Greatest Sports Numbers

thealmighty · 08-19-2007, 11:31 PM

An article in the paper today said that 755 lost its place as the most magical number in sports and that the new record by Bonds will not replace it. The author gave the following as the 10 most magical numbers in sports:

18
56
18355
760 (and counting)
100
215
.406
47
4256
7

Agree or disagree? What numbers would you replace and with what number?

(Don't know if we have ever had this discussion but a search came up with a hundred weird associations so I went with it anyway.)

MrBug708 · 08-19-2007, 11:40 PM

I can figure some of them out, but what are the others?

Karlifornia · 08-19-2007, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I can figure some of them out, but what are the others?

.406 is what Tony LaRussa blew when he got pulled over by the police.

JeffNights · 08-20-2007, 12:32 AM

Hmm, help me with the ones I cant get

18-No clue
56-Joe Dimaggio's hitting streak
18355-Emmit Smith Rushing yards
760 (and counting)-Barry Bonds*
100-Wilt's record for points in a game
215-no clue
.406-Ted Williams
47-Jackie Robinsons' number
4256-Pete Rose career hits
7-Nolan Ryans no-hitters

anybody know what 18 and 215 are for?

k0ruptr · 08-20-2007, 12:35 AM

I like the numbers 186.0, 58, and 384

k0ruptr · 08-20-2007, 12:37 AM

215 i think is Gretzky's points in a season

k0ruptr · 08-20-2007, 12:38 AM

18 is going to be broken in a few years, i think its the Golf Majors record.

JeffNights · 08-20-2007, 12:42 AM

Shit, i shoulda known Gretzkys'!!!! Hmm, i dont think i woulda gotten Jack's 18 majors.

oykib · 08-20-2007, 01:27 AM

Jackie was 42.

primelord · 08-20-2007, 01:40 AM

I'd imagine 47 could be two things:

Unitas threw a TD pass in 47 straight games
Oklahoma won 47 consecutive college football games.

k0ruptr · 08-20-2007, 01:47 AM

I'm guessing its the consecutive wins.

oykib · 08-20-2007, 01:48 AM

18 - Majors -golf - good
56 - hitting streak - baseball - good
18355 - Can't name it off hand (rushing) - football - bad. It's not a magic number if noone knows it.
760 (and counting) - HR - baseball - good. Everyone will know the number of homeruns Bonds retires on.
100 - Points - basketball - good. Easy to remember. Easy to identify with its greatness.
215 - Points - Hockey- so-so. Hockey fans probably know this number. But why is this a better number than the highest number of points in a NASCAR season (whatever the hell that number is.
.406 - Last .400 seasons batting average - good. It's not likely to be done again in MLB any time soon.
47 - no idea - bad. It's obviously not a big four sports record of consequence if no one can identify it.
4256 - hits - baseball - good.
7 - bad. There are way too many sevens to identify it with any one record. When I hear seven I think of Mickey Mantle. Next, I think of John Elway. Nolan's no-hitters wouldn't come to me for a while. I'd probably think of Marc Spitz and his medals first.

saldana · 08-20-2007, 06:08 AM

i doubt the 7 would be mark spitz's medals, since there seems to be someone that challenges it every olympics...michael phelps will go after it again in beiing...i think it is more likely to be ryan's no hitters

Pumpy Tudors · 08-20-2007, 08:31 AM

I think the "greatest sports number" is gonna have to be 56, mainly because it's about a record that I don't think will be seriously challenged for a long time, if ever. I mean, compare it with some of the others on the list.

Golf majors: Tiger Woods could kill that number. I mean, even if he "only" gets to 20, that's a significant increase, considering how hard it is to win even one or two majors.

Points in an NHL season: I don't think anyone will come close to Gretzky's 215, but hockey has changed a lot in the past 20 years, and I doubt we'll ever see the game as free-wheeling as it was in the '80s. The game essentially will not allow this record to be approached, so it kinda takes away from the "magic" of the number.

Hits in an MLB career: I think this number would stand a chance, but in general, I don't think people want to associate the "greatest sports number" with a guy like Pete Rose. The gambling and his attitude over the past 15 years or so have pretty much buried his chances of being a universally loved baseball figure.

