The 2008 year has a chance to go down as the best in sports history. Think about it.The Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in, arguably, the best Super Bowl. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in, perhaps, the greatest tennis match, at Wimbledon. The NCAA men's basketball title game was an overtime thriller. Tiger Woods turned in his most memorable performance by winning the U.S. Open on one leg. Danica Patrick earned her first victory. We had a classic outdoor hockey game, a great Stanley Cup final, and the storied Celtics won the NBA title.And there are plenty more memories to be made with upcoming Olympics, the final baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and, a possible doozy of an October if either the Cubs can get to the World Series.What have been the greatest years in sports history? Here's our ranking.1. 1980-- The U.S. Olympic hockey team beats the Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice.''-- Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard fight twice with Duran winning the first then saying, "no mas'' in the second.-- Larry Holmes effectively ends Muhammad Ali's career with an 11th-round TKO.-- Rivals Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson are in their primes with Nicklaus winning the U.S. Open and PGA, and Watson winning the British Open.-- Bjorn Borg defeats John McEnroe in five sets, including an incredible 18-16 tiebreaker, to win at Wimbledon.-- Rookie Magic Johnson plays center and scores 42 to help the Lakers beat the Sixers in Game 6 for the NBA title.-- The Phillies win the only World Series in club history.2. 1962-- Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a game.-- Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson to become the heavyweight champ.-- A golden age of golf as Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player all win majors.-- Aussie lefty Rod Laver becomes only the second man to win tennis' Grand Slam.-- Despite Elgin Baylor's 61 points in Game 5, the Lakers lose the NBA title to Bill Russell's Celtics in seven games.-- The Yankees beat the Giants 1-0 in Game 7 to win the World Series.3. 1972-- The Miami Dolphins go a perfect 17-0 to become the NFL's only unbeaten champion.-- The Steelers beat the Raiders on Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception.'' .-- At the Olympics, U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals, Soviet-born gymnast Olga Korbut becomes a star and USSR wins a controversial basketball game over USA for gold.-- Tragically, this is one of sports' darkest years as 11 Israeli Olympic athletes and coaches are killed by terrorists in Munich. Also, baseball legend Roberto Clemente is killed in a plane crash.4. 1986-- In baseball's greatest postseason, the Mets beat the Red Sox in a seven-game World Series best remembered for Bill Buckner's Game 6 error.-- The Bears win the Super Bowl to cap their season, becoming one of the best teams in NFL history.-- Nicklaus, 46, becomes the oldest player to win the Masters.-- Larry Bird and the Celtics win the NBA title.-- Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champ at 20 years and four months.5. 1969-- The Miracle Mets win the World Series over the Orioles.-- Rod Laver wins the Grand Slam in tennis again.-- Joe Namath guarantees his Jets will upset the favored Colts in Super Bowl III and, sure enough, the Jets win 16-7.-- The start of the legendary 10-Year War as Michigan snaps Ohio State's 22-game win streak with a 24-12 victory.6. 1985 .-- Pete Rose passes Ty Cobb to become baseball's all-time hit king.-- Villanova scores one of the biggest upsets in sports history by beating Georgetown for the NCAA basketball title.-- In a classic NBA showdown, Johnson's Lakers defeat Bird's Celtics to win the NBA title.-- Marvin Hagler knocks out Thomas Hearns in three rounds in, possibly, the most exciting fight in history.-- At 17, Boris Becker is the youngest men's Wimbledon champion and first unseeded player to win.-- Helped by Don Denkinger's controversial call, the Royals beat the Cardinals in seven games in the I-70 World Series.7. 1975 .-- Carlton Fisk hits famous homer in Game 6, but the Reds win the World Series.-- UCLA beats Kentucky to win its 10th NCAA basketball title in 12 years in coach John Wooden's final game.-- Muhammad Ali beats Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila.''-- Arthur Ashe becomes the only African-American male to win Wimbledon.8. 1938 .-- Seabiscuit defeats Triple Crown winner War Admiral in a match race to become, arguably, the greatest horse ever.-- Reds lefty Johnny Vander Meer becomes the only pitcher in history to throw back-to-back no-hitters.-- Don Budge becomes the first tennis player to win the Grand Slam.-- A title-game record 48,120 at the Polo Grounds see the Giants beat the Packers 23-17 for the NFL championship.-- Led by Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, the Yankees sweep the Cubs to win the World Series.9. 1974-- Hank Aaron hits homer No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth as the baseball's all-time home run king.-- UCLA basketball has two streaks snapped as Notre Dame ends its 88-game win streak and eventual champ N.C. State ends its streak of seven straight NCAA titles.-- Using the "rope-a-dope,'' Muhammad Ali knocks out champ George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle.''-- Jimmy Connors wins Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open; Chris Evert takes French and Wimbledon.-- Richard Petty wins Daytona 500, the race's first back-to-back winner.10. 1967 .-- The Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl I over the Kansas City Chiefs.-- Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into the Army.-- The Toronto Maple Leafs win their last Stanley Cup, and the NHL doubles its size from six to 12 teams.-- The Packers beat the Cowboys in the "Ice Bowl.'' (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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