It was a season of incredible victory against overwhelming odds. It was an era of immortal faces captured in the moment of euphoria. It was an age of sensational finishes that bordered on the unbelievable. Most of all, it was a season for great stories.
With a string of “can you top that?” performances, there is no doubt 2008 was an extraordinary summer for sports.
It began in June, at the College World Series. As a No. 4 regional seed (equivalent to a No. 13 seed in March Madness), the Fresno State Bulldogs fought off elimination at all turns to become the biggest underdogs ever to win an NCAA National Championship.
“The Road to Omaha” has always had a ring of destiny about it, but Fresno State proved resoundingly that it takes more than a polished resume to go all the way. Without the help of their ace pitcher, the Bulldogs defeated top eight national seeds Arizona State, Rice, North Carolina and Georgia, scoring a whopping 31 runs in the three championship games alone.
A week and a half later, the grass courts in London were heating up. As twilight descended on Centre Court Wimbledon, a dethronement was taking place. In five hours and five sets, Rafael Nadal unseated Roger Federer in what many consider to be the best tennis match ever played.
Federer, the king, who held the No. 1 ranking for over four years, gave it everything he had, but for the first time it was not enough. Nadal, the conqueror, hot on Federer’s No. 1 heels since bursting onto the scene at the 2005 French Open, fell onto the grass, a mixture of delight and shock at besting the master at his own game. Nadal became one of three men in the open era to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
But that’s not all. The Beijing Olympics will largely be remembered for one name: Phelps. With eight gold medals and seven world records it’s easy to see why. But it wasn’t just sheer awe at Michael Phelps’ aquatic abilities that had the nation and the world hooked on the Water Cube every night. It was the glorious, edge-of-your-seat drama of it all.
Who wasn’t letting out screams of joy with Phelps and Garrett Weber-Gale as Jason Lezak surged past Alain Bernard in the 400-meter freestyle relay to answer the Frenchman’s taunts? Whose face didn’t match Debbie Phelps’ look of weak-kneed shock after Michael Phelps’ unbelievable .01-second win in the 100-meter butterfly?
It was a relatable kid who loves his mom, lives with his dog and has too many Facebook friends to count that was crowned king of the pool in Beijing and whose name and image will forever be tied to this summer.
Best upset ever. Best match ever. Best Olympic athlete ever. Those performances and many others–Woods, Torres, Liukin, Bolt–have given sports fans the ultimate gift: dozens of unforgettable moments. Until the next perfect storm of athletic mastery and human drama, I will affectionately remember 2008 as the best summer (of sports) ever.