Listosaurus Rex

This list of the most memorable TV moments was determined by TV Guide and TV Land in 2004. It initially appeared as a TV special a few years back. Here is the complete 100.

1. September 11 Terrorist Attacks (9/11/01)
2. One Small Step for Man (7/20/69)
3. The Challenger Disaster (1/28/86)
4. I Have a Dream (8/28/63)
5. The Beatles Debut in America (2/9/64)
   “The Ed Sullivan Show”
6. John-John’s Salute (11/25/63)
7. The Whipping of Kunte Kinte (1/24/77)
   “Roots”
8. The M*A*S*H Finale (2/28/83)
   “M*A*S*H”
9. Lucy at the Candy Factory (9/15/52)
   “I Love Lucy”
10. Who Shot J.R.? (3/21/80)
    “Dallas”
11. The O.J. Simpson Verdict (10/3/95)
12. The O.J. Simpson Chase (6/17/94)
13. Tiananmen Square: Man vs. Tank (6/5/89)
14. Ruby Shoots Oswald (11/24/63)
15. The Bombing of Baghdad (1/16/91)
16. The Royal Wedding (7/29/81)
17. The Death of Dale Earnhardt (2/18/01)
18. Sammy Kisses Archie (2/19/72)
    “All in the Family”
19. The President Denies an Affair (1/26/98)
20. The Contest (11/18/92)
    “Seinfeld”
21. The Miracle on Ice (2/22/80)
    “1980 Winter Olympics”
22. The Fugitive Finale (8/29/67)
    “The Fugitive”
23. Princess Diana’s Funeral (9/6/97)
24. Newhart’s Final Surprise (5/21/90)
    “Newhart”
25. Bookworm in The Twilight Zone (11/20/59)
    “The Twilight Zone”
26. Edith Talks Back (1/8/72)
    “All in the Family”
27. Michael Jackson’s moonwalk (5/16/83)
    “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”
28. Olympic Tragedy in Munich (9/5/72)
29. Nixon Waves Farewell (8/9/74)
30. Eddie Murphy Does James Brown (11/5/83)
    “Saturday Night Live”
31. 60 Minutes with Ayatollah Khomeini (11/18/79)
    “60 Minutes”
32. Saving Baby Jessica (10/16/87)
33. Nadia’s Perfect 10 (7/18/76)
    “1976 Summer Olympics”
34. Hank Aaron Breaks Ruth’s Record (4/8/74)
35. Luke & Laura’s Wedding (11/17/81)
    “General Hospital”
36. Tony’s College Killing (2/7/99)
    “The Sopranos”
37. Clinton Plays the Sax (6/3/92)
    “The Arsenio Hall Show”
38. The Wardrobe Malfunction (2/1/04)
    “Super Bowl XXXVIII”
39. Have You No Sense of Decency? (6/9/54)
40. The Death of Henry Blake (3/18/75)
    “M*A*S*H”
41. Bette’s Farewell to Johnny (5/21/92)
    “The Tonight Show”
42. The Fall of Saigon (4/29/75)
43. Ellen Comes Out (4/30/97)
    “Ellen”
44. The Kennedy-Nixon Debate (9/26/60)
45. Picard Goes Borg (6/18/90)
    “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
46. Mark McGwire Hits #62 (9/8/98)
    “St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs”
47. Curtains for Carol Burnett (11/13/76)
    “The Carol Burnett Show”
48. Sam & Diane’s First Kiss (3/31/83)
    “Cheers”
49. Brandi’s World Cup Strip (7/10/99)
    “FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals 1999″
50. Brody Kisses Berry (3/23/03)
    “The 75th Anniversary Academy Awards”
51. The Oscar Streaker (4/2/74)
52. Sullivan Censors Elvis (1/6/57)
    “The Ed Sullivan Show”
53. Susan Hawk: Snake and Rats (8/23/00)
    “Survivor”
54. The Battle of the Sexes (9/20/73)
55. Gold Medals: Black Power (10/16/68)
    “1968 Summer Olympics”
56. A Charlie Brown Christmas (12/9/65)
    “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
57. Bill Buckner’s Error (10/25/86)
    “1986 World Series: New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox, Game 6″
58. Oliver North Gets Sworn In (7/7/87)
59. Lucy Goes to the Hospital (1/19/53)
    “I Love Lucy”
60. Death of Chuckles the Clown (10/25/75)
    “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
61. Jordan’s Last Championship Shot (6/14/98)
    “1998 NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz, Game 6″
62. America Held Hostage (11/29/79)
    “Nightline”
63. Elvis’ ‘68 Comeback Special (12/3/68)
    “Elvis Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special”
64. The Rumble in the Jungle (10/30/68)
    “Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman”
65. Kirk Kisses Uhura (11/22/68)
    “Star Trek”
66. Ross & Rachel’s First Kiss (11/9/95)
    “Friends”
67. Letterman’s Velcro Suit (2/28/84)
    “Late Night with David Letterman”
68. Tim Russert Tallies the Vote (11/7/00)
    “Decision 2000″
69. Belushi’s Samurai Deli (1/17/76)
    “Saturday Night Live”
70. The Cosby Show Debuts (9/20/84)
    “The Cosby Show”
71. An American Family: the Louds (3/8/73)
    “An American Family”
72. Hill and Renko Gunned Down (1/15/81)
    “Hill Street Blues”
73. The First Millionaire (11/19/99)
    “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
74. Al Capone’s Vault (4/21/86)
    “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault”
75. NYPD Nude (9/21/93)
    “NYPD Blues”
76. Alexis & Krystle: Wet & Wild (4/13/83)
    “Dynasty”
77. Schweddy Ball (12/12/98)
    “Saturday Night Live”
78. Nixon Asks, “Sock it to me?” (9/16/68)
    “Laugh-In”
79. Kerri Strug’s Golden Vault (7/23/96)
    “1996 Summer Olympics”
80. Idol Final: Clay vs. Ruben (5/21/03)
    “American Idol”
81. Rosalind Gets the Shaft (2/21/91)
    “L.A. Law”
82. Florida’s Husband Dies (9/29/76)
    “Good Times”
83. Andy Kauffman’s Smackdown (7/28/82)
    “Late Night with David Letterman”
84. The Day After (11/20/83)
    “The Day After”
85. Gary’s Sudden Death (2/12/91)
    “thirysomething”
86. John Dean Testifies (6/25/73)
87. Hugh Grant and Jay Leno (7/10/95)
    “The Tonight Show”
88. The Saving Heart (11/16/83)
    “St. Elsewhere”
89. Rather Gets Roughed Up (8/27/68)
    “The 1968 Democratic Convention”
90. That’s My Boy? (9/25/63)
    “Dick Van Dyke Show”
91. Kramden’s $99,000 Answer (1/28/58)
    “The Honeymooners”
92. Laettner’s Buzzer Beater (3/28/92)
93. Sinead Rips the Pope (10/3/92)
    “Saturday Night Live”
94. Peter Pan Flies (3/7/55)
95. Clarabell Speaks (9/24/60)
    “The Howdy Doody Show”
96. Sam Gets Fired (1/21/04)
    “The Apprentice”
97. Puck Gets the Boot (9/2/94)
    “The Real World: San Francisco”
98. Marcia Brady’s Broken Nose (2/9/73)
    “The Brady Bunch”
99. Brenda & Dylan Do It (5/2/91)
    “Beverly Hills, 90210″
100. Miami Vice Debuts (9/16/84)
     “Miami Vice”

