Sunday, July 26, 2009

Why I picked these Top 10

by: Frank Carpano

One of the great things about sports is that it sparks debate. Usually good natured back and forth regarding which team, player or event is the best or worst of all-time.

As a part of WJAR-TV’s 60th anniversary celebration I was asked to produce a list of the top 10 local sports stories of the past 60 years.

I began with a list of about 30 things. Way to many to fit into our “top 10”. So I started to narrow down the list. No easy task.

Now that the final results are in, I felt it necessary to explain myself.

So here are the reasons behind my top 10 (actually 11) local sports stories of the past 60 years.

(in no particular order)

Rocky Marciano: If boxers could declare a “Home field”, then Providence was it for the great Rocky Marciano. Between 1948 and 1952, Rocky fought and won 29 times at Providence’s Rhode Island Auditorium. If it wasn’t already, that helped put Providence on the boxing map.

PC NIT wins: I wasn’t in Rhode Island during this time, but from what I’m told there is nothing to compare to the outpouring of affection when the Providence College Friars won the NIT tournament in 1961. Back then, the NIT was “the” college basketball tournament. When the Friars returned from their championship win in New York City, fans lined route 6 at the Rhode Island-Connecticut border to welcome them home.

33 inning game: the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings still hold the record for the longest game. This one happened in 1981. I can remember the night it started vividly. I was working the Saturday night before Easter. I kept calling the McCoy Stadium pressbox leading up to our 11pm newscast. The answer was always the same “The game is still going!” After the 11pm show I drove to my parents home in Wilton, Connecticut and never gave the game a second thought until the next morning. It was then that I learned how late it went. Unbelievable!

1983 America’s Cup: For 132 years, the New York Yacht Club hold on the America’s Cup was unmatched. Every 3 years, challengers would line up to get beat by the NYYC’s Defender. But in 1983 that all changed. Australia 2, with its radical keel design beat Dennis Connor and Liberty to wrestle the cup away. The 7th and deciding race aired live on NBC 10. The first time ever a sailing race had aired on live television.

Vinny Paz:  During our 60 years there was no more charismatic of controversial athlete than Cranston boxer Vinny Paz. Love him or hate him you had to admire his guts, especially the way he battled back fvrom a broken neck suffered in a car accident to return to the ring. A 5 time world champion, Pa retired with 50 wins.

Mount Saint Charles Hockey:  From 1978 until 2003 the Mounties lead by head coach Bill Belisle won the state little league championship every year. 26 straight state hockey titles. And the incredible thing is that they didn’t run away with the title every year. Many years they had to comeback to win,
Cranston Western Little League: In 1996 the Cranston Western Little league team won the United States title in Williamsport, Pa. They weren’t the biggest team in the tournament, to the contrary, they were a small group of boys with big hearts. And their families appeared to have as much fun watching them as the kids did playing the games. Thousand greeted their return at the Cranston Stadium rally. No Rhode Island team has been able to match that accomplishment.

Sara DeCosta: In 1996 Sara DeCosta was a member of the US Women’s hockey team that won the Olympic gold medal at the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Sara is the first native Rhode Islander to win an Olympic gold medal. DeCosta went on to win a silver medal 4 years later at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Patriots win the Super Bowl: On February 2002, the Patriots won Super Bowl 36, beating the Rams 20-17 on a last second 48 yard field goal by new Eng;and’s Adam Vintieri. Nuff Said!

CVS Charity Classic: Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon are two local PGA Tour pro’s who take “giving back to the community” very seriously. For 11 years they have teamed with Rhode island corporate giant CVS to produce the CVS Caremark Charity Classic. Each year they bring professional golf’s biggest names to Barrington to play in the Charity classic. The biggest winner? The local charities who have benefitted from over 10 million the event has raised for the non profits.

That’s 10. but I save the best for last. In my mind, the number 1 story of the past 60 years.

2004 Red Sox: In 2004 the Boston Red Sox snapped an 86 year drought and won the World Series. We were in St. Louis when they closed out their series with the Cardinals.
I dare say that nobody will have a problem with this being my Number 1.

Agree, Disagree? Did I leave something out…..email me