FanNation

Cowboys-Celtics-Chisox said 04/25, 06:23 PM
1982. Cal-Stanford.

Stanford has just taken a 20-19 lead with 4 seconds to play. Radio announcer Joe Starkey summed the situation up succinctly: "It would take a miracle for Cal to win this game".

The place was going nuts and the band started taking the field right after the ensuing kickoff. 5 laterals later and after having to avoid not only Stanfords players but also their band, Starkey had is miracle. After several minutes of arguing by coaches and players and referees huddling to decide what the heck just happened it was ruled a TD and Stanford was penalized for too many men on the field (players AND band)

In what has to be the wildest and one of the most controversial endings to any games ever played, that play has been scrutinized countless times and 26 years later is still the most memorable ending in the history of American sports.

Cowboys-Celtics-Chisox said 04/26, 12:19 AM
OK, The '07 Fiesta bowl was nice, but best ending to a game ever? Nah. Just another OT game under the silly College OT rules of starting with the ball at your opponents 25. Sure, going for two was intriguing, but hardly unheard of.

The Play received that nickname because no other trumps it. And that it came on the last play of the game, upsetting Stanford in John Elways last collegiate regular season game, with Stanford needing a win to land a bowl berth, and between those two schools who were intense rivals made it even more special. After Elway did what he would go on to do so many times in his NFL career and seemingly brought his team back from certain defeat and clinch a bowl invite to cap his College career, The Play instead ended John's College career early.

You may not have been alive when it happened, but guarantee you've seen a few times over the years. It ranks right up there with The Catch among most replayed sports moments.

Even more amazingly, Cal only had 10 men on the field. They not only had to pull of the impossible with Stanford having too many players on the field AND fight through their band, but had to do it a man short because of their own confusion.