ESPN: Greatest Highlight - "The Play" - Fiesta Bowl 2007

[Saueyman]

The statue of liberty play made the final 4. Somehow it beat the Cal-Stanford "Band is on the field" play....

any comments...

[MichiganSooner]

Did John Wangler to Anthony Carter make it? Or the hail Mary that Colorado caught in Michigan Stadium? Or Doug Flutie's?

Rather than just the Statue of Liberty, I would think the all-time best plays should be in their final 4 starting with our interception in that game to finally take the lead; then the hook and ladder on 4th and 18; then AD's 25 yard TD; then they're option pass on 4th down followed by the statue. The whole sequence of plays is needed to set up the statue.

Ohhhh, I hate it

[Sabanball]

I still say no shame to you guys in losing to Boise that night. The way they played, they would have beaten the Patriots ...

I have to respectfully disagree with their selection of that play, as good as it was. the 'Flutie to Phelan' hail mary in '84 against Miami was the greatest play I have seen in my lifetime...

[Big Red Ron]

Cal - Stan was hands down the greatest play I have ever seen.

[Newbomb Turk]

I agree with BRR - single play.

greatest game is USA vs. USSR in the 80 olympics.

[Big Red Ron]

I agree with BRR - single play.

When the guy that scored spiked the ball on the other team's band member's head (who was in the endzone celebrating), I almost fell out of my chair. The greatest play combined with the funniest spike ever = greatness.:D

[RedstickSooner]

Every football fan in the nation knows full well that the Cal-Stanford play is the greatest play there has ever been, or will ever be, in football.

To put anything ahead of it, let alone to put four things ahead of it, shows the list has absolutely no validity.

[Sooner_Havok]

I have no problem picking a play from that game, but they picked the wrong damn one! If any play is going to be the greatest from that game, it has to be the fourth and 19 hook and lateral.

[sooneron]

I would vote for the Cal- Stanford play, but it is clearly obvious that one of the Cal's player's knees were down before he pitched. Thanks to freeze frames and scrutiny, that play is being called out on the fact that it is carp- Much like J Rodger's run against us in the GOC I.

[sooneron]

I have no problem picking a play from that game, but they picked the wrong damn one! If any play is going to be the greatest from that game, it has to be the fourth and 19 hook and lateral.
I sorta agree, but they love to romanticize crap- Ian JOhnson didn't propose to his gal after your play.

[Sooner_Havok]

I sorta agree, but they love to romanticize crap- Ian JOhnson didn't propose to his gal after your play.

True

[boomersooner28]

I am so fuggin sick of hearing/seeing/knowing about that gd play and that gd game.





the end

[Sooner98]

Every football fan in the nation knows full well that the Cal-Stanford play is the greatest play there has ever been, or will ever be, in football.

To put anything ahead of it, let alone to put four things ahead of it, shows the list has absolutely no validity.

Not just in football, but in my opinion, the greatest highlight in sports history. ESPN got this one wrong, probably just because the Fiesta Bowl is more fresh in everyone's minds still.

[KantoSooner]

Better than the Trinity play with 900 passes, laterals and handoffs? I know we're supposed to be talking about Div I., but that thing was awe inspiring.

[sooner518]

I used to disagree with all the ESPN-haters, but all their special little segments like "Who's More Now?" and "Greatest Highlights", which for some reason, all involve Chris Berman, I'm starting to become an ESPN hater myself.

The worst thing about the "Greatest Highlight" crap is that Berman does his own crappy commentary over the top of them, like he was actually working these games. It's moronic and taking away the original commentary really robs the highlights of their original feeling and emotion.

Not to mention that the entire first round of these highlights were taped on a day that Berman decided to wear a neon pink and yellow tie. He is probably my least favorite ESPN personality of all time although he sets himself up to be the butt of so many jokes and funny videos. (Youre with me leather, and the infamous Youtube videos they put on Deadspin a few weeks back. classic)

and yes, Im sick of seeing this damn play repeated every single Sportscenter and Im sick of seeing Ian Johnson propose to his girlfriend and Im sick of ESPN talking like OU was some sort of earth-destroying team that year.

[Desert Sapper]

I have no problem picking a play from that game, but they picked the wrong damn one! If any play is going to be the greatest from that game, it has to be the fourth and 19 hook and lateral.

I agree 1000%. They were BEATEN. It was FOURTH AND NINETEEN. And they executed that play better than anybody in the history of football. The Sooners used to execute the H&L better than anybody, but these guys took it to a new level with the misdirection perfection. NEVER have I seen a team do what they did.

