Our favorite sports calls since 2000

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Here are our favorite sports broadcasting calls since 2000.

We came across an incredible question late last week on social media, thanks to Mike Golic Jr.:

And it got us thinking.

Certainly there are some iconic moments that everyone can recall almost immediately. For example, the “Kick-Six” between Auburn and Alabama comes to mind, as does the legendary chip from Tiger Woods on the 16th hole at Augusta. But what are some of our writer’s favorite calls?

So we put our heads together and shared our answers.

Andrés Cantor calls Argentina winning the World Cup

For many, Andrés Cantor is the voice of soccer. His legendary, drawn out “GOL” exclamation is known all over the world, and when you get to portray yourself on The Simpsons, you are a global icon.

But this December, Cantor was on the call when Argentina — the country where he was born — won their first World Cup since 1986, and his final call added yet another chapter to his legendary career:

“GOOOOOOAL, Argentina is the champion,” Cantor said, translated to English. “Argentina is the world champion. ARGENTINA IS THE WORLD CHAMPION! ARGENTINA IS THE WORLD CHAMPION! ARGENTINA IS THE WORLD CHAMPION! Argentina! Is the world champion! From the sky they did it. You guys did it, players. They won the sky. Argentina is the world champion. Messi is the world champion. It couldn’t be any other way. Argentina. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentine selection is the world champion. Argentina. Argentina is the world champion. … 36 years, waiting … Argentina, Argentina is the world champion.”

I get choked up every time. — MAS

Joe Buck in October of 2004

I’ll get personal here for a minute.

When my grandfather, Ray Paradiso, came back to Massachusetts after serving his adopted country in World War II he did two things shortly thereafter.

He got a job.

He got Boston Red Sox season tickets.

Both were in our lives as a family for decades. You name an important game in Red Sox history, and someone from our family was there. I remember skipping school and going to Game 2 of the 1986 ALCS with my mom. I remember going to Game 1 of the 1988 ALCS and, along with my grandfather, heckling Jose Canseco from the bleachers because of reporting that had just surfaced regarding his potential use of steroids.

And if you are wondering, it was my mom and my aunt at Game 6 in 1975.

Eventually my grandfather decided to give up the tickets because as he aged, getting to Fenway was tougher and tougher, and his eyesight was not what it once was. With the seats in the third-base grandstand, it started to feel dangerous to him. Grandpa loved to tell the story of how one year Ted Williams hit a line drive that rocketed into the section and off the railing that was right in front of his seat. He barely saw that ball coming and, decades later, he wasn’t sure if he’d see the next close call coming either.

Something else he wasn’t sure he would see? A Boston World Series. Frankly, neither was I. 1986 broke a ten-year-old boy’s heart. 2003 did the same to a 26-year-old lawyer. And, after the first three games of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, it seemed more heartbreak was in store.

But then, over four magical days in October, the Red Sox pulled off the improbable, and advanced to the World Series.

And some of the calls from Joe Buck that October are seared into my brain, forever.

First was Game 4, when Boston staved off elimination thanks to a David Ortiz home run in the bottom of the 12th inning:

“Ortiz into deep right field. Back is Sheffield, and we’ll see you later tonight.”

Then there was Game 5 which did start later that night but also went deep into extra innings. Ortiz came through again, this time fighting a pitch off his hands and getting just enough on it to plate Johnny Damon with the winning run:

“Damon running to the plate, and he can keep on running to New York. Game 6, tomorrow night.”

Boston would win Game 6, and against Game 7, setting themselves up for another trip to the World Series. Against the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that broke their hearts before. There was Game 7 in 1946, with “Slaughter’s Mad Dash” when Enos scored from first on a ball hit to left-center. Cardinals fans celebrate Slaughter’s decision to run through the stop sign from the third-base coach, while Red Sox fans wonder why shortstop Johnny Pesky hesitated before throwing home.