Batting average: The .406 is special, obviously, and Ted Williams is widely considered the greatest hitter in MLB history, so those are good signs. As a number, though, it's not something that goes up by 1 with every game or every hit or ever goal or whatever. Know what I mean? It's the result of a calculation, and I think that hurts the number as far as being the most memorable. If it were a nice round number like .400, I think it wins this discussion hands down. That's just not the case with .406.

Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points: It might never be broken, it's a really nice round number, people generally like Wilt Chamberlain, so it looks really good for this discussion. For me, the only knock against it is that it really seems reasonably approachable. Honestly, I wasn't sure that I'd live to see a guy score 80 points in an NBA game, but Kobe Bryant did it. When Kobe did it, he went half the second quarter without even attempting a shot. If he had taken more shots in the first half, he would've hit 90 points for sure, and he may have even gotten to 100. Of course, he probably wasn't thinking about scoring that many points so early in the game, but it could have happened. Plus, when it's a record that's done in a single game, all it takes is for one guy to be "on" and a single-game record can be broken. It's hard for me to call that the "greatest sports number."

The other numbers in that list don't do anything for me at all, except maybe #7 because that was John Elway's number. Personally, I'd like to add 600 to the list. That's the highest-scoring match in PBA history. Tom Baker and Pete Weber bowled to a 300-300 tie in the fifth round of the 1981 Denver Open. Now THAT'S magic!

Pumpy Tudors · 08-20-2007, 08:32 AM

Maybe 117 for Chris Greisen's record-setting 117 touchdown passes in an AFL season this past year? Or Michael Bishop's record 459 rushing yards in a season back in 2005?

MikeVic · 08-20-2007, 08:40 AM

So the article says the 755 number isn't magical anymore (since it's broken), and won't be replaced by Bonds' number... but then lists his current HR total as one of the most magical...??

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2007, 09:14 AM

I think that if Wilt's number is ever broken, it will be part of a deliberate attempt to do so. Some player/team in a somewhat meaningless game will decide before the game starts "Let's get [fill in the blank--Kobe, Lebron, Iverson, etc.] the record."

I just can't see 100 points in the contemporary NBA happening as part of the flow of the game.

Logan · 08-20-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeVic

So the article says the 755 number isn't magical anymore (since it's broken), and won't be replaced by Bonds' number... but then lists his current HR total as one of the most magical...??

I thought the same thing...but realized he must be saying that the new number won't be the #1 magical number in sports, as 755 used to be.

Apparently being #4 sucks.

Pumpy Tudors · 08-20-2007, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I think that if Wilt's number is ever broken, it will be part of a deliberate attempt to do so. Some player/team in a somewhat meaningless game will decide before the game starts "Let's get [fill in the blank--Kobe, Lebron, Iverson, etc.] the record."

I just can't see 100 points in the contemporary NBA happening as part of the flow of the game.

I agree with this completely. To me, that makes the number less "magical" (for lack of a better word). Much of its charm comes from the fact that it's exactly 100, not 101 or 102, for instance. It's a great achievement, but any star player in the NBA could do it if his team and coach wanted him to. It might take a couple of tries, but there's a handful of current NBA players who could do it. No matter how hard a team or even a player tries, you can't just "decide" to give a baseball player a long hitting streak, and you can't just "decide" to give a running back a certain number of rushing yards (at least not at the professional or even big college levels). As you said, though, a team can certainly decide to get a basketball star 100 points in a game.

It doesn't mean that the 100 point mark isn't special, but it takes it out of the running for "greatest sports number" in my mind.

Butter · 08-20-2007, 10:16 AM

I don't think breaking Wilt's record would ever occur like this... More likely, it would be something like "hey, look... Kobe (or whoever) has 51 at halftime... let's get him 100!" And I seriously doubt a 2nd team would accede to being shown up. They are not going to decide before a game to get a player 100... and if they do, you might as well throw whatever shred of credibility the NBA has as a team sport out the window.

BrianD · 08-20-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I don't think breaking Wilt's record would ever occur like this... More likely, it would be something like "hey, look... Kobe (or whoever) has 51 at halftime... let's get him 100!" And I seriously doubt a 2nd team would accede to being shown up. They are not going to decide before a game to get a player 100... and if they do, you might as well throw whatever shred of credibility the NBA has as a team sport out the window.

