This is a bit of a cheat, since it’s 3 photos, but I still am amazed at the Michael Phelps photo finish sequence from the 2008 olympics.
I definitely agree that the Moss image is a better photograph, and i tend to agree with your first sentence as well.
I will, however, make a bit of a defense of the Unser photo, because some combination of foresight, luck, and skill allowed the photographer to record the image at the perfect moment, right when Unser’s nose had crossed the line but the second-place-getter had not. The gap between the cars was less than one-twentieth of a second, and yet the photographer caught it right at the perfect spot.
This was 1992, so it was a film camera, probably a Nikon F4, or a Canon EOS 1, assuming the photographer was a pro. Neither of those cameras could achieve better than 6 frames per second with their motordrives, so even if the photographer just aimed the camera and started firing, there’s a decent chance that he would have missed the perfect moment where one car crossed and the other didn’t.
For that reason, i think it’s a pretty decent shot. Still, if you don’t know the story behind it, it loses a lot of its impact. And this is, i think, a key point, and is exemplified in the photo of Mike Gatting getting bowled out by Shane Warne.
Exactly. The way that ball spun was crucial to the whole dismissal, and it’s something that you would have a lot of difficulty capturing on film. Again, this photo only really works if you know the story behind it.
Compare it with the iconic image of Ali standing over Liston. You don’t need to know a single thing about that fight, or even about boxing in general, to see how great that picture is.
Wiki says wee Darren Baker was, in fact, the bat boy, and yes, the rule changed after that: J. T. Snow - Wikipedia
You are absolutely right. I have looked for this photo before, and failed. So I tried Bing, and here it is.
I’ve always liked this photo of Bill Russell showing his dominance of Wilt Chamberlain (again, like damn near always), blocking Wilt’s shot, barely off of Russell’s fingertips.
Here is the same picture… but with a few changes. 
I’m pretty sure #18 is Jim Loscutoff, but I can’t find any verification of that.
Stand out cricket images are a tough one - so much of the game relies on movement and the transition from motionless to deft (or powerful) shot. I looked for images of Viv Richards in his prime on Google and there are good photos there but nothing I would call iconic. Indeed, most of the best Richards images are of him off the field - looking fucking cool. For example:
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2012/08/17/1226452/028410-viv-richards.jpg
Still there are some decent cricket photos knocking around, I reckon.
Strauss Takes Gilchrist - 2005
There is this obviously - same series
This one was iconic in its day - the final play of the tied test
And this one illustrates Bodyline beautifully, both its field positions and its intent.
I couldn’t agree more Cumbrian. For that ball of the century the picture shows little- you need the video to show how good it was.
And I think a single shot of any sport captures very little- it is often the lead up that needs to be seen. Especially with test cricket where several overs often go into preparing a trap for a batsman.
Here is one I like- Trumper jumping out to drive. It is staged, but he was a law to himself anyway.
And for Bodyline- this I think is more reflective on the intent. Oldfield after being hit.
I’d like to know the context of that Diego Maradona picture (#2). I doubt too many teams put 6 defenders (more than half the team) on even him. I’m sure there was some unusual circumstance there. It seems like the camera perspective was skewed for effect.
WAG but it looks like Maradona might have received a pass from a free kick close to the penalty area and the photo was taken just as the defensive wall was breaking up and it’s only because they are all looking at him that it looks like there are 6 guys on him. Taken half a second later, that photo probably has all their eyes looking in different directions and maybe two guys going towards him, whilst the rest go off in other directions.
Maybe someone who actually saw it will chime in. I was 5.
A fair defence indeed.
And to Cumbrian and Cicero I doff my hat for reminding me some great cricketing photos. I do agree though it is difficult to capture on film. (though the bodyline photo tells great story by itself)
And amarone, you are a star…sort of. That’s definitely the sort of bodily damage I recall, right man, right opposition. I still remember him trunks on a beach though. Hmmmm, Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me or, even stranger, I *want *to remember Brian Close in trunks. Either is quite concerning.
Cameras do tend to foreshorten distance and telephotos even more so but the other x factor was Maradona’s reputation. With the ball at his feet he tended to suck defenders into him like a stumpy, cheating, drug-addled whoremonger. They knew what he could do and one man was rarely enough to stop him.
Of course that just left gaps elsewhere that his teammates were happy enough to exploit.
I don’t know if you noticed but I’m not particularly a fan of the man himself, great player though he was.
Yes, I’ve seen that reference, and others. Their use of the term “bat boy” is informal, and it’s for convenience - Darren Baker is a boy, yes, and he was getting the bat. There’s no way a 3-yr old would be an official bat boy in an MLB game. He is the manager Dusty Baker’s son, there were no rules at that time prohibiting 3-yr old boys from being on the field, so Darren was allowed there because Dusty allowed him there.
Dusty himself made reference to the “real” bat boys, when he said, “I think he was arguing with the other bat boys on who was going to get Kenny Lofton’s bat. He’s one of his favorites.”
Here is another one of Secretariat’s dominating win at the Belmont Stakes.
I watched that Triple Crown. Secretariat was incredible. Secretariat was a machine. Secretariat is the greatest thoroughbred, IMHO.
That’s an ongoing debate what with Frankel’s current astonishing form but regardless, judged on aesthetics I reckon Black Caviar takes a better photo.
Cumbrian already posted the epic photo of Freddie Flintoff consoling Brett Lee during the 2005 Ashes, but I’ll link to it again.
That entire series was like two months of sporting Tantric sex, and I say that as an Aussie whose team was ultimately beaten. I don’t expect to see another sporting contest like that in my lifetime, and that picture sums up the spirit in which it was played. No quarter asked, none given, but respect for the opponent when the contest was done. Long live the Ashes.
I can’t find a link to my favourite picture of Maradona, so I’ll just have to describe it:
It’s a black and white picture from a wide angle of the Argentinian team lined up during the national anthem. Maradona is so short compared to the rest of the Argentine players that while you can’t see anything higher than their shoulders, Maradona himself is fully visible. He looks like he’s surrounded by giants.
Title of the picture: “Man amongst boys.”
He really was that good.
That’s an awesome photo.
How about Bob Beamonsmashing the long jump record in Mexico City in 1968? From that photo it looks like he could have had a crack at the High Jump record at the same time.
(But I still think Ali-Liston has to be number one.)
The Catch: this other photo isn’t as famous or as popular, but the moment did put the 49ers on the map.
That is a super photo of Bob Beamon, I’d seen it before but nice to be reminded.
and yep, if anything has been agreed its that Ali-Liston ticks the boxes of pretty much everyone.