Something beautiful about sport is that it comes down to the small margins. These are the finals that summarised everything in a single moment, the ones I stayed up until 3am for and never regretted.
10. Patriots v Eagles, Super Bowl LII
This one had it all: risky plays (the “Philly Special”), a record playoff passing performance, Tom Brady's aura, only one punt in the game, and after all that attacking, it finished on a defensive stop. Nick Foles, the underdog, had the game of his life and did what everyone should in sport: take your opportunities. Teams who play not to lose when they're underdogs I do not understand. What do you have to lose? Then the final moments, 3am UK time, up steps Brady. Everyone watching had a sixth sense of No.12 doing what he does best, and in one of the most attacking games of American football, it was decided by a defensive play. Incredible.
9. Real Madrid v Atlético, Champions League Final 2014: “La Décima”
The first Champions League final between two teams from the same city: the formidable force versus the immovable object. Two contrasting mafia bosses in the dugout: the ever-cool Don Carlo against the animated, passionate Diego Simeone. It was the peak of Messi vs Ronaldo, and my grandpa would not stop teasing me. Atlético got an early scrappy goal and I couldn't bear to watch. Never give up. The clock strikes 92:48 and up steps Sergio Ramos with a bullet header. It finished 4-1, capped by a Ronaldo goal, a result my grandpa was not best pleased with.
8. Fury vs Wilder III
I do not rate either boxer that highly, yet this became one of the best trilogies in boxing history. This last fight had everything you'd want in a final fight: heart, guts, momentum swinging both ways, in a classic boxing city. Fury dominated, but both of Wilder's punches connected, and Fury getting up was one of the most incredible recoveries I'd ever seen. “Once and For All,” it was dubbed, and it was glorious. Wilder left everything in that ring; you almost wanted to feel sorry for him. It ended the way it should: one warrior standing, the other fallen.
7. Cavs v Warriors, 2016 NBA Finals
LeBron was my favourite player. I stayed up to 5am before school to watch regular-season games. The Warriors had just beaten the '95-96 Bulls' record and Curry won the first unanimous MVP; the inevitable looked set as Cleveland fell 3-1 down. I couldn't bear to watch Game 5, and how badly I was mistaken. LeBron and Kyrie went crazy, then did it again to force 3-3. “The Block” is memorable, but the real story: no team in NBA Finals history had ever come back from 3-1. I got to witness it.
Sport comes down to the small margins, and I felt every one of them all the way in Scotland.
Six through one are still to come: Alcaraz v Sinner at Roland Garros, Federer v Nadal at Wimbledon '08, Man Utd v Chelsea in Moscow, Abu Dhabi 2021, McIlroy at the Masters, and France v Argentina. The countdown continues.
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