Top Moments of the Decade

With the final hours of the decade ticking away, I decided to recollect on some of the most memorable times of the decade. There are some big hits, as well as some good soundbites, but the one constant is the lasting impact they left on quite a few people. If I was to sit here and attempt to remember every single great moment, this post wouldn't be published until 2010, which would defeat the entire purpose of making this the last one of 2009. From Ed and myself, we greatly appreciate all the support we've gotten this year, and we promise to keep the party going. Happy New Year.


Vince Carter Goes Dumb in Oakland - we all know the Slam Dunk contest was on the verge of going to hell, until Vincent Lamar Carter came to save the day. This contest way beyond epic, from the fact it included Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, and Ricky Davis. All three of these dudes could win the dunk contest if they were in it any other year, besides 2000. Unfortunately for them, Vinsanity came through, and tore the roof off. I still remember the atmosphere of the dunk contest like it was yesterday. When it was his turn for his first dunk, the crowd was excited, but there was still an eerie feeling in the building, almost like the scenes with Alonzo Harris in Training Day. We knew Vince was gonna do some stuff, but we had no clue. Hell, to be honest, we all knew it was over, when he hit the 360 windmill, on his first attempt.

Santonio Holmes with the Game-Winning Catch in Super Bowl XLIII - so many things happened for this play to even take place. Big Ben led his team down the field, with 2:30 left in the game, after Larry Fitzgerald turned in a touchdown catch of his own. After Fitzgerald's TD gave Arizona the lead, some people were led to believe the game was over, but the Steelers had other plans. Holmes made plenty of big catches all year, as well as in the post-season, but none was bigger than this. I remember being at a house party, and everyone watching the game went nuts, when Holmes caught it. This catch beats David Tyree's SB grab, which I thought could never be topped.

Chris Childs Serves up a Two-Piece Special - Chris Childs could do nothing else for the rest of his human life, and he'll still be my dude for this here. The previous year's game was funny as well, when The Big Homie smashed on Chris Dudley, pushed him to the floor, only to have Dudley get up, and hit Shaq in-between the numbers with the ball. What made it even more funny is Shaq was around half-court, but Dudley channeled his inner-Pedro, and hit him right between the numbers, but the 2000 game takes the cake, as we remember that game for Kobe gettin' blazed by Chris Childs. This is definitely one of my favorite memories of the decade. Definitely.

Tracy McGrady Destroys Shawn Bradley - now there may be times when Shawn Bradley has been dunked on worse, but the combination of the dunk, Yao going crazy, McGrady losing his mind, Bradley wondering what the *bleep* just happened, Kevin Harlan going nuts, and Doug Collins keeping his cool makes this one of the livest dunks I've ever seen. It also saddens me, because it seems like it was just yesterday when T-Mac was that dude.



Ray Lewis Gives ETSF our First Obituary by Decapitating Ahmard Hall - I'll never forget this play; one, because Ray Lewis absolutely destroys this man. Two, because Ed and I called each other right after the hit, and were so busy screaming into the phone, we don't even remember what we said. Ed never posts on Saturdays, but this hit was the first. It was that crucial, that live, and when it comes to The Great Ray-Ray, he deserves nothing but first-class treatment.



The King Baptizes Damon Jones - this dunk NEVER gets old. I've seen The King dunk on many a man, but the one on Damon Jones ranks at the top of the list, just from sheer hilarity. It's not so much that Jones gets dunked on, but it's the build-up, from the steal, to Jeff McGinnis getting the ball, to Jones not knowing whether to stick McGinnis or The King, and by the time he decides what to do, well..see for yourself (commentary courtesy of The Big Aristotle).



Feel free to share your memories of the past decade with us. It's impossible to list them all, simply because there are so many to choose from. Once again, we appreciate all the love and support. Be easy.

-K. Masenda
www.edthesportsfan.com