Greatest sporting upset ever?

[tikay]

The newspapers are full of it this morning - "Biggest ever sporting shock result ever".

Japan beating South Africa was almost certainly the biggest Rugby World cup shock ever. Might even be the biggest International Rugby shock ever. And a tremendous match, which will liven up the RWC, beset by the TMO, & attract more viewers. We love underdogs.

Biggest sporting shock result ever? (copyright Sunday Telegraph & most other Sunday papers).

Surely not.

[arbboy]

Can't think of a team sport where there was a 300/1+ pre game winner off the top of my head in a single game.  Obviously numerous horses have won at 1000/1 on betfair pre race.  Depends whether you class horse racing strictly as a sport.

[tikay]

In the days when the England Football Team were pre-eminent, they lost, in the World Cup, to the USA, who barely played the game then.


Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson.

Greece won Euro 2004.

John Daly won the US PGA after getting in as 9th alternate.

Must be more of these - in football, horse racing, Tennis, Athletics, NFL, Darts, Snooker?

[arbboy]

In the days when the England Football Team were pre-eminent, they lost, in the World Cup, to the USA, who barely played the game then.


Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson.

Greece won Euro 2004.

John Daly won the US PGA after getting in as 9th alternate.

Must be more of these - in football, horse racing, Tennis, Athletics, NFL?

Russia beat the USA in the olympic basketball in the 1970s i think which was a huge upset. 

[Karabiner]

Francis Ouimet won the 1913 US Open as an amateur playing in the event for the first time.

[Tal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34306779

My favourite BBC journo, Ben Dirs, nails it and the tweet below is brilliant.

Click to see full-size image.

Where would Jerry Yang winning the Main Event fit into this discussion?

[Rexas]

It wasn't just the fact they won, it was the manner in which they did so. Japan played excellent attacking rugby, completely fearless, took the game to South Africa and never seemed close to looking tired. I don't think anyone can argue that they were the better side all through the game.

I mean, a draw would have been amazing. They were basically given a draw with a few minutes to go, and the team decided to play for it all. And then, they didn't just pike bodies into a maul and drive the ball over the line slowly, they created space and used it. Must require incredible guts and faith in your team to be able to pass the ball out wide in that scenario.

Absolutely remarkable, there's nothing quite like witnessing a moment of sporting history like that. With Japan hosting the next world cup, they will be a serious threat.

[tikay]

It wasn't just the fact they won, it was the manner in which they did so. Japan played excellent attacking rugby, completely fearless, took the game to South Africa and never seemed close to looking tired. I don't think anyone can argue that they were the better side all through the game.

I mean, a draw would have been amazing. They were basically given a draw with a few minutes to go, and the team decided to play for it all. And then, they didn't just pike bodies into a maul and drive the ball over the line slowly, they created space and used it. Must require incredible guts and faith in your team to be able to pass the ball out wide in that scenario.

Absolutely remarkable, there's nothing quite like witnessing a moment of sporting history like that. With Japan hosting the next world cup, they will be a serious threat.

Don't disagree with a word of that, it was utterly spellbinding to watch, & will become etched in our minds as a great sporting memory.

[doubleup]

Francis Ouimet won the 1913 US Open as an amateur playing in the event for the first time.

Tikay was there!!!

[Peter-27]

Greece won Euro 2004.

No-one believes me, but I predicted this to happen before the tournament began!

Sadly, I didn't bet on it as I was only 12 years old  

[arbboy]

Greece won Euro 2004.

No-one believes me, but I predicted this to happen before the tournament began!

Sadly, I didn't bet on it as I was only 12 years old  

Remember having them as a total skinner at the 1/4 final stage for the firm i was working for at the time.  We decided to 'get them in the book' as they 'couldn't win' and were a cracking lay at 8/1 i think.  Went top price.  Got filled in by some sporting index traders and ended up losing on the book in the end!

[Doobs]

Foinaven must count as it was a major sporting event?

Ayrton Senna in the Toleman when he "won" the Monaco Grand Prix was more astonishing.  He just didn't compete with the drivers in far better cars, he made them look like rank amateurs.

[TheDazzler]

Greece won Euro 2004.

No-one believes me, but I predicted this to happen before the tournament began!

Sadly, I didn't bet on it as I was only 12 years old  

A girl I worked with at the time had spent loads of holidays in Greece and loved the place. She was going to put a bet on Greece until I persuaded her not to be so silly.

[DropTheHammer]

A girl I worked with at the time had spent loads of holidays in Greece and loved the place. She was going to put a bet on Greece until I persuaded her not to be so silly.

What price were Greece pre-tournament?

Surely it should be quite easy to determine the biggest sporting upset ever by just looking at bookie (not Betfair, to allow fair comparison of past events) odds pre-match/tournament. But the greatest sporting upset ever might not be the longest odds thing happening, but would depend on your outlook. So a Greek would say them winning that Euros. A poker player might point to Moneymaker winning the main event.

[Doobs]

A girl I worked with at the time had spent loads of holidays in Greece and loved the place. She was going to put a bet on Greece until I persuaded her not to be so silly.

What price were Greece pre-tournament?

Surely it should be quite easy to determine the biggest sporting upset ever by just looking at bookie (not Betfair, to allow fair comparison of past events) odds pre-match/tournament. But the greatest sporting upset ever might not be the longest odds thing happening, but would depend on your outlook. So a Greek would say them winning that Euros. A poker player might point to Moneymaker winning the main event.

Have it in my head they were 66/1.  May be wrong.

The poker ones can't count.  The chances of an amateur/semi pro type winning are always very good due to the volumes in the field.  So whilst it was a shock Jerry Yang won, it isn't really a shock someone like him won.  Maybe as time goes on, it will become a lot harder for a Jerry Yang/Moneymaker type to win.

Edit.  Way out, Google says 150/1