A columnist for the Dallas Morning News did a list of what he feels are the greatest individual sports streaks in history, with no more than two in any one sport (May require registration to read full article-- http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/ksherrington/stories/051805dnsposherrington.ba540cba.html). I couldn't decide where to file this one. Maybe CRZ or Guru could make a list forum where we all could simply link to lists or (better yet) make our own lists. Then we could all compare our lists.
Here's his top ten:
1 Byron Nelson's 11 tournament wins in a row in 1945 – Not only will it never be broken, no one will ever come close.
2 Orel Hershiser's 59 scoreless innings – His last game of the 1988 regular season, he pitched 10 shutout innings and then threw eight shutout innings in the first game of the NLCS (though the postseason innings aren't included).
3 Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 – After going hitless in Game 57, he hit safely in his next 16 games.
4 Edwin Moses' 122 victories in the hurdles finals – Moses' dominance over nearly 10 years led some competitors to quit the event.
5 Tiger Woods' 142 consecutive cuts made – The perfect combination of skill and consistency in a highly-competitive era.
6 Johnny Unitas' 47 games in a row with a touchdown pass – From 1956-60, the Colts' QB dominated before passing was fashionable.
7 Alexander Karelin, world champion wrestler – Three Olympic gold medals and nine world championships, and in the last 10 years of his reign, the Russian heavyweight didn't give up so much as a point.
8 Wayne Gretzky's 51 consecutive games with a point – The first 51 games of the 1983-84 season, the Great One scored 61 goals and had 92 assists.
9 Sugar Ray Robinson's 91 consecutive victories, 1943-51 – Fighting as a welterweight and middleweight, he beat Jake LaMotta four times in that streak, including twice in three weeks. In 1950, he fought 19 times and won them all.
10 Micheal Williams' 97 consecutive free throws, 1993 – Hey, you make 97 in a row. Besides, he's a Baylor guy, and they can use the good pub.
He mentions Lance Armstrong but does not put him in. I'd throw in Favre's consecutive games started streak and dump Michael Williams.
Other random thought--boxing sure has changed.
"The translation is literally. "Your City. Your Equipment." So I guess this means that you can use this channel as your equipment to take over the city. Great."
-Americans for Legal Immigration (a group whose members think that Channel 62 in LA is using a billboard to advertise that they're available to help attack the U.S. and claim it for Mexico.)
Most untouchable has to be Robinson's 91 straight victories. The others could all go down with guys just getting exceptionally hot. Nobody in boxing is gonna fight 91 professional fights in their career today, never mind win them all in succession.
As impressive as 11 tournaments in a row is, to put Byron Nelson at number 1 is ridiculous. Tiger's 4 Major's in a row, with a much more competitive professional golf landscape, is much more impressive.
I agree with your questioning where Favre is, but the more obvious question is: Where's Cal Ripken???
Originally posted by Von MaestroAs impressive as 11 tournaments in a row is, to put Byron Nelson at number 1 is ridiculous. Tiger's 4 Major's in a row, with a much more competitive professional golf landscape, is much more impressive.
I agree with your questioning where Favre is, but the more obvious question is: Where's Cal Ripken???
Yeah, where is Cal Ripken? 2,632 consecutive games and he can't even crack the Top Ten? Yikes.
What I think is most impressive about Ripken's streak is that, not only will it never be broken, but it is an unbreakable record set in the modern era. For instance, Nelson's record likely won't be broken because the level of competition has increased so much in the last sixty years. Of course, there are a few modern records on there, but I don't know how unbreakable they are.
Originally posted by BigVitoMarkMost untouchable has to be Robinson's 91 straight victories. The others could all go down with guys just getting exceptionally hot. Nobody in boxing is gonna fight 91 professional fights in their career today, never mind win them all in succession.
Julio Caesar Chavez was 88-0-1 or 87-0-2 before getting beat for the first time, so it would be possible for a lower weight class fighter to have enough fights to make a run at 91. Highly unlikely, but Chavez did come extremely close to getting to Robinson's 91.
I think the mark of a good streak is the unbreakability factor.
1 Byron Nelson's 11 tournament wins in a row in 1945 – Not only will it never be broken, no one will ever come close.
* Agreed. Tiger and Annika winning 5-6 in a row is about as close as anyone will come in the modern age.
2 Orel Hershiser's 59 scoreless innings – His last game of the 1988 regular season, he pitched 10 shutout innings and then threw eight shutout innings in the first game of the NLCS (though the postseason innings aren't included).
