreless innings, 84 consecutive saves — Ryan's magnificent seven is the most ridiculous. He was not a product of the era he pitched in or the way he was used. There were 18 years between his first no-no and his last.
7. 420 — Dan Marino
With football supplanting baseball as the national sport, it's time football records were more widely known. Fran Tarkenton broke Johnny Unitas's career TD pass record of 290 in 1975, retired with 342 and held the record for a total of 20 years. Dan Marino broke the record in 1995 and extended it to 420 before retiring. Now, after 11 years with Marino on top, Brett Favre is closing in. He sits at 414 heading into the 2007 season. Once Favre becomes the all-time TD king, he will be merely keeping the throne warm for Peyton Manning, who has 275 after nine seasons.
8. 3:43:13 — Hicham El Guerrouj
In 1954 the mile towered over the sporting scene as Britain's Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier and became a global icon. In the '60s American Jim Ryun set a new world record and, in 1967, lowered it to a point where it wouldn't be broken until 1975. In the early '80s Brits Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett traded the record back and forth five times. And now? With the 1,500-meter "metric mile" squeezing out the old mile in most meets, El Guerrouj's record has stood for eight years. Only no one knows it.
9. 92 — Wayne Gretzky
With the elimination of the red line, someone — Sid the Kid? — is going to take a run at Gretzky's single-season goals record that has stood for 25 years. The Great One, who also has the second-highest total with 87, has withstood all challengers over the last quarter-century with Brett Hull (86) and Mario Lemieux (85) coming closest.
10. 1080 — Shaun White, et al.
Ever since Tony Hawk stuck the first 900 — two-and-a-half revolutions — in competition at the 1999 X Games, the 1080 has become the Holy Grail of the vert ramp. Shaun White has come closest to pulling off the full three revolutions, but has been unable to land it. But somebody, either the Flying Tomato or someone else, is going to stick this trick eventually. And, truth be told, after Travis Pastrana's Moto X double back flip last year, I was much more interested in the X Games this year than in Barry Bonds' pursuit of "the most hallowed record in all of sports."
