The 9 Most Impressive Streaks In Sports History

By    March 30, 2011 2:19 pm     Posted in baseball, Baseball - MLB, basketball, Basketball - NCAA, Collegiate, Features, football, Football - NFL, golf, hockey, Hockey - NHL, Lists, Sports   Brad Berreman g+ page


In sports, there are many impressive feats worthy of recognition. Titles won, games won, yards accumulated, etc.  But perhaps the best accomplishments are those that required consistency over an extensive period of time. Those of us with every day jobs or other obligations can respect these feats, as we know how hard it can be to show up every day, let alone be productive. Check out our list of the most impressive streaks in sports history then vote for the one you think is most impressive.

9. UConn Women’s Basketball Win Streak

The University of Connecticut has dominated women’s college basketball in the last 15 years or so, but their recently ended 90-game win streak stands alone as their most impressive accomplishment.  Say what you will about lack of competition, but any win streak that lasts this long has to be on this list somewhere.

8. Byron Nelson’s Tournament Wins Streak

The PGA Tour was certainly in its fledgling stages in 1945, but that doesn’t make Nelson’s streak of 11 consecutive tournament wins any less impressive. Given the challenges in the game of golf, most notably mentally perhaps, this is a record that may never be broken.

7. Orel Hershiser ‘s Scoreless Innings Streak

During his Cy Young season of 1988, Hershiser was arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball.  His 59.1 consecutive scoreless innings in the regular season. He would continue the streak in his first start of the postseason, and would help lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to an upset win over Oakland A’s in the World Series.


6. UCLA Men’s Basketball Win Streak

For nearly three calendar years (1971-1974), the UCLA men’s basketball team did not lose a game.  They would win three national championships during that span, before losing to a Notre Dame squad coached by current ESPN analyst “Digger” Phelps.  With the current NCAA Tournament seemingly adding more teams every year, the Bruins’ mark may never be touched.


5. Wayne Gretzky’s Point Streak

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins recently had a 25-game point streak, which is very impressive. But to put that in perspective, Gretzky owns the record with a 51-game streak during the 1983-84 season.  During the streak, “The Great One” had an astonishing 153 points (61 goals, 92 assists), so he probably didn’t have many (if any) one-point outings over that stretch.


4. Johnny Unitas’ Consecutive Games w/ TD Pass

From 1956-1960, Unitas threw a touchdown pass in 47 straight games.  Only two other quarterbacks, Brett Favre (36) and Dan Marino (30) have accomplished that feat in 30 or more games in NFL history .  Given the era in which he played, in which offenses were run-oriented and the rules were much different for defenses than they are now, Unitas’ feat should be considered all the more impressive.


3. Joe Dimaggio’s Hitting Streak

Since “The Yankee Clipper” got a hit in 56 straight games in 1941, many players have come somewhat close to his record but none have reached it.  Perhaps not too surprisingly, Pete Rose has come closest with a 44-game streak in 1978.   Given the specialization in today’s major league baseball bullpens and the pure luck sometimes involved in getting a base hit, I feel this is perhaps the most unbreakable record in any sport.


2. Cal Ripken Jr.’s Consecutive Game Streak

For 2,632 games from May 1982 to September 1998, Ripken Jr. played in every game the Baltimore Orioles played.  In today’s modern era, when players get day games after night games off for “rest”, this accomplishment will continue to stand out.   He surpassed legendary Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 games in September of 1995, then obviously added basically three seasons to the streak.  Ripken Jr. could also be credited with debunking the myth that shortstops had to be smaller men to be effective defensively.


1. Brett Favre’s Consecutive Start Streak

Starting in September of 1992 and coming to an end this past season, Favre made 297 consecutive regular season starts for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. If you count playoffs, the streak goes over 300.  He played through various maladies during that span, and the streak has to be at the top of this list given the physical demands of the quarterback position.  All of the recent drama surrounding Favre may overshadow this streak, but that is a shame.  A recent report has said he filed his retirement papers with the NFL, so a new streak will not start in 2011.

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    Tags: brett favre, brett favre streak, Byron Nelson, Byron Nelson streak, Cal Ripken, cal ripken jr streak, Joe Dimaggio, Johnny Unitas, johnny unitas streak, Lou Gehrig, Lou Gehrig streak, most consecutive games with a hit

    Comments

    6 Responses to “The 9 Most Impressive Streaks In Sports History”
    1. MMs says:
      March 30, 2011 at 5:09 pm

      Kenyon College won the NCAA division III national championship 31 consecutive years in men's swimming until they lost last weekend to Denison University. That is an impressive streak.

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