Isn't this basically how Wilt's 100 happened? He started out scoring well in the game and then his teammates started to feed him in a specific effort to hit 100.

Crim · 08-20-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Plus, when it's a record that's done in a single game, all it takes is for one guy to be "on" and a single-game record can be broken. It's hard for me to call that the "greatest sports number."
Personally, I'd like to add 600 to the list. That's the highest-scoring match in PBA history. Tom Baker and Pete Weber bowled to a 300-300 tie in the fifth round of the 1981 Denver Open. Now THAT'S magic!

Hoist by your own petard, Pumpy. Betcha forgot you even had a petard!

Crim · 08-20-2007, 12:12 PM

Oh, and how about "2"? Number of consecutive no-hitters thrown? Quirky, but I like it. Or maybe: Quirky, so I like it.

MikeVic · 08-20-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crim

Hoist by your own petard, Pumpy. Betcha forgot you even had a petard!

Pumpy's petard is showing...

Mustang · 08-20-2007, 12:20 PM

If you are going to put 18 (major wins) in there, I would say 200 (Richard Petty career wins) should go in there also. I'd say the same # of people care about both.

cthomer5000 · 08-20-2007, 12:25 PM

0-9 are the best to me... they seem to come up a lot in various combinations.

Pumpy Tudors · 08-20-2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crim

Hoist by your own petard, Pumpy. Betcha forgot you even had a petard!

Nice try, but I was talking about one person setting a single-game record. When two bowlers each bowl 300 in a match against each other, that's epic. That was two guys who were "on," not just one like Wilt Chamberlain or, to use another example, Mark Whiten (4 home runs in a single game). No matter how well one person bowls, there won't be a 600-point match if his opponent doesn't match him strike-for-strike.

The petard's in your corner!

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

If you are going to put 18 (major wins) in there, I would say 200 (Richard Petty career wins) should go in there also. I'd say the same # of people care about both.

I think that 18 is getting more play because the best player in the world has specifically set it as his career goal and, at his current pace, is likely to achieve it.

From what I know of NASCAR, the sport has changed enough that 200 career wins is simply impossible--which makes it less in the public mind.

Now, every time Tiger wins a major (which happens once or twice a year on average), people are reminded of 18.

Mustang · 08-20-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Now, every time Tiger wins a major (which happens once or twice a year on average), people are reminded of 18.

I don't think magical means reachable. I'm sure there are plenty of NASCAR fans that hold 200 near and dear and could give a crap about 18 and vice versa.

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I don't think magical means reachable. I'm sure there are plenty of NASCAR fans that hold 200 near and dear and could give a crap about 18 and vice versa.

I agree with you that both of these numbers don't mean much outside of a passionate fan base. And, that NASCAR has a larger and more passionate fan base.

However, as Tiger gets closer and closer to 18, more and more casual sports fans are going to become aware of 18. And, assuming that he passes it, casual fans will know where he stopped.

So, more people will know the record for golf majors in the near future simply because that number will be more newsworthy.

I think that we are just saying two different things here. In general, NASCAR career wins and golf career majors are about equal in terms of "magic records." We just have the specific example of Tiger Woods now to make the general case not apply. And I think that Tiger's legacy in that regard will endure for a few decades.

If Jeff Gordon were approaching 200 and no one was near 18 in golf, then the situation would be the exact opposite.

st.cronin · 08-20-2007, 01:02 PM

I tried many times in TCY to get to 47, never could do it.

BrianD · 08-20-2007, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I don't think magical means reachable. I'm sure there are plenty of NASCAR fans that hold 200 near and dear and could give a crap about 18 and vice versa.

I would argue that magical needs reachable. Once the game changes such that a record is unreachable, it becomes a historical/statistical curiosity.

Anybody think Favre's consecutive start record will be worth including in this thread?

Pumpy Tudors · 08-20-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianD

Anybody think Favre's consecutive start record will be worth including in this thread?

Dude keeps saying he might retire, and then he doesn't retire. This has been going on for about 24 years now. I don't think his number is worth mentioning in this thread, as infinity is already a pretty special number in itself.

korme · 08-20-2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I don't think breaking Wilt's record would ever occur like this... More likely, it would be something like "hey, look... Kobe (or whoever) has 51 at halftime... let's get him 100!" And I seriously doubt a 2nd team would accede to being shown up. They are not going to decide before a game to get a player 100... and if they do, you might as well throw whatever shred of credibility the NBA has as a team sport out the window.

