Read All About It - Games That Deserve Their Own Books

ESPN's Page 2 has a fun story about individual games that deserve their own books. The article goes sport-by-sport, but I'm going to tackle it team-by-team from the SCSB's perspective.

Tennessee Vols football: There are two games that jump out to me as great books - the 1986 Sugar Bowl victory over Miami and the 1998 comeback win over Arkansas. The former is the most obvious choice with its impact on Tennessee fans, the size of the upset and the unique cast of characters involved. The latter saved the Vols' National Championship season as the Razorbacks dominated the game before the Clint Stoerner fumble and proceeding Vols offensive drive for victory. I think most people would think of the Florida OT victory in 1998 (which was pretty miraculous itself and was when Tennessee finally figured out how to beat Spurrier), but the Arkansas game was when UT could feel the title slipping out of its hands only to fall on the most unlikely of fumbles.

(Honorable mentions: the miracle comeback at South Bend, the 1998 Florida win, the 2001 LSU SEC title game loss, the Peyton Manning 41-14 win over Alabama)

Tennessee Vols basketball: It isn't as easy to find games worth remembering in the history of Vols hoops and the end of the Pearl era puts a taint on some of his great wins. Regardless, the 2010 Kansas game is my choice. With the Vols down four players from the infamous New Year's Eve arrest of Tyler Smith, Brian Williams, Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins, the Vols played one of the most inspired games in college basketball history against the #1 ranked Jayhawks. Renaldo Woolridge and Skylar McBee played crucial minutes against the best team in the country...and won. Insane game that would have made for a good book (the arrest, the odds, McBee's miracle shot) before Pearl's exit.

(Honorable mention: the Greg Oden/Mike Conley Ohio State loss)

Atlanta Braves: The Francisco Cabrera/Sid Bream game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates is the winner here. Not only was it a dramatic end to a dramatic series, but it was also the end of the Pirates who have not had a winning season since. The bottom of the ninth itself deserves an entire book - Drabek's brilliance, Lind's error, the choice to bring in Stan Belinda (who never recovered), the decision to pitch-hit Cabrera, Bonds' throw, Bream's slide...I used to watch this half inning on a video tape over and over just to hear Sean McDonough's call. Brilliant book.

(Honorable mentions: Game 7 vs. the Twins, the Jim Leyritz/Mark Wohlers Game 3 vs. Yankees, the Braves/Astros marathon playoff game...all Braves losses, by the way).

Atlanta Hawks: Um...the only possibility here is a book about the Nique/Bird shootout in Boston Garden. I suppose something from the Jon Koncak era might have an audience, but I don't see much else from the Hawks' history.

Atlanta Falcons: I'm going to cheat here and pick the 1980 playoff game vs. the Dallas Cowboys. I'm cheating because I'm a Cowboys fans and don't care much about the Falcons. I don't imagine there is much of any audience for this book - a Falcons' loss, a win that didn't translate into a Super Bowl for the all-or-nothing Cowboys franchise - but it is the only Falcons book I can imagine reading.

(Honorable mention: 1999 playoff win over Minnesota)

Tennessee Titans: No doubter - the Music City Miracle game vs. Buffalo gets its own book. The storyline before the game was Wade Phillips' decision to replace Doug Flutie with Rob Johnson before a playoff game. Then, of course, the play. The squib kick, Lorenzo Neal's pitch back to Frank Wycheck, Wycheck's controversial backwards lateral to Kevin Dyson, and then the historical run and radio call from Mike Keith. There is no other choice from the Titans' history and it would make an interesting read.

(Honorable mention: 1999 Super Bowl loss to Rams)


Memphis Grizzlies: Nothing. Maybe the Game 4 3OT thriller, but probably not.

Did I miss any?