Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the tournament. The term comes from the ending of the fairy tale Cinderella, and it implies unexpected success after a period of obscurity. The term has been used at least since 1939, but came into widespread usage in 1950, in reference to City College of New York, the unexpected winners of the NCAA Men's Basketball championship that year.[1] The term was used by Bill Murray in the 1980 hit movie Caddyshack where he pretends as the announcer to his own golf fantasy: "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion."[2]
Referring somewhat inaccurately to the plot details of the classic Cinderella story, the media will debate whether the given "Cinderella" team or player will "turn into a pumpkin," i.e. fail to win the prize and then return to its former obscurity. In the fairy tale, it was the carriage that turned into a pumpkin at midnight, not Cinderella herself. Another popular term is "strike midnight," when a Cinderella team does finally get beaten.
Prior to the widespread use of "Cinderella" in this way, the more common term for unexpected and dramatic success was "Miracle," as in the "Miracle Braves" of 1914, the "Miracle of Coogan's Bluff" in 1951, the "Miracle Mets" of 1969, and the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.
In the United Kingdom, by contrast, a Cinderella team is one which usually underachieves, or is overshadowed by more successful neighbours (for example, Tranmere Rovers and Everton by Liverpool). This refers to the early part of the Cinderella fairy tale, where the heroine is downtrodden. A U.S.-style Cinderella team would be a surprise package or surprise packet, and their success would be termed a fairy-tale run.[3]
A related concept is the giant-killer, which refers to a lesser competitor who defeats a favorite. The name reflects such stories as David and Goliath, and Jack the Giant-Killer.
Most Cinderellas send one strong message: a team or a player that has not had a good regular season can atone for the struggles with brilliance in a short period of time.
Examples of North American "Cinderellas"
Many teams are considered "Cinderella teams" when they seemingly overachieve. For example, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Arizona Cardinals went all the way to their respective leagues' championships in 2008 only to "turn into a pumpkin" at the end. This list is largely confined to "Cinderella teams" that won championships.
- 1968-69 New York Jets – The AFL Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath, beat the heavily favored NFL champion Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.[4] Namath had shockingly guaranteed a Jets win before the game.[5]
- 1980-81 Oakland Raiders – The Oakland Raiders became the first Wildcard Playoff Team to win the super bowl, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10 in Super Bowl XV
- 1999-2000 St. Louis Rams – After losing starting quarterback Trent Green in the pre-season, many suspected the Rams' season was over. However, backup quarterback and eventual NFL MVP Kurt Warner led the Rams to a 13-3 record. After defeating the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC playoffs, the Rams captured their first and only Super Bowl victory by defeating the Tennessee Titans 23-16 at Super Bowl XXXIV.
- 2001-02 New England Patriots – After a 5-11 season the year before, The Patriots lost star quarterback Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 to injury; the previously-unknown Tom Brady, who was backup his entire career during college and was a 199th overall draft pick, came in and led the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI over the 14-point favorite St. Louis Rams on a last second field goal by Adam Vinatieri.
- 2007 New York Giants – After beginning the season 0-2 the Giants went on to win 11 straight games on the road, at the end of the season. In the playoffs, the Giants beat the top two seeds and then won the Super Bowl against the previously undefeated 18-0 New England Patriots, all teams they had lost to in the regular season (Cowboys twice).[6] They thus became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl.
Baseball
- New York Giants (1954) – The then-New York Giants swept the 111-win Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series in one of the greatest World Series upsets in baseball history. Center fielder Willie Mays made an iconic over-the-shoulder catch in the 8th inning of game 1 to preserve a tie. Dusty Rhodes would later win the game for the Giants with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning that set the stage for a series sweep.
- New York Mets (1969)[7] – The Mets won their first ever World Series title after beating the heavily favored 109-win Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series; previously, the Mets had finished either last or next-to-last in the National League every year.
- Cincinnati Reds (1990) – not seen as a particularly strong team, the Reds were not expected to defeat the Pirates in the NLCS nor were they expected to have any chance against the mighty Oakland Athletics. Critics expected a sweep, which did happen. However it was the Reds sweeping the A's in a stunner to win the championship.
- Minnesota Twins (1991) – One year after finishing dead last in the American League West and tied for the second-worst record in the American League, the Twins won the 1991 World Series by defeating a fellow Cinderella, the Atlanta Braves (see below), in seven games in what was considered among the greatest and most dramatic World Series of all time. The Twins won games six and seven of the series in extra innings, with a walk-off home run and walk-off single respectively.