See: David Robinson vs. the Clippers, 1994

Mustang · 08-20-2007, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianD

Anybody think Favre's consecutive start record will be worth including in this thread?

I'm a Packer fan and if someone put a gun to my head I wouldn't be able to come up with the number. There are probably 3 people that know this number - Favre, Madden and Bradshaw...

Personally, I don't think there are any magical numbers in football except for one that no team has done yet and that is 3 (Super Bowls in a Row)

BrianD · 08-20-2007, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I'm a Packer fan and if someone put a gun to my head I wouldn't be able to come up with the number. There are probably 3 people that know this number - Favre, Madden and Bradshaw...

Does anybody really pay attention to the number while it is increasing...unless it is for someone chasing the record? I know Bonds passed 755 but I'm sure I won't care where he is at until he retires.

As far as longevity numbers go, they might only get some notice when someone gets close. Ripken's number won't be mentioned much either unless anyone gets in range.

thealmighty · 08-20-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

I thought the same thing...but realized he must be saying that the new number won't be the #1 magical number in sports, as 755 used to be.

You are correct, sir.

The 47 is the number of consecutive games with a TD pass by Johnny Unitas (Favre has the next most at "only" 36).

18355 and 7 may have a bit to do with the fact this is a Dallas paper, though as a baseball fan 7 no hitters is rather incredible.

4256 by Rose is also a bit out there- new hall of famers Gwynn and Ripken...more than 1000 behind.

sterlingice · 08-20-2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Dude keeps saying he might retire, and then he doesn't retire. This has been going on for about 24 years now. I don't think his number is worth mentioning in this thread, as infinity is already a pretty special number in itself.

SI

primelord · 08-20-2007, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianD

Isn't this basically how Wilt's 100 happened? He started out scoring well in the game and then his teammates started to feed him in a specific effort to hit 100.

The accounts of the game suggest that it was a pretty normal game until he broke his own scroing record of 78 points with about 7 minutes left to play. Here is a blurb from the wikipedia page about it:

"However, according to all eye-witnesses, the game became a farce. Fearing ultimate humiliation if Chamberlain scored 100 points on them, the Knicks blindly fouled any Warrior not named Chamberlain, to force them to hit free throws and keep the ball out of the center's hands.^[2] Effectively, they played the opposite of what a normal club would do if they faced a deficit, willingly giving up many easy points instead of making attempts to rally back. In retaliation, the Warriors liberally fouled the Knicks, in order to get the ball back after free throws and give Chamberlain the ball. Thus each team spent the last minutes fouling each other. The majority of the participants put the blame on the Knicks. Warriors forward Tom Meschery said: "The Knicks were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to foul anyone but Wilt. We started inbounding the ball straight to Wilt in the forecourt."^[3] However, Knicks player Richie Guerin, who scored 39 points, put the blame on the Warriors and complained: "The Warriors used any means [i.e., fouling tactics] to get the ball to Chamberlain. This had nothing to do with basketball anymore." In any case, the Warriors ended with 25 personal fouls, and the Knicks with 32, and lost Imhoff and Willie Naulls with six fouls.^[2]"

MrBug708 · 08-20-2007, 04:54 PM

I would imagine 88 would be up there, I doubt any program will ever win 88 games in a row in college basketball

TroyF · 08-20-2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I'm a Packer fan and if someone put a gun to my head I wouldn't be able to come up with the number. There are probably 3 people that know this number - Favre, Madden and Bradshaw...

Personally, I don't think there are any magical numbers in football except for one that no team has done yet and that is 3 (Super Bowls in a Row)

Football is strange in the numbers thing. The record I most think about in football is probably 14-0. (with 15, 16 and 17 coming in the playoffs and Super Bowl) I don't have any other football numbers in my head that just jump out at me.

