How Well Do You Remember the Most Iconic Sports Calls of All Time?

SPORTS

By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: take2markTV

About This Quiz

"Let's all take a deep breath as we go to the most dramatic ninth inning in the history of baseball. I'm going to sit back, light up, and hope I don't chew the cigarette to pieces." - Vin Scully

What would sports be without its legendary announcers calling games? After all, sports is often remembered for the iconic voices who call the play by play, the voices that have defined the greatest moments in the history of sports. These voices have been so powerful and so memorable that they even overshadowed players and guided millions of fans for years through some of the most difficult calls possible, calls that determine legacies for everyone involved. The sports world wouldn't be the same without these great voices. 

But how much do you actually know about the best announcers and the most iconic sports calls which they made? Do you know who called Michael Jordan's greatest shots, or the man who always seemed to be around when a perfect game was called in baseball, his voice elegantly in the background, giving us all the details without ruining the moment? 

These are the most iconic sports calls in history. If you're up for the challenge, take this quiz and see how many you can remember!

Verne Lundquist called whose game-winning​ shot to defeat Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA Tournament?

Duke was the defending National Champions coming into this game. It took a final shot in overtime with 2.1 seconds left on the clock for the Blue Devils to come away with the victory and advance to the Final Four.

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Who called the miracle win by the United States Olympic Hockey team against Russia in 1980?

The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team consisted of amateurs who were huge underdogs during the Olympics. The Russian team, on the other hand, were heavy favorites to win it all. Do you believe in miracles? The entire world witnessed one when these two teams finally met.

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Chris Cuthbert and Harry Neal announced, "You live by the sword, you're apt to die by it," when Tie Domi knocked out who during a hockey game?

Ulf Samuelsson had a reputation as a dirty player, which no one liked. When Tie Domi knocked him out, most of the hockey world thanked him.

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Who did Gonzaga defeat in the Sweet 16 when Guz Johnson announced, "It's over! Gonzaga, the slipper still fits!"?

Gonzaga defeated Florida 73-72 to advance to the Elite 8 in the 1999 NCAA Tournament. This was the first time Gonzaga advanced this far in the tournament.

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Who called the game-winning home run in the first-ever nationally televised baseball game, a game played between the Giants and the Dodgers?

Russ Hodges spend most of his career announcing games for the New York Giants and later, the San Francisco Giants. In 1975, he was inducted into the National Sportscasters​ and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.

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In what sport did the "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" call come from?

Both boxers, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, came into this fight undefeated in the ring. Foreman would win in the second round, earning the heavyweight championship.

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Who called Bucky Dent's home run that defeated the Red Sox in the 1978 American League East tie-breaker game?

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees finished the 1978 season tied for first in the American League East. They were forced into a one-game​ playoff, which the Yankees won.

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In which major tournament did Verne Lundquist call Tiger Woods' amazing shot on hole 16 by saying, "Oh, wow! In your life, have you seen anything like that?"

Tiger Woods is second all-time in both major tournaments and PGA Tour wins. At the Masters Tournament, he has won four times.

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Who called the Stanford vs. Cal play when the band came onto the field?

Stanford and Cal had a fierce rivalry, particularly in the 1980s. One of the defining moments came in 1982 when Cal returned a kickoff with four seconds remaining on the clock to win the game after everyone thought it was over, including the band which was already on the field.

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Who called Kirk Gibson's game-winning​ home run in the 1988 World Series?

The 1988 World Series pitted the Dodgers against the Athletics. The Dodgers won the series 4-1 to capture their sixth World Series title.

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Mike Keith called, "It's a miracle," in the Tennessee Titans' victory over what team in the Music City Miracle?

Living up to its name, the Music City Miracle required a spectacular play at the end of the game for the Titans to secure the victory over the Bills. However, the Titans would go on to lose to the Rams in the Super Bowl.

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Jack Buck said, "We'll see you tomorrow night," when which team hit a home run to force a Game 7 in the 1991 World Series?

The Minnesota Twins have won three World Series in the history of the franchise. Their last title was in 1991 when they defeated the Atlanta Braves.

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Who called Secretariat's win at the Belmont Stakes in 1973?

Secretariat was one of only 12 horses to ever win a Triple Crown. During the 1973 season, he set numerous records that still stand.

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Who called "The Catch" between Joe Montana and Dwight Clark?

"The Catch" helped the San Fransisco 49ers reach the Super Bowl in 1982. They would win that Super Bowl which started the 49ers' dynasty of the '80s.

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Victor Hugo Morales called Diego Maradona's goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against which country?

