5 greatest upsets since 1980

[ehh]

Forty posts and no mention of George Mason, phew.

[slickdtc]

I wonder if this launches the Giants into a great, championship-laden run like the Patriots upset of the Rams did at the beginning of this decade?

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by SlimKibbles

Agree on both. For those too young to remember that 1990-91 UNLV team, they dismantled opponents all season. Wasn't their average margin of victory like 27 points? Duke had a good team that year but UNLV had no business losing to them.

I think people forget how good that Duke team was. Remember they did play against each other in back to back years. Both teams were pretty good. The difference was Duke was playing UNC, MD, Wake, etc. while UNLV was playing the JV team at the local Vegas high schools. Not saying they weren't a great team but them destroying teams all year long didn't hold as much weight considering their conference.

I was going to mention Mason but they didn't win it all so I guess that shouldn't really count.

Based on knowing the Giants are about to play the Pats in the SB I wouldn't necessarily say it was a huge upset but if you think about coming into the season many had NE being 18-0 going into this game and many had the Giants sitting at home going into the playoffs... possibly after finishing last in their division. Even coming into the playoffs they knocked off the two teams considered hands down, the best in the NFC and then the team considered the best in history. Pretty big upset material.

[ehh]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

The difference was Duke was playing UNC, MD, Wake, etc. while UNLV was playing the JV team at the local Vegas high schools. Not saying they weren't a great team but them destroying teams all year long didn't hold as much weight considering their conference.

Great point, and also why I don't think Memphis is winning the title this year.

[wwharton]

Yeah, they may win it this year but I wouldn't say they are as good as they may appear based on their scores. Kind of like that undefeated St Joe's team a few years ago (with Jameer Nelson) but Memphis is a better team than that was.

It does make it harder for teams like Memphis. UNC, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Florida,etc... those teams have to come to play every game in their conferences and have to be much more prepared for the tournament.

[bgeno]

How is there only ONE POST mentioning App State over Michigan?

Explain.

[truckie16]

Quote: Originally Posted by J0nnD0ugh

All of that's nice. But what people forget is that game wasn't the finals. So it wasn't for the title. If the USSR's top goalie was in there, I would have a different take. But the backup also makes a difference. They weren't going @ the best the USSR had to offer. Having the entire stadium chanting "USA" made an affect as well. Note that that matchup is just about the only "greatest upset" where the underdog had the decided home advantage. Buster Douglass had no advantage. He was in no way shape or form the equal of Tyson. Evident by the fact he did nothing else in his career. Tyson beat people in seconds. Buster didn't have people in his corner in the crowd. He didn't have teammates to help him out. That was a bigger upset. Giants just beat a team that had never lost. A coach & QB that had never lost a SB. A team that set scoring records in a league that has been around 80 years. On a neutral field. W/90% of the nation not giving them a shot. That's a bigger upset.

You put way too much stock in the olympics being in the US IMO.
It's still a bunch of amaturs playing the best team on the planet. A team that had trounced the NHL all stars earlier in the year.

As for last nights SB. It's two professional teams who had played 5 weeks earlier with the Pats coming from 12 pts down to win by three. Hardley an upset of the magnatude some people are making it out to be. The giants were playing some of the best football I've seen over those five weeks.

[JBH3]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rag3vsW0rld

D-Backs/Yankees 2001 ?

Good pick.

Or the Red Sox over the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. Coming from behind like they did...where no team in MLB history had ever come back down 3-0 in a playoff series.