Football: I love an inside run that breaks into the secondary. I think it is thrilling that a running back can get the ball, disappear around the line of scrimmage, and then BOOM he’s got an open field with just a couple DBs between him and the end zone.
Golf: I love watching awesome recovery shots to the green like this or this. (Sorry about the crappy video on the second.)
Nothing like a cross-over dribble into a step back three in basketball.
Football (rest of the world edition):
The indirect free kick to the attacking team in the penalty box. Especially if the ball is spotted close enough to the goal line to necessitate the defending players having to stand on the line, and rush out as quickly as possible to try to block the shot. Fantastic stuff.
The bounce-ball to restart play contested by a player from each team, with much frantic kicking of shins as each attempts to gain possession. Now sadly a bit of a rarity.
A well-executed backline set play in rugby is a thing of beauty, here are some good examples from last year’s Super 15. Clever combinations of skip passes, wrap arounds and changes of angle to create an overlap or break a defensive line are great to behold.
I don’t think we’ve mentioned volleyball yet.
In indoor, a shoot set is very impressive. The ball is passed to the setter who sends it in almost a straight line across the net to the hitter who took off a moment earlier. When it’s well timed and well hit, it’s a beautiful thing. And when done with a back set… incredible.
For beach volleyball, I love seeing a good dig. Sinjin Smith was unbelievable at playing defense. He was like Wayne Gretsky in that he just magically knew where to be and then made it look easy. So many times he’d just be standing exactly where a 90-mph spike was headed, and would put it back up seemingly effortlessly. Here are Sinjin and Randy Stoklos beating Kiraly / Steffes in 1991. Watch the last rally beginning at 15:40 and you’ll see what I mean.
I was going to mention exactly the same type of play that Lisiate just did for Rugby,
For football, I love the sweeping crossfield pass, touchline to touchline, especially when the receiving player has to bring it down under pressure.
For Cricket, it has to be watching a master of fast swing bowling go to work (Hadlee, Akram, Anderson etc.)
Or a simple cover drive for four off a fast, length ball. Cricket fans know what I mean here. The batsman barely seems to try at all but the timing converts all the incoming ball speed into outgoing velocity and the ball shoots away. Lovely.
There’s nothing like a good double takeout or a tap back freeze, is there?
Maybe it’s the Anglo-Saxon, ball up the jumper, stodgy rugby lover in me - but I love seeing a pushover try from a scrum. Rarely happens any more because teams are generally more balanced (and also much more likely to take it down and try and con the ref when the pressure comes on) but nothing says “we’ve got your manhood” like pushing all 8 of the oppo forwards back over their own goal-line.
Admit it Cumbrian, you’re really an Argentinian…
I have front-rower friends who rate a tighthead win against the feed ahead of any try you can mention.
Hockey: otherworldly saves, where you’re pretty sure what the goalie just did is impossible and he must have teleported from one side of the net to the other or otherwise used magic.
Alternatively, sweet tic-tac-toe plays, where a line just freezes the defence, outsmarts the goalie and pops one in like it was no big deal.
It’s doubtful Bonds ever did. Although he was a phenominal player, he didn’t have a very strong arm. He often compensated by flipping the ball quickly to the infield while still running after fielding the ball, instead of quickly stopping, getting his feet set, and trying to gun down a runner. The quick flip often was enough for a runner to see the ball in the air and convince him not to advance.
Hockey-Short handed goal
Hockey : a break away, in overtime, during the playoffs. There is nothing more exciting in any sport, anywhere on the planet. EVERYONE gets excited, gets to their feet, whether they’re rooting for the skater or the goalie - this is one play that gets everyone on the edge of their seat. And the outcome is either sheer joy and elation, or devastation, depending on which team you’re rooting for.
I know front row forwards that claim that the real game is contested between themselves and that all else is a side show too. I’ve even heard some of them come off after a 40+ point dicking, claiming that they’d won 1-0.
Cricket - A blinder of a catch at gully, where the ball’s been hit quite hard at a sharp angle from the bat but a fielder with amazing reflexes and flypaper hands picks the ball out of the air when it’s barely more than a red blur eight feet off the ground and well to one side. Here’s one. And the batsman’s WTF??? expression adds to the joy of the moment.
For hockey a shorthanded goal during a 5 on 3.
Free kicks as a result of a safety in the NFL. Odd to see a punter lined up with the kicking team like that.