#10: Plano East vs. John Tyler in 1994

The Call: “God bless those kids. I am sick. I wanna throw up!”

The Caller: Mike Zoffuto

Yep, this call comes from a High School football game in Texas. Meaning we start the list with a classic homer call. John Tyler was beating Plano East 41-17 with only three minutes to play in a game that would send Plano East to state. In an epic comeback, Plano East scores four straight TD and executes three straight on-side kicks to take the lead. The announcers Eddie Clinton, Denny Garver and Zoffuto were beside themselves as the comeback seemed complete. With seconds on the clock, Plano kicked off and disaster struck. The kickoff was returned 97 yards for the season-ending touchdown, prompting Zoffuto to bless the kids and possibly throw up.

#9: October 26, 1985, Boston Red Sox v New York Mets

The Call: “Little roller up along first.”

The Caller: Vin Scully

Remember when it seemed like the Red Sox would never win a World Series? This is Exhibit A from that time. The entire call goes like this: “Two out. Three-and-two to Mookie Wilson. Little roller up along first. Behind the bag. It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!” The Sox were up 5-3 going into the last inning. Holding on meant ending a draught that some believed was due to the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees. When the ball is hit to Buckner, it appears the curse could really be over. It’s not. It’s agony instead, captured forever in a little roller.

#8: 1998 NBA Finals Game 6 - Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls

The Call: “If that's the last image of Michael Jordan, how magnificent is it?”

The Caller: Bob Costas

When MJ announced his retirement, again, it seemed almost destined that he would do something special. Costas sums up greatness in this call that works perfectly with MJ, fist in the air, celebrating the Championship. And yes Mr. Costas, had that been the last image of Michael Jordan it would have been magnificent. But even though he had to go and come back again and suit up for the Washington Wizards as part owner, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a magnificent moment. So was the call.

#7: Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson

The Call: “What an uppercut by Douglas. And down goes Tyson!”

The Caller: Jim Lampley

This was the first time Mike Tyson was knocked down to the canvas in his career. Obviously aware of the massive upset he is witnessing, Lampley simply announces it and gets out of the way. A truly stunning upset in sports history, this moment is when Tyson began turning into an ear-chewing piece of comic relief. But prior to this fight, Tyson was unstoppable, often dispatching opponents before fans could get their seats warm. That’s why Lampley’s call, which lets the moment speak loudly while giving an obvious nod to the legendary Howard Cossell (see below) is on the list.

#6: 1988 World Series Game 1 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland Athletics

The Call: “I don't believe...what I just saw!”

The Caller: Jack Buck on CBS Radio

The Dodgers were without Kirk Gibson, the NL’s MVP who was out with not one, but two bad stems. With the Athletics up by one in the ninth, future Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley looks to close it out and win game one. But Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda turned to the clubhouse and called out a limping Gibson. Gibson used an awkward no leg swing on a 3-2 Eckersley pitch to poke it over the fence for a walk off, game winning homerun. For Jack Buck, this was more than he could believe, because he says it three times. For us, it’s a moment made special by a great call.

#5: 1982 Cal/Stanford in the 85th Annual Big Game

The Call: “Oh the band is out on the field!! He's gonna go into the endzone!!!”

The Caller: Joe Starkey

It looked like John Elway, QB of Stanford, would graduate college football with an amazing 4th quarter comeback as Stanford kicked the field goal to take a 20-19 lead in the Big Game. What happened next was complete bedlam. Stanford kicked off to the Bears who lateraled their way down the field, through the Stanford band, and into the endzone for an improbable, unbelievable 24-20 finish. Later Starkey comments: “…we'd like to credit the Stanford tuba player who threw the key block on the drive…”. We’ll just credit Joe for the great call.

#4: 1973, Joe Frazier vs George Forman

The Call: “Down Goes Frazier! Down Goes Frazier! Down Goes Frazier!”

The Caller: Howard Cossell

Joe Frazier, the undefeated World Heavy Weight Champ, had a style to come hard and fast at his opponent, a strategy that didn’t work in this bout with George Forman. Forman knocked Frazier down in the first round, prompting Cossell to call it three times. It was a good guess because Forman knocked Frazier down a total of three times in the first round and three times in the second round before winning the fight. “Down Goes Frazier” is so legendary that Lampley copied it decades later.

#3: The 1978 AFC Championship Game, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders

The Call: “I don’t even know where he came from.”

The Caller: Jack Flemming

The Steelers are down 7-6 in a grueling game against the Raiders to go to the AFC Championship game. Bradshaw takes the 4th down snap, runs out of the pocket, fires it downfield where it ricochets off a player and into the waiting arms of Franco Harris who runs in for a TD. That’s when Flemming wonders where Harris came from. Franco Harris finds himself in the right place, and the right time, to get a ricochet touchdown pass to give the Steelers an improbable win. Just like they drew it up.

#2: Dale Earnhardt wins the Daytona 500

The Call: “Twenty years of trying, twenty years of frustration.”

The Caller: Mike Joy

For 20 years Dale Earnhardt had been trying to win on the Speedway at Daytona. In 1990, he was leading on the final turn when his tire hit a piece of scrap metal. He ended 5th. Finally, in 1998, leading when the race went to caution, Earnhardt earned his first Checkered Flag. Later, when he drove down pit row, all the pit crews from the other teams high-fived him, proving that just about everyone was happy with the outcome. He finally did it. This call is a testament to his tenacity.

#1: 1980 Olympic Hockey - USA vs. Russia

The Call: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

The Caller: Al Michaels

At the height of the Cold War, a rag tag bunch of American hockey players take on one of the true Dynasties of Hockey. It wasn’t going to be close, as the US team was ranked 7th in tournament compared to the Russian’s convincing first. The Russians had won 16–0, 17–4, and 8–1 already in the tournament. As amazing as it seemed, the US was up late in the game. Al Michaels could barely believe it. As time ticked down near the end of the game, he began to count down the seconds before the classic call: “Do you believe in Miracles? YES!” It was a Miracle. It was a great call in what is widely thought to be the greatest upset in sports history.