What Is the Biggest Upset in Sports History?
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A lot of people would say that the biggest upset in sports history was when the United States men’s hockey team beat the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics.
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Introduction
An upset is when the outcome of an event differs from what is expected. In sports, upsets happen all the time, but some are more significant than others. The biggest upset in sports history is often considered to be when the United States men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics. This was a shocking result as the Soviet Union was a dominant force in hockey at that time and had won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals. The United States went on to win the gold medal that year, cementing their victory as one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Defining an “Upset”
In order to determine the biggest upset in sports history, we first need to establish what qualifies as an “upset.” In general, an upset is when the team that is expected to lose (based on stats, rankings, etc.) beats the team that is expected to win. However, there are a few other factors that can contribute to how “big” of an upset it is. For example, if the underdog team beats the favorite team by a large margin, that would be considered a much bigger upset than if they won by a close margin. Another factor is if the underdog team is significantly less popular than the favorite team; this usually means that there are more people rooting against the underdog, which makes their victory even sweeter.
Now that we have a general idea of what qualifies as an upset, let’s take a look at some of the most famous upsets in sports history.
The Biggest Upsets in Sports History
There have been many monumental upsets in the history of sports. But which ones stand out above the rest? Here are some of the most memorable upsets in sports history.
The Miracle on Ice
In 1980, the United States men’s hockey team made history by defeating the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics. The victory was considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history, as the Soviet team was heavily favored to win.
The New England Patriots vs. the New York Giants
On February 3, 2008, the New England Patriots were undefeated and had just won the Super Bowl. They were playing the New York Giants, who had lost their last eight games. The Patriots were 18-0 and were favored to win by 12 points. But the Giants upset the Patriots, 17-14. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
The Baltimore Colts vs. the New York Jets
On December 16th, 1968, the New York Jets played the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The Colts were heavily favored to win, with a 18 point spread. The Jets were considered such huge underdogs that it was joked that they should have been given 50 points, just to make the game more interesting. But the Jets went on to upset the Colts, winning by a score of 16-7. This remains one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Conclusion
There you have it! The biggest upsets in sports history. From Miracle on Ice to Buster Douglas, these are the moments that shocked the world.
