I would lie awake and wonder how I could possibly omit the Longhorn's victory over Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl. Was I making an error in judgment by not mentioning Byron Nelson? Where did the Dallas Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup fit in the overall scheme of things?
However, in the final analysis, I believe the items on my list have one common thread that separates them from the pack — each one was a defining moment. After they occurred, we never looked at that person, team or sport in the same way. Each of these occurrences gave birth to a legend, either directly or indirectly. So, while there may be more memorable events, I feel very strongly that these are the most significant moments in Texas sports.
As always, if you have a different opinion, I would love to hear it.
10. Ageless in Arlington: At the ripe old age of 44, Nolan Ryan completely dominates the best hitting team in baseball and puts a stamp on his legacy by tossing his seventh career no-hitter.
9. Coming of Age: Before a crowd of more than 52,000, and with a nationwide television audience tuning in, the University of Houston and UCLA staged a game for the ages. In the process, televised college basketball became a permanent fixture in American households.
8. Royal Flush: After committing six turnovers, the Texas Longhorns entered the fourth quarter trailing the second-ranked team in the country by 14 points on the road. Time to throw in your hand and go home? Not when Darrell Royal is holding the cards and James Street is your ace-in-the-hole.
7. The Great Minnesota Train Robbery: When first year Coach Jimmy Johnson trades all-pro RB Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a bevy of draft picks. The draft picks Johnson received from the Vikings were used to build the foundation for a team that would go on to win three Super Bowls.
6. This Year's Champions: After several heartbreaking near misses, the Dallas Cowboys finally sealed the deal and brought a world championship to Texas for the first time.
5. JACKPOT!: With an Admiral already on deck and a pair of foreign phenoms arriving in the future, Lady Luck blessed the Spurs with the main ingredient needed to dominate the NBA: the greatest power forward of all-time.
4.One for the Ages: In 1935, the top two teams in college football both resided in North Texas. On a November afternoon, SMU and TCU staged a classic game that gave birth to the culture phenomenon that we call Texas football.
3. In Vince We Trust: On college football's biggest stage, against an opponent many felt was the greatest team of all time, Vince Young delivered one of the greatest performances in his sport's long and storied history. When the final whistle blew, Young had cemented his status as a Lone Star legend and the Longhorns had their first national championship in 36 years.
2. Right Time, Right Man, Right Place: By awarding its Dallas franchise to Clint Murchison, Jr., the NFL laid the foundation for the Cowboys to become the league's premier team. After hiring the holy trinity of the Dallas Organization (Tex Schramm, Tom Landry and Gil Brandt), Murchison then did the one thing that would guarantee his team's prosperity - he stayed out of their way.
1. Tearing Down the Walls: Starting five African-American players, an anonymous basketball team from an obscure college in West Texas stuns Kentucky in the NCAA title game and changes the face of basketball forever. More importantly, the Texas Western Miners also changed the way we look at each other.