It’s an impressive list. There are a few items — such as #96, the Apprentice and maybe something from Survivor in 2000 — that probably wouldn’t have made the list had it been made more recently, but I still think it stands as a fantastic memoir of unforgettable moments from the first seventy-ish years of television.

One controversy that came about from this list was whether 9/11 really was more memorable than man landing on the moon. However, TV Guide and TV Land put a disclaimer at the very end of the show saying they believe hundreds of years from now, the landing on the moon will be considered a more important event in human history, but that they believe 9/11 was more memorable as a TV event.

Of these 100 moments, I only saw seven live. Several others I’ve seen reruns or clips separate from the show. Then, when I saw the specials revealing the moments, I watched clips from just about every one.

I’m a bit disappointed that no moment from the Simpsons was included, and as a sport aficionado, I wish more sports events had been included. But, overall, I don’t think they left too much out.

I can’t help but wonder what events since mid-2004 would be included on the list if it were re-made today.

As far as sports go, certainly the Red Sox’ amazing comeback against the Yankees to enter the 2004 World Series would be on the list.  I also think Boise State’s Statue of Liberty should be a lock, as I’ll never forget it.  A few other personally memorable moments since then are Notre Dame losing to USC 34-31 in October 2005, the Redskins comeback to beat the Cowboys 14-13 in September 2005, and Tiger Woods’ amazing shot at the 14th hole of the Masters, but I understand those probably wouldn’t stand a chance.

For news and history, definitely Hurricane Katrina and probably the tsunami of 2004.  I’m sure something involving Obama and Clinton would end up there, and maybe something from the War in Iraq.