* This isn't as untouchable as it appears. Remember that people thought Drysdale's mark was unbreakable as well. Given the right circumstances -- remember that Hershiser got his mark in September, against some teams who had alreay packed it in for the season -- it's possible that someone could break this. Imagine Johan Santana if he ended up with starts against Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland all September.
3 Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 – After going hitless in Game 57, he hit safely in his next 16 games.
* The only kind of player who can break this record is a superb contact hitter with speed to beat out ground balls. In short, Ichiro is the best of the modern candidates.
4 Edwin Moses' 122 victories in the hurdles finals – Moses' dominance over nearly 10 years led some competitors to quit the event.
Yeah, this is untouchable.
5 Tiger Woods' 142 consecutive cuts made – The perfect combination of skill and consistency in a highly-competitive era.
This is pretty damn impressive, particuarly when you consider that the next longest streak is what, 20 tournaments?
6 Johnny Unitas' 47 games in a row with a touchdown pass – From 1956-60, the Colts' QB dominated before passing was fashionable.
This one is probably living on borrowed time. How many in a row does Peyton currently have?
7 Alexander Karelin, world champion wrestler – Three Olympic gold medals and nine world championships, and in the last 10 years of his reign, the Russian heavyweight didn't give up so much as a point.
I still can't believe Karelin lost to Gardner.
8 Wayne Gretzky's 51 consecutive games with a point – The first 51 games of the 1983-84 season, the Great One scored 61 goals and had 92 assists.
Hell, in today's NHL, if a guy finishes with 51 points in a season he's doing something right. Oh wait, they don't play hockey anymore.
9 Sugar Ray Robinson's 91 consecutive victories, 1943-51 – Fighting as a welterweight and middleweight, he beat Jake LaMotta four times in that streak, including twice in three weeks. In 1950, he fought 19 times and won them all.
Given how nobody fights 91 times anymore, this one is looking pretty safe.
10 Micheal Williams' 97 consecutive free throws, 1993 – Hey, you make 97 in a row. Besides, he's a Baylor guy, and they can use the good pub.
Maybe if someone gets really hot. I think this one could eventually be broken by someone.
ESPN.com's Jeff Merron made his own list of great streaks here.....Click Here (sports.espn.go.com). Sanderson and Favre both definitely deserve mentions, as well as Ted Williams' neat "16 straight times reaching base" record. As for unmentioned streaks thus far, how about Cy Young's 24 innings straight without letting up a hit?
So there I am, in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, looking for one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage that night. So, Jeff Beck pops his head 'round the door, and mentions there's a little sweets shop on the edge of town. So - we go. And - it's closed. So there's me, and Keith Moon, and David Crosby, breaking into that little sweets shop, eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they've got this bloody great big Bengal tiger. I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace, but the shopkeeper and his son... that's a different story altogether. I had to beat them to death with their own shoes. Nasty business, really, but sure enough I got the M&Ms, and Ozzy went on stage and did a great show.--- Del Preston
Interesting seeing some of these included. I'm not sot a golf fan, so I must confess I had no idea about Byron Nelson.
Strikes me as odd that the single most canonized record in baseball is #3 behind Oral Hershiser's record -- one which I had completely forgotten about, hadn't heard mention of in years, and Big Bad does a good job discrediting as unbreakable.
As a Habs fan, I'm a bit dissapointed that their 10 game overtime win streak en route to the 1993 Stanley Cup isn't included here.
Lastly, regarding Robinson and Chavez.
Chavez promptly beat the man who handed him his first loss (Frankie Randall); indeed, the loss was a split decision in which Chavez was penalized twice for low blows. Without those point losses, he'd have won that fight. He won seven more after avenging this loss... so yeah, in some strange way, Robinson's seemingly untouchable streak is very much touchable.
Also of note is that Robinson's first career loss was in his 41st career fight (against, very appropriately, LaMotta). Chavez didn't lose until his 92nd fight (according to BoxingRec anyway -- there's some conjecture over Chavez's actual record. BoxingRec has it at 90-0-1 at the time of his first loss. One win away from tying Robinson's record).
So what does this prove?
Well, not that Chavez is as good or better than Ray Robinson. If anything, it just proves that in boxing -- maybe moreso than in any sport -- a fighter's win-loss record doesn't always reflect the true story. Frequency, quality of opposition, decisiveness of fights... so many factors that a simple number can't take into account.
I am watching the replay now. Good lord Bill Goldberg is horrible on the mic (when WASNT he?). He was trying to say that Ricco Rodriguez was one of the top ten heavyweights on the ground.