- Anaheim Angels (2002) – The Angels won the first World championship in their 41-year history. The Halos finished the regular season in second place in the American League West standings to the Oakland Athletics, making the playoffs as the American League wild card qualifier. Nevertheless, they put together a magical postseason run, upsetting the mighty New York Yankees in the ALDS, besting the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS to win the American League pennant, and going the distance against the San Francisco Giants in the World Series to clinch the title.
- Florida Marlins (2003)[3] – The Marlins used a strong second half to win the World Series, after upsets against the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees.[8][9] The NLCS was especially memorable for the Marlins' rally and another Cubs collapse, as it extended the alleged Curse of the Billy Goat.
- St. Louis Cardinals (2011). With about a month to go in the regular season, the Cardinals were 10½ games behind the wild-card leader, the Atlanta Braves, but by a combination of a winning streak by the Cardinals and a losing streak by the Braves, the wild-card position was decided in favor of the Cardinals on the last day of the regular season. The Cardinals then won playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies (who had the best win-loss percentage in baseball) and the Milwaukee Brewers (who were the leaders in the same division with the Cardinals and had the best win-loss percentage at home) to face the Texas Rangers in the World Series. Going into the sixth game of the series, the Cardinals were behind 3 games to 2, and had to win the next two games. In the ninth inning of the sixth game, the Cardinals were behind by two runs, and with two outs and two strikes on David Freese, he hit a triple tying the game, which the Cardinals then won in extra innings. The Cardinals then went on to win the seventh game and the series.
Basketball
- 1986 Hamilton Tiger-Cats – The Tiger-Cats, who finished the season with a 9-8-1 record, made a third consecutive improbable run to the Grey Cup, upsetting the heavily-favored Edmonton Eskimos 39-15.
- 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders – The Roughriders finished the season with a 9-9 record and made an improbable run to the 77th Grey Cup. The team went into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak, but upset the 10-8 Calgary Stampeders 33-26 in the West Division Semi-Final before upsetting the heavily-favored Edmonton Eskimos (who finished the season with a 16-2 record) in the West Division Final, 32-21. This victory set up the Grey Cup game against the 12-6 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Dave Ridgway's 26-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Riders a 43-40 victory, along with the franchise's first Grey Cup championship since 1966.
- 2000 B.C. Lions – The Lions finished the season with a 8-10 record and were not expected to compete in the West Division, but caught fire late in the season following a coaching change. Led by veteran quarterback Damon Allen, the team marched through the playoffs with upset victories over both Alberta-based teams before returning to Calgary to play in the 88th Grey Cup, where they defeated the Montreal Alouettes 28-26. The Lions became the first team in history to win the Grey Cup after posting a losing record in the regular season.
- 2001 Calgary Stampeders – For the second consecutive season, a team that finished the season with a 8-10 record captured the Grey Cup as the Calgary Stampeders, led by quarterback Marcus Crandell, defeated the heavily-favored Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 89th Grey Cup. The Stamps became the second team in history to have a regular-season losing record to win the Grey Cup.
College baseball
- Fresno State (2008) – In one of the more improbable Cinderella stories in American sports history, the Bulldogs surmounted a daunting array of obstacles on their way to the NCAA title:[10][11]
- Fresno State had never won an NCAA championship in any men's sport going into the 2008 tournament.
- The Bulldogs entered the Western Athletic Conference tournament at 33-27; they would likely not have made the NCAA tournament without winning the WAC tournament, which they did.
- They were the #4 seed in their regional. Since only four teams play in each of 16 regionals, this is the equivalent of a team seeded #13 or lower in the NCAA basketball tournament. No #4 seed had ever advanced to the College World Series. By contrast, no #13 or lower seed has ever made the "Elite 8" of the men's basketball tournament, which is arguably equivalent to the eight-team College World Series.
- Six times in the NCAA tournament, including three times in the College World Series, they faced elimination with a loss. They won all six times.
- They won a total of 10 tournament games against six different teams ranked in the top 20. ESPN pointed out that in terms of the NCAA basketball tournament, Fresno State's run would be equivalent to a 13 seed beating a 4 seed in the first round (second round from 2011), a 5 seed in the second round (third round from 2011), a top seed in the Sweet 16, a second seed in the Elite 8, another top seed in the Final Four, and still another 2 seed for the championship.