Then AD all but put the game away in OT. And the statue topped what amounted to the best performance by a mid-major in college football history.

I'm not ashamed at all of what OUr kids did that night, rallying back like they did. And Boise deserves all the credit for what they pulled off. This year's Fiesta, on the other hand....

And I concur with everybody that says the Cal-Stanford play is the best highlight in history. Ask any Stanford student/fan/alumnus, and you will hear the same story about Cal's forward lateral. But at the same time, how many freakin' lateral's were there? And it robbed Elway of a bowl as a senior. Priceless.

[BigRedJed]

I would vote for the Cal- Stanford play, but it is clearly obvious that one of the Cal's player's knees were down before he pitched. Thanks to freeze frames and scrutiny, that play is being called out on the fact that it is carp- Much like J Rodger's run against us in the GOC I.
An example of how instant replay sucks the soul from the game of college football.

[Jacie]

Quibbles & bits:

Desert Sapper Quote:
Originally Posted by Sooner_Havok
I have no problem picking a play from that game, but they picked the wrong damn one! If any play is going to be the greatest from that game, it has to be the fourth and 19 hook and lateral.

I agree 1000%.

Sap, you cannot agree 1000%. If you completely agree then that is 100%. You can agree less but not more than . . . completely. You can increase the value of something 1000%, which is increasing it by a factor of 10.

sooner518
and yes, Im sick of seeing this damn play repeated every single Sportscenter and Im sick of seeing Ian Johnson propose to his girlfriend and Im sick of ESPN talking like OU was some sort of earth-destroying team that year.

I think the Sooners are "some sort of earth-destroying team" every year. True, some years they are better than others, but if they weren't then beating Oklahoma wouldn't be such a big deal to virtually every school that manages to do it. They still talk about it in Boise, Morgantown, Boulder, somewhat wistfully in Austin, and it is taught in the Ancient History classes in Lincoln and other schools.

[BoulderSooner79]

The statue of liberty play made the final 4. Somehow it beat the Cal-Stanford "Band is on the field" play....

any comments...

A 2-pt conversion is a pretty high percentage play (45%?), so I don't see the astonishment factor there. The fake pass, behind the back handoff was just show and didn't trick anyone. The play succeeded because our D fell for the alignment that over loaded the right side *way* away from the ball. That left Johnson a clear lane with more blockers than OU tacklers.

It's voted greatest play because everyone hates OU and that's a good thing. We wouldn't be hated if we didn't win 85%+ of our games.

I'll take the Flutie pass and the Kordel Stuart pass any day.

[BarryBnds]

My vote for most memorable play in college football is Flutie first, then the Cal play.

Makes me smile to know that play ensured John Elway would never play in a bowl game.

[Big Red Ron]

The statue of liberty play made the final 4. Somehow it beat the Cal-Stanford "Band is on the field" play....

any comments...Well, to be honest, it's a huge compliment to OU's status as the bluest of blue bloods in CFB.

If they did that crap against West Virginia, Duke, Kansas, Texas Tech, Tex a&m, meh. It's a great play because it was executed against the University of Oklahoma.

[Dan Thompson]

Did the 'Kick' against tOSU make it?

[Saueyman]

Well, to be honest, it's a huge compliment to OU's status as the bluest of blue bloods in CFB.

If they did that crap against West Virginia, Duke, Kansas, Texas Tech, Tex a&m, meh. It's a great play because it was executed against the University of Oklahoma.


I understand that, but was it a greater HIGHLIGHT than the Cal-Stanford play?

[goingoneight]

What about Super Roy? It may seem a bit overplayed here, but that's one of the greatest plays in sports history. Add to that, it was a top-5 matchup, unbeaten teams, defending NCs taking on arch rivals.

If you're going to put that statue in there, Super Roy and Vince Young's Rose Walk in 2006 have got to be up there. Hey, a huge play is a huge play.

[Saueyman]

The statue of liberty play beat out Flutie's hail mary. The final matchup is the Statue of Liberty play vs. the U.S. game winning goal against Russia in 1980.

Seems to me like this "greatest highlight" promotion has lost some credibility along the way...

To vote ---> http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/highlights/index?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab7pos1

[Desert Sapper]

Seems to me like this "greatest highlight" promotion has lost some credibility along the way...


Since when do fans have any credibility?

[SOONER STEAKER]

Any publicity is good publicity. And besides, schools will know that we are well versed on those damn gaget plays from now on.

