My Favorite Sporting Upsets and Underdog Stories

Mississipi State's 66-64 victory over UConn in the Women'sFinal Four on Friday night had all the ingredients of a great upset. A David, a Goliath, a big stage, and an overtime buzzer beater to add a little zest. 

These moments may be fleeting, but they make some of the best memories. Moments like these are what make all the countless hours of watching, all the anxiety-induced vomiting, and all the missed homework deadlines worth it.

So long after the crowds had undoubtedly dissipated from the stadium to the bars, from the bars into the Dallas hotels, after America's adrenaline had returned to its normal levels and the commentators were done thanking Ross Dress for Less for providing their wardrobes; after I had brushed my teeth, taken my Flinstones vitamins, and my mom had tucked me safely into my Steve Urkel sleeping bag, I lay awake in bed, thinking long and hard about these rare moments.

I began to ponder: What is the best sports upset of all time? As I lay there in my dimly lit bedroom, staring at the glow-in-the-dark Richard Simmons poster that hangs over my bed, I composed a list of my favorite upsets and underdog stories. Mississippi's win rolled in at the number five spot. Here are my four others:

4. Helen Maroulis beats Saori Yoshida 

In the 2016 Olympics, Helen Maroulis became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in women's wrestling. To get there she had to beat three-time Olympic gold medalist and 13-time (yes, that's THIRTEEN-time) world champion, Saori Yoshida, in the gold medal match.

3. "Rocktober" 

No Colorado sports fan can forget the Colorado Rockies'miracle run to the World Series in 2007. While it didn't end well for the Rockies, getting swept in the World Series by the Boston Red Sox, the journey there was a fun and memorable one for the Colorado community. The Rockies finished that regular season by winning 13 of their last 14 games, defeating San Diego in a play-in game to take their spot in the playoffs. They swept Philadelphia in the NLDS and Arizona in the NLCS to finally advance to the World Series.

2. Holly Holm beats Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey's 12-0 record wasn't the only thing that made her heavily favored in her bout against Holly Holm in November 2015. It was the manner of her victories that had many people thinking she was unbeatable. With her previous three opponents lasting just 34, 14, and 16 seconds against her, some fans were even speculating that the UFC Bantamweight champ could beat Floyd Mayweather in the cage. So when world champion boxer Holly Holm knocked Rousey out a minute into the second round, the mma world was in shock.

This was one of my favorite upsets because I was one of the few people who thought Holm had a chance, and because it silenced Rousey's obnoxious fans.

1. Rulon Gardner vs. Alexandr Karelin

My all time favorite sports upset, though, has to be Rulon Gardner's upset of Russia's Alexandr Karelin in the 2000 Olympics for the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. Karelin, who had won three consecutive Olympic golds, not only had a 13-year undefeated streak, but he hadn't been scored upon in six years. Let that sink in. No world class wrestler had been able to score a single point on him for six years.

He was a legend. Gardner, on the other hand, was some American kid that a few people had heard of. So when he not only scored a point on Karelin, but that point was enough to beat Karelin for the gold medal, wrestling fans were in disbelief.

With elements of the matchup reflecting the U.S. men's ice hockey victory over the Russian team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, the match was dubbed "The Miracle on the Mat."

I don't claim that this is a comprehensive list, but these are my favorites. Let me know if I missed any that you think belong in the top five.