Vince Lombardi, one of the most famous NFL coaches in the history of football, once said, “Winning isn’t eveything; it’s the only thing.”
Throughout the history of sports, many notable winning streaks have been recorded. These teams were successful in their sport, game after game and year after year.
One of the most notable winning streaks I came across included a team from Portsmouth, N.H. According to ESPNBoston.com, the Portsmouth High School baseball team, the Clippers, won their eighty-eighth game in a row in April of 2012.
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To go undefeated throughout an entire baseball season is nearly unheard of. The Portsmouth Clippers went undefeated in at least three seasons in a row to claim their eighty-eighth victory.
Another notable winning streak that includes a high school athletic team occurred from 1992 to 2004. According to the ESPN Uncyclopedia, De La Salle High School, from Northern California, once won 151 high school football games in a row.
According to an article on USAToday.com, written by Christopher Lawlor, the streak ended in September of 2004. Regardless of when it ended, twelve perfect seasons in a row is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m more interested in how repetitive those post-game talks were for Head Coach Bob Ladouceur.
One of the winning streaks that I remember coming to an end vividly included my beloved New England Patriots. No one can forget their near perfect season in 2007. The Patriots won 18 games in a row going into the Superbowl; the league championship and final game of the season.
The perfect season ended in the Super Bowl of 2007 when the New York Giants, heavy underdogs, beat the Patriots, 17-14.
Many New England fans were depressed following what was called “The Biggest Upset in Sports History.” Many thought the Patriots were going to join the 1972 Dolphins on the list of teams completing an undefeated season.
The longest winning streak in the history of the National Hockey League occurred in 1993, according to the ESPN Uncyclopedia. The Uncycopedia stated that the Pittsburgh Penguins won 17 NHL games in the 1993 season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins website said that the streak came to an end during the final regular season game of 1993. The game was a 6-6 tie between the Penguins and the New Jersey Devils.
I think hockey would have to be one of the hardest sports to maintain such a long winning streak in. The Boston Bruins put together a ten-game winning streak during their adventure to the Stanley Cup in 2011. Their streak ended when they played the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011.
Another one of the most impressive winning streaks that I came across included the UCLA Bruins Division I basketball program.
According to an article in the Daily News Los Angeles, written by Thomas Hoffarth, the 88-game winning streak lasted three seasons for the Bruins. The winning streak included only regular season games.
The win streak began in 1971, following a loss to the University of Notre Dame. Three years later, the Fighting Irish would end the 88-game winning streak with a 71-70 win over UCLA.
Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden spent most of the winning streak that spanned three seasons, downplaying the streak, according to Thomas Hoffarth. Regardless of Wooden’s reasoning for downplaying the amazing streak, the 1971-74 UCLA Bruins will go down in history as one of the best teams in Division I College Basketball history.
Another owner of an impeccably long winning streak is the United States America’s Cup Yachting team. According to the ESPN Uncyclopedia, the United States collected 132 America’s Cup victories from 1851 to 1932.
The America’s Cup is a trophy given to the winner of a race between two yacht teams. One yacht team is the current holder of the cup. The other team is known as the challenger. The challenger is a team that is trying to take the cup from the current holder.
The trophy is the oldest trophy in an international competition.
Another interesting streak that may never be topped is the streak of the 1986-1994 University of Carolina women’s soccer program. According to the ESPN Uncyclopedia, the lady Tar Heels captured nine straight NCAA Division I women’s soccer championships.
Although you may not know him by reference, Marion Tinsley is famous for something. The ESPN Uncyclopedia said that Tinsley owns the most consecutive World Checkers Championships, with 17 in a row.
Tinsley passed in 1995, but his record will forever be remembered by those that compete in the World Checkers Championship. From 1975 until 1991, Tinsley dominated the World Checkers circuit.
In 1992, Sports Illustrated printed an article concerning Tinsley’s success. The article said, “Marion Tinsley has not met the man or machine that can beat him at his game.”
However these teams and individuals captured their winning streaks, you have to give them credit. Many of these athletes didn’t even think much of their winning streaks.
They were more concerned about the game at hand, not the winning streak. I’m sure they hoped to continue their streak but I highly doubt the record books was the first thing on the minds’ of these athletes.
Michelle Berthiaume can be contacted
at mberthiaume@keene-equinox.com