The results were epic. (Many of the six examples needed some form of extra time to decide the winners.) So were the moments within them. Eli Manning to David Tyree. Mario Chalmers. The goal with 35 seconds left in regulation that extended the Penguins' season and triggered the three overtimes that ran into the wee hours in Detroit. (For one very late night, America suddenly cared about the NHL again.) The Celtics' record rally from 24 points down in Los Angeles to put a headlock on their historic rivals and on the championship. (All right, you were promised a moment; how about Ray Allen shaking Sasha Vujacic in the final seconds?)
As for Woods and Mediate in the extra playoff round and sudden-death hole, and Nadal and Federer throughout the comebacks and tiebreakers and rain delays? Too many moments to list. So simple, these stories were. Victories that won't have asterisks, that didn't involve compromise, particularly with ones involving fairness and decency. Money didn't buy them, syringes didn't inject them, outside parties didn't have to be killed or maimed for them. Integrity wasn't flushed away, entire segments of society weren't stomped or kicked in the face.