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2007, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primelord

The accounts of the game suggest that it was a pretty normal game until he broke his own scroing record of 78 points with about 7 minutes left to play. Here is a blurb from the wikipedia page about it:

"However, according to all eye-witnesses, the game became a farce. Fearing ultimate humiliation if Chamberlain scored 100 points on them, the Knicks blindly fouled any Warrior not named Chamberlain, to force them to hit free throws and keep the ball out of the center's hands.^[2] Effectively, they played the opposite of what a normal club would do if they faced a deficit, willingly giving up many easy points instead of making attempts to rally back. In retaliation, the Warriors liberally fouled the Knicks, in order to get the ball back after free throws and give Chamberlain the ball. Thus each team spent the last minutes fouling each other. The majority of the participants put the blame on the Knicks. Warriors forward Tom Meschery said: "The Knicks were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to foul anyone but Wilt. We started inbounding the ball straight to Wilt in the forecourt."^[3] However, Knicks player Richie Guerin, who scored 39 points, put the blame on the Warriors and complained: "The Warriors used any means [i.e., fouling tactics] to get the ball to Chamberlain. This had nothing to do with basketball anymore." In any case, the Warriors ended with 25 personal fouls, and the Knicks with 32, and lost Imhoff and Willie Naulls with six fouls.^[2]"

The NBA. It's FANNNNNTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

saldana · 08-20-2007, 06:31 PM

i would nominate 0 as belonging on the list...as in the number of losses for the 1972 dolphins...i couldnt tell you the career touchdown or rushing yard marks off the top of my head, but i would be hard pressed to find a football fan that doesnt know the 72 dolphins went 14 and 0

EDIT: or i could have just quoted Troy....guess i should read the whole thread before i post

digamma · 08-20-2007, 06:41 PM

Been said before in the thread, but when I think of the greatest sports numbers I think of jersey numbers.

Tyrith · 08-20-2007, 07:01 PM

56 was the first one that came to mind when I saw the thread title. If you're going to go with a big number, it would be however many games Cal Ripken's streak was. Baseball just leans itself towards iconic numbers.

Buccaneer · 08-20-2007, 07:13 PM

Yes, but the number has to be instantly recalled. Anytime you have to think about it or look it up, it's not magical.

I have a problem with 18. I followed Jack for 20 years and never knew this number. It was just something they didn't harp on during the broadcasts. Besides, no one can recall how many majors (or sub-majors or whatever) any other golfer not named Nicklaus or Woods have won.

Tyrith · 08-20-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Yes, but the number has to be instantly recalled. Anytime you have to think about it or look it up, it's not magical.

I have a problem with 18. I followed Jack for 20 years and never knew this number. It was just something they didn't harp on during the broadcasts. Besides, no one can recall how many majors (or sub-majors or whatever) any other golfer not named Nicklaus or Woods have won.

While that's true, Tiger is probably the biggest star in sports right now, and during the biggest golf tournaments of the year they're ALWAYS talking about the major record now. The number isn't about Jack, it's about Tiger pursuing history. Without Tiger around I agree it's not worth all that much.

McSweeny · 08-20-2007, 07:16 PM

how about Ted Williams reaching base in 84 straight games?

Logan · 08-20-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McSweeny

how about Ted Williams reaching base in 84 straight games?

Cool, but I don't think I ever heard of that before (at least the actual number).

McSweeny · 08-20-2007, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

Cool, but I don't think I ever heard of that before (at least the actual number).

most people haven't, but i make a point of bringing it up whenever Joe DiMaggio's streak is brought up.

PS

over those 56 games, Ted Williams had a higher batting average.

08-20-2007, 12:35 AM	#5
k0ruptr Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Las Vegas	I like the numbers 186.0, 58, and 384 __________________ Xbox Live Gamertag: k0ruptr My Favorite Teams : Chicago White Sox - Carolina Panthers - Orlando Magic - Phoenix Suns - Anaheim Ducks - Hawaii Warriors - Oregon Ducks

08-20-2007, 12:37 AM	#6
k0ruptr Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Las Vegas	215 i think is Gretzky's points in a season __________________ Xbox Live Gamertag: k0ruptr My Favorite Teams : Chicago White Sox - Carolina Panthers - Orlando Magic - Phoenix Suns - Anaheim Ducks - Hawaii Warriors - Oregon Ducks

08-20-2007, 01:47 AM	#11
k0ruptr Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Las Vegas	I'm guessing its the consecutive wins. __________________ Xbox Live Gamertag: k0ruptr My Favorite Teams : Chicago White Sox - Carolina Panthers - Orlando Magic - Phoenix Suns - Anaheim Ducks - Hawaii Warriors - Oregon Ducks

