It's a tradition like no other intertwined with one shining moment. In tribute to one of the most glorious sports-watching stretches of the year, we're counting down the five best Final Four/Masters combo years of the past four decades.
Today we look back to the year Bob Barker first donned silver hair, Joe Niekro filed his nails and Greg Norman first caught wind of bad things to come: 1987.
A REAL SHINING MOMENT
CBS sure picked a heck of a year to instill "One Shining Moment" into the network's coverage plan. At the same time the Oscars were being shown on another channel -- with the movie "Hoosiers" nominated for two Academy Awards -- a real-life movie plot unfolded. Bobby Knight's Indiana team defeated Syracuse 74-73 in New Orleans thanks to a last-second shot by Keith Smart. It capped off a torrid run by Smart, who scored 12 of the Hoosiers' final 15 points to stun the Orangemen. The championship game will forever be remembered for the jump shot made by Smart, from nearby Baton Rouge, with 5 seconds to play. But the 1987 Final Four, the first to use a three-point line, was a who's-who of recognizable names. Knight already was well known by then as the fiery coach chronicled in John Feinstein's book "A Season on the Brink." But the Final Four also featured a Providence team led by Billy Donovan and coached by 34-year-old Rick Pitino and UNLV led by the towel-chomping Jerry Tarkanian.
TOUGH LUCK FOR NORMAN - AGAIN
After a career that netted more than $15 million in earnings and as the CEO of a multi-national corporation that focuses on golf, clothing and fine wines, Greg Norman isn't going to find many pity parties. But the guy sure could elicit some sympathetic moans and groans. This is among the worst. Norman had a chance to win the 1987 Masters, but missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. That forced a three-man playoff, and after Seve Ballesteros was eliminated on the first extra hole, Norman and Larry Mize took to the par-4 11th at Augusta National. Mize's approach shot came up woefully short. But rather than just knock 'er close, the Augusta, Ga., native three-hopped it into the cup for birdie from about 140 feet. Norman missed his birdie attempt from the front edge, sealing a second consecutive gut-wrenching defeat in a major. Bob Tway drained a bunker shot on the final hole of the 1986 PGA Championship to beat Norman by two.
BRIAN STENSAAS