Diego Maradona was 25 years old when he led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup. This was Argentina's second World Cup title, the first was in 1978.

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Who called Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass against Miami in 1984?

This game was one of the greatest in Doug Flutie's career. He threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns to defeat the Miami Hurricanes.

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Which MLB player did Jon Miller call out for "the worst base-running you will ever see"?

Ruben Rivera played professional baseball from 1995 until 2003. He won a World Series title in 1996 with the New York Yankees.

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Who called Jackie Smith "the sickest man in American" after he dropped a pass in Super Bowl XIII?

Jackie Smith had a long and productive career in the NFL. His drop in Super Bowl XIII wasn't his proudest moment, however, as his team lost the game 35-31, and he was widely blamed for the loss.

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Which former Nebraska player returned a punt against Oklahoma in what Lyell Bremser said, "tore 'em loose from their shoes"?

The 1971 Oklahoma vs. Nebraska football game was called "The Game of the Century." Coming into the game ranked 31, Nebraska won 35-31.

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Who said, "I broke my chair. I came right through a chair. A metal steel chair with about a five-inch cushion. I broke it. The booth came apart. The stadium, well, the stadium fell down," when Georgia beat Florida in 1980?

After defeating Florida, Georgia went on to win the national championship. This would be the school's first championship win.

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Who called Sandy Koufax's perfect game?

Sandy Koufax played only until he was 30 years old. In his short career, he won four World Series and was selected to seven All-Star games.

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Who called Joe Carter's walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series?

Joe Carter played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball. The peak of his career came in '92 and '93 when he won back-to-back World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Which announcer called the final shot of Michael Jordan's career with the Bulls?

Michael Jordan's final shot with the Bulls came in the 1998 NBA Finals. He finished his career with six championships and six NBA Finals MVP awards.

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Who called "The Holy Roller" play between the Raiders and the Chargers?

"The Oakland Raiders have scored on the most zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play! Madden is on the field. He wants to know if it's real. They said, 'Yes, get your big butt out of here!' He does! There's nothing real in the world anymore!" - Bill King.

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Who was known for calling, "Havlicek stole the ball!" during the 1965 NBA Eastern Division Finals?

Johnny Most spent his career primarily calling games for the Boston Celtics. He retired in 1990.

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Which announcer called the goal from Stephane Matteau in overtime of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals when the Rangers defeated the Devils?

After winning the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers defeated the Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. However, it was Brian Leetch, not Matteau, who walked away with Finals' MVP award.

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Who called the final moments of the 1966 World Cup Final?

The final goal of this match was made by George Hurst. He scored three goals total, which made him the only player to accomplish that in a World Cup Final.

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Who called Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series?

Don Larsen is the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the World Series. His team, the New York Yankees, would go on to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games.

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Who did Hank Aaron pass on the home run list when Milo Hamilton called his 715th home run?

"Outta here! It's gone! It's 715! There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron." - Milo Hamilton

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Who said, "Oh! A spectacular move by Michael Jordan," when Jordan switched hands while in mid-air during the 1991 NBA Finals?

Michael Jordan won his first NBA title in 1991 after the Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers. He won again in '92 and '93 but retired after the '93 season to play baseball. Luckily for basketball fans, he later returned to the NBA.

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Who called the game-winning goal by Landon Donovan in the 2010 World Cup?

Landon Donovan is one of the greatest soccer players to ever grace the field. During his career, he won the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Award four times.

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This announcer called Sid Bream's score to win Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series by yelling, "Braves win!"

After winning the National League in stunning fashion, the Braves went to the World Series but lost to the Blue Jays. That year, the Blue Jays became the first team that wasn't from the United States to win a World Series.

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Who called Larry Bird's final shot to beat the Trail Blazers with 2 seconds left in 1985 by screaming, "Bird! Bird from the corner! Bird did it"?

Larry Bird is still considered one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. He finished his career with three NBA titles and three NBA MVP awards.

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Who called "The Kick Six" when Auburn defeated Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl?

Auburn and Alabama were tied at the end of regulation in 2013 with both teams on the verge of going to the SEC Championship game. However, Alabama decided to kick a long field goal with one second left on the clock, and one second was all Auburn needed to return the missed field goal 109 yards for a game-winning​ touchdown.

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Who called Michael Jordan's "Flu Game" in the 1997 NBA Finals?

"The Flu Game" was one of Michael Jordan's greatest performances. After all, every Jordan fan remembers Scottie Pippen carrying Jordan off the court when the game was finally in hand.

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