College/high school basketball
- High school
- College
Ice hockey
- United States men's national ice hockey team (1980) – The American team, consisting entirely of amateur and collegiate players, won the Olympic gold medal. Along the way, they defeated the Soviet Union, considered the best hockey team in the world at the time, by a score of 4-3 in a medal round game, an event known as the Miracle on Ice and widely considered to be the greatest U.S. sports achievement of the 20th century.[12]
- New Jersey Devils (1995), The Devils, seeded 5th in the Eastern Conference and without home ice advantage in any of the 4 rounds, upset the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins, each in 5 games, and rival Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games to get to the finals where they swept the heavily-favored Detroit Red Wings.
Other Sports
- 2010 NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson. Who had won the last four Sprint Cup championships in a row, was in deep trouble. They were out of it after the Fall Talladega Race and it looked like Denny Hamlin would win his first championship. But midway though the Fall Texas Jeff Gordon was wrecked under caution and Jimmie's crew chief Chad Knaus switched the two teams pit crews because Jimmie's was very slow. After the switch Jimmie came back from a -50 point deficit and was able to seal the deal with a 5th and a 2nd at Phoenix and Miami respectively, while Denny Hamlin choked. Jimmie beat Denny by 39 points and becomes NASCAR's first 5 in a row championship.
Examples of Cinderellas that did not win the championship
These Cinderellas made it to the finals in their respective leagues.
- New England Patriots (1985 NFL season) – The New England Patriots made it into the playoffs as the fifth seed in the AFC, but then became the first team in NFL history to defeat three road teams in the playoffs to make it to the Super Bowl. However, they faced Walter Payton and the Chicago Bears, where they lost 46-10.
- Columbus Destroyers (2007 AFL season) – Columbus entered the Arena Football League Playoffs with a 7-9 record and made Arena Bowl XXII.
- Carolina Panthers (2003 NFL season) – The underdog Carolina Panthers just two seasons removed from a 1-15 season made it to Super Bowl XXXVIII after defeating the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs but lost in the final seconds on an Adam Vinatieri field goal.
- Arizona Cardinals (2008-09) – A traditionally poor performer since the 1940s, the Cardinals finished the regular season at 9-7 to reach the playoffs. They were underdogs in each of their post-season games against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles, but survived all three to reach Super Bowl XLIII. Arizona had the lead with less than three minutes to play, but the Pittsburgh Steelers drove 78 yards down the field, culminating in a Santonio Holmes touchdown with 35 seconds remaining and a record sixth Super Bowl win for Pittsburgh.
Baseball
- New York Giants (1951 World Series) – Following their "Miracle at Coogan's Bluff" playoff win over the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants' dream season ended when they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games.
- New York Mets (1973 World Series) – The "Ya gotta believe" Mets made the 1973 World Series with the worst regular series winning percentage of any previous World Series team. They surprised many by not only making the playoffs that year (which took a late season winning push), but by capturing the pennant. They eventually lost to the Oakland A's 4-3. Willie Mays, at the down side of his career, recorded the final out for the Mets.
- Atlanta Braves (1991 World Series) – After six consecutive seasons of finishing no higher than fifth place in the six team National League West and compiling the worst record in Major League Baseball in 1990, the Braves surprisingly won the division title and defeated the favored Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS to advance to the franchise's first World Series since 1958. In what is frequently cited as one of the best World Series of all time the Braves fell to the Minnesota Twins in seven games, losing the final game 1-0 in ten innings. (The home team won all seven games of the World Series) The 1991 season marked the beginning of a phenomenal run of success for the Braves as it would mark the first of fourteen consecutive division titles won by the team, advancing to the World Series five times and winning the title once (1995) during that span.
- Tampa Bay Rays (2008 World Series)[7][13] – The Rays were the long-time doormats of the American League East, having lost at least 90 games in each of their 10 years of existence. After a 66-96 campaign in 2007, the Rays broke out in 2008, compiling a 97-65 record to clinch the AL East title. They went on to beat the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS and the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game ALCS, but lost the World Series in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies—the city of Philadelphia had a championship after 25 years.[14][15]
Basketball
College basketball
- Jacksonville University (1970) – Jacksonville became the smallest school by enrollment to reach the final round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. However, the Dolphins lost to UCLA in the finals.
- Louisiana State University (1986) – LSU's 1986 team is tied for the lowest-seeded team (#11) to ever make the Final Four (with George Mason's 2006 team and Virginia Commonwealth's 2011 team).