Then there was 1967, the “Impossible Dream” season. Boston had not enjoyed a winning season since 1958, and were preseason favorites to finish at the bottom of the American League yet again. But the Red Sox came out of nowhere, led by Carl Yastrzemski who won the Triple Crown that year, and survived a four-team pennant race to win the American League.

Only to lose Game 7 at Fenway Park to the Cardinals.

2004 would be different, as the Red Sox took the first three games of the World Series, giving themselves a chance at a sweep, and their first title since 1918. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in Game 4, and with Derek Lowe staying in command on the bump for Boston, it looked like this would be the night.

So my then-fiancé — we got engaged the night of Game 1 — and I raced home from a sports bar to get home for the final innings, because there was only one place I wanted to be for the final out.

On the phone with my grandfather.

We heard this together:

I will never, ever, forget that moment. — MAS

The Kick Six—Rod Bramblett

I remember exactly where I was when the Kick Six happened.

I was in the living room with my family, my parents let us eat dinner in front of the tv so we could watch the end of the game. As Auburn’s Chris Davis crossed the 50 yard line, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Well, neither could Auburn radio announcer Rod Bramblett. You can hear the passion mixed with just the sheer awe of what he was seeing in Tigers stadium. When the other commentator starts going, “OH MY GOD” when Davis crosses the 40, that’s when we really pick up steam.

The best part about this call is that you don’t even need to see the video to understand what happened in the game. Bramblett takes you step by step, five yards by five yards.

RIP Rod Bramblett. —JPA

AguerOOOOOOOOOOOO—Martin Tyler

Probably the greatest Premier League call ever, Martin Tyler puts an emphatic stamp on the 2012 title run that Manchester City had. Manchester City defeated Queens Park Rangers, 3-2, which denied Manchester United the Premier League title in the final minute of the season.

Tyler’s voice getting higher with every passing “O” is what really does this for me. The excitement and disbelief at what he’s just seen is what puts this over the top. The buildup to a goal is always the best time to be an announcer, and Martin Tyler nails it. —JPA

“WHY DO YOU EVEN PONDER PASSING?”

I wasn’t a huge Brett Favre fan back in 2010. This was obviously before he allegedly defrauded the Mississippi welfare system, so I actively dislike him these days. But as a Falcons fan, I was rooting for the Vikings in the NFC Championship against the Saints anyway following the 2009 season. That didn’t stop me from laughing my ass off about Minnesota radio announcers Paul Allen and Pete Bercich absolutely losing it over Favre’s game-breaking interception.

“Why do you even ponder passing? I mean, you can take a knee! And try a 56-yard field goal! This is not Detroit, man, this is the Super Bowl!”

I don’t know which part of this is funniest: the volume at which it’s delivered, or the random shade thrown at the Lions, who were just minding their own business and watching from their couches with the rest of us. It’s a classic. – JK

“Devin Hester, you are ridiculous!”

Devin Hester was already having a historic rookie season as a punt returner when the Chicago Bears came up with a pretty obvious idea for how to get him more involved. If Hester was so good at returning punts, why not let him try to return kickoffs? Magic happened the first time Chicago put this plan into action, and radio announcer Jeff Joniak forever minted Hester’s legendary ability with a perfect call.

Hester had already returned one kickoff for a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams. When he returned another kickoff for a touchdown later in the game, Joniak made a simple call that summed up Hester’s ability better than anything else: “Devin Hester, you are ridiculous!”

Watch the video here, because the NFL won’t let us embed it.

There has not been anyone like Hester in football since. He’s the greatest return man ever, and he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. In a word, Hester was ridiculous. The sport may never see anything like him again.

“Blocked by James”

The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship will always be remembered for one of three calls starting with this call of LeBron James’ famous block:

The other two came at the end of the game with Mike Tirico declaring Cleveland’s first championship in half a century and James declaring “Cleveland, this is for you!” While those two are memorable, “The Block” will always top the list.