So he’s 21 years old, and he’s scored a Stanley Cup winning goal. In overtime. The only thing that could have made Patrick Kane’s goal a bigger deal is if it had been a Game Seven overtime Stanley Cup winning goal.
But it’s still a pretty big deal….and it got me thinking. Is this the biggest accomplishment ever in sports by an athlete who’s from Buffalo? How does it stack up against other memorable moments, memorable games, memorable seasons, or memorable careers?
I think its right up there. But just for comparison sake, here are a few others.
Christian Laettner’s jump shot
When the Angola native and Nichols School graduate hit his buzzer beater to give Duke a 104-103 win over Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA East Regional final, everyone knew it was special. The game was great….some still call it the greatest college basketball game ever. Laettner’s shot became known simply as “the shot”. We still see it in montages during college basketball games, especially at tournament time. Laettner got the ESPY for college basketball play of the year, and it was named the most memorable basketball shot of all time by “The Best Damn Sports Show Period”……that’s all of basketball….NBA included.
Orel Hershiser’s 1988 season
Most Western New Yorkers have no clue that the incredibly popular and successful Los Angeles Dodger was born here. He grew up in New Jersey, but we’ll take credit for him….especially because in 1988 he had one of the best seasons ever by a major league pitcher. He led the league in wins, innings, and complete games. He finished the season with 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. He was the unanimous choice for the National League Cy Young Award. And there’s more. In the National League Championship Series, he started Games one and three, got the final out in Game four to earn a save, then pitched a shutout in Game seven….and was named MVP of the series. And there’s more. He pitched a shutout in Game 2 of the World Series, and was the winning pitcher in Game 5, the clinching game for the Dodgers, and was named World Series MVP. He’s the only pitcher ever to win the Cy Young, Championship Series MVP, and World Series MVP in the same season.
Baby Joe Mesi’s unbeaten streak
Before a brain injury knocked him out of boxing, Mesi was knocking out his opponent’s right and left. Mesi, who grew up in Tonawanda and graduated from Sweet Home High School, was a top contender for the WBC heavyweight title. When his career ended in 1997, he was undefeated in 36 bouts…winning most of them by knockout or TKO. If he had been able to continue fighting, who knows….Mesi might have challenged Rocky Marciano, whose 49-bout winning streak was the longest ever by a heavyweight.
Ron Jaworski’s 1980 season
The Polish Rifle from Lackawanna was on target in 1980 when he quarterbacked the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl. Jaworski received these awards: UPI NFL Player of the Year, Bert Bell Award, the Maxwell Club’s Professional Football Player of the Year Award, and the Professional Athlete of the Year Award sponsored by Dunlop. The only thing missing was a Super Bowl victory….like his hometown Bills, Jaws came up short in the big game.
Phil McConkey’s Super Bowl
Phil McConkey is a great story. After graduating from Canisius High School, he went to the Naval Academy….and after serving four years in the Navy he signed with the New York Giants as a 27-year-old rookie. He was only five foot 10 & 170 pounds, but he came up big in the Giants’ win over Denver in the 1987 Super Bowl. McConkey’s 25-yard punt return set up a field goal, his 44-yard catch on a flea-flicker set up a touchdown, and he caught a touchdown pass. But the best came after the game. He found a gun on the field. It turned out a police officer had lost it during a struggle with a fan, and didn’t know it was missing.
Photo Credits: Patrick Kane (AP Photo), Joe Mesi (JoeMesi.com).
Bruce Corris is managing editor of Skunkpost.com; a Buffalo-based website about politics, pop culture and sports. You can visit Skunkpost by clicking the link below.