- Loyola Marymount University (1990)[18] – After averaging an NCAA record 122 points per game, the Lions lost senior leader, and former scoring and rebounding champion, Hank Gathers, to a heart condition as he died on the court. However, the Lions fought their way to the Elite Eight where they lost to eventual champion UNLV Rebels. Their run included defeating defending national champion Michigan 149-115.
- Gonzaga University (1999) – Gonzaga's 1999 team pulled the program from total obscurity by reaching the Elite Eight. Their run was ended by a narrow 67-62 loss to the UConn Huskies, the ultimate tournament champions.
- George Mason University (2006) – In 2006, the Patriots became the first true "mid-major" team in over a quarter-century to advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Men's Tournament before losing to the eventual national champion Florida Gators. They were named the Sports Illustrated Biggest Cinderella Team of the Decade in college basketball
- Butler University (2010) – Despite having a great season in the Horizon League, going 18-0, including winning the conference tournament, and receiving a #5 seed, Butler, a traditional mid-major power for a decade, was not expected to advance past the Sweet Sixteen. However, after victories over #12 seed UTEP and #13 seed Murray State, Butler upset the heavily favored #1 seed Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen, and the also heavily favored #2 seed Kansas State in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four. They then beat last years NCAA Tournament Runner Ups, Michigan State, in their sixth Final Four in 12 years, including second straight. In the championship game against #1 Duke, however, their run ended when star Gordon Hayward's desperation heave at the buzzer rimmed out.
- Virginia Commonwealth University (2011) – Many fans and analysts, including Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas, and Billy Packer, were surprised that VCU was given a berth in the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed over other teams that seemed to be more deserving of an at-large berth.[19] However, VCU silenced all the critics by upsetting five teams from five different power conferences en route to the Final Four: USC in the First round, #6 seed Georgetown in the second round, #3 seed Purdue in the third round, #10 seed Florida State in the Sweet Sixteen, and #1 seed Kansas in the Elite Eight. They became the first team to make the Final Four after playing a play-in game, as well as being the third #11 seed to make the Final Four after LSU in 1986 and George Mason in 2006. However, just like LSU and George Mason, they were defeated in the Final Four, losing to fellow mid-major Butler.
College Hockey
Cricket
- South Korea (2002 World Cup) – South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the final four of the World Cup. The South Koreans, who were ranked by FIFA at #40 at the time, advanced by upsetting some very high ranked teams (#5 Portugal, #6 Italy, and #8 Spain) before losing to Germany in the semi-final and to Turkey in the third-place playoff to finish fourth overall.
- Gretna F.C. (2006) – Gretna progressed to the final of the Scottish Cup knocking out Preston Athletic, Cove Rangers, St. Johnstone, Clyde F.C., St. Mirren and Dundee F.C.. They were beaten in the final by Heart of Midlothian on penalties. In their run, Gretna became the first club in the Scottish Second Division to reach the Scottish Cup Final.
- Barnsley F.C. (2008) – Barnsley advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup after knocking out Liverpool and Chelsea, two of the top clubs in English football, in the last two rounds. However, they lost the semi-finals to Cardiff City.
Ice Hockey
- Vancouver Canucks (1982 and 1994)[21][22][23] – In 1982, despite having a losing record in the regular season at 30-33-17, the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, sweeping the Calgary Flames and then defeating the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks, each in five games. However, they were swept by the two-time defending champion New York Islanders in the Finals. In 1994, the Canucks entered the playoffs as the #7 seed in the newly-renamed Western Conference. They upset Calgary in the first round (rallying from a 3-1 series deficit), then upended the fourth-seeded Dallas Stars and the third-ranked Toronto Maple Leafs, each in five games. In the Finals against the New York Rangers (who had won the Presidents' Trophy during the season), they once again rallied after being down 3-1, but the rally was unsuccessful; the Canucks lost Game 7—the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.
- Minnesota North Stars (1991 Stanley Cup Finals)[24] – Despite a losing record in the regular season and being the 16th seeded team in the NHL with only 68 points, the North Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history. They knocked off the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues (the top two teams in the NHL during the regular season) in six games each and the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers in five games. The team fought hard against the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins, led by Mario Lemieux, winning two out of the first three contests before being obliterated 8-0 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series.