And for entertainment television, I think something from Ken Jennings miraculous run on Jeopardy would deserve a spot.  The finale of The Sopranos and Friends were both quite memorable, and I think Pam and Jim’s kiss from the end of the show’s second season deserves a spot on there.

What moments would you like to have seen included?  What do you think that’s happened since mid-2004 that would be included today?

Note: I transcribed the list from TVLand.com. The site claims to have some videos of these events, but none of the links worked. That may just be my computer not working properly, though, I don’t know. Either way, clips from many of these can just as easily be found on YouTube.

ESPN recently put together a list of the greatest seasons of all time for individuals in college football history. Here is their top ten:

1. 1988 Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State
2. 1924 Red Grange, Illinois
3. 1963 Roger Staubach, Navy
4. 1976 Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh
5. 2005 Vince Young, Texas
6. 1968 Al Worley, Washington
7. 1980 Herschel Walker, Georgia
8. 1984 Doug Flutie, Boston College
9. 1980 Hugh Green, Pittsburgh
10. 1948 Doak Walker, SMU

When it comes to college football, I’m not much of a stat hound or history buff, so I don’t have particularly strong reactions here. The one thing that surprised to see Vince Young so high. That was a great season for him, but top five all time high? Eh. Better than defensive back Al Worley’s astronomical interception-record setting season that they discuss for slot six? Not sure I buy it.

For me, it’s impossible to see Doug Flutie 1984 without thinking of The Hail Mary, and sure enough, it’s mentioned. Talk about a great ending to a football game.

If you want to read the writer’s reasoning for each pick, check out the site.

There’s just something about the sport of basketball that attracts the ugliest athletes. I don’t know why it is, and I’m not sure anyone ever will.

Through my many hours of studying this burgeoning field, I’ve come to notice that some players’ ugliness is so powerful, so pervasive, that they dwarf the competition. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if Tom Hanks was around, because these cats are in a League of Their Own when it comes to ugliness.

It is my odd pleasure to present to you the cream of the crap, the fifteen ugliest players in the NBA.

15. Chauncey Billups

We start our list off with Pistons point guard and team captain Chauncey Billups. Chauncey is the right on the borderline of “ugly” and “fugly” — he’s the guy that girls might give a chance if he’s really sweet and because he has lots of money. But I’m guessing Chauncey’s luck with the ladies is inversely proportional to how well-lit a bar is.

14. Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace’s misshapen afro is somewhere between really sweet and friggin weird. I mean, I give him credit for growing the ‘fro, which has scientifically been proven to be the most awesome hairstyle. But it’s just uneven and oddly shaped. Whatever the case, though, it distracts from his pretty ugly mug.

13. Michael Ruffin

There is no doubt that Michael Ruffin, offensive stud* is one ugly dude, but I had to knock him down a few spots on this list because he’s so happy-looking. I mean, can you look at that picture and not smile yourself?

*When I say offensive stud, I’m being completely sarcastic. He averages more fouls per game than points.

12. Vlade Divac

Vlade looks like a man who can hold his liquor, I’ll give him that much, but what’s with the sloppy hair and hideous goatee thing? The droopy-looking eyes don’t help.

11. Brevin Knight

Brevin Knight looks normal-ish, until you get a three-quarters perspective of his face.

And then you realize he has an oddly shaped head and little beady eyes that bulge out like an alien’s.

10. Shelden Williams

I no longer feel comfortable classifying that as a forehead. That right there is a fivehead.

9. Tyronn Lue

Ugly smile? Check. Ugly, woman-ish hair? Check. Ugly facial stubble? Check. Ugly, asymmetric ears and eybrows? Check. Tyronn Lue’s got the works. He’s a staple of basketball ugliness.

8. Nick Van Exel

I never thought it would be possible to combine the attributes of babyish face, pointy head, and creepy moustache into one human, but Nick Van Exel pulls it off. Despite his straight-up ugliness, Nick Van Exel’s look reminds me of the type tough thug you’d see in a gangster movie: poised and collected. And, hey, he sank some clutch shots in his career, so maybe that guess isn’t too far off.

7. Sun Ming Ming

In case you’re wondering, Sun Ming Ming is the ridiculously tall Asian guy drenched in sweat with disproportionately large eye sockets. Not the reporter who bears an uncanny resemblance to Simon Cowell.

6. Adonal Foyle

Though Adonal Foyle is smiling in this picture, do not be fooled. He is scowling 99% of the time. From this picture, it may seem like it’s the smile that’s scrunching up his face, but if you look at any other picture of him, you realize that he just has a scrunched face.

