What would you change?

Published 8:29 pm Saturday, June 29, 2013

ESPN’s Rick Reilly wrote a column this week exploring what might have happened had certain sports moments turned out differently, exploring the delicate nature of sports where something that happens in the fraction of a second can change someone’s entire life.

Thus began a discussion: If you could change one moment in sports history, what would it be? Here are our choices.

Joe Buie

Mean Green Robbed — I’m not sure if I had ever rooted against the Longhorns before Sept. 24, 1988, sitting near the 50-yard line at what was then Memorial Stadium in Austin to watch my North Texas Eagles (or Mean Green), a I-AA, try to pull a major upset against Texas. Trailing 24-20, the Longhorns had one last drive and the home team capped it when Keith Cash was credited with a 10-yard touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone to beat North Texas with 45 seconds left. It appeared Cash’s feet came down out of bounds, but that was before replay. It was No. 88 on the Mean Green’s 100 days, 100 moments list recently — “Mean Green Robbed In Austin By The Zebras.” The play is considered the biggest controversial ending in school history.

Phil Hicks

2011 World Series — Nelson Cruz catching the ball in right field by the Gulf sign at Busch Stadium. Then the Lone Star State would have a World Series winner.

The Catch — The reception by Dwight Clark turned around the Cowboys and 49ers franchises. The ‘80s belonged to San Francisco after the 49ers’ 28-27 victory over Dallas in the 1982 NFC championship game.

1984 Cotton Bowl — Craig Curry’s late fumble of a punt set up a Georgia Bulldogs late TD for a 10-9 win over Texas. A win may have resulted in a Longhorns national title as Miami upset Nebraska later that night.

2009 BCS Championship — What if Colt McCoy had not been injured early on against Alabama? Could the outcome have been different? Who knows? Crimson Tide and SEC fans may disagree, but Texas was trailing 24-21 with about three minutes left with Garrett Gilbert under center.

Ice Bowl, 1967 NFL Championship game — What if Green Bay Packers QB Bart Starr is stopped and the Cowboys win the title and go to Super Bowl II? Would the Super Bowl trophy be the Tom Landry Trophy instead of the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

Chris Parry

2006 NFC Wild Card — I would like to return to 2006 and Tony Romo’s infamous drop of a snap in the Cowboys’ Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. I think this has forever marred his career. This time he catches he the snap, the kick is good and Dallas wins the Wild Card Game. The Cowboys advance to the NFC Divisional round and meet the Chicago Bears. Win or lose, head coach Bill Parcells stays with the Cowboys, Dallas continues to build a Super Bowl champion while Jerry Jones stays out of Parcell’s way. I think if this had happened, the Cowboys and Romo would already have one Super Bowl ring and maybe two. Well, the Super Bowl drought has now reached 17 years. Here’s hoping it ends in 2013.

1993 Super Bowl — Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood’s kick doesn’t veer to the right, but rather goes through and the Bills win that first Super Bowl over the Giants. This would change the Bills from four-time losers to at least acknowledge their gigantic accomplishment of reaching 4-straight Super Bowls with at least one ring.

2012 World Series — Texas Rangers’ Nelson Cruz gets a better jump on that ball and makes a running catch to rob a triple from David Freese and give the Rangers their first championship.

Shane Stark

Jimmy Johnson — The relationship between former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson and owner/general manager Jerry Jones soured and the duo parted ways after back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Sure, the Cowboys went on to win another under Barry Switzer, but their recent history would likely be different had Johnson stuck around many more years. But given the fact he had to work under Jerry while at Valley Ranch, it wouldn’t have taken the cast of Duck Dynasty to see the writing on the wall back then: “He gone.”

Eagles and Heat — I would also change the creation of the Philadelphia Eagles, plus the outcome of the first NBA finals matchup between the Mavericks and Miami in which Dwyane Wade astonishingly got fouled every time he touched the ball, resulting in the Heat winning the series. Planning the Mavericks victory parade prematurely would also get wiped from the books.

That’s a Sport? — The Olympic pseudo-sport race-walking? Bye, bye.

Travis Yoesting

Fringe Call — I’d change the non-call on the handball by Torsten Frings in the 2002 World Cup. Had the referee spotted the infraction, awarded a penalty and a red card, the U.S. might’ve advanced to play beatable South Korea in the semifinals instead of losing 1-0.

Law Layup — I wish Acie Law hadn’t missed an easy layup with 47 seconds left in the 2007 Sweet Sixteen. Instead of giving Texas A&M a three-point lead over Memphis, the Aggies ended up losing on two free throws with 3 seconds left, 65-64.

Oilers Leave — Finally, I’d like to change the fate of the Houston Oilers. The world would be a better place had the baby blues not blown their 1992 Wild Card playoff game against the Bills and moved to Tennessee a few years later.

Send us your choices via email (sports@tylerpaper.com) facebook (facebook.com/etfinalscore) or Twitter (@ETFinalScore.com) and your reply could be featured on Page Two.