Was today one of the greatest ever single sporting events shown on BBC1?

[ROSM]

In terms of individual sporting achievement then I would rate this as top in my lifetime given the 77 year thing.

I know it wasn't on the BBC, but the moment when the mc at Wembley said 'the winner..... and new heavyweight champion of the world frank bruno' was also huge given how long he had been trying, but loses out as there are so many world champions.

The Olympics always throws up great stories and I do believe that super Saturday from 2012 is probably the greatest single day of British sporting achievement given the breadth and depth of winners.

And for jingoistic team football, well 5-1 in Munich or beating Argentina indoors, at least in terms of the amount of alcohol in consumed in celebration.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

In terms of actual spectacles, the 2008 men's singles final between Federer and Nadal is the best final I've ever seen, possibly followed by the ones either side of it, Federer-Nadal in '07 and Federer-Roddick in '09. I was only 2 at the time, but I'd imagine McEnroe-Borg in 1980 would be up there as well and the Becker-Edberg finals between 1988 and 1990 were all good too, as was the Ivanisevic-Rafter final in 2001 that was played on a Monday. But most of those went the distance, which give them epic status. The match today was decided in straight sets, yet took longer than some finals that have been played over 4 sets. Of any men's final that only lasted 3 sets, it is surely the best by some considerable distance.

Agree that Federer v Nadal ( 08 )was epic and ' edge of the seat ' five set stuff.
McEnroe v Borg in 1980 has to be the greatest Wimbledon final to date, for sheer drama and excitement. Borg going for his 5th straight win against the new powerhouse on the block. The greatest tie-break ever seen. Gut wrenching stuff with fans screaming every point and Mac closing out the fourth with all the momentum of that stupendous tie-break. Surely he had to win but the great Borg dug as deep as any man has ever gone to come through the 5th 8-6. The final point, Borg sinks to his knees and the taciturn Lennart Berglin ( Borg's coach and mentor ) who made Ivan Lendl look like Louis Spence was celebrating like an excited schoolchild. Borg was mentally and physically exhausted and could barely get off his chair.
There were similarities with Murray yesterday. The sheer exhaustion of the whole thing. Mentally knackered.
My list is ( and I can't put them in order )...
1) 1966 World Cup Final
2) Murray v Djokovic 2013
3) Federer v Nadal 2008
4) Borg v McEnroe 1980
5) 1968 Mexico Olympics...Beamon's long jump ( one of the most amazing things I have ever seen ) Hemery destroying the field and smashing the 400 hurdles world record to pieces. Smith and Carlos in the 200m, followed by the black power salute.
6) 1968 European Cup Final..Man U v Benfica..ten years after Munich...Busby and Charlton ( two survivors ) doing it for the boys that perished.
7) 1977 Grand National..Red Rum's third triumph...the horse that became a national institution.
8) 2005 Ashes ( think it was on the Beeb but stand corrected )
9) 1981 Ashes...Headingly..Botham + Willis unbelievable..then Edgbaston..Botham 5 wickets for one run...the greatest turnaround ever seen. Botham in despair, stripped of the captaincy...ends up a national hero...boys own stuff.
10 ) McGuigan v Pedrosa at Loftus Road...for sheer emotion and atmosphere..made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

 

[Norman Potting]

Has anyone mentioned the 2003 Rugby World Cup final yet?

 

[skipper734]

Bothams test. 1981.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Short answer; Yep.

For a straight sets win it was utterly exhausting to watch and something I'll remember for a very long time.

In terms of other tv (not just bbc) sporting moments that I'd personally consider great;

Federer vs Nadal
'99 Champs League final
Montreal GP a few years back
Beckham's free kick against Greece
2012 Olympics
Vaughn captaining us to the Ashes

Obviously I'm only including things I've actually seen, so no '66 World Cup.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Leave it out.

This WAS only tennis.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Has anyone mentioned the 2003 Rugby World Cup final yet?

No...and I should have put it in my extensive list together with the 2012 Olympics.

 

[keaton]

Why is it better than any of the previous times a Brit won Wimbledon?