Adonal’s ugly game exacerbates his ugly mug. The talent he has in blocking shots does not make up for his gaping lack of offensive skill and basic hand-eye coordination, as he often struggles to even catch passes.

5. Lorenzo Mata

Lorenzo Mata is so ugly that when he was born, the doctor slapped his mom. Approximately 80% of his smile is on the right (our left) side of his nose, creating a frighteningly unbalanced face. That Adidas headband is pretty cool, but not a tenth cool enough to distract us from the abysmal facial hair.

I would also like to to point out Lorenzo Mata’s goofy free throw stance.

4. Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah’s girlish hair and goofy face are legendary. I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if a WNBA team drafted him by mistake. A few of you out there are probably upset that I didn’t put Noah at number one on this list, actually. But just you wait.

3. Tyrone Hill

I’m sure Tyrone Hill is a nice guy. Well, I sure hope he is. His inner beauty better be working for him, because his outer beauty ain’t doing too well. Remember how I mentioned that Chauncey Billups, #15, was on the border of ugly and fugly? Tyrone Hill is what Chauncey Billups would look like if he went full-throttle into fugly territory and overshot it by a couple miles.

Tyrone Hill is also a part of one of the strangest basketball photos I’ve ever seen. I have no idea what is going on here. The actions of the players do not match up into any simple, reasonable situation.

2. Popeye Jones

Poor Popeye Jones. Poor, poor, Popeye Jones. Well, rich Popeye Jones, considering he’s a professional athlete. But that face of his! That scrunched mouth and those lopsided, goofy ears. That bewildering gaze. That shiny bald head. It all melds together into one epicly ugly expression. It’s so hard to take a man seriously when he looks like that.

1. Sam Cassell

Ladies and gentlemen, our grand champion:

What is there to say about Sam Cassell that can’t be understood simply by looking at those pictures? I do not know. That alien-like head, those obnoxious teeth, that ridiculous pose in the bottom photo.  They speak for themselves.

My grandfather once told me a story about how, when he was signing up to join the Army, there was a clause 7C in the contract that said you could be dishonorably discharged for being “excessively ugly.” I’m not sure if the story is true, but if it is, I make a motion for Sam Cassell’s number to be changed from whatever it is right now to 7C in honor of his rightful status as the ugliest man in basketball. Congratulations, Sam, we salute you.

Special note:

Please do not take any of my demeaning remarks to seriously. These guys ain’t exactly pretty, but I’m no Jessica Alba myself, so my comments are all meant to be in good fun. I have great respect for how far these athletes have made it and wish them the best in the future.

This list got a lot of attention a few years ago when it came out as a TV special, and even won the Peabody Award. It’s still worth a good look.

ESPN picked the fifty greatest athletes of the 20th century. Here is their top ten:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Babe Ruth
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Jim Brown
5. Wayne Gretzky
6. Jesse Owens
7. Jim Thorpe
8. Willie Mays
9. Jack Nicklaus
10. Babe Didrikson

There will always be people you could make arguments for ranked higher than they are, like Lawrence Taylor at #40, and Barry Sanders and Cal Ripken, Jr. being excluded completely, but it’s hard to take issue with that top ten. It’s easy to make cases for any of MJ, Babe Ruth, Gretzky, Ali, or Owens as being number one on that list. Jim Brown, though an apparent demigod on the field, didn’t play long enough in my opinion to be as high as he is, but I can see the reasoning of putting him where he is.

The list is a spectacular, sentimental set of feature articles of these great athletes, and is absolutely worth a read for any sports fan who has never scanned the list before.

It’s entirely uplifting and inspiring to read about so much greatness, particularly from the people at the top of the list: the Bambino redefining American sports, Ali sticking up for what he believed in, Gretzky acting with great character while dominating a sport in a way no man has except maybe Ruth, Jesse Owens struggling through American racism but being awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, and Jordan being a champion in every sense of the word.

I’m glad to see that the writers didn’t weight the recent athletes too much heavier than ones from years past. It’s a great, refreshing mix.

One thing I wonder is who now might have a shot at being the list at the end of the 21st century. Certainly Tiger Woods. Lance Armstrong would have been a lock if it weren’t for the steroids issue, and likewise Barry Bonds would have a very good shot if it weren’t for all the scandal. Maybe Peyton Manning or Tom Brady if they keep it up? We’ll just have to wait 90+ years to see.

Ultimately, the list is an enlightening look at what makes an athlete great, complete with lots of great, well-informed writing and some brilliant perspective. Take a look if you’ve never seen the list before.