08-20-2007, 01:48 AM	#12
oykib College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	18 - Majors -golf - good 56 - hitting streak - baseball - good 18355 - Can't name it off hand (rushing) - football - bad. It's not a magic number if noone knows it. 760 (and counting) - HR - baseball - good. Everyone will know the number of homeruns Bonds retires on. 100 - Points - basketball - good. Easy to remember. Easy to identify with its greatness. 215 - Points - Hockey- so-so. Hockey fans probably know this number. But why is this a better number than the highest number of points in a NASCAR season (whatever the hell that number is. .406 - Last .400 seasons batting average - good. It's not likely to be done again in MLB any time soon. 47 - no idea - bad. It's obviously not a big four sports record of consequence if no one can identify it. 4256 - hits - baseball - good. 7 - bad. There are way too many sevens to identify it with any one record. When I hear seven I think of Mickey Mantle. Next, I think of John Elway. Nolan's no-hitters wouldn't come to me for a while. I'd probably think of Marc Spitz and his medals first. Last edited by oykib : 08-20-2007 at 02:11 AM.

08-20-2007, 08:31 AM	#14
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	I think the "greatest sports number" is gonna have to be 56, mainly because it's about a record that I don't think will be seriously challenged for a long time, if ever. I mean, compare it with some of the others on the list. Golf majors: Tiger Woods could kill that number. I mean, even if he "only" gets to 20, that's a significant increase, considering how hard it is to win even one or two majors. Points in an NHL season: I don't think anyone will come close to Gretzky's 215, but hockey has changed a lot in the past 20 years, and I doubt we'll ever see the game as free-wheeling as it was in the '80s. The game essentially will not allow this record to be approached, so it kinda takes away from the "magic" of the number. Hits in an MLB career: I think this number would stand a chance, but in general, I don't think people want to associate the "greatest sports number" with a guy like Pete Rose. The gambling and his attitude over the past 15 years or so have pretty much buried his chances of being a universally loved baseball figure. Batting average: The .406 is special, obviously, and Ted Williams is widely considered the greatest hitter in MLB history, so those are good signs. As a number, though, it's not something that goes up by 1 with every game or every hit or ever goal or whatever. Know what I mean? It's the result of a calculation, and I think that hurts the number as far as being the most memorable. If it were a nice round number like .400, I think it wins this discussion hands down. That's just not the case with .406. Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points: It might never be broken, it's a really nice round number, people generally like Wilt Chamberlain, so it looks really good for this discussion. For me, the only knock against it is that it really seems reasonably approachable. Honestly, I wasn't sure that I'd live to see a guy score 80 points in an NBA game, but Kobe Bryant did it. When Kobe did it, he went half the second quarter without even attempting a shot. If he had taken more shots in the first half, he would've hit 90 points for sure, and he may have even gotten to 100. Of course, he probably wasn't thinking about scoring that many points so early in the game, but it could have happened. Plus, when it's a record that's done in a single game, all it takes is for one guy to be "on" and a single-game record can be broken. It's hard for me to call that the "greatest sports number." The other numbers in that list don't do anything for me at all, except maybe #7 because that was John Elway's number. Personally, I'd like to add 600 to the list. That's the highest-scoring match in PBA history. Tom Baker and Pete Weber bowled to a 300-300 tie in the fifth round of the 1981 Denver Open. Now THAT'S magic! __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

08-19-2007, 11:40 PM	#2
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	I can figure some of them out, but what are the others?

08-20-2007, 12:32 AM	#4
JeffNights College Prospect Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Michigan	Hmm, help me with the ones I cant get 18-No clue 56-Joe Dimaggio's hitting streak 18355-Emmit Smith Rushing yards 760 (and counting)-Barry Bonds* 100-Wilt's record for points in a game 215-no clue .406-Ted Williams 47-Jackie Robinsons' number 4256-Pete Rose career hits 7-Nolan Ryans no-hitters anybody know what 18 and 215 are for?

08-20-2007, 12:38 AM	#7
k0ruptr Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Las Vegas	18 is going to be broken in a few years, i think its the Golf Majors record. __________________ Xbox Live Gamertag: k0ruptr My Favorite Teams : Chicago White Sox - Carolina Panthers - Orlando Magic - Phoenix Suns - Anaheim Ducks - Hawaii Warriors - Oregon Ducks

08-20-2007, 12:42 AM	#8
JeffNights College Prospect Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Michigan	Shit, i shoulda known Gretzkys'!!!! Hmm, i dont think i woulda gotten Jack's 18 majors.

