Fansided

Columbus-Tampa NHL playoff series joins list of 20 greatest sports upsets

By Brad Berreman

Lake Placid, NY - 1980: United States team vs Russian team, competing in the Men's ice hockey tournament, the 'Miracle on Ice', at the 1980 Winter Olympics / XIII Olympic Winter Games, Olympic Fieldhouse. (Photo by ABC via Getty Images)
Lake Placid, NY - 1980: United States team vs Russian team, competing in the Men's ice hockey tournament, the 'Miracle on Ice', at the 1980 Winter Olympics / XIII Olympic Winter Games, Olympic Fieldhouse. (Photo by ABC via Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: William N. Jacobellis/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: William N. Jacobellis/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images /

4. New York Mets over Baltimore Orioles-1969 World Series

The Orioles won 109 games in 1969, led by Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer. The Mets, on the other hand, had been bad in the first several years of existence with no real sign of that changing heading into that season. But the Mets won 100 games themselves, the first winning record in franchise history.

The Mets won 38 of their final 49 games to win the NL East, then scored an uncharacteristic 27 runs in a three-game NLCS sweep of he Atlanta Braves.

With good pitching and timely hitting, the Mets took down the Orioles in five games to become the first MLB expansion team to win it all.

3. New York Jets over Baltimore Colts-Super Bowl III

The NFL champion Baltimore Colts were favored by 18 points over the New York Jets out of maverick AFL in Super Bowl III. But that didn’t stop Jets’ quarterback Joe Namath from delivering his famous guarantee of a win at the Miami Touchdown Club days before the game.

The Jets won the time of possession battle decisively (36:10 to 23:50), led by 121 rushing yards from Matt Snell, and forced five turnovers. Not even the shell of Johnny Unitas could rescue the Colts, after Earl Morrall threw three picks.

The NFL-AFL merger came officially before the 1970 season. But the Jets’ huge upset of the Colts showed the world the AFL was not inferior, with Namath’s guarantee adding to its lore.

2. Villanova over Georgetown-1985

To beat their Big East rival Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, in the 1985 national title game the Villanova Wildcats had to play as perfect a game as possible. As a No. 8 seed, in the first year of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field, Rollie Massimino’s squad had already exceeded expectations.

The Wildcats shot an incredible 78.6 percent from the floor (22-of-28) in the game, including 9-for-10 in the second half. No shot clock helped Villanova a lot, and they also went 22-for-27 from the line.  It was the proverbial “perfect game” by those measures, but Massimo was quick to point out 17 turnovers.

Villaova remains the lowest seed ever to win the NCAA Tournament, and Ewing would go 1-for-3 in national title games during his career at Georgetown.

1. Team USA over Soviet Union-1980

We all know what it is when the “Miracle on Ice” is referenced. Team USA men’s hockey, led by Herb Brooks, had been dominated by the Soviets in an exhibition game. That domination was carried into Olympic group play against other countries, and it seemed to be a mere formality for them to get another gold medal in 1980. And it would happen on American soil, in Lake Placid, New York, no less.

The Cold War added a layer of rivalry to the game, which was not broadcast live on American television. When it was able to be watched, in prime time on ABC, play-by-play man Al Michaels offered a final call that remains famous and memorable now.

On the momentum of beating the hated Soviets, Team USA would go on to beat Finland and win the gold medal.

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