I wish we could play BSU again. We'd lay it on em.

[sooner518]

Even if our play wasnt on this segment, I would still be unbelievably tired of this whole "Greatest Highlight" crap. I dont need to see these plays every single day for weeks on end. It makes them so much less fun to watch.

and I am making a solemn oath, that from this moment forward, I will never voluntarily watch Chris Berman again for more than the 3 seconds it takes to find the remote and switch channels. Im so unbelievably sick of him and Im getting sick of ESPN in general. And I havent even mentioned this whole Roger Clemens crap that they talk about every 3 seconds.

[SoonerGirl71]

I'm just wondering how many times we have to see that play over and over. I mean come on! We know it happened, yeah it was a good play, but dang, get over it...move on!

[Salt City Sooner]

Never before have I seen so much mileage come out of a 7 point 'dog winning a game. :rolleyes:

[tanjou]

It sucks that we lost, but c'mon. Be big enough to step back and realize that game was one of the greatest sporting events in history. Even though we lost I still smile at the game because, jesus christo, it sure was fun.

[Jacie]

The BSU play gives us Sooners who sometimes dwell on losing REALLY BIG GAMES something to erase the memory of Johnny Rodgers returning a punt for a touchdown . . .

[Big Red Ron]

Never before have I seen so much mileage come out of a 7 point 'dog winning a game. :rolleyes:Well, it was against the bluest of blue bloods of college football.

[JLEW1818]

I still think there TD pass to tie are overtime td was there best play. It's the one most people forget about.

[goingoneight]

I used to disagree with all the ESPN-haters, but all their special little segments like "Who's More Now?" and "Greatest Highlights", which for some reason, all involve Chris Berman, I'm starting to become an ESPN hater myself.

The worst thing about the "Greatest Highlight" crap is that Berman does his own crappy commentary over the top of them, like he was actually working these games. It's moronic and taking away the original commentary really robs the highlights of their original feeling and emotion.

Not to mention that the entire first round of these highlights were taped on a day that Berman decided to wear a neon pink and yellow tie. He is probably my least favorite ESPN personality of all time although he sets himself up to be the butt of so many jokes and funny videos. (Youre with me leather, and the infamous Youtube videos they put on Deadspin a few weeks back. classic)

and yes, Im sick of seeing this damn play repeated every single Sportscenter and Im sick of seeing Ian Johnson propose to his girlfriend and Im sick of ESPN talking like OU was some sort of earth-destroying team that year.


Chris Berman behind the blow. (http://fandome.com/watch.php?q=berman&vid=97435)

[TexasEx4OU]

Since when does ESPN have any credibility?

Fixed...

[Desert Sapper]

Is there any credibility left in the world?

[sooner518]

Chris Berman behind the blow. (http://fandome.com/watch.php?q=berman&vid=97435)
this is definitely part of the reason I hate Berman so much, but there is just so much more

[soonerloyal]

I give props to Boise State for the decision & execution of that play, and for the win. It was a successful and memorable sports moment.

Now if you'll excuse me, to continue on this thread's topic, I'm going to go smash my nose with a ball peen hammer, pour salt into an open cut, and then relive the memory of my episiotomy done without a local anethetic.

Thank you so much.

[goingoneight]

I give props to Boise State for the decision & execution of that play, and for the win. It was a successful and memorable sports moment.

Now if you'll excuse me, to continue on this thread's topic, I'm going to go smash my nose with a ball peen hammer, pour salt into an open cut, and then relive the memory of my episiotomy done without a local anethetic.

Thank you so much.

Can I join you? I'll bring my memory of breaking my hand and seeing the bone stick out, and not to forget the doctor cleaning the wound up. That definitely sounds more fun.

[MyT Oklahoma]

I voted for the hockey game. That was so cool beating the Soviets at Lake Placid. Too bad I was studying at the library that night instead of watching the game though.
__________________________________________
"This is the voice of The Sooner Football Network."

[Saueyman]

So, it seems that the hockey highlight beat out the fiesta bowl play with 59% of the votes. No big surprise, i guess.

[Big Red Ron]

It sucks that we lost, but c'mon. Be big enough to step back and realize that game was one of the greatest sporting events in history. Even though we lost I still smile at the game because, jesus christo, it sure was fun.I agree. To be honest, I wasn't sure we'd even make it to the toilet bowl that year. Other than 2000, it may have been the best since, except the Rose bowl thingy. ;)