The Second Perfect Season?
Is it just a dream?
Rarely do we see it in modern day sports. Teams and athletes alike, strive to do the impossible each time they are on the field of play. In the recent Olympics, Michael Phelps tried for a gold sweep of eight events only to fall two short. A perfect season? It’s hard enough to think about it, let alone, think it could really happen. But it isn’t totally elusive. It has actually been done.
In 1972, the Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The Dolphins undefeated season had no letdowns in the playoffs, no "beaten by a last second field goal," no "rest everyone for the playoffs and let a game slip away." Just one full season of greatness, week in and week out, culminating with a Super Bowl championship.
On May 18, 2004, Randy Johnson, the 40-year-old Arizona Diamondback struck out 13 batters and became the 17th pitcher in Major League History to throw a perfect game.
Others have had success in professional sports, racking up impressive winning streaks. Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Glenn Hall's 502 consecutive games played by a goaltender, Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive games played, Byron Nelson's 11 straight PGA victories in 19, Wilt Chamberlain's seven straight games of 50 or more points, Johnny Unitas' 47 straight games with a TD pass, Wayne Gretzky's 51-game points streak, Edwin Moses' 122-win streak in the 400-meter hurdles, Tiger Woods' four straight major pro golf titles, Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin's 13-year unbeaten streak, Orel Hershiser's 59 consecutive shutout innings.
But when it comes to one guy totally dominating the entire field at every event, in every race, only one name comes to mind –
Ricky Carmichael.
Ricky Carmichael is the American Motorcycle Association’s (AMA) all time leader in wins. Carmichael has more records for winning races, winning streaks, than anyone else. In a sport where the field of play changes from lap to lap, Carmichael seems to be superhuman in his ability to win. In the 2002 AMA Outdoor National Motocross Series, Carmichael won every race at every venue during the entire season. 24 individual races, for 12 overall victories. Carmichael dominated, period. When asked if he thought it was possible to do it again Carmichael admitted, "I’d like to go undefeated again, but I seriously doubt that it will ever happen again. So many things have to go right and there is luck involved. I wouldn’t have believed that I could have done it at the beginning of the year and I just don’t see it happening again."
Now, Carmichael is on the verge of doing it again. With two events left, Steel City in the east and Glenn Helen in the west, Carmichael has shown all year long that he has what it takes to have another perfect season. So far, Carmichael has 500 points, a perfect score. He has won 20 of 20 races with 10 overall victories. Carmichael has battled the best in the world and left them wondering what it will take to get a win. Mostly, Ricky has lead just about every lap of every race.
What makes this even more unbelievable than the first perfect season is the fact that Carmichael underwent knee surgery last December and was forced to sit out the entire 2004 Supercross season. Coming back from knee surgery, no one expected Ricky Carmichael to do as well as he has done. No one would have been down on him if he had not been in the hunt for the title. In fact, the expectations were so low that Honda let Ricky’s contract expire and allowed Suzuki to woo him away. Still obligated to ride the Honda CRF450 for the Outdoor Nationals, Ricky could have taken it easy and protected his knee. But Carmichael is a winner and a rider with integrity. He proved all the nay-sayers wrong by winning everything.
So, is it possible to win everything, again? For Ricky Carmichael it looks like it is. We’ll let you know in eight days.
Rarely do we see it in modern day sports. Teams and athletes alike, strive to do the impossible each time they are on the field of play. In the recent Olympics, Michael Phelps tried for a gold sweep of eight events only to fall two short. A perfect season? It’s hard enough to think about it, let alone, think it could really happen. But it isn’t totally elusive. It has actually been done.
In 1972, the Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The Dolphins undefeated season had no letdowns in the playoffs, no "beaten by a last second field goal," no "rest everyone for the playoffs and let a game slip away." Just one full season of greatness, week in and week out, culminating with a Super Bowl championship.
On May 18, 2004, Randy Johnson, the 40-year-old Arizona Diamondback struck out 13 batters and became the 17th pitcher in Major League History to throw a perfect game.
Others have had success in professional sports, racking up impressive winning streaks. Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Glenn Hall's 502 consecutive games played by a goaltender, Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive games played, Byron Nelson's 11 straight PGA victories in 19, Wilt Chamberlain's seven straight games of 50 or more points, Johnny Unitas' 47 straight games with a TD pass, Wayne Gretzky's 51-game points streak, Edwin Moses' 122-win streak in the 400-meter hurdles, Tiger Woods' four straight major pro golf titles, Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin's 13-year unbeaten streak, Orel Hershiser's 59 consecutive shutout innings.
But when it comes to one guy totally dominating the entire field at every event, in every race, only one name comes to mind –
Ricky Carmichael.
Ricky Carmichael is the American Motorcycle Association’s (AMA) all time leader in wins. Carmichael has more records for winning races, winning streaks, than anyone else. In a sport where the field of play changes from lap to lap, Carmichael seems to be superhuman in his ability to win. In the 2002 AMA Outdoor National Motocross Series, Carmichael won every race at every venue during the entire season. 24 individual races, for 12 overall victories. Carmichael dominated, period. When asked if he thought it was possible to do it again Carmichael admitted, "I’d like to go undefeated again, but I seriously doubt that it will ever happen again. So many things have to go right and there is luck involved. I wouldn’t have believed that I could have done it at the beginning of the year and I just don’t see it happening again."
Now, Carmichael is on the verge of doing it again. With two events left, Steel City in the east and Glenn Helen in the west, Carmichael has shown all year long that he has what it takes to have another perfect season. So far, Carmichael has 500 points, a perfect score. He has won 20 of 20 races with 10 overall victories. Carmichael has battled the best in the world and left them wondering what it will take to get a win. Mostly, Ricky has lead just about every lap of every race.
What makes this even more unbelievable than the first perfect season is the fact that Carmichael underwent knee surgery last December and was forced to sit out the entire 2004 Supercross season. Coming back from knee surgery, no one expected Ricky Carmichael to do as well as he has done. No one would have been down on him if he had not been in the hunt for the title. In fact, the expectations were so low that Honda let Ricky’s contract expire and allowed Suzuki to woo him away. Still obligated to ride the Honda CRF450 for the Outdoor Nationals, Ricky could have taken it easy and protected his knee. But Carmichael is a winner and a rider with integrity. He proved all the nay-sayers wrong by winning everything.
So, is it possible to win everything, again? For Ricky Carmichael it looks like it is. We’ll let you know in eight days.
<< Home