- Florida Panthers (1996 Stanley Cup Finals) – The Panthers, in their third NHL season, surprised the hockey world by spending the majority of the season in first place in the Eastern Conference, but a collapse late in the season prevented them from getting home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. The team finished the year with a 41–31–10 record, which was good enough to finish 4th in the East, despite a 16-19-6 record on the road. Though the Panthers were predicted to lose their first ever playoff series to the Boston Bruins, the team relied on the goaltending of John Vanbiesbrouck to carry them past the Bruins. The Cats momentum continued as they continued their improbable run by knocking off the heavily favored Philadelphia Flyers in six games and the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven, holding both Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr to three points in the series, en route to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in four straight, losing in triple overtime on an Uwe Krupp slapshot goal on home ice.
- Carolina Hurricanes (2002 Stanley Cup Finals)[25][26] – Though the Hurricanes were seeded third as a division winner, having won the Southeast Division, in actuality they had the second-lowest point total (91) for a playoff team not only in the Eastern Conference, but also the whole NHL. However, they defeated the New Jersey Devils, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Toronto Maple Leafs all in six games, to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games.
- Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2003 Stanley Cup Finals) – The Mighty Ducks entered the playoffs as the #7 seed and surprised many by sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, who were the #2 seed, in the first round. They followed that series with a six-game series win over the top-seeded Dallas Stars and a four-game sweep over the sixth-ranked Minnesota Wild to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. There, they met the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils, who beat the Ducks in seven games. Both teams won every home game played, but the Devils had home ice advantage and thus had a strong edge going into Game 7.
- Calgary Flames (2004 Stanley Cup Finals) - The Calgary Flames were 6th seed going into the playoffs and didn't have home ice advantage through the playoffs. However, they beat the Canucks in 7, the President's Trophy Winners Detroit Red Wings in 6. And the San Jose Sharks in 6.
- Edmonton Oilers (2006 Stanley Cup Finals)[27] – The Oilers entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They upset the Red Wings (who had 124 points, the first time a team had had 120+ points since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings), and the San Jose Sharks each in six, and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in five to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, where they faced the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the series before finally losing in Game 7.
- Philadelphia Flyers (2010 Stanley Cup Finals)[28] – The Flyers, inconsistent for much of the season and battling injuries that left them at one point starting their 4th choice goaltender (Johan Backlund), qualified for the playoffs in the final game of the season in a shootout against their rival New York Rangers. As the seventh seed, the Flyers upset rivals and Atlantic Division champions, the New Jersey Devils in five games in the first round. In the second round, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games, in the process becoming only the third team in NHL history to win a series in which they had trailed 3-0 at one point. In the conference final, they needed just five games to beat the Montreal Canadiens, who had been on something of a Cinderella run themselves; the Canadiens had defeated the top seeded Washington Capitals and defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In the Finals, the Flyers lost in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 — the Blackhawks had won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.[29]
Other Sports
- Clint Bowyer had no NASCAR wins prior to the 2007 Chase and he was the only Chase contender without a win in 2007. In the first race he dominated the 2007 Sylvania 300 by leading 218 of the 300 laps that day. He was the only non Hendrick driver that had a shot at winning the Chase. Thougout the Chase he was dubbed as a "Cinderella Story". He came up short while Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon finished ahead of Clint.
References
- ^ ESPN (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York: ESPN Books. p. 28. http://books.google.com/books?id=g42TyP-V5C8C&pg=PR41&lpg=PR41&dq=Pat+Forde+College+Basketball+Encyclopedia+Cinderella&source=bl&ots=cYNEeKNejy&sig=d42TdANaMvqbHSmDyPJj3dbr_qU&hl=en&ei=wfKXTd2mDoi3tgfstb3qCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "Soundclip of Bill Murray in Caddyshack". MovieSoundsCentral. http://www.moviesoundscentral.com/sounds/caddyshack/cinderellastory.wav. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
- ^ a b Brewer, Jerry (October 26, 2003). "Marlins Stun Yankees for Title; Josh Beckett Pitched a Gem as Florida Completed a Fairy-Tale Run". Orlando Sentinel: p. A1.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (January 13, 1969). "Jets Upset Colts by 16-7 for Title in the Super Bowl". New York Times: p. 1.
- ^ "Football's Super Star; Joseph William Namath". New York Times: p. 32. January 13, 1969.
- ^ Shaughnessy, Dan (February 4, 2008). "History derailed: Giants ruin Patriots' quest for perfection with 17-14 stunner". Boston Globe: p. A1.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Paul (October 22, 2008). "Amazin' turnabout; Rays' rise evokes memories of Mets' gripping run to '69 title". Chicago Tribune: p. 4.
