One of the most iconic sports movies of all time was Hoosiers, which highlights the Cinderella story of a small high school in Indiana (Hickory High School) and their road to glory through ups and downs. Upsets are what sports fans live for. The following are the Top Five greatest upsets in sports history.
Miracle on Ice
The 2004 ESPY Award winning movie “Miracle” earned its fame being based on one of the greatest upsets ever in sports history. Thirteen goals were scored in the two teams’ last encounter before the game in the 1980 Winter Olympics: the final score being 10-3 in favor of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were thought to be the best hockey team to ever play, and the United States was bound to lose. However, with ten minutes to play in the third period, the United States’ Mike Eruzione fired the puck into the Soviets’ net, giving the United States a prominent win. The United States were ultimately able to win gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics, capping off a stunning winning streak.
Appalachian State vs Michigan
September 1, 2007. #5 Michigan played Appalachian State in their first game for the college football season. Michigan entered as a 33 points favorite. It was expected to be such an upset that Michigan paid Appalachian State $400,000 to play the game. Driving 69 yards in 1:11, Appalachian State made the score close for the whole game. However, a blocked field goal kicked by Michigan handed the win to Appalachian State. This game marked the first time a Top 10 team fell out of the rankings after one loss.
Leicester City Win the Premier League (Pictured on Cover)
The odds of 100-1 are not in your favor. Now what about the odds of 5,000-1? This is what Leicester City was battling in 2016. From a betting perspective, Leicester City had nearly no chance of winning the Premier League. However, Leicester City was the king of overcoming odds. Led by Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante, and Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City pulled off the impossible with a record of 23-12-3 (23 wins, 12 draws, 3 losses).
The Nationals’ Rally Caps
With a 0.1% chance of winning the World Series midway through the season. It would be safe to say the odds were not in the Washington Nationals’ favor. After barely sneaking into the NL Wild Card Game, a hit by Juan Soto gave the Nationals the lead against one of the best relievers in the game: Josh Hader. Against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a 10th inning grand slam put the Nationals above. And after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals four games to zero games, the Nationals played the Astros -- a game which would prove to be the toughest challenge yet, as four of the games were in Houston. Despite all odds, the Nationals beat the Astros in Game 7 of the World Series, thanks to a home run by Anthony Rendon to give the Nationals the win. “We stayed in the fight, and we won the fight,” exclaims the Nationals manager Dave Martinez.
The Patriots Dethroned
An unbeaten New England Patriots team faced a 10-6 New York Giants team in the Super Bowl in what was thought to have been the easiest win for the Patriots. It was 2007 when 12.5 points favored the Patriots over the Giants. However, the Giants would not go down looking. Eli Manning and a miracle catch by WR David Tyree marched the New York Giants into an underdog win in the most-watched football game of the whole season: the Super Bowl.