08-20-2007, 01:27 AM	#9
oykib College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	Jackie was 42.

08-20-2007, 01:40 AM	#10
primelord Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000	I'd imagine 47 could be two things: Unitas threw a TD pass in 47 straight games Oklahoma won 47 consecutive college football games.

08-20-2007, 06:08 AM	#13
saldana Pro Starter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bethlehem, Pa	i doubt the 7 would be mark spitz's medals, since there seems to be someone that challenges it every olympics...michael phelps will go after it again in beiing...i think it is more likely to be ryan's no hitters

08-20-2007, 08:32 AM	#15
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	Maybe 117 for Chris Greisen's record-setting 117 touchdown passes in an AFL season this past year? Or Michael Bishop's record 459 rushing yards in a season back in 2005? __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor. Last edited by Pumpy Tudors : 08-20-2007 at 08:33 AM.

08-20-2007, 08:40 AM	#16
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	So the article says the 755 number isn't magical anymore (since it's broken), and won't be replaced by Bonds' number... but then lists his current HR total as one of the most magical...??

08-20-2007, 09:14 AM	#17
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	I think that if Wilt's number is ever broken, it will be part of a deliberate attempt to do so. Some player/team in a somewhat meaningless game will decide before the game starts "Let's get [fill in the blank--Kobe, Lebron, Iverson, etc.] the record." I just can't see 100 points in the contemporary NBA happening as part of the flow of the game.

08-20-2007, 10:16 AM	#20
Butter Coordinator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dayton, OH	I don't think breaking Wilt's record would ever occur like this... More likely, it would be something like "hey, look... Kobe (or whoever) has 51 at halftime... let's get him 100!" And I seriously doubt a 2nd team would accede to being shown up. They are not going to decide before a game to get a player 100... and if they do, you might as well throw whatever shred of credibility the NBA has as a team sport out the window. __________________ My listening habits

08-20-2007, 12:12 PM	#23
Crim College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2003	Oh, and how about "2"? Number of consecutive no-hitters thrown? Quirky, but I like it. Or maybe: Quirky, so I like it.

08-20-2007, 12:20 PM	#25
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	If you are going to put 18 (major wins) in there, I would say 200 (Richard Petty career wins) should go in there also. I'd say the same # of people care about both. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

08-20-2007, 01:02 PM	#31
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	I tried many times in TCY to get to 47, never could do it. __________________ co-commish: bb-bbcf.net knives out

08-20-2007, 04:54 PM	#40
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	I would imagine 88 would be up there, I doubt any program will ever win 88 games in a row in college basketball

08-20-2007, 06:31 PM	#43
saldana Pro Starter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bethlehem, Pa	i would nominate 0 as belonging on the list...as in the number of losses for the 1972 dolphins...i couldnt tell you the career touchdown or rushing yard marks off the top of my head, but i would be hard pressed to find a football fan that doesnt know the 72 dolphins went 14 and 0 EDIT: or i could have just quoted Troy....guess i should read the whole thread before i post Last edited by saldana : 08-20-2007 at 06:32 PM.

08-20-2007, 06:41 PM	#44
digamma Torchbearer Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: On Lake Harriet	Been said before in the thread, but when I think of the greatest sports numbers I think of jersey numbers.

08-20-2007, 07:01 PM	#45
Tyrith College Starter Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Houston, TX	56 was the first one that came to mind when I saw the thread title. If you're going to go with a big number, it would be however many games Cal Ripken's streak was. Baseball just leans itself towards iconic numbers.

08-20-2007, 07:13 PM	#46
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Yes, but the number has to be instantly recalled. Anytime you have to think about it or look it up, it's not magical. I have a problem with 18. I followed Jack for 20 years and never knew this number. It was just something they didn't harp on during the broadcasts. Besides, no one can recall how many majors (or sub-majors or whatever) any other golfer not named Nicklaus or Woods have won.

08-20-2007, 07:16 PM	#48
McSweeny College Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Somerville, MA	how about Ted Williams reaching base in 84 straight games?

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