- ^ Greenstein, Teddy (October 26, 2003). "Happy ending to fish tale; Beckett ices Yanks with 5-hit shutout". Chicago Tribune: p. 1.
- ^ Sheinin, Dave (October 26, 2003). "King Fish; Beckett Blanks Yanks, Cinderella Marlins Stun New York in World Series, 4-2". Washington Post: p. E1.
- ^ "Fresno State reaches historic postseason heights". ESPN.com. 2008-06-23. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3457469&searchName=ncaa_baseball&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3457469%26searchName%3dncaa_baseball. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
- ^ Associated Press (2008-06-25). "Fresno State shocks Georgia for first CWS championship". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/baseball/recap?gameId=2817700611. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Jamie. "Miracle on Ice: American Hockey's Defining Moment". About.com. http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/history/a/miracle_on_ice.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ Livingstone, Seth (October 23, 2008). "'Bossman,' DickieV boost Rays' Upton". USA Today: p. C4.
- ^ Cafardo, Nick (October 30, 2008). "A great finish saved face". Boston Globe: p. C2.
- ^ Robbins, Josh (October 30, 2008). "Phils end Rays' magic". Orlando Sentinel: p. D8. "This Cinderella season did not end happily ever after...The Tampa Bay Rays' Cinderella season is over."
- ^ Wise, Mike (June 26, 1999). "Knicks' Magic Ride is Over". New York Times: p. D1. "After a moment of disbelief had passed over the crowd, they began clapping and saluting this implausible Knicks run that began with a miracle in Miami, swept through Atlanta, somehow overcame Indiana and ended with a four games to one loss in the league championship series."
- ^ Roberts, Selena (June 26, 1999). "Spurs Win Title as Knicks ' Dream Ends". New York Times: p. A1. "It was quite a finish to an improbable and enchanting playoff run for the Knicks."
- ^ 1991 International Year Book. Macmillan Educational Company. 1990. p. 447.
- ^ Hiestand, Michael (March 31, 2011). "Billy Packer agrees with ESPN's Bilas on VCU.". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2011-03-29-vitale-packer-ncaa-tournament_N.htm. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- ^ Albright, David (March 28, 2010). "RIT downs UNH, reaches Frozen Four". http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5034580. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ Cole, Stephen (2004). The Best of Hockey Night in Canada. Toronto: McArthur & Company. p. 107. ISBN 1-55278-408-8.
- ^ Morrison, Scott (2008). Hockey Night in Canada: My Greatest Day. Toronto: Key Porter Books. pp. 106–109. ISBN 978-1-55470-086-8.
- ^ Miles, Gary (June 13, 1994). "Canucks' Improbable Resurgence Has Vancouver in a Frenzy". Philadelphia Inquirer: p. E2. "How improbable is this resurgence by a team few Easterners know anything about?...It comes as no surprise that the Canucks are pretty worked up about the momentum they have gained...These guys have ignored the odds all season. They did it in the first round against Calgary."
- ^ Hunter, Paul (May 26, 1991). "Lemieux sparks Stars' demise". Toronto Star: p. G1. "The clock struck midnight for the Cinderella North Stars last night. And the fairy tale Minnesota had written through the National Hockey League playoffs came to a grim and disappointing conclusion."
- ^ Robinson, Alan (June 5, 2002). "Carolina canes Detroit, forcing fans to stow brooms". Associated Press. "Carolina finished 25 points behind Detroit in the regular season, the largest gap in the Finals since the Rangers' 27-point edge over Vancouver in 1994."
- ^ Marrapese-Burrell, Nancy (June 5, 2002). "Hurricanes do Damage; They Stun Wings by Winning in OT". Boston Globe: p. F1. "The impressive Cinderella team continued its giant-killing ways at Joe Louis Arena last night, beating the Red Wings at the 58-second mark of overtime, 3-2, and capturing Game 1 of this best-of- seven series."
- ^ MacKinnon, John (June 20, 2006). "Just Out Of Reach: Hurricanes hold on to deny Oilers a perfect ending to cinderella season". Edmonton Journal: p. A1.
- ^ Gallagher, Tony (June 10, 2010). "Cinderella ultimately a bridesmaid; Philly can't escape the noose this time". Vancouver Province: p. A60.
- ^ Carchidi, Sam (June 10, 2010). "Sudden Death; Flyers' unforgettable run ends as Hawks win Cup". Philadelphia Inquirer